IN THE SHADOW OF EVE
By
Kath Fisher
Timeline: On way to New Pacifica
Author's E-Mail: kez@magna.com.au
"We are the shadow of our past. Known or not it lives with us.
It whispers in our minds, and sometimes through the mist and myth
we find our simple selves.
Our shapes moulded by each part of us
that we deny."
B. M. H.
In the Shadow of Eve, Part 1
by Kath Fisher
Her conscience and her dreams drew her out of sleep and into the night forest of Eden. She went to wave to the two around the camp fire but they were in deep conversation, ignorant of her presence. No one else was awake or willing to brave the cold air. She dug her hands deep into her jacket pockets, did a quick take of her own tent, and with a little 'lunatic' determination walked out of the settlement. All she wanted was some time to calm her thoughts.
The usual peace of the night had changed into a cacophony of unknown sounds. Sounds that made her afraid, remembering a time alone. Cries of animals they hadn't encountered yet, and some they had. Even the ground beneath her rustled and spoke to her in an unknown tongue. And in the distance, but deceptively close, was the sound of the earth and the Terrians sharing their understandings with each other. She shivered. Somehow she felt the Terrians could still detect her movements, and the thought, though initially exciting, now made her wary. The last couple of encounters with them had soured their relationship further. She was no longer a bridge but a beacon.
At the end of the 'path', lit only by the two moons low in the sky, her thoughts stopped racing as she took in the view of the mist covered plains below. Not long ago Devon Adair had led their party across those plains and up the steep rise to the plateau she now stood on. They would camp for probably two days, scout around and then continue their journey to New Pacifica. The plateau held a rich source of edible vegetation and they were all looking forward to a change, though a brief one, in their diets.
The glimmer of a light on the plains caught her eye. She chided herself for thinking illogically, 'who could be down there so late'. The light vanished as fast as it appeared, and it seemed more likely her mind was just playing tricks.
"Get a grip," she whispered to herself. She turned towards the cluster of yellow leafed bushes behind her, she'd seen them on their ascent, but paid them no attention. In the dark they glowed softly, almost phosphorescently. The leaves smelt fresh and vibrant. She liked the scent so much she decided to take a handful of them back to camp with her. As she touched the leaves... a bright light flashed behind her again, and it wasn't until the sound of the very human voices wafted up to her that she knew she wasn't imagining things. She froze. An unwanted memory flooded into her, one that was painful. The memory of the harshness and cruelty of her early days with the Council. And she remembered a voice, and then another. But they weren't memories. The voices from the plains below were familiar. She turned towards the edge of the plateau and peered into the mist. The voices persisted, and both were from the Council. One was a woman's voice, clean and pure in appearance only, and the other was of a man who she had only ever heard in VR.
She scrambled down the side of the plateau, taking her a good hour to reach the base. The two moons glowering at her almost accusingly through the mist. The chill felt greater here, seeping in through a tear in her jacket, and stinging the small cuts on her hands she had suffered on her descent. She approached the voices and the light, keeping well hidden in the shadows.
She watched as two familiar people talked over some plans laid out on the ground. Behind them was some sort of military officer, most likely a tracker by the markings on her uniform, leaning casually on the capsule that must have brought them there. She knew from her own training that the capsule was an SGP (silent graviton pod), used predominantly in stealth operations. It wasn't that or the officer with her shining weapon that frightened her, even the man kneeling over the maps of the area paled next to the one thing that made her shiver, the woman in grey. Her steely blue eyes shone more brightly and held back more secrets than she wanted to know. She did know this woman. Called Wadi-dja, she was a power hungry parapsychologist, but more than that, Wadi-dja had her own special mental abilities. She was also one the highest ranking Council members, wielding fear tactics through her underlings. Many had only ever heard of her, few had actually seen her. Julia had seen her and knew that the sweat breaking out on her face was not from anything but the purest of emotions, fear.
Their conversation drifted in the wind and she managed to pick up a few words, '...no choice...', 'track', 'colonise' and 'Heller'. Her own name sounded strangely distorted. She stumbled back, not knowing whether to contact camp on her head gear or not. Any communication might alert the Wadi-dja and the other two to her presence. She watched them for a little while, ignoring everything but the cold. It was there her dark memories resurfaced.
In the Shadow of Eve, Part 2
by Kath Fisher
She saw the pilot. There in front of her he stood, smiling, his eyes sparkled with no sign of remorse. "You-" she started. The sound reverberated through her like the anger that brewed. The very sight of the man made her tense. He made her feel powerless, out of control. Her hands by her sides, fisted and white. Deliberately she moved forward, summoning her inner strength. But he did nothing other than smile at her, ignoring her questions, demands, her rage. She might as well have died in that accident too. Was it an accident? The seed had been planted. He looked so pleased with himself. Smug. With each moment that passed she felt herself being pushed towards him, to confront him with more than emotions and words.
Her mind was burning inside. Anger. Hatred. Still he smiled, indifferent to her being. His actions held no meaning for him, he disregarded them as carelessly and as irresponsibly as he had delivered them onto others. In this silent world between one thought and the next, a stranger's voice drove through her like a stake rupturing any clear sane reasoning. She lashed out. A knife tore across the pilot's face. Blood splattered onto her, the only comfort the pain. It wasn't pilot error. It was no error at all, he was a murderer. His face melted into the pool of her fury.
On the fringe of the raw night, the stranger stood, watching. Her shape hidden against the backdrop of space, her dark grey uniform of the Council blended well into the bleakness. Watching, as Julia created more pain for herself, unknowingly directed. Wadi-dja had inked a fine network, a web of her own inventions. Julia felt compelled, as she stabbed again and again into the guilty flesh of the pilot. As the blood spilled onto her and then ran dry, she suddenly realised she was no longer in his quarters. The blood on her hands had gone. The rage subsided, all too briefly, but the pain lingered, linking her actions.
Wadi-dja's touch had given her the unwanted gift of violence. Without warning the pilot's hands clenched around her throat, she couldn't breathe, he was killing her too. This was when that last stab from her bloodied knife met more than just flesh, it had reached his centre. He had killed her existence, her mother and sister lay at his feet. But now he was not the only murderer.
Believing herself to be alone in her quarters, she jumped when two blue eyes peered at her from the darkness. She heard the honeyed voice speak within her, it was more of a gentle touch than a spoken word, the meaning was a mixture of 'child' and an 'acknowledgment'. Wadi-dja almost looked pleased, and this too was carried in the message, just before Julia had a sinking realisation. Her confusion was swept aside, she hadn't dreamt the murder, she was responsible for his death. It left more than a bitter aftertaste of guilt, and a feeling of nausea. Wadi-dja just smiled, and opened the door to the main corridor. There, a military officer saluted and followed her, walking away from Julia's quarters, and away from her grief. Wadi-dja was no longer a stranger. The sound and feel of her voice was etched in her mind forever.
Julia recoiled. The pilot's eyes haunted her, floating on a stream, spiralling inwards. They weren't smiling at her. They were red and swollen.
Light years from the twisted memory, beings stirred, ancient, timeless. Touching the earth and the memory of that lost soul, they awakened. On their once succulent land, their own selves, now withered in a winter storm. They were not alone any more in their Eden. Other minds had joined them, some were their children, their future children of the earth, and others, though welcomed brought more than their memories, their innocence and guilt.
Light years from Earth and its satellites of sub-realities the watcher watched again. This time with more than a purpose, a drive, that could swallow the lush green of Eden and crush a simple yellow leaf into a dusty poisonous powder.
Wadi-dja's mind was strong, her presence resonated through the planet's core. Her powerful thoughts were not all that her mind carried. With it was a very real poison... too great was it for anything to stop the flow from mind to minds. A frost tearing through the soft sage green. Dja wanted more than the entry Julia had given, much more.Her thoughts scattered patterns in the sand, weaving their designs. A caress that slowly brought the earth to listen, stirring as it felt the impressed and unnatural design upon its body. 'Stop' was all that was intelligible to Dja. Unsure whether it was the Terrians or the earth that spoke. Her patterns dug deeper, her thoughts now caverns above and below the surface. The venom in her mind, joined with the Terrians for only seconds, was all that it took for the poison to spread. Transferring more than just her thoughts and will on the virgin terrain. She had stained them with an insanity, a mind virus, virulent. They all felt the imagined leaves hardening, the earth blackening. Deep red and dark green spread out across the plain, consuming everything in its path.
Dja looked up. The cold and the wind no longer touched her like the minds she still shared, hearing their soft sad music, broken by someone, Julia. Through the bushes, the light had caught Julia's frightened eyes. Dja paused, she glanced at her own people. Reilly was in deep thought, pondering over her plans, Athena was leaning against the pod but alerted.
Julia's presence was detectably close. Dja turned back to Athena, silently communicating. Athena swiftly moved off into the bush, barely a rustle. Reilly stood, his actions and his stance had an odd edge to them, even though his voice was its usual smooth self. "Welcome," the voice echoed through to Julia's darkness.
Dja folded the maps returning them to their pouch. Beside them lay a small container filled with crushed yellow leaves. Dja casually sealed them shut..
Julia awoke, startled to see Athena, the military guard leaning over her. Athena's long black hair, her pale white face, and sharp brown eyes accosted her. Shaking from the cold and fright, she faltered backwards, into the hands of a swift Reilly, solidly cutting off any escape. Athena smiled.
"Going so soon?" Asked Athena. Julia was speechless. "And you've only just arrived." Athena's face was completely unreadable. 'Let your thoughts carry you child', whispered Dja. The cold touch of Dja invaded her mind. Dja looked on from the edge of the light. "She even brought us some flowers," Athena smiled at the others, only to be greeted by stony stares. 'Grunts,' she thought silently, returning her attention to the Doctor. Julia dropped the bit of bush she was clutching. "I don't think-" she started to say, but her thoughts drifted. "You're right you won't be needing your gear". Dja nodded to Athena's back, a silent order, and Athena removed Julia's VR gear. And then Athena smiled directly at Julia, it almost held warmth. "The night's early, the start of the fourth quarter no more. Please come and join us by the fire. You're presence is very welcome, even if a little premature. Dja has brought Citizen Reilly with her, I believe you already know him." She indicated towards the grey figure standing behind her. "Dja," Julia felt her voice lost in the icy wind. "Am I a guest or a prisoner?" No-one answered.
"Your voice, even though confused, reached me. To think you were so close," said Dja. Julia felt all the eyes upon her, the attention, their leers, like the frost and the exhaustion creeping into her bones. "Dr Heller," Reilly's voice was gentle in her ears. Dja laughed, "Its just like a reunion". A moment passed as they stood there looking at each other, the soft music of the wind and the night animals calling were no comfort.
"We assumed we'd have to look for you, but what a prize, for you to come to us. My magic has weaved better than I thought!" Dja looked at Athena. Julia wondered what passed between them. "How ironic." "What is?" Julia asked keeping her eyes averted from Dja. "That we should meet again, light years from the Callourn Station," Dja moved closer to Julia. Athena kept a hand on her shoulder, just lightly reminding her of her predicament.
'Into the den of wolves,' thought Julia. "Is that how you see us?" Responded Dja quickly. "But we're your family. We're all patriots here." She gestured loosely to the surroundings. "Always trying to control others," Julia's voice now stronger held the bitter taste her memories had given her. "Child, we all determine our own path." Her eyes peered into Julia's, "Did you really think you could outrun your own ability?" Dja turned away, returning with Reilly into their clearing, their little camp. "Come." "It wasn't mine-" Julia tried to say, reluctant to move. "Deny it, no matter." Athena pushed her closer to Dja and into the clearing. "You're mother was a loyal member," spoke Reilly, his silked tone familiar and almost inviting. "We are here to help you citizen. To realise on the salvation for those on the stations," said Athena. "It is our duty. You are honour bound." Her head held high, with her sharp clear eyes. Though all Julia saw was her own once blind loyalty, mirrored. "You and the boy will be our link", Dja said bluntly. "Not your link," said Julia. "Not with the Terrians." "Oh? I've already been in contact with them, thanks to you. They seem to have a liking for you." Her words, casually painted. "What have you done?" Julia couldn't believe it. Dja could ruin everything. Didn't she realise that? She stepped forward and out of Athena's grip.
"They listened to my silent words. Eager to hear more." Dja knew only her own way, however destructive.
"I'm not sure telepathic transfer-" Julia's voice cracked. "I'm not going to harm them," Dja said, her voice was like honey. "But you may have already by linking-" Julia's own thoughts crowded the pale light.
"What's this, thoughts can't kill," Dja's response felt like a slap. She looked straight into Julia, "can they?"
In the Shadow of Eve, Part 3
by Kath Fisher
"Guys, we've got to be a little more focused here," sighed Devon. The weak light of the lamp cast its pale glow over the rest of the concerned group. Ulysseys was curled up in a corner. He was very tired but couldn't sleep. He silently watched his mother. The sound of her voice was almost drowned out by the wind outside, but it didn't matter. She was like poetry, or in Ulysseys eyes, like a fast draw on a hot dusty day against a deadly enemy.
"No one has seen her!" Alonzo looked in pain. His eyes darted anxiously around the room, he was tense and eager to begin a search. "No," Devon said to herself. She was worried. Julia usually had great survival instincts. Why would she leave the confines of the camp in the middle of the night and not return. The scream of the wind was not comforting. It had picked up within the last hour, rattling the sides of the tents, and injecting a chill through the thickest of clothes and rugs. Clouds had begun forming in the sky too, a storm was certainly on its way. Devon knew her options were limited.
"What else is new," groaned Morgan to his wife Bess, answering an unheard comment. Bess stood beside him. They were both clearly just roused from sleep. "There's no sign of her," Alonzo said. His last dream lost in his concern. "We've got to start looking for her." He failed to add before the clouds completely darkened the sky and the rain forced them to shelter. "Another one bites the dust," said Morgan carelessly. "Just what is that supposed to mean?" Alonzo turned at Morgan, his whole body rigid with an uncharacteristic anger. Devon grabbed his arm, and gave Morgan a warning glance followed by an equally sharp, "Morgan!" Which basically meant 'shut up'. Morgan heard Bess' gentle tones sound reproachful too.
"Well, I mean really. There's always someone missing. We spend half our time looking for people. Unfortunately they all seem to turn up." No-one was appeased.
"You'll be the next to go 'missing'!" barked Danzinger. "This is not productive," said Devon. She ordered Morgan to go and get Yale. His tent was nearest the northern perimeter. "He's still asleep." Morgan didn't want to disturb one of the lucky ones still to be unconscious to this latest dilemma. "Well, wake him," said Danzinger leaning just a little bit too close. "We need to know whether he's seen Julia." Devon watched as Bess pulled at Morgan's sleeve.
"What with his eyes closed?" Morgan's eyes sparkled. "Wake him," ordered Devon, gesturing for him to hurry up. "Since when did you start batting for the Doctor's team?" Morgan asked. "You really don't know when to give up do you?" Danzinger spat at Morgan. "That's right Morgan we are a team," she turned back to the others. She was as anxious as Alonzo to know where Julia was. The air was tense in the tent. She looked at Alonzo, he looked very pale. And it wasn't with worry. He looked sick. His eyes met hers briefly, and he moved towards the warm light. A new argument had erupted.
"She was foolish enough to go alone into the night." Danzinger had his arms crossed and was upset that his usual rough night of sleep had been rudely interrupted. He felt he knew Julia. Knew her enough that she could take care of herself, even if he didn't fully trust her. "She's in trouble," Alonzo said. He edged forward, looking from Adair to Danzinger, hoping he would have their help in a search. "Oh yeah? I suppose your dreams told you that." Danzinger had no tact. "Yes," said Alonzo, surprising himself. "Dreams often hold more truth than reality," he countered.
"Fine I'll just go back to bed and dream my way to New Pacifica." Alonzo swung around to leave but Devon caught his jacket. "Wait. We have to wait until light. We can't find her now," the voice of reason tempered with concern for both Julia and Alonzo. "Alonzo's right, we should at least try," said Bess, returning to the tent followed by Morgan and Yale.
"Oh really now?" Morgan sometimes wondered at his wife's compassion for some of these people.
"Yes!"
"She's a doctor, she can look after herself." Morgan refused to budge, but the look from his wife's eyes made him think that he had gone too far. He shuffled his feet.
Devon looked at Yale, who shook his head to her silent question. Devon sighed. Her mind tempered between reason and doubt. "Get the night lights," Devon ordered Alonzo. Alonzo dashed out quickly, keen to begin the search.
"Are you mad?" Danzinger spoke, his voice low and with a gruff edge. "Concerned," Adair met his glare. She zipped her jacket up and began putting on her gloves.
"Same thing," barked Danzinger.
"I'm not asking for your permission-" Her anger and worry just increased. "I'm sure as hell wouldn't give it-" "So you're not going to help us?"
"No bleeding way-"
"Kiss and make up would you? I'm going back to bed." Morgan intervened. "You're staying right here," ordered Devon. "But by the time you two stop arguing it will be light and I could have actually caught some sleep in this howling storm!"She saw her mother, a tall imposing woman with square shoulders. Her values never questioned. Her loyalty to the Council unwavering. She was a beautiful woman, learned and secretly passionate. After Julia's father died of the C Virus he was helping find a cure for, she watched her mother's passion hide behind her hard dark eyes and long braided hair. The Heller family was always very passionate.
Germine was her favourite, and Julia knew it. Germine was the wild and abandoned child, the one who always got into trouble, who had never heard of the word, 'discretion', an activist. When Julia was openly disobedient she was only ever met with disapproval and silent scorn from her mother. Like you weren't even smart enough to avoid detection. Germine was always the obvious one, the one quick to smile and quick to be hurt. Julia had learnt to hide her emotions, her motives. Secrets were best left buried.
It was Germine that had led her mother down a darker path of betrayal to the Council. That was what many had said. But Germine and her mother's secrets were buried in the 'accident'. Julia believed her mother was betrayed. Brigette Heller lived for the Council, they even honoured her death with a Council paid funeral. Wadi-dja saw to that.
She felt the rope burn into her wrists, something had brought her back to consciousness. She kept her eyes closed just listening and learning before she did anything. They had moved, she was sure of it. There was only the distant sound of wind and rain. The soft whisper of voices drifted to her. The ground felt cold and dry, and she had been dumped uncomfortably on some small rocks, they pressed into her side. The dull throb of pain in her body was only an echo to the pain in her mind. Dja was never careful with her telepathic trace. Rarely subtle. It left the sour taste of violation and abuse. She twisted her hands, but the rope was tied too tightly. She couldn't even feel her feet, numb from the cold, she assumed they were tied too. When she opened her eyes into the dark cavern, she was quickly blinded by a tall figure, it felt like Athena. Whoever it was waved a torch in front of her eyes. She heard Athena say something, then footsteps on a hard surface. Dja suddenly loomed over her, pausing to look down at her prey. That's what Julia felt like. Dja kneeled, placing a hand on Julia's chest, as Julia struggled to rise.
"Don't get up," she said, teasing. Her fingers pressed through the thick clothing and Julia felt them on her flesh. The pressure forced her back down onto the hard ground. "If you'd just agreed, things would be so much easier. Isn't that right?" Dja glanced at Reilly. He smiled, leaning casually into the light. He looked almost bored.
"That's right," he replied looking directly at Julia. His eyes pierced her. "She's not as loyal as her mother." The words stung her like the cold. "Don't you realise you must be loyal to that past, follow the path it has drawn." Athena twitched, a hint of disagreement flashed across her stony face. But she said nothing.
"To be disloyal to me is to betray yourself," Dja said. The Terrians were closing in, their meditations crept along the surface of her skin. The rhythm of their protests only drove Dja. She smiled inwardly. With each moment among the global Terrians and their secrets she felt as if she were growing, being reborn. The feeling of control was euphoric for her. "Why do you need me?" Julia squinted at the fierce light. Dja and others remained silent. Then Dja laughed. Julia was certain something was wrong. Dja looked different somehow, her power was different, it had an evil, menacing edge far more sinister than those many years ago on the Callourn Station. Before, Dja's thoughts were diamonds cutting glass, but now they meandered and savoured each seed they planted like a drunk savouring the smell of an empty glass. Perhaps she was losing her powers, her powers were growing weak.
"I'm getting stronger child," countered Dja. "Discovery is such a wonderful thing." She opened her palm to reveal a yellow powder. It had an aroma Julia knew, it was of the leaves that had attracted her earlier. "Why do you need me at all?" Julia repeated, regretting the words as soon as she had voiced them. She scolded herself for being foolish. "I wouldn't question it child, the minute I don't need you I'll find a way of disposing of you, a way you won't enjoy, but a way I always will." Reilly shifted uncomfortably. Julia suspected she had him under threat as well, under threat with what, though. Athena seemed the only real sane person in the room. But her cold militaristic loyalty to Dja and the Council, she doubted she could ever convince her to betray. Athena smiled as if reading her thoughts. The walls around her were closing in. Dja's trap already laid, drawing in each piece, and then making them disappear within her shroud. "The powder, some kind of drug?" Julia asked trying to take her mind off more dangerous thoughts that might alert Dja. "Much more. It feeds body and mind," played Dja. "I only took what was offered. It was oblatory, the earth dwellers quite blindly generous in that regard."
Failing to elaborate she stood up and walked away from the fire that had been lit. Its heat was making the cave close. "Its when you consciously decide to do something that will destroy life. The power of death is what is evil. You are part of that now," she said cryptically. Julia couldn't see what she once saw in Dja, strength, power. Dja seemed almost desperate. "You're mad, evil," Julia voiced low to herself, but Dja read each word with precision.
"You don't know what you're saying," Dja spoke equally low, bending back down to Julia's level.
"I do," Julia didn't feel as strong as her enemy appeared. "Child, evil exists in us all."
"No-" But Julia's mind played tricks on her memories. "Evil isn't just raiding the cookie jar when you're mother says no." The words issued were slow and dripped like sticky residue into Julia's already weakened state. "You didn't need to leave me or the Station," Dja said. Julia looked into Dja's soft face and powder blue eyes. "What's this all about..." Julia was confused. Dja didn't just want the planet and Julia's loyalty, something else was at stake. Dja didn't ever need anyone. She controlled the Council, the stations on the blue rim, and much of the outer sectors, though none of it was truly official. She was the Merlin on the round table of politics. People followed her, fearing truth. Truth of Dja's strengths and allies. She had single handedly squashed a number of rebellions on Earth and killed many other threats to the law and order of the Council. Strangely those that had met her hailed her as a hero. But Dja never really revelled in the limelight, she preferred to stay in the shadows playing puppeteer. Most of her and her immediate followers remained an unknown, a mystery. 'Myth' was what she had created, and with it her power. But rumours often held a drop of truth. Julia winced as a memory replayed in her mind involuntarily. Dja could cause pain and kill with a mere thought were dark and false rumours spread by her many enemies. The problem was, none of Dja's enemies remained alive for very long. "I've come to see you," replied Dja.
"Your lackeys are strangely quiet." Both Athena and Reilly seemed immobile, watching with no emotion.
"We are here to serve," said Reilly finally. The words seemed to please Dja. Dja definitely had something over him. Julia pleaded with Reilly's eyes to get his help. He looked away. He almost appeared drugged. His speech was slow and deliberate, his movements, though small, were uncertain. But his words always backed Dja.
"I want you to help me secure the planet, and then return with me, daughter, return with me to the stars, to the stations," she placed a hand on Julia's foot. "Things have changed since you left." "I'm not your daughter," stated Julia. "Oh? But you're someone's child. Your blood mother is dead, this planet will never accept you, not the way I will." Dja's palm opened to reveal some yellow powder. "Think about it. One more rejection of my offers may hinder your growth." She raised an eyebrow, waited a beat, then threw the yellow powder straight at Julia's face. Julia thrashed about as it seeped into her lungs. She tried not to breathe. But with each harsh breath her lungs felt on fire.
"You said you weren't going to hurt her," said Reilly. "How human of you," spat Dja in his face."I can't see anything in this damn weather," said Morgan. Uncomfortable, he shifted his jacket. The light was only just appearing at the horizon. It was still dark, and the two moons still hung, though low in the sky. All three men carried torches, flashing through the thick rain and murky air. "It's fog," replied Alonzo coolly. His breath cold, but lost. It was a night to see ghosts.
"I could run into a tree," said Morgan. "Do us all a favour," Danzinger quipped. Morgan just grimaced at him. They continued south through the trees and the fog till they reach the edge of the cliff they had struggled up not two days past. The VR gear chimed. Morgan answered.
Devon's face filled his vision.
'Anything?' She asked hopefully. He turned the volume up, he wasn't good at lip reading.
"Repeat," he asked.
'Any sign?' They both knew the answer though. Morgan thought the worse, dreading being the one to find the Doctor's remains. He pursed his lips and told her they had seen nothing, though hardly surprising in the bad weather. He could hear Devon walking, or rather splashing through large puddles. The sound of Bess' voice filtered through to him. He'd still rather be with Bess in bed. He said nothing.
"Keep up," he heard Danzinger order, he shuffled to keep up with them. 'Early days,' Devon said. 'Baines?' Baines came on-line too. 'Just a cliff face she couldn't have climbed even if she wanted to. We're returning to camp.'
'Keep the gear open, in case she calls in,' said Devon. 'Yeah,' was all Baines said.
'No luck North either,' Yale's deep voice breathed into the line. 'It looks like virgin territory.'
'Keep trying anyway. She has to be somewhere.'The corridors were completely empty, the sounds of the evening on the station had all suspended. Frozen in time, even the distant stars. Two corpses cremated and scattered into the blackness. Any action or movement she did seemed trivial. Her supposed friends seemed more at awe that Wadi-dja had honoured the Heller family by attending the funeral, rather than being any real comfort to her recent losses. She herself had not even noticed the Dja attend. But she was told later how Dja and an assistant had stood in ceremonial red watching quietly the proceedings. The quiet, that was what disturbed Julia the most. No sounds. Her head and body felt heavy. It was almost like a drug, her mourning, if that's what it was called. She could smell the staleness of the air, remembering a time when she visited Earth.
There was an edge to her that evening, in the stillness. Thoughts began to grow, unwanted thoughts, thoughts of her sister and mother, and reluctantly of the pilot. But she was not alone in that memory. Dja's burning eyes appeared, and behind her many other eyes, that of the alien physiques of Eden. Their strange faces revealed nothing. Terrians whispered in her mind. Their message was the opposite of Dja's, 'leave'.
In the Shadow of Eve, Part 4
by Kath Fisher
"What is it?" Asked Morgan, more to himself. Danzinger rarely gave him the time of day. No, that was too harsh. Danzinger often told him the time. Time to get up, time to pack the tent, time to leave, and a time to get lost. Alonzo, on the other hand, was more friendly, more of a mate. "What do you think it is?" Danzinger's patience had obviously disappeared. Alonzo stepped between them, saving an argument which was sure to erupt. It was not a conscious gesture. Alonzo's attention laid elsewhere. "An SGP," he piped, in awe. He glanced briefly at the others, and all eyes returned to the pod.
Alonzo stepped closer, his hands affectionately felt the sides of the muddy pod. He even smelt the fuel on the edge of the tank. He drank it in. His hands found the latch, the lock and the key. In a swift competent movement he released the SGP door and a whoosh of the airtight pod breathed into the cold air. Without any uncertainty Alonzo threw himself down the hatch landing gently inside. Danzinger didn't even have time to voice his objection, instead he and Morgan followed Alonzo into its belly. "Its small," was all Morgan could say. There was just enough room for a pilot and a navigator at the front controls, and a weapons officer at the weapons bank behind them. But right at the back of the pod there was a ladder leading to another level below. Danzinger and Morgan went down only to discover it just as small as the one that held all of Alonzo's attention. It held five cryogenic capsules tightly positioned and four bunks, of which only two seemed to be in use. It was dark and unwelcoming. Morgan wasn't the only one who suddenly felt claustrophobic. Danzinger grabbed his jacket and pulled him back to the ladder. "Come on," he said low and gruffly. There was something about the pod that disturbed him. Though he often chided Alonzo for his esoteric 'feelings', he knew he could always count on his own instincts. And his instincts told him loudly, trouble. He checked his weapon. The reflex that did not go unnoticed by Morgan.
Julia was not there, or if she ever had been she was no longer. Probably literally, thought Morgan. He shivered. They found Alonzo completely engrossed at the controls. The flight panel spoke to him in its silent way with its lights and touch pads. Danzinger and Morgan both expressed their unease but to no avail. Alonzo was sure the pod was part of Julia's disappearance. Danzinger didn't want to be part of those statistics.
Alonzo's determination with the controls reaped some reward. The SGP was scheduled for a return to a local moon to possibly hook up to a larger ship. Alonzo thought it was probably not capable of making it back to Earth Zone without at least refuelling. There was a lockout on the exact location on the moon, and the flight path. Alonzo was a little lost in the new technology, its smooth interface, even the rejection of his security clearance and hacking skills was like honey in his own system. If it wasn't for Morgan and Danzinger behind him he might never have left. The SGP was like coming home - a small home, but home nevertheless. The thought and contact with the earth and Terrians distantly reminded him. Flying was not everything. But the rush.Shards of realities were missing. For each moment she existed in that world a moment was blanked. It was like watching an old earth film where the light and speed played tricks on the eyes. Yet it flickered not quite fast enough to feel smooth.
She looked on as Terrians encircled her. Their staffs miraculously moving to the beat of the light, flashing past her awareness. There were voices in the air, a resonating hum. The very ground beneath her throbbed with it. She stepped forward. Her whole body felt light. Is this what Alonzo felt?
Images floated around her like pockets of dreams, breaking the circle around her. As she touched each image she felt her heart beat faster, a rush of adrenalin and an excitement that made her feel so vital and sharp. Filled with almost a complete understanding. But on the eve of her utter peace was a strange indescribable feeling. Like something was being taken from her. It was only distant with the voices of the Terrians. As she looked into the images they appeared like shadows, forever reforming. Had she looked and felt deeper into those transient and deceptive offerings that were choking the plane, she would have seen the black forests wrapping themselves around themselves, their multitude of leaves becoming not softer with age but harder, slithers of glass.
As the images thickened around her, their smooth edges were so blinding she tried to close her eyes, but still the images burned through her lids. A moment of pain as she with withdrew towards the Terrians.
The earth below her was no longer a dark brown of dirt but a crazed pale yellow. As she bent to look at the ground, the Terrians began as well, copying her. Her heart beat naturally faster with more than a simple fear, and definitely no elation. She felt ill with it. Her hands sweated and her body began to shake with the pulse. It wasn't until she saw the Terrians shake with her, that she realised it wasn't them causing the pain or threatening her, it seemed to be the ground itself. "Julia." The word passed by her in a capsule that seemed out of place. She went to touch it but the Terrians around her began to trill. For only the briefest of moments, the trilling soared above the hum and pulse of the earth. It was so loud and so close she folded closer to the craze beneath her. Their bodies towered over her. She was sure she would never hear another sound. Her eyes watered with the intensity. She felt completely powerless as the tall bodies moved their staffs to touch each other. As soon as they were end to end, she saw the world around her spin with a blinding light. She could barely see the figures as she was surrounded by it, the intense sound of their scream wallowed. She folded again deeper into the yellow ground. But it wasn't ground at all.
It felt soft and inviting, like drowning in a bed of feathers. She knew she had stopped breathing, but she didn't need to. The hum of the Terrians was now a comforting sound in the back of her mind. But the sound of "Julia" was still there, still persistently reminding her of herself, unable to be fully integrated. The feathers sharpened with that loud pulse of the earth. The Terrians now vanished into an emptiness. She felt her whole body become heavy with a kind of deep sleep. The images never ceased, sharp shards into her mind, only the gentle wave of the receding Terrians, focused but vague, gave her a quietness. But as they receded into the darkness, like she herself felt drawn into, the images and outlines of mysteries died into a pool of explanation. Single and damaging. She felt herself convulse.
"Julia" the word now came with an image of Dja. A distorted image. Her face and body changing and reshaping to fill any spaces in front of her.
Whilst Alonzo was finished playing pilot, Danzinger and Morgan indicated a strong desire to leave. In their impatience, Danzinger tried to contact camp and Adair, but with no success.
"Some sort of damper," he said more to himself than to the self-absorbed Morgan and the dreamy Alonzo. He turned to the ladder, took the first step, only to hear Morgan whelp in some sort of pain. When Danzinger turned he discovered Morgan had managed to open one of the security lockers under the nav-com, and was looking at shock at some sort of tool kit. Danzinger groaned. "What is it now?" Asked Danzinger brusquely. He stepped off the ladder and looked at the kit.
"Um, it looks like an," Morgan stumbled over the archaic word, "...an android repair kit."
"Looks like?" Danzinger queried. He knew that an android meant trouble. They were outlawed after a series of serious malfunctions and a number of human deaths many years ago, before he was even born. The newly elected Council of the time had shut down all android operations, preferring to develop computer technology in very different ways. Or so the history books told.
"Well I'm not one if that's what your asking," Morgan snapped. "Oh yeah?" Danzinger almost smiled. "Someone sure is." "Well its not one of us," replied Morgan. "Guys," Alonzo said.
"I don't know why I always-" Morgan began, only to be interrupted again by Alonzo.
"Guys," this time his voice held a stronger edge, but was looking squarely at the door. Danzinger and Morgan reluctantly followed his line of site. Athena stood like an Amazon, a warrior from a lost tribe, shadowing the entrance to the pod. Her weapon was pointed directly at them. Morgan jumped, swearing under his breath. They were all startled by her imposing presence. "Androids are illegal," Athena said plainly. "Oh? Really now? Then why don't you arrest yourself," Morgan said with a crack in his voice, covering for more than shock. Athena's stoic reserve didn't falter.
"Where did you find that kit?" Another order, Morgan was getting very tired of this.
"Can't anyone ask nicely these days?" Athena straightened her arm, the weapon inches from his face.
"Please," said Athena, unhappily obliged. Danzinger pointed to a small cabinet underneath the nav-com. Unnecessarily he added the word, "There."
Something flickered on her face, the briefest of emotions, and uncertainty. But it was quickly restored. "Take me to your camp," barked Athena. "Woops, for a moment there I thought you were going to say take me to your leader!"
"Be careful, the fool always dies first," her eyes revealed nothing, but the weapon never wavered from his face. "I'll try to remember that," Morgan said stiffly. "Move," she said. They began to exit the pod, their own weapons and torches left behind on decreed request. No one doubted her strengths for a second. She walked like a professed hunter, smooth and deadly. Questions about who she was and where she came from were answered with a silence and the tease of her finger on the trigger. They soon all quietened. "We wish to see Devon Adair and the boy," she volunteered, as they touched the muddy ground. It had started raining again. The clouds hung low, their dark grey dousing the pale sunlight.
"Why?" Danzinger was worried. Nothing made sense, but the key had to be Doctor Julia Heller.
"Not your concern," Athena answered squarely. "Oh?" Danzinger found himself pushed. Never voice your questions or doubts. Could end very nastily. Her uniform indicated military. Danzinger knew she could not have been from earth. Her movements on the ground were a little stiffer, not that he actually noticed that, but he did notice a subtle change in her stance, and her eyes were widened at the sights around her. It was almost as if she were uncomfortable. She waved the weapon in their faces, restoring their attention. "Keep moving."
"Where's Julia?" Alonzo asked, desperately concerned. Danzinger tried to catch his eyes, tell him to be careful, but Alonzo's mind was elsewhere. "My you people have lost all your social skills. Let me remind you of the prisoners etiquette. You're my prisoners, you will speak only when spoken to, try to do anything that upsets me and you will pay dearly, I and the Council will make sure of that."
"I'm sure the Council wouldn't approve of this sort of action," said Morgan. "Care to lodge a complaint," she spat venom. Everyone returned hastily to walking towards camp, their minds filled with questions and fear. Danzinger's hands clenched. He knew that that woman would eventually draw them to Julia and to answers. Morgan thought briefly of the others, of Bess, and his renewed desire to stay alive.Julia awoke again to find herself, this time, alone in the cave. The pain in her head almost unbearable, throbbing her back into unconsciousness. She fought with herself to stay awake, to stay aware. All she could hear was a storm raging outside the cave entrance, rain so heavy that if it wasn't for the camber of the cave it would be flooding. She felt a warm and dry hand feel her head. The shock brought her to full consciousness. All she saw was a brown blur and the whisper of a Terrian voice. But when her eyes focused around the cave she saw nothing. Only a dying fire, no Reilly, no Dja or her lackey Athena, and definitely no Terrian.
Voices begun to echo in her mind. Constricting their messages around sanity. The sound almost sent Julia back into that dark and confusing plane of unconsciousness. She struggled to sit up fighting to quieten the voices. The cave had begun to spin, and she saw hands move in out of the cave walls. That was it. She was going insane. It screamed through her last defences. 'You've already chosen, child.' It was Dja. 'I'm not your child!' The protest was too late. Dja had wrapped her hands around her and the earth.
'Then you are no-one's,' she said to the emptiness. 'Then I'll have to live with that,' said Julia with gritted teeth. A flicker of Briggette Heller's face appeared to her. Her smile momentarily silenced the sound of the pulse around her. The cave was loosing its definition. Was she in a cave? What she saw no longer made any sense. She even had trouble remembering who she was, but that wasn't important. 'Help' the word came from her, she thought. A lone petal laid at her feet unnoticed.
Dja laughed, 'Anyone that denies me cannot live at all... shall you join the Terrians in their dying throws?'
'No!'The scream echoed out across the landscape. Devon and Bess stopped in their tracks. The chill of it reverberated in their very selves. They looked briefly at each other. And then to the large rocks ahead through the bush. Ignoring the heavy rain, and unseeing, ran towards the rocks. Knowing the scream to be from Julia, and from that direction. As they ran, Adair prepared her weapon.
They both failed to notice the lone Terrian standing on the top of the rocks. His body hardened and shiny. His flesh stiffened and sore. The rain that usually melted any pain only accentuated it. His voice cried out through a woman. He was becoming alone. His trilling was only met by silence. His need for absorption lost, a vague memory of a wholeness, of being.
But the face of one could not be lost. The Terrian had looked with curiosity into the face of that sick stranger, though she was not altogether a stranger, her mind carried a print a signature of a more recent encounter, that of the young human female. That of a healer, come to be healed. Now he too needed healing. Who would heal?
In the Shadow of Eve, Part 5
by Kath Fisher
She saw two people coming towards her. Their faces were blurred, and their voices numbed by the pain. She thought she heard them call her name, or what she thought was her name. They helped her stand. She tried to tell them she couldn't walk anywhere, but the words vanished into the dusty walls of the cave. She felt herself lighten as she was carried to a different place, where she could smell the fresh air, feel it on her skin. She could feel droplets of reality waken her more fully. Rain. She was standing in rain. Her eyes momentarily focused, as she looked to find Devon holding her up on the left side, and to the right she found Bess' smiling face. She relaxed slightly.
"Julia," it was the gentle tone of Bess' voice. "Are you strong enough-" began Devon. Neither waited for an answer. "Dja!" Julia turned in their grasp, looking back at the darkened cave. A slim wisp of smoke spiralled upwards, it too escaping. "You were alone. But lets not wait till they turn up." They started down the embankment towards the thick of the trees. She heard Devon accost her with many questions, she even heard herself reply to those she could answer. But she still felt shaky and her vision was still blurred. She wasn't sure if what she said made any sense. But they seemed to understand the most important notion - the woman Dja was dangerous. The name Bess instantly recognised, but Devon had only vaguely heard of. "How did they find us so quickly." It wasn't really a question as Julia found Devon inches from her face, anger written on the fine features. "We have to keep moving," interrupted Bess, afraid they were still too close to where they found Julia tied up. Dja's magic was something she did not wish to encounter. She thought of Morgan and hoped he was safe. "Not until Julia here does some better explaining," Devon's voice was unwavering.
"Dja has some," she paused, not really sure herself, "special mental abilities. She is quite formidable."
Both Devon and Bess picked up on Julia's tone. "You sound like you know her," said Bess, partially dropping her grip on Julia.
"We- she knew my mother," was all Julia said. "And you?"
"Please don't doubt me, I'd never betray us." "Not willingly, or knowingly."
"Then it can't be betrayal."
"No," conceded Devon, seeing the pain in Julia's eyes. "What did she do to you-"
Julia stumbled forward. Her answer cut off by something more pressing. "Oh, she's close, I feel her. Or rather she feels me," she said. "We must hide quickly," said Bess, assisting Devon carrying Julia forward, deeper into the forest. Devon thought instantly they needed backup, and started to use her VR, but it was knocked down carelessly by Julia. "She'll hear you as clearly as you hear me now," she said. "It will help her focus."
"Then come on," said Devon. All Julia could do was think, 'How do you hide from someone who tracks people using thoughts alone?' "Stop thinking!"
They all stopped in their tracks as a sudden downpour blinded them for all directions. They stayed under a large tree, standing in its nestles, seeking protection. And even though it would be light far above them. The light had yet to filter through the thick branches and leaves. The morning was a wild grey of wind and sleeted rain.
"If we stop thinking she can't find us. She uses thoughts to track and ki-. We must clear our minds," Julia said hurriedly, holding her head. But her hands were shaking and her speech slurred and making little sense. Devon and Bess gave each other meaningful glances. Julia was not well. Devon gripped her hands, trying to draw her back to reality. "Julia- What are you talking about?"
All Julia heard was Dja's voice.Floating in a pool of warm light. The heat gently swayed her deeper and deeper. The sharp green of the leaves and trees, and the brown dry earth, looked distant and uninviting, mere shades of the night. Even the light from the moons was not enough to give birth to the colours and sounds that existed in her mind. It was a familiar, comfortable, place. Resting on a bed of petals, the smell like honeysuckle and dew.
But each petal clung to the other, invisible string tied them, it was a sticky web that drew more than herself into. Patterns of voices quietened as they inter weaved into...
...the walls and floors of Callourn. A small world, trapped, as they all watched their inability to escape, as they relived the guilt of one.
Blood on her hands, burning its way through the flesh, a permanent scar. "I'm breathing in the darkness," whispered Julia to the emptying world.
"What the-" started Bess.
"Who's that?" Asked Devon as Dja appeared out of the ground not meters from them. The earth clung to her like it accepted her and would accept no other. Dja was motionless as if listening to the air itself. The prone figure faced the direction of the cave. "It must be the Dja," whispered Bess. "She seems to be in some sort of trance."
Devon reached for her weapon, her fingers slowly wrapped around the grip. Julia's eyes focused. Dja had begun to move back towards the cave. She and the others could not believe their luck. But the sound of the Terrian's sad song drew all their eyes to the cave and to the rocks above. There a lone Terrian stood.
"She's communicating," said Julia, her voice low. It wouldn't be long before she was drawn back into the web. "We have to do something!" Her wild eyes caught Bess and Devon by surprise. "What do you mean?" Asked Bess, frightened by Julia's ominous manner. She was transfixed.
"Do what-" asked Devon at the same time. Both questions were met with silence from Julia. Devon's mind was made up. She reached for her VR gear, giving herself an answer.
"We need to get back to camp." Bess concurred. But Devon's attempt at linking was unsuccessful. Loud static was the only response. It could have been the weather. But none of them were thinking clearly. Julia's whole attention was with the receding image of Dja and the Terrian. Each petal that snapped off its branch with age, snapped the native Terrian into rigidity and voicelessness. The single petal, the single leaf, held more meaning and more power than a thousand branches. Devon went to help Julia stand, determined to some action. But Julia was brushed her off.
"I'm ok," said Julia. "I'm feeling a lot better, really." "I can see that," said Devon sardonically. She sighed, "I'd feel a lot better if I knew just exactly what was happening." She was concerned for her people more than ever. There was a cloud of doom hovering. Every bone in body ached, her instincts were always right. "She's using you somehow, isn't she, to gain control, access, to the Terrians," said Devon. Julia only nodded. Dja's words rung through, 'Your power and your memories give me an entrance. The Terrians can feel your inner pain, and as they rush to your aid, they fail to notice me riding on that pain.' Julia fought to control her own thoughts. She was frightened of the consequences and of the answers. Answers she had long ignored. But again she remained silent. Devon's patience snapped. "Talk to us Julia! Why you?"
Julia sighed. "She thinks she can control me more easily," her voice strained.
"Why?"
"Because she claims I have some latent telepathic ability." "And do you?" Julia looked blankly back. Her eyes softened by doubt. "Its so hard to tell-. I haven't tried since-" she paused, as the pilot's death flashed before her eyes. The reports echoed in her mind... Councillor Heller, and oldest daughter tragically killed in a shuttle accident. Pilot committed suicide 7 hours after the accident. An investigation showed no suspicious circumstances.. no suspicious circumstances.... She found herself caught in Dja's thoughts.
"Quiet!" She screamed silently trying to block out all the thoughts that rushed into her mind, drowning her own voice and reason.Moving fast through the blue black forest. Leaves and branches hit her face. Traces of their patterns shadowed her skin. And then she saw all around her alien creatures, crumbling into her arms. Yet they still moved with an elegance, piece by piece. Into the dim light of the cavern where it was cold and damp, the fire long dead. The walls a shiny darkness reflected the light from the lone staffs, now abandoned.
"What is it?" Asked Devon. But Julia went on, as if that brief moment had not even existed.
"Since just after my family was killed. Three years." Her face grew pale. "Believe me when I say that if she fails with me, she will turn to her next logical choice."
Devon knew Julia was omitting something, something too painful to voice. It wasn't just Ulysseys, something else was beneath the thin veneer of her past. She laid a comforting hand on Julia. "Ulysseys," she said. She thought briefly of his smile. Bess too thought of the children, uncontrolled fear swelling. "Yes," said Julia stiffly. She lowered her eyes, recognising the knowing look from Devon.
"I can't get through either," said Bess, trying her own VR communicator. Her impatience had grown. "We should at least try to get back to the others." Her eyes darted from Dja to Julia and Devon. Devon gave her a brief nod, her main interest was in information. "Keep trying," was all she said.
"Its probably Dja jamming communications," volunteered Julia. "We have to get back to camp to warn the others." No one elaborated. Moments passed as they watched Dja disappear into the mist. The Terrian had vanished too into the blinding cold. All three women felt a sudden need for escape.
They all stood, the rain still heavy and unrelenting. The ground no longer its hard vibrant self, but marsh like. And the mist was thickening fast into a dense fog.
Devon bravely stood out into the weather. Bess and Julia on her heels. Together they walked away from the small haven of the large tree and into the wild day. The progress was slow as they traversed through the thick, hunting for the clearing that lead back to their own camp. Their silence went unnoticed, lost in the noise of that around them. The bush seemed never ending. The trees and flowers were becoming denser instead of thinning. Combined with the heavy rain, it seemed an impossible barrier to break. Julia's thoughts battled herself and the strength of Dja. Each step she took she felt she was walking on the Terrians. Forcing them deeper into the earth, wedging them in Dja's trap. Devon and Bess felt uncomfortable too about their travel but were occupied by determination and worry.
"Which way," asked Bess, her words quickly drowned out by the wind. They all paused, lost in the pale greyness of the day. Devon grabbed her forehead, her hair dank. She ran her hand through it. Drops of water flicked onto Julia. But the water kept pouring from the heavens, blackening the sky and dimming the sunlight. She indicated what she thought was northwest. Julia's strength was almost completely depleted. When they stopped walking, to catch their breath, they discovered they had returned to that small copse under that large sheltering tree. "What the-" Devon breathed heavily. 'This can't be happening,' she thought to herself. She ignored the soft voice that answered. The rain was too heavy and visibility too low for another attempt. As for Julia, she didn't believe returning to the copse was fate or coincidence. There was nothing natural about it. Bess too felt her superstitions rise. "We'll just have to wait out the rain," said Devon. "And if the rain doesn't cease?" asked Bess. Julia collapsed against the tree trunk, completely exhausted. They all waited in the eerie light and strange silence. Only Julia noticed that the leaves on the surrounding trees had altered colour, ever so slightly. Their once green and lush lustre was soured, the smell and look of lemons had grown. She was just about to inform the others when her head began to pain, a momentary ache near the back of her skull. Followed by a tingling, light headed sensation. Julia began to laugh. "What?" Bess couldn't believe it.
Devon turned, concerned, especially when seeing Julia's hazy eyes. "I'm ok," she said, to try and reassure herself. "Just a little light headed." Her voice was slurred, but she concentrated hard to clear her mind. The intoxicated feeling had left. And she walked over towards Devon and Bess. "The leaves, look.."
She saw the leaves begin to glow, specks of light dashed from their immobile states. Three more steps and the tingling became a warm sensation, beginning in the back of her head and spreading towards her eyes. An overwhelming sorrow filled her. She stumbled into the arms of Devon. She heard voices floating around her. 'The earth is moving,' she said inside her. But to Devon and Bess it was a choked sigh. She collapsed, their thoughts momentarily entering her mind, or was it her mind entering theirs? She spread that sorrow. The tingle now a hot pain, needing to be expelled.
"What is this?" Bess had collapsed too, feeling an immense sorrow. "Block your thoughts," yelled Devon to the empty air. A wall of blackness echoed back to the hot pain. This was the web. It filled Julia's mind. Until she remembered no more.
In the Shadow of Eve, Part 6
by Kath Fisher
Alonzo suddenly grabbed at Danzinger's jacket. He was breathing heavily and his face was pale, he looked sick. He needed rest. In fact, they all did. The rain had become spasmodic, and the temperature had almost doubled since they left the SGP. The path back to the camp was vague, and Danzinger half suspected they were travelling in circles. After nearly tripping on a rock, and loosing her grip on her weapon, Athena told them to hold up. They would rest for a few minutes. The three men collapsed on the damp ground, whilst Athena got out her VR gear. She wiped her sweaty hands on her jacket. She didn't like this new world, where everything was alive and a hazard. A form of respect for Devon and her people surfaced.
"Control," she said. She tapped some keys, and tried again. "Control," an edge of impatience had crept into her voice. Static replied. "Urgent transmission, respond."
She clearly wanted to be angry, but her tiredness prevented anything rash. She looked at the others, their faces white and pasty. She sighed. She felt a tingling in her mind.
"Something's wrong," she said, rubbing her brow. Danzinger agreed, only nodding. His own eyesight was blurry, and a hot pain had begun at the back of his head. Through the sweat pouring off his forehead he watched incredibly as Athena placidly raised her weapon at Alonzo as if to fire. Her face a blank.
"No!" He screamed, inanely he made an attempt to lunge at her. With strength she should not have had, she kicked him aside.Julia faltered. Dja's clear mind pierced through her from the Terrian's earth, clear metal mirrored daggers, the grass blades unrelenting. Drawing her, sucking her into their world, a new world of long shadows, pasts. She tried to escape the link, the chains that drew her into Dja. Dja's link with the earth strong and her control of the Terrian's dreamscape damaging. 'See.' The dislocated voice bore the image of the threatened human. It shook Julia to a new level of awareness. 'Accept my terms, if you don't he will be but the first to die.' Painted visions swam in her mind. Even with her eyes closed the visions burned through. Her head throbbed with decisions. In her delay, Dja acted. A victim was presented in the dark world. Hard to make out the form. Julia stepped closer. It was the body of the military officer, Athena. But her mind was blanketed by Dja's rage at being denied again. Athena appeared unrelenting and cruel, savouring the death of those around her. Though Julia sensed a fleeting compassion buried beneath the facade. 'I won't,' she said simply to the mind of minds around her. Fearing their destructive reflection.
Everything stopped. Frozen and twisted. 'I will.' Dja's voiced belowed out, shattering her own constructions. Julia could only watch, or could she?
The dust swirled in front of her, the light blinded her and she heard the voices of her family. Sadness. Regret. Shame. 'No!' The scream echoed with another's. Watching as Athena turned instantly to black dust, crumbling into the earth. The Terrians stirred, as did Alonzo, death was nearing. 'Are you going to kill Reilly too?'
'Reilly?' Dja laughed. The floating images breathed in new strength. Julia could not escape the onslaught. Her eyes melted, struggling to keep control. She heard Alonzo's presence, a whisper on the surface of her mind. Or was it the Terrians? Their soured thoughts syringed into her body. She looked at the smoking body of Athena.
'Reilly. Just a name.' Dja turned away, feeling the embodiement of power. 'Where is he?' Julia's voice grabbed the sides of the world, weaving a pattern of its own.
'He was never here.' Dja's steel blue eyes cut through. 'He felt he wasn't ready.' Dja lashed out flinging Julia to the ground, to the bottom of the plane. 'But I saw him.'
'You don't listen well. Appearances aren't everything.' The daggers sharpened. 'Where is he?'
'Oh, he's still up there watching and waiting. But he wont want to watch and wait forever.' She paused. She suddenly regretted the paths she had chosen. 'We all serve the Council. It is our life.' 'What have you done?'
Julia looked at the fading form of Dja. Her eyes alight, sharp and mischievous, a look Julia had only ever seen once before. She repeated her question, panic edging into her tone. Dja spread out her hands. But still remained silent. Nothing, was whispered in her mind, laced with an innocence Julia did not believe. If only she could have had support from Athena, if only she was still breathing. Athena's hard face revealed nothing, but something lingered in her mind, she was more than just a military figure. 'Did you think the real Reilly would help you? Come to your aid.' 'How many people must you betray.'
'You are the one who has betrayed. As you deny the talents within you, the ones I helped surface.'
'Help?'
'One day you will realise what I have done.' 'You murdered an innocent man.'
'I murdered? Your memory is not too good. How innocent was he or you, or for that matter Brigette?' The words dripped around Julia.Alonzo reached out to touch the remains of Athena. Danzinger briefly held him back, giving a cursory warning. But Alonzo persisted until his fingers touched the black cinders. Not understanding, he picked up traces of Dja and her telepathic wake. Alonzo felt himself drawn at a dizzying speed into the earth, into her black world. Thrown into a new plane where Julia's memory and the impotent Terrians could do nothing but struggle and watch. Alonzo's physical body succumbed to the unconscious. Danzinger and Morgan weren't far behind him.
Everything around her was in a state of flux. The normally solid walls and floors of the station were melting and shaping into a race of aliens. The bubbling metal texture held them in, leaving only their impressions and not their presence.
Two shadows had led them to that place that existed once and then again and again. They watched as one shadow became flesh, and felt as the other shadow, dancing in the night, spread out its wings of black feathers. Feathers which couldn't be brushed off or imagined off. Their once rich dream plane was swirling inward into the Callourn Station, into one mind. Her quarters were in darkness. Her view consisted of a few lonely stars. The station was small on the outer edge of the Narooma belt. The corridors emptied of the students and teachers of the Med school. The first three shifts the station hummed with activity, but in the fourth it lay asleep with the stars watching the bodies breathe in the warmth. Julia liked the fourth quarter where she could completely absorb herself in thoughts about the present and the future. But that one night in that one fourth quarter she suddenly became aware. Her eyes sharp and clear. She felt a pain within her. An unbearable pain. Her sim-whisky tasted bitter, and didn't burn through her intense emotions.
The quiet had changed as radically as her feelings - from peaceful to deadly. She returned to her small desk and read a few of the latest med texts that she'd been putting off. The syn-screen and keypad hardly tempted her to finish the work. Her studies usually exciting had faded in her own mind. Blood, splattered outward like a body self exploding. She kept telling herself it was a dream, it wasn't real. Her breath sucked out of her. Her mind an instant blank.
She was just about to go for a walk around the station and perhaps drop into the Sirius Cafe when the computer's voice broke into that silence. Priority Message now holding.
With reluctance she gave the voice command, 'Play message.' Ten minutes later she had unwanted company.
'Julia Heller?'
The officer in her crisp uniform knew it was. Clearly marked on the door of all the blue section quarters. When med training very little privacy existed, except for behind that door. Only a vague notion of 'big brother watching' crept in. She looked into the officers eyes. Their dark pools revealed more than just irritation, it was combined with a reluctance. 'Can we come in,' it was not a request. Julia saw another figure appear in the doorway. It was not the same crisp blue uniform of the officer. It was a woman from the Council. She'd met the woman once before at a lecture. The woman had expressed some minor interest in her own studies. Enough to warrant snide remarks from her contemporaries. The drink slipped through her fingers when the crisp officer told of how her mother, and sister, that is her entire family, had been killed in an accident.
Dja softly spoke in the background telling how the pilot had been on the wrong trajectory when skimming the atmosphere. Pilot error. Pilot Jose Truman had been suspended till a full investigation could be held. That anger that had burned inside her earlier had found its centre. She lashed out. It screamed inside her mind. Knowing that that pain was not hers but her family's.
Dja asked the officer to leave them alone. The officer nodded, willing to escape the pain of someone in shock and grief. But she didn't run away, merely stood at attention outside Julia's door. Warding off any invisible intrusions. In those minutes alone with Dja, Dja said nothing. Time had stopped. Eventually Julia gained some control and asked Dja and the officer to leave. They did without question. But they had left the seed of anger. Small and unnoticed by Julia and all those who watched from the darkened walls. She went to the syn-screen, her hands paused above the power square. 'Request person to person screen to Station Docking Facility B, Pilot JT119 response needed.'
Her voice cracked. The computer needed her to repeat the request before it recognised her voice. The second time she spoke her voice was like honey. A picture of a man materialised on her screen. 'Yes?'Dja stepped through the wall. Specks of melted black metal clung to her like hot rubber. Julia looked down at her hands. They were red. 'I did kill him, didn't I?'
'You killed him with your thoughts.'
The room grew smaller as the Terrians fought to break through that black barrier. Their hands reached out to Julia and Dja. Dja simply melted back into the floor, leaving Julia to suffocate in her memory. She reached out and touched one of the Terrians, surprised at her lack of fear. Its sticky touch left patches of black and something brittle. Curious, Julia rubbed gently at the brittle gift. Under the black was a soft yellow. It was the same gift they had given Dja. Perhaps it wasn't a gift at all. When she looked up the scene had changed. She was back in the confines of the cave. 'Welcome,' a smooth voice echoed into the barren and brown cave. Dust choked the air. Terrians froze in a twisted charade of motion. Julia moved into the small pool of light. Her heart jumped when she saw Alonzo's body sprawled carelessly on the ground. His leg twisted the wrong way. She took a step nearer him. Knowing that was the wrong thing to do. Dja's presence watched her every move.
The bodies hung in the choked air. The dust holding them in place. Their thoughts frozen and the language of the dreams was reduced to a single clear and unrelenting voice. The voices and the diversity of the earth paled and drowned in the blindness of one, a single. Julia could see nothing at first other than Dja's destruction. Her lover dead in this world, her enemy, the aliens she feared, the Terrians powerless. The dust seeped into her. Each breath she sucked in more. Scraping her lungs with its harshness. Her eyes watered as the dust filtered her sight. Physically she recoiled from the invasive dust.The place was devoid of any sign of life. The ground was a slate of black, reflecting nothing. Each step she took echoed into the nothingness. There was no path. Nowhere to go. Each step she took she sunk into the slate fractionally. The slate was really a sponge soaking her in. A resin. She walked on the face of Wadi-dja.
'Welcome,' a word spoken in every direction. That was Dja. This was her earth. The Terrians lost below. Julia could see their bodies trapped. The sounds of their voices just on the periphery of her senses. The resin was crazed, like the stains of leaves. The edges a pale yellow. A flashpoint. Prickling at her mind she looked down at her feet. A single offering was there. As she bent to pick the small leaf up, she found herself being torn apart, Dja's scream bursting her ear drums. But she never let go of that single leaf.
'You can never escape me!' Cried Dja. Everything was in agony around her as well as her. The voices peeked, and in an instant everything changed. She could feel her thoughts grow stronger, her mind moving beyond the infinite plane. A distinctive scent accosted her. A trail, a puzzle of her past and present. Bodies broke free around her, surrounding her with their earthy presence, folding her into their arms. Reluctantly she let them take her on a final journey... into the bossom of their earth.
In the Shadow of Eve, Part 7
by Kath Fisher
Dja stood proudly in front of her. Her cold eyes darkened with a sense of unjust defeat. The yellow leaves she held tightly in her fist she let go. They moved slowly but lightly, swept away like little butterflies dancing in the calming winds. Into the forests, on the earth and the flowing crystal blue streams of the old and wise land of Eden. "It is no-one's to offer," whispered Dja. Her face though beautifully lined and mature showed a hint of her victims scars. "Nature is strong and beguiling."
She stepped forward closing on Julia. She sensed the eyes of the Terrians around her, hidden behind the tall dark trees. Their rhythm fluid and their penetrating thoughts stoic. Rashly she had believed them to be her saviour, that the gift was a gift of power. But she had had her power, offered it to one other, and expired her remaining share. It was one gift she could never get back. A tear formed. It ran gently down her cheek. She knew she had been her own villain.
She focused on Julia. But, Julia remained calm, she could see that Dja was dying. Her own strength and the strength of the Terrians flowed through her. The strong smell of a single c'tchai was a slim but sturdy coating on her reserve. It was a part of her. Perhaps it had always been. Her own eyes assessed Dja.
Not a sound could be heard but that quiet step in the copse. Silence was everywhere, not even a bird dared to intrude in the evening tide. A smile touched Dja's lips. Julia too smiled, as an understanding passed between them. But then the prickle of Devon and Bess lying nearby, asleep and undreaming, and the watchful and patient Terrians, drew her back to Wadi-dja and her actions. She turned away, looking out at the dim day. "It is not in the taking or in the offering of the gift, or of the gift itself, but wholly within the minds of those that carry it. It is an inheritance of choice," Dja said, speaking directly into Julia's mind. The touch barely tingling her surface thoughts. "I must let it go," she said finally, verbally, to an audience of one.The sweet taste of the leaf quickly soured in her mouth, awakening her to the sound of a metal door opening. She looked up and saw a dark smooth surface above. For a fleeting second she thought she had returned to the Callourn station. But she knew she was in the SGP. She sat up. Dja was inches from her, leaning heavily on the nav-com. And standing in the entrance blocking the natural light was a Terrian. Its staff angled low. "I'm going home," said Wadi-dja. "Come." "No." They both knew that time was running short for Dja, and that she would die on Eden. Even the Terrian knew that. It could feel the poisoned vibrations.
"You thought you were escaping me?" Dja said. Her own thoughts subtly searching for an escape, feeling her options close in around her. The images in her mind were bloated. She felt herself drowning in the dreams and the residue. She tried to shake off the weight of the voices. Her knees buckled. Julia resisted the urge to help.
"Child," she said, her eyes tinged with a sadness, even regret. "How little you know. I wanted you on this project." "Me?"Her anger projected into the room, shattering everything. Dja laughed, spoke a few things mentally to her and complimented her on her projections. Julia was just stunned, she had actually made her thoughts into reality. 'I feel you're pain,... I am part of that pain as are others. Your weakness is but a strength in a strangers guise.' The last goblet of memory and dream was emptied onto Dja. When she closed her eyes she only saw the little daggers turn inwards. Alone she couldn't raise her hand in protest, her thirst drained. Her own black feathers choked her clarity and division.
"Child I'll live in your memories, your guilt, your darker side, I will never stop being there, remember."
"Dja."
"You're like me. Your blood may not be mine, but your mind is. It has *become* and you'll need to care for it. It is a power. It is up to you to decide whether to use it to create or destroy, or as I have chosen to do - both."
"It's a gift I don't want."
"It is a choice, among many. One day it will serve you well. You might even choose to give it yourself." Julia looked puzzled. "You'll know the time, when flowers you pick wilt or the water turns sour. Paradise does have a cost my innocent, not just the one you think. Though the cost may remain hidden, it will be there and that when or if it is revealed Eve may decide to help you or you might be forced to choose. Choices are never easy, never black and white, just grey. If you wont accept my gift accept this simple piece - always look for more than two directions." "Why did you really come?"
"To see you."
"No you didn't." Images of her mother and sister flashed before her. Of the night Dja had delivered the news.
"I wanted to see you blossom. I wanted to-" "I don't want anything from you."
"I'm not giving you anything." Dja glanced at the Terrian, Julia followed. It stood still as if a tree or a branch on a windless day. Its thoughts remaining on the edge, wary.
"You are so like your mother. Should she ever call for you, listen to yourself. Trust yourself and perhaps you'll learn the truth, not just the one you want to know." Dja paused, her own movements stiff and awkward. She collapsed onto the floor of the pod. Her body looked suddenly frail. "I was dying long before now," Dja whispered to the stale air and an unsure Julia. She listened but the words seemed empty and meaningless. "I had hoped to be reborn here..." Her voice trailed off. Her hands out-stretched. "Dja?" Julia felt for the other woman's pulse. For a long time Julia sat there with Dja's limp hand in hers. The pulse stilled. With it went the truth Julia realised she sought, about her mother and sister, and about herself. Dja's swirling black shadows held knowledge. The Terrian turned quietly and left. Julia followed.
Her feet finally touching the ground. The dream plane distant. As the sun finally cracked through the dark clouds, low in the sky, Julia looked down. Her shadow lay ahead, following her on the textured land. Other shadows played beside her. Amongst them were the shadows of the trees, but they weren't trees at all, but the Terrians.Morgan awoke to find Devon and Bess kneeling over him. "Heaven?"
"No," said Devon. Bess ran a hand through Morgan's hair. "What happened?" He jumped up suddenly, "Where's Athen-" And then he remembered the scorched earth which was once Athena. "Oh." "Its like the whole planet fell asleep." "You mean I finally got some sleep and I didn't even realise it?" Devon just smiled weakly at him. Her thoughts returned to the tired Julia. Alonzo's weak arms wrapped around her, refusing to let go. Then the sound from the south made them all jump from surprise. An SGP flew straight up into the sky tearing through the stretch of blue. A trail of fire receded into the air.
"You let her escape?" Devon came and stood beside Julia. "I thought you said the lady was dead," said Danzinger. "Its not possible, she was, she was dead," Julia said, not understanding. She knew, she had taken Dja's pulse, there had been no pulse. "Perhaps she hasn't read up on what dead means-" mumbled Morgan. "I swear she was dead when I left her." A gentle touch from Dja and the Terrians - a little telepathic ripple. Dja would always live in her memory and the plane of the Terrians. A wound time would heal. "Then, who's flying it?" Devon looked into Julia's eyes and saw that hazy look of her fighting a past to remain buried. Perhaps one day the secrets would be revealed and with that an easing of the pain. But then that was a part of Julia.
"Androids, aliens, zombies, god I should have signed up for reclamation duty," said Morgan to himself, walking away from the two women. "Where is it going?" The last glimpse of the pod disappeared amongst the clouds.-The End-
This text file was ran through PERL script made by Andy. Original text file is available in Andy's Earth 2 Fan Fiction Archive.