QUALITY OF MERCY
By
Maxine McBrinn
Timeline: On way to New Pacifica
Author's E-Mail: Kenneth.W.Howard@att.com
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Folks,
This story is, in part, a continuation of "Perchance To Dream", and will probably not be completely coherent to anyone who hasn't read that tale. Sorry about that.As always, I owe thanks to a couple of great e-pals. Rosa inspired this tale by suggesting the sequel topic to PTD. Jayel added tremendously to what you read here by giving me insightful feedback on an earlier version. As always, her kindness is greatly appreciated.
All comments, positive or negative, will be cheerfully accepted by:
Maxine McBrinn
howard@drmail.dr.att.com
The Quality of Mercy, Part 1
Maxine McBrinn
"The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice bless'd;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
Wm. Shakespeare, *Merchant of Venice*
Alonzo rounded the corner on his way into the common room and had to jump back to avoid walking into Walman. "Hey, sorry about that!"
"Why don't you look where you're going, Solace." Walman growled and stomped off, never even meeting Alonzo's eyes.
Alonzo stared after him in dismay. He had been in camp for three weeks now, and Walman was still angry at having been forced to share the pilot's dreams. Alonzo had tried to speak to the man, but somehow Walman was always just leaving as he arrived, no matter where they were, or when. He had even left dinner without eating when the pilot sat down beside him. Walman had also started to volunteer for every trip out of camp, so that he spent very little time in camp during the day.
The pilot walked on into the common room and found Devon studying a plan of New Pacifica. "Hey, just the woman I was hoping to find!" Alonzo said with a charming smile.
Devon smiled back up at him, "Alonzo, it's great to see you looking healthy and full of energy again. What can I do for you?"
"Devon, do you have any scout trips coming up soon? I'd love to get out of camp for a day."
"Well, there's one tomorrow . . ." Devon stopped. "Actually, it's supposed to be Walman and Morgan, but Morgan has another project that we could really use his help on. But, Alonzo, I don't think Walman is the best partner for you right now . . . And will Julia even agree to you going?" Devon was evaluating Alonzo as she spoke. He was no where close to being completely recovered, but she could feel his impatience and his need to stretch his wings a bit. The man was the embodiment of wander-lust at the best of times, and he had been held on a short lead for weeks.
"Great. Please sign me up. And listen," he leaned forward to whisper conspiratorially, "I'll get my doctor's approval first.
"Okay, if Julia agrees, it would really help us out. I'll talk to Morgan, but he hates scout trips. He'll have no problem with you going instead." She paused to collect her thoughts. "Are you sure you want to go with Walman?" Devon stressed his name slightly, a small worried frown creasing her forehead.
"Yeah, I'm sure. Thanks Dev." Alonzo spun around and headed out again. Devon watched him go, enjoying his regained pleasure in walking.
Walman walked over to the solar power storage device he was spending the day working on. He was still tense from his encounter with the pilot, and, not for the first time, wondered why he wasn't able to get past his anger when everyone else had weeks ago. For whatever reason, though, just seeing Alonzo sent adrenaline and violent thoughts rushing through his body.
He was still pondering his reaction when he suddenly heard Baines' voice at his elbow, "Hey, Walman. I overheard Solace talking to Devon. It looks like he might be your partner on the scout tomorrow."
"Great." Walman added internally, *That defeats the purpose of volunteering for the scout trips.* "Why?"
"He says he needs to get out of camp. Well, I guess he has been stuck here for a while. Solace beats Martin as a partner any day in my book. I hate all that whining Martin does on every trip." Baines mimiced the bureaucrat, "It's too hot. It's too cold. I'm getting sunburned. Why did Yale even suggest we try this direction?"
"Yeah, I guess." Walman tried to laugh with Baines, but his heart wasn't in it. His mind drifted back to the puzzle of why the pilot affected him so strongly. Walman's first exposure to him had been after the crash, when Solace had been badly injured, and had suffered his first Terrian dreams. Walman initially found the man moody and unpleasant to be around, but that had changed after a few weeks when he had seen the charming and charismatic man-about-the-galaxy for the first time, and had decided instead that he was cocky and shallow. He had been shocked, no, more than shocked, he had been horrified when he realized that Julia Heller, the fragile and beautiful woman he had gone to sleep thinking about for weeks, was in love with Alonzo. Walman no longer found Julia alluring; time in her company had shown him that she was uncomfortable and stiff, and that awkwardness had removed his desire for her. Despite that, he had never been able to warm up to Solace, and they had settled into a cordial but distant relationship.
But then he had been forced to share the pilot's dreams, and even worse, so had the rest of the group. Walman ground his teeth unconsciously when he remembered how Magus had lashed out at him under the influence of Alonzo's memories. But even without the others' reactions, the dreams had been a violation, an intrusion, and he had been powerless to stop them.
Walman decided to talk to Adair about the crew change as soon as possible. "Hey, Baines, you want to lend me a hand getting this panel down?" He indicated one of the solar panels on the portable device. "I need to look at the connection. Somehow we haven't been getting the output we should for the past few weeks."
"Sure." Baines studied Walman surreptitiously as they worked. He knew Walman and Solace had not reconciled; that Alonzo had tried to re-establish a friendly relationship, but that Walman had resisted every overture so far. He hoped that being forced to spend some time together would allow the two men to get past whatever the issue was. That was one of the reasons he wanted to give Walman warning of the crew change. Perhaps with time, Walman would let the pilot work it out with him.
Julia looked at Alonzo, affectionate exasperation clear on her face. "'Lonzo, it's too soon. You are not strong enough yet."
Alonzo just smiled even bigger, sending his dimples deep into his cheeks. "Come on Doc. It's not like there's much physical activity involved. All I have to do is sit in the DuneRail for a few hours, and wander out occasionally to look through the jumpers. I promise, I'll walk slowly, and if it's a long distance, I'll get Walman to go instead." He paused, and seeing Julia's doubtful expression, changed tactics. His smile disappeared, replaced with an earnest expression, and he reached out and took her hand in his. "Julia, I just have to get out. I've been in camp for 3 weeks, and I swear I'm going crazy. Now, I've been a very good patient, haven't I?"
Julia had to admit that he had, to the best of his ability and patience, done everything she had directed. "Yeah, you've been very good. But, Alonzo, just look at yourself." She waved her hand over the length of his body. "You're still, what, twenty pounds down in your weight? And you still get tired before the end of every day." Alonzo stood before her, a shadow of what he had been before his illness. His clothes hung on him, and his pants were cinched tightly around his waist by a makeshift rope belt, since his real belt was too large to work properly. But, Julia admitted to herself, his eyes were bright and he no longer crept around camp like an old man. He had recovered most of his zest and was, she knew, starting to feel the restrictions she had imposed on him. "Well, I'd be happier if you were going with Danziger or Baines. Walman is still holding a grudge."
Alonzo could see her objections starting to crumble, and pressed the attack. "But, that's why I want to go with him." He moved closer to her, and put his arms around her in a comforting hug. Then, leaning back, he lifted her chin so that he could see her face. "I think this may be a good chance to work this thing out. Besides, I know Walman is no happier with my company. What would you wager that he's trying to wriggle out of this right now?"
Over in the common room, Walman was at that moment talking to Devon. "Dev, listen, 'Lonz isn't strong enough yet to go with me. Besides, isn't it Morgan's turn?" He tried to keep his disgust at being forced to endure Alonzo's company off his face and replace it with a "strictly-business" expression, but was not entirely successful.
Devon was amazed that Walman would actually prefer Morgan Martin's company to Alonzo's, and had to work to keep her irritation off her face. "Walman, I know that Alonzo isn't the ideal scout partner right now. But Morgan has a communications project that he and Yale are working on, and Alonzo is really eager to get out of camp for a while. He's been stuck here for weeks and has cabin fever. He needs this trip." Devon knew full well what Walman's real objections were, but refused to countenance them by the acknowledgement that they even existed. He was an adult and would just have to cope. The group was too small to start coddling individuals. "Sorry Walman. But you and Alonzo are going on tomorrow's scout together."
Walman's shoulders slumped. "Okay. But it's under my protest."
"Noted"
Walman and Alonzo left together in the 'Rail early the next morning.
Yale and Morgan were huddled at a table in the common room, a large sheet of paper spread in front of them. "You know Yale, looking at this plan, it looks like we are within the range of our dish in New Pacifica. We should be able to access the signal from here, if only these mountains weren't in the way."
Yale sighed internally, and steeled himself to once again restate the problem they were working on. Morgan was as hard to get to focus as Uly and True. "Perhaps. But for now we should focus on the problem set before us. The cable we had planned to use for the New Pacifica network is probably at the bottom of some Grendler's cache. We may be able to substitute some other cable, but we will certainly have to plan the network carefully so that we minimize the material used. The network must connect the administrative buildings and the hospital with the communications dish and to each other. We need to consider the candidate materials we can use in the network, and how to design the network to use as little of that material as possible."
"Hey, I have an idea!" Morgan was obviously enjoying this work more than he had ever appreciated scouts, or gathering wood, or any of the other camp chores that he had tried to avoid for the past 18 months. He leaned forward eagerly. "What about if we use some of the cable for the solar power network. Danziger has only needed a small amount of the total so far. And we can even try it out here in camp. We can string a span up a hill to see if we can get the dish on line. Then we can monitor the connection from here, and see how it survives the weather."
Yale looked thoughtfully at the bureaucrat while stroking his beard. "Morgan, you may be on to something there. But we need to be sure that we can get a line-of-sight connection to the dish from some nearby spot. And we still need to design the New Pacifica network."
"Well, we do have all the survey maps. There's topographical information on them, isn't there? And the final network design will have to wait until we know what material we will use, since it'll have to accommodate the specific characteristics of that material. You know, impedance, bandwidth, that kind of thing."
"Yes, the survey maps do have topographical information, but it is rather crude. But, you're right, there should be enough information to determine if it is possible to contact the dish from here." Yale was starting to see promise in the project. "I can get the maps now, they're just over there." Yale pointed at another table in the common room, littered with papers. "And I have the coordinates of the dish and our present location. Devon will be disappointed that we won't be able to design the network yet, but she'll be interested in this trial."
A couple of hours later, Devon looked in on the two men, who had completely taken over the common room. They had maps spread on every flat surface, and were pouring over the most recent set of calculations. "Hey, you two. How's it going?"
"Devon! We think we can access the dish at New Pacifica from the top of the mountain to the south of us." Morgan was loud in his excitement.
"Devon. Morgan had an idea for how we can get around the supply problem for the New Pacifica network, and we want to build a trial network here. It looks like we can communicate with the dish from nearby, and that seemed like a good way to try the substitute material and also allow us to develop the command set for controlling the dish at the same time." Yale tried to fill Devon in as concisely as possible.
"What? We can access the dish from here? That's great! So how can we do it? Where?" Devon had taken no time to understand, and typically, she wanted to make it happen *now*.
Yale smiled fondly at his first and best student. He knew she'd like the idea. "This was Morgan's idea. He is going to be very useful in all our communications needs. I would like to suggest that we also pull Baines into this project. He is a communications expert, and should be very familiar with the protocol used by the dish."
"Do it. That's a good idea, Yale." Devon spun on her heel, "In fact, I'll go get him now. He's just outside, helping Danziger with the ATV."
As Devon slammed through the door, Morgan turned to Yale. "Hey, that's a great idea, Yale. Baines will be able to help a lot." He turned back to his calculations, "It looks like the signal may be pretty weak, since we're toward the edge of the dish's range, so we may want to boost the gain somehow."
Yale settled in to listen and learn. On this project, he would not be the technical expert, but with his broad educational background, he would make sure that all the bases were covered.
howard@drmail.dr.att.com
The Quality of Mercy, Part 2
Maxine McBrinn
Walman stood on a hill top, looking through the jumpers, while Alonzo sat in the front passenger seat in the 'Rail. "Hey, Walman, how's it look? Any good pass possibilities?"
"No, not even close," Walman growled in answer over his shoulder.
"Well, I guess we should continue on. You want me to drive for a while?"
"No. I'd rather drive." Walman trudged back down the hill and climbed into the vehicle. He immediately started the vehicle forward, then snuck a peek at his partner. Alonzo looked cold and was already wearing all of his cold weather gear, including a hat, which was almost unheard of, but his face was calm as he surveyed the scenery. Walman was relieved and disappointed that the pilot was coping so well. Relieved that he did not have to deal with a failing partner on a trip out of camp, but perversely disappointed none-the-less. *I hope he freezes his butt off.* he thought. "You want to stop for lunch soon?"
"Whenever. I'm not really hungry yet." Alonzo was trying to be agreeable, but Walman just wasn't giving him a chance. "We can stop later if you want to get some more done first."
"Let's get to the next drainage, and then we can stop."
"Sure." Alonzo was beginning to think that Julia had been right. His enjoyment in being outside had started to wane quickly, beaten back under the dual assault of the weather and his equally cold partner.
Julia looked up at the sky in concern. The day had started off with a deep blue sky that looked even more intense against the snow that covered the hills all around them. But now, as she left the Medtent to join the group for lunch, the sky was a drab winter gray. How had that happened? She walked into the common room, where the meals were all served, only to find the tables covered with paper and no sign of food. Devon, Baines, Yale and Morgan Martin were clustered in a group, excitedly discussing something.
"We may be able to use one of the vehicle systems and salvage an amplifier." Baines was gesturing broadly, unusually animated, while he spoke. "I suggest the ATV system, since the TransRover and DuneRail systems are used much more often."
"But, that would mean that the ATV wouldn't be usable for scout trips . . ." Yale noticed the doctor standing in the door. "Julia, can I help you?"
"Ahhh. Actually, I thought it was time for lunch. Sorry to interrupt." Julia started to turn around.
Devon looked at her watch, "You're right, it is. I guess we should clear these tables." She matched her movements to her words, and carefully started to pick up maps and pages of calculations from off the table. "It seems darker outside than I had expected. Maybe that's why we lost track of the time."
"Have you heard from the scout team?" Julia asked with a slight frown.
"No, I don't think so. Yale, Morgan, did you hear anything before I got here?"
Both men shook their head.
"Would you mind if I give them a quick call?"
"No, Julia. Please go ahead. I hear Magus and Bess coming with the food, so we need to get this stuff picked up." Devon, Baines, Yale and Morgan all scurried to get their stuff cleared up in as orderly as fashion as they could.
While they did that, Julia walked over to the communications center, and called Walman and Alonzo.
"Yeah. Solace here." He looked and sounded tired.
"Alonzo, I'm just checking to see how it's going. You find anything?" Julia actually wanted to ask the pilot other questions. *How is it going with Walman?*; *When will you be back?*; and most importantly, *Are you all right?*
"Nothing yet, but we're on our way to the next drainage. And, yes, I'm keeping warm Doc." He smiled tiredly at her over the channel.
"Did you notice the clouds?"
"Yeah, we're keeping an eye on them. They don't look like a storm though, at least not from what we can see here."
"Okay. You guys be careful, and give us an idea when we can expect you back."
"Sure thing. I'll call later in the afternoon. Solace out."
Julia broke the connection, worry clear on her face while she had her back to the room. *It's too soon. Alonzo isn't strong enough yet. I should have put my foot down.* She collected herself, forcing a calm she didn't feel on her expression. As she turned around, she noticed Devon looking at her questionly. "They're fine. No luck yet. They'll call later this afternoon to tell us when they'll be back."
"Okay. It looks like lunch is here." Devon walked over to the doctor and lay her hand lightly on the doctor's forearm. "He'll be fine Julia. Walman won't do anything, even if he isn't feeling charitable yet."
Julia looked at her blankly, "It's not Walman I'm worried about." And with that, Julia walked over to stand in the serving line.
After a fruitless day spent scouting 3 creek drainages, Walman and Alonzo turned around. The gray day had darkened, and a new chill hung in the air. The return journey was as silent as the outbound had been, and they were only a five miles or so from camp when the DuneRail cruised to a stop. "Why are we stopping?"
"I don't know. I guess there's a problem with the 'Rail." Walman hopped out. "Damn, it looks like we're out of juice. Those clouds must be blocking more radiation than I thought." Walman rubbed his face irritably with his hands.
"If we need to recharge, I'll call camp and let them know." Alonzo pulled out his gear, "Base camp. Anyone there?"
"'Lonz?" Magus' voice came crackling through the channel.
"Yeah. Hey, listen, we've had to stop to let the 'Rail recharge. We'll be back later than we had thought. Would you let Julia and Devon know?"
"Sure thing. You may not be able to see it from where you are, but Yale says he thinks a front's coming through. He checked a couple of minutes ago, and he says the barometer is dropping. We were about to give you a call. You guys may just want to bunker down there through the night."
"We'll see how the recharging goes. We're only a few miles from camp. I don't think we'll have any problem getting back tonight, but I'll call you later to let you know. Solace out." Alonzo looked up at Walman where he stood beside the vehicle. "Did you catch that? Yale thinks there's a storm coming through."
"Great! The perfect end to a perfect day! In that case, I'll go gather some wood, just in case we spend the night here." Walman turned and headed up the slope and into the trees, cursing his luck silently. Just what he wanted, more opportunity to rub elbows with Solace.
"Okay. I'll get us set up in case we need to camp here." Alonzo felt like he was talking to himself, but Walman raised an arm in acknowledgement without turning around.
"Well, it looks like we will have to wait before we can string a line up to the peak, at least until we see what tomorrow brings weather-wise." Morgan was impatient to get his experiment started, but bowed to the inevitable.
"We need to consider what our antenna design should be. We may be able to rig it up here, and carry it up the mountain in pieces." Baines was not ready to come to a halt though. "I'll bet Danziger could help us construct it once we know what the shape and size should be."
"Yeah, great idea!" Morgan looked up at a tap on his shoulder to find Bess standing beside him.
"Morgan. We need to get you to clear the tables for dinner. Could you help me set the tables?" Bess stood there alone, looking surprisingly forlorn.
"Sure sweetie. Baines, you want to help me move these papers?" Morgan stood up, and only then realized how long he and Baines had been sitting over their plans. His legs were tight, his lower back was sore, and it was getting dark outside. He looked around him like a man coming out of a dream. "Wow, it's a lot later than I thought."
"Yeah, you two have been sitting there since lunch, 6 hours ago."
"Bess, I think we know how to do it! We will be able to contact the dish soon. Isn't that great?" Morgan stretched a bit while he quickly gathered pages of calculations.
"That's wonderful, honey." But Bess looked solemn as she laid out the places for dinner on the newly cleared surfaces. "So, contacting the dish, what will that do for us? We won't be able to talk to the colony ship yet, will we?"
"No, but it means that when we can, we will be able to." Morgan realized that Bess didn't understand anything they had done today. "I'll tell you what. I'll explain exactly why we want to do this now, right after supper. Okay?"
Bess nodded, "All right. Want to help me bring in the dishes?"
"Sure thing."
howard@drmail.dr.att.com
The Quality of Mercy, Part 3
Maxine McBrinn
Alonzo paused and rubbed his temples. He had set out the groundsheet and spread the tent, and unpacked the sleeping bags and cots, the stove and the food. Now he had to raise the tent, and he honestly didn't know if he could. The cold and his exhaustion had joined, leaving him sapped and suffering from a terrible headache that felt remarkably like two drills boring straight into his temples. He panted slightly at his recent exertion and his hands had a noticeable tremor. Suddenly, from above him on the hillside he heard a yell. "Walman, are you okay?" he shouted up the hill.
"I think I did something to my leg. It hurts." Walman's voice came floating down to the pilot. "I don't think I can get back down the hill."
"Wait there! I'll come up." Alonzo started up the hill, wading into the knee deep snow.
"Careful, I tripped over a log under the snow. Watch your footing."
"Okay. Don't move. I'll be right there." Alonzo repeated.
By the time he got to Walman, he was panting heavily, and his legs felt like the bones had somehow dissolved away. He collapsed next to the injured man, and tried to catch his breath. "Okay," he paused to pant some more, "Where . . . does . . . it hurt?"
"My knee. I think I twisted it when I tripped. It hurts to move it." Alonzo could hear a catch in Walman's voice; the man was in pain.
"Okay. I'll help . . . you down. Just let me . . . rest a second." Alonzo was still gasping from his trip up the hill. He leaned against a log that was exposed above the snow, and lay there panting. "Damn, what a pair we are!"
"You're telling me! I'm shanking freezing now too. Let me know when you're ready." Walman looked at the pilot, realizing how much just getting up the hill had taken out of him. His anger, which had already eased after a full day in Solace's calm company, was buried beneath the pain in his knee and the fact that he needed Solace's help now. He was ashamed to note that the pilot didn't show any reluctance to come to his aid.
Alonzo took a few minutes to catch his breath and let his heart return to it's normal pace. "Okay. I'm ready now. Here lean on me," Alonzo pulled Walman's arm around his shoulder as they both straightened, "Let's go. Careful. We don't want to trip over anything else."
It took them a long time to get back down to the 'Rail, and occasional flakes of snow began to fall before they were even half way down. Walman grunted in pain at each step as his twisted knee was forced to support his weight. At one point, they lost their footing in the deep snow and flailed back as they slipped downhill feet first until they were able to stop themselves by grabbing trees. Sweat covered both men by the time they were back at the 'Rail and they were completely caked with snow, which melted from their body heat and soaked through their clothes.
"We need to get the tent up. This snow is getting thick." Alonzo gasped, leaning over the vehicle. He paused to catch his breath. "We don't have any wood. Let's give up on the fire. Walman, rest your leg in the 'Rail, and I'll get the tent up. Be thinking about how to get some dinner, okay?"
"Sure 'Lonz, but you're not looking too good yourself. Can you set up the tent by yourself?" Walman hopped down the length of the vehicle, his left leg held stiffly and a little in front of him, until he reached the front seat. He wriggled backward up into the seat and sat there, his head resting on his arms on the back of the seat. Walman's knee was throbbing and his face was creased with pain.
"I'll rest here a second first. Did you bring dry clothes?"
"Yeah. You?"
Alonzo nodded his reply, too tired to say more than was necessary. He wasn't sure that he could get the tent up, but he had no real choice. The dusk was moving in on them and the sky had darkened considerably as they had made their way down the hillside. Whether the 'Rail was recharged or not was irrelevant; they were in no shape to drive a rough trail back to camp in thick snow in the dark. They didn't have the visibility they needed to drive it safely.
Walman called the camp to let them know what had happened, then watched as Alonzo dragged himself to raise the tent. The pilot's whole body was shivering from the exertion and cold, and his hands shook badly. After he watched Alonzo try and fail three times to tie the knots to secure the tent, Walman spoke up, "Here 'Lonz, let me try. I wasn't a boy scout for nothing. I think it's the only thing I learned, but I did get good at knots." He pulled himself off the 'Rail seat and hopped toward the tent.
"Thanks. I guess I'm just too cold. My fingers don't seem to be cooperating." Alonzo reached to help support the injured man, then circled the tent with him as he finished each tie. He was relieved that Walman wasn't letting his anger imperil them.
They put the sleeping bags and cots inside the tent, then threw themselves down to rest after changing into their dry clothes. After 15 minutes or so, Walman raised his head. "You want dinner?"
"Not if it means I can't go to sleep right now. I'm too tired to eat. And I've finally started to warm up in here. You?"
"No, it doesn't sound worth the effort right now. Everything's out of the 'Rail, right?" At Alonzo's nod, he continued, "Okay. Let's just turn in for the night. We can eat tomorrow."
"Okay. Is there anything we can do for your knee right now? What did Julia tell you to do?"
"Just to keep it raised. She suggested a cold compress too, but it's too shanking cold for that now. I've got all the extra clothes under it already; it's as raised as it's gonna get."
"I think you should put an ice bag on it anyway. Better to treat it well now." Alonzo climbed out of his cot and disappeared out the flap. He came in a few minutes later with a storage bag filled with snow. "Here. Put that on your knee. It'll help, I swear." He climbed back into his cot. "Good night." Alonzo switched off the lumalight, and complete darkness descended over the tent.
That night, Morgan pulled Bess aside after dinner, and, her hand in his, pulled her toward their tent.
"Morgan? It's a little early to go to bed isn't it? I promised Denner I'd help with the dishes . . ." Bess objected, although a small smile indicated that she was happy to be abducted.
"Bess, you said you wanted me to explain what I'm doing. You do, don't you?" Morgan stopped and looked at his wife in confusion, then relaxed when she smiled up at him.
"Yeah, I do. And after that, maybe--" She ran her fingers lightly down his cheek, smiling.
Morgan smiled back slowly, starting to realize that he had been ignoring the most beautiful woman in the world all day. "Okay, sweetie. I think I can explain it real fast. In fact. I should start now--"
They turned and walked toward their tent, Morgan's arm draped over Bess' shoulders. "What we are doing has two purposes. First, we need to try out some power cable to see if it will work for a communications network. We've never found the cargo pods with the communications cable . . . Probably some Grendler found it long ago. So we are going to string the cable up the mountain behind us to see if we can reach the dish in New Pacifica, and that way we can see how well the cable works in different weather conditions." He paused to hold the tent flap up for her, then waited for Bess to turn on the light. He walked in after her once it was light enough to not run into her, and sat on the side of the cot, happy for the solar powered heater she turned on after the light. Between the extra insulation they had built onto the tents and the heaters Danziger had built using spare parts and lots of ingenuity, their tents were quite comfortable this winter.
Bess sat on the cot next to him and smiled her warm smile. "And what's the second reason?"
Morgan pulled himself from his appreciation of her beauty and focused on the explanation. "Well, there's a standard protocol that we should be able to use when we contact the dish, but we don't know that the dish is still working like it was when we dropped it. It has been a year and a half, with no communication. Its database may have gotten corrupted. Baines can get started on that while we are still here . . ." He stopped when he noticed that Bess was beginning to shed her sweater. "That way, we don't have to wait until we get to New . . ." Bess leaned over and started to dot his face with tender little kisses. "Uh, is that what you wanted to know?"
Bess didn't answer verbally, but Morgan took her capture of his mouth as a "Yes". He reached over and pulled her closer, returning her kisses. A couple of minutes later, he dimmed the lamp.
Julia lay awake late into the night. She was worried about Alonzo and Walman having to camp out in this weather. She could tell that Alonzo was very tired, and Walman's knee injury meant that Alonzo would have to take up the slack on what Walman couldn't do. The fact that they hadn't been able to return to camp that night meant that they might be stuck in their makeshift camp for a couple of days, depending on the snowfall the storm brought. Her mind spun unproductively, yielding only a litany of her concerns and no good ideas about how to solve them. She finally fell asleep, but slept fitfully and woke tired.
The next morning, she was surprised to find close to a foot of new snow outside the Medtent and the snow was still falling. She went into the common room, only to find that the communications group had once more taken over the whole room. Danziger had been pulled in to advise how to build the antenna they had designed, and models made of small pieces of wood from the kindling pile were spread over a couple of the tables. *The whole camp is going to be pulled into this thing before they finish*, she thought irritably. She walked over to Devon, "Any word this morning from the scout team?" Danziger quit talking and listened to the two women.
"No, not yet. Actually, I thought you'd want to be here for the call. Walman's knee may need some more treatment." Julia carefully kept her expression neutral, but internally she had begun to seethe. *What the hell did Devon think she was doing? Two men were stuck out there in the cold, while the snow was threatening to bury them, and Devon hadn't even thought it was important to call?* At Julia's non-committal nod of agreement, Devon continued, "With this new dump of snow, they may need to stay there for a few days. What have we gotten, a foot already? And it's still coming down."
Julia tried to keep a professional tone, but was not surprised to hear an edge to her reply. "I know. They should have the supplies they need to get through a stay of a few days, but I'm concerned about the cold that came in with the storm. They don't have the cold weather improvements we've made here."
"Julia, they'll be fine. Solace and Walman are both sensible men, and they know this weather. It's not like last winter, when all this was new to us." Danziger calmly interjected.
"I know John, but neither of them is in ideal physical condition. Alonzo hasn't recovered completely from his illness, and Walman is out of action with his knee." Julia tried to keep her voice level, but she knew that she was fooling no one. They were all looking at her with concern and pity on their faces. "I just wish there was some way we could go and get them. It's only a few miles."
"I know Julia, and if it sounds like they're in trouble, we may be able to get there in the 'Rover, but the track isn't really wide enough. We'd have to cut trees to get there, and that would eat a lot of time. Let's call first, and then make a decision."
Danziger's statement was sensible, although every fiber of Julia's being wanted action. But she knew that the mechanic was right and reluctantly she agreed. "Okay, let's see how they are. But no matter how they are, we should consider going now, before the snow gets any deeper."
Danziger, Julia and Devon walked over to the communications area. Devon picked up the gear, "Walman, Alonzo, do you read us?"
"Walman here." His voice was strained and his face was creased with pain.
"How are you guys doing? How's your knee?"
"Not so good. It hurts like the dickens, and over night it really swelled up. It looks like one of those growths we've been seeing on the trees. What did Yale call them? Goiters?"
"I'm putting Julia on. She may be able to help."
"Thanks Dev."
Julia took the mike, making herself use her professional tone. "Walman. What sort of movement hurts? Does it hurt when you keep your leg absolutely straight and bend your knee? No. Okay, that's good. How about sideways motion?" A gasp came over the speaker. "Okay, that obviously hurt. Did you keep the knee raised last night?" Julia took a big breath while Walman said he had. "You're going to have to splint the knee. Some of these injuries can be aggravated by continued movement. Alonzo should be able to help you, he knows what the splint should look like. Could you put him on, please?"
"Solace here." He looked tired and his voice was weak and tinny. She felt her heart thud in anxiety, and wished they had some privacy so she could ask him the really important questions.
"'Lonzo, you're going to have to splint Walman's knee so that he can't bend it at all. He should also continue to keep it up, as much as possible. And he should keep an ice pack on it. I know that sounds cruel, but it really will help."
Alonzo smiled wearily, "Okay Doc. I'll make sure he does, although an ice pack sounds a little extreme. He did put one on it last night. Hey, the splint should reach from the ankle to well above the knee, right?"
"Yeah, that sounds good. How are you doing?"
"Okay. I'm pretty tired, and it is shanking cold here, but we'll be all right. Don't worry. We'll be back before you know it." She could hear the energy he was trying to inject into his tone, but he wasn't very successful.
"And your supplies are okay? You have enough food and fuel?"
"Yeah, especially since we were too tired to eat last night." he realized his mistake when her face fell, and tried to reassure her, "Listen Doc, we know what we're doing, and we'll let you know if we need a rescue, all right?"
"Okay. Well, I guess that's it. Let me know if the swelling doesn't start to go down by late this afternoon, okay?"
"You got it. Solace out." And the line went dead.
Julia turned back to Devon and Danziger after taking a few seconds to regain control of herself. "It sounds marginal to me. If Walman's knee doesn't start to respond, we may need to get out there anyway. He could have permanent damage otherwise. Let me know if you hear anything. Now, are we having breakfast this morning?"
howard@drmail.dr.att.com
The Quality of Mercy, Part 4
Maxine McBrinn
By midmorning, Walman was already tired of the splint. When he and Alonzo had tied the splint, two fairly straight sticks Alonzo had waded out into the snow to find, onto his injured leg, he immediately felt better. The snug security it provided stopped all the twinges in his knee from every tiny movement, but it wasn't more than an hour before he discovered that it also meant that his leg was going to be straight, no matter what. When he sat, it stuck awkwardly out in front of him; when he walked, he had to balance on his good leg with no help from his splinted leg; and when he tried to lie down, his back ached from not being able to bend the leg.
"Hey 'Lonz, after the crash, that was a splint you had, right?"
Alonzo looked over at Walman from his cot. "What? Yeah, I had a splint. Why?" Alonzo was inside his sleeping bag, fully dressed, and still looked tense from the cold.
"Oh nothing. I guess I just never realized how restricting a splint is." Walman was also inside his sleeping bag, after a struggle to get the splint inside the bag without tearing the bag in the process.
"Yeah, but you get used to it. It's funny, but when my leg was finally healed, I was still making room for that splint for days. You know, I think the hammock worked better with the splint than these cots. Easier on the back. Hey, you gonna want lunch?"
"Not if it means that either of us has to open the flap and let out all this partially-warm, not-completely-frigid air. I'd be happy with just a semolina bar. How about you?"
"My appetite isn't back, and I'm pretty tired. A semolina bar sounds fine. I just wish this snow would stop."
"Yeah, me too. How much water do we have left? We don't need to melt any more snow for a while, right?"
"I think we melted enough for the whole day. We just need to keep it in the sleeping bags with us. It might freeze if we don't."
By mid-afternoon, Alonzo was asleep again, and Walman was dozing. The continuing snowfall kept the afternoon dark, and the bone-numbing cold had confined them to their cots. Both of them were worn out and not feeling well, and sleeping seemed as good a use for their time as anything else. Walman was startled when his gear beeped.
"Yeah, Walman here."
"Walman, how's it going?"
"Dev? We're fine. Tell Julia that my knee feels a lot better with the splint. I think the swelling is down a bit too."
"Will do. Are you staying warm there? This front really dropped the temperature."
"Yeah, we're all right. We're mostly staying in the tent and inside our sleeping bags. There isn't a lot to do anyway."
"Well, okay. I hope we'll be able to help you back in a couple of days. Let us know if there is anything we can do to help. Adair out."
Walman pulled his gear off his head and looked over at Alonzo. The pilot twitched in his sleep, undisturbed by the call.
In the meantime, Baines and Danziger had decided on a final design for an antenna, and had started to look at what materials were available. Danziger had broken the final design down into a number of individual pieces that could be assembled at the site, and which were light and small enough that they could be carried there on their backs.
"It's a shame this weather moved in. I can't really do any heavy cutting or shaping inside, since we don't have a good ventilation system. I'll have to wait for it to get warmer and drier outside." Danziger was rifling through a pile of long metal stays, looking for appropriate pieces.
"Well, not much we can do about the weather, but it'll be good to get the material chosen and put aside soon. I have this fear that someone else is going to decide they need it." Baines critically examined a piece about a meter long . He held it up for Danziger to see. "Hey John, how's this look for those cross pieces? There's a bunch of them here. How many did we say we needed?"
"A dozen. Yeah, that looks good." Danziger reached out for it. "Yeah, this will work just fine. And it seems to be strong enough to handle the winds that peak gets. Are there enough of them?"
"Yeah. Hey, I think we're in luck! Now we just need to find some good material for the major axis. But, I don't think we're gonna find that in this pile. How about that other pile of metal pieces?" Baines was piling a dozen pieces of the right size next to his feet while he talked, but stopped to point across camp to another snow-covered pile next to the TransRover.
"Maybe. I don't think so though. We may need to start with smaller lengths and weld them together. But I think we should wait until tomorrow. This stuff isn't going anywhere tonight. We're the only two foolish enough to be standing in a snowstorm looking through scrap metal. It's time for dinner, too. And I promised True and Uly I'd tell them some stories tonight."
"Okay, you're right. And I'm hungry. But, I'll put these pieces in my tent until we need them." And putting his words into action, he picked up the rods and walked away with them held awkwardly in his arms.
Danziger turned and went back inside the common room. Yale and Morgan looked up expectantly at him as he shook the snow off his long blond curls, and brushed it off his coat and legs.
"Danziger, did you find anything?" Morgan asked.
"Yeah, we found some great cross members, but it looks like I'm going to have to weld together the main axis members. Baines is putting the pieces we found in a safe place. Hey, did you guys hear from the scout team?"
"Devon called them an hour ago and talked to Walman. They are fine, and his knee is feeling better." Yale said.
"It's getting pretty damned cold out there. I'm glad I'm not stuck in a field camp right now. How are they keeping warm?"
"Devon said they are staying in the tent and in their sleeping bags. Doesn't sound comfortable. John, do you think we should make a rescue attempt?"
"I know Julia thinks we should. She's worried about Walman's knee. She said it could be more serious than just a sprain, like a torn ligament or something. And I know she's not happy about Alonzo being out there. She didn't want him to go in the first place. I don't know, though. Without the 'Rail, and with this huge snowfall, we'd have to take the 'Rover, and we'd need to clear a path for it. That's a lot of work."
"But there's no guarantee that this snow is going to melt any time soon. With this extreme cold, it could sit here for a long time." Yale pointed out.
"What's Adair say about it?"
"She is of two minds, much like you. She's concerned about their health, but she's also eager to get forward on this communications project. I believe she wants to see how they are tomorrow morning."
"Martin, what do you think?" Danziger asked.
"Boy, I tell you, I'm just thankful Alonzo took my place. If it was me out there, I'd be demanding a rescue. This winter weather is worse than inconvenient, it's dangerous. Much as I'd like to play with this project, I think we should go after them."
Danziger and Yale stared at the bureaucrat as if he'd just sprouted wings.
"What? You didn't think I'd care, is that it?" Morgan stood and looked at them defiantly.
"Uh. You just sound so sure. I guess I'm a little surprised, yeah." Danziger stumbled to explain.
"Well, that's my vote, and I know Bess thinks the same way. It's not like we *can't* get to them, it's only a few miles. We should have gone today." And with an emphatic nod, Morgan walked off.
Yale looked directly at Danziger, "Well, I guess he told us."
"We should think about going tomorrow. Man, if Martin thinks we should put his pet project on hold and go get them, I don't think I can argue."
"Let's talk to Devon this evening. In the meantime, I smell dinner. We should clear these tables." Yale started to shuffle the paper into neat piles.
howard@drmail.dr.att.com
The Quality of Mercy, Part 5
Maxine McBrinn
Walman slept fitfully that night, wakened by the cold, by the awkwardness of the splint and by the pain in his knee. As he lay there hoping for the oblivion of sleep, he became aware of noise and movement in Alonzo's side of the tent. Alonzo was muttering softly, quietly enough that Walman couldn't hear any words, but the pilot sounded upset and moved restlessly in his cot.
Alonzo was standing on a beach, his feet sinking into loose sand while he could hear a dull roar off in the distance where he could see an ocean or large sea. Scrubby green trees dotted the hills beyond the sand, and the air smelled of salt and decaying vegetation. He stood there long enough to confirm that this place was new to him, and that he was on the dream plane. After he had been there for a couple of minutes, he could feel the familiar rumble at his feet as a number of Terrians emerged, spraying sand on him as they surrounded him. He recognized some of the Terrians as belonging to the local tribe he had stayed with when he was learning to use the dream plane, while he had never seen the others before. Two of the Terrians stepped forward to stand near him, one familiar, and the other a stranger. The Terrian he knew inclined his head to the side and showed him a communications dish, farther down the coast.
"This is New Pacifica?" He looked around him with more interest. "And these are the Terrians that live here--" He knew it was true. His ability to understand the Terrians had improved greatly while he had stayed with them.
The scene changed, and now he could see the New Pacifica Terrians being abused by convicts, who shot them, enslaved them, and raided their caves. "And these Terrians don't like humans . . . They don't want us at New Pacifica." Alonzo could feel his heart sinking. This could be bad news. "But this is where the colony ship will land, and all the sick children. We don't have any choice now. This can not be changed."
Alonzo concentrated to form images of why they needed to settle at New Pacifica. The colony ship woke up and went into orbit around the planet, while the crew tried again and again to call the group at New Pacifica, but never received an answer. Their sensors picked up the debris of his ship in orbit and scattered over the planet, and assumed that the Advance Group was dead. After a period of uncertainty, the colonists decided to land anyway, and all 250 families with their sick children were shuttled down to New Pacifica. But lacking guidance from the Eden Crew, who had learned much over the past two years, the colonists were terrified by the native life forms and shot Terrians and Grendlers whenever they saw them. As the earth around them began to die, the syndrome children also began to die, despite the frantic efforts of the doctors who traveled with them.
The Terrians were silent, then began to shuffle toward him, while the air sang with their distress.
"But it doesn't have to be this way. My group is hoping to be there. Let me show you." Alonzo cried.
He summoned up a new set of images: the colony ship transporting the families to the surface, where they were welcomed by the Eden Advance group; the sick children becoming one with the planet, just as Uly had; the families living in peace with the earth, having learned from the Eden Advance group.
The Terrians were silent again. The New Pacifica spokesman then showed some images of his own. Suddenly, Alonzo found himself in the New Pacifica of his second story, but before the colony ship arrived. Simple houses and a couple of larger buildings stood around a central plaza, and his group milled in the plaza discussing something he couldn't hear. Suddenly, Julia pointed to Zero, and Alonzo could hear the ominous, "I have a projectile approaching at 200 meters/second." The group threw themselves in every direction in an attempt to avoid being shot, except for Baines, who stood frozen in place. Alonzo could see three Z.E.D.s on the periphery of the settlement, armed and out of the colonist's sight. Julia leapt up and grabbed Baines by the arm and pulled him as she tried to make him get down. As Alonzo watched in horror, she was hit in the neck by the bullet and fell on top of Baines, spraying him with her blood. He rolled to cover her body with his own, all the while shouting for help. And suddenly, Reilly appeared before the group, in front of one of the large buildings at the side of the plaza.
"I told you you'd die running, Citizen." And he laughed, a cold, cruel sound.
Alonzo couldn't see any more of the vision, tears filled his eyes and were overflowing, "No. No. Please, I can't let this happen. She can't die. If she dies, so will I." He fell to the sand, sobbing. "No. Julia, you can't die. You can't."
And suddenly he was awake and aware that he was sobbing in his cot, but he couldn't stop.
Walman heard Alonzo's dream get more intense, and saw that the pilot was upset by whatever he was seeing, but even so, he was unprepared for a sudden burst of loud cries and racking sobs. "Hey, 'Lonz, you okay?", but he got no reply; the pilot was huddled in his sleeping bag and sobbing as if he had just seen the end of his world. Walman was mystified, *What the hell is going on?* He slowly climbed out of his cot, extricating himself carefully from the sleeping bag, and hopped through the frigid air over to Alonzo's cot. He was shivering before he got there. "Hey. Hey, 'Lonz. What happened?"
Alonzo didn't hear him and continued to weep, curled up on his side into a tight ball.
Despite his residual distrust for Solace, Walman couldn't ignore the man's obvious distress. He carefully put his hand on the pilot's shoulder, "Hey, buddy. It's all right. It was just a dream. Alonzo, it was just a dream." he soothed.
Alonzo looked up at him, finally aware that he wasn't alone, tears still streaming down his face. "Walman? Oh God, it was awful-- I can't do it-- I can't. She can't die-- I won't let her."
"Alonzo, what happened? Do you want to talk about it? Was it a Terrian dream?"
Alonzo just nodded.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Walman tried again. He was now so cold that his teeth were starting to chatter.
"No, it's too painful--I can't do it--I can't."
Walman reached back onto his cot and pulled a blanket off the top of his sleeping bag and wrapped it around himself. He sat on the edge of Alonzo's cot, his good leg curled up under him as he tried to keep at least that foot warm. "Hey, 'Lonz. Tell me about the dream, okay? I need to understand."
Alonzo tried to pull himself together. He took a couple of deep breaths, then sighed in resignation. "Okay. But you look frozen. Why don't you go back to your bed. I can tell you from here."
"No, I'll stay here, but I'll go get my sleeping bag so I can sit in it and stay warm." Walman hopped back to his cot, and reached for his bag, then changed his mind. "Hey, how about if I pull my cot over closer?"
"Sure." Alonzo said listlessly.
Walman dragged his cot across the tent, hopping awkwardly. He moved it close to Alonzo's cot, but left a foot or so between the two. He climbed into his sleeping bag and draped the blanket over his head and shoulders. "I'm ready. So what happened?"
"The Terrians who live at New Pacifica don't want us there. The local Terrians are trying to help us negotiate with them. The local Terrians talked to me about it this afternoon while I was asleep. But this time, I met the New Pacifica tribe, and they showed me a possible future if we do go to New Pacifica. We were under attack by at least three Z.E.D.s, and the first person who was shot was Julia. Then Reilly appeared and laughed at her." Despite his wish to talk about this dream calmly, Alonzo could feel tears slipping down his face again. Walman sat in shocked silence. "It was terrible. And there was nothing I could do to help her, or that anyone else could do." He sat there quietly, his head bowed and tears dripping onto the bedclothes.
Walman sat quietly for a few seconds, then spoke. "Shank, that *is* a nightmare. But 'Lonz, why are they showing you this? Is it going to happen if we do go?" Walman couldn't imagine anything worse that the Terrians could have shown the pilot. He knew that if Julia were to die that way, Alonzo would be shattered.
"I don't know. The Terrians don't see time the way we do; they can move within it, and so they can see futures, but there are many possible futures. I think that's what this is, one possible future. They don't know how painful this is for me, since they don't feel emotions for each other as individuals. They aren't trying to be cruel. But it kinda makes sense. Reilly knows exactly where we are heading, and the dish is already there." Alonzo fell silent, still fighting off the horror of what he had seen.
"Hey," Walman tentatively patted Alonzo on the shoulder, "Do you want to call Julia?"
The pilot shamefully nodded, "Yeah, but I don't want to scare her. What do you think?"
"Do it. You don't have to tell her why, exactly." He handed the gear to Alonzo. "Do you want me to go away for a while.?"
Alonzo just shook his head. "Julia, can you hear me? Julia?"
A very sleepy voice answered, "Heller."
"Julia, it's Alonzo. I'm sorry, but I just needed to know that you are okay. I had a Terrian dream that was kind of stressful."
"I'm fine 'Lonzo. Are you all right? You sound upset?"
"I'm okay. I'll tell you about it later. I'm sorry to wake you up. Try to get back to sleep Doc." He glanced over at Walman, then lowered his voice and added, "I love you."
"I love you too. Heller out."
Alonzo let the gear fall into his lap with his hands as he sighed deeply. "I'm sorry Walman. I guess I woke you up. Thanks for listening. It really helps to have someone to talk to."
"No problem. Will they dream to you any more tonight?" Walman had been acutely aware of feeling like a third wheel while Alonzo talked to Julia, but he was pleased that Alonzo had called her. The pilot was noticeably calmer.
"Yeah, if they get the chance. I'm pretty tired, but even so I don't think I'm likely to fall asleep any time soon. Hey, how's your knee? Is it bothering you?"
"Actually, I was already awake. I just can't get used to this splint, and the knee still hurts. Plus we slept most of the day. But the knee is much better than it was."
"Well that's good. Try to get some sleep if you can."
"Sure. Good night."
Both men sank down into their sleeping bags, trying to regain the warmth that they had lost while they talked, but neither of them slept for some time. Alonzo fought back the image of Julia dying that floated in front of his eyes every time he started to drift off, so that he kept jerking himself awake again. Walman lay thinking. Alonzo's dreams sounded horrible. How could the pilot stand that sort of stress? What did he say to himself to make it okay? Then suddenly, he remembered Baines telling him that Alonzo didn't have any more control over the Terrian dreams than they had when Alonzo was sick and they all saw his dreams. It seemed more true now than he had thought at that time. And that thought led him to remember the dreams he had shared, unwillingly, with the pilot, and he began to consider his reaction to them and to Alonzo.
howard@drmail.dr.att.com
The Quality of Mercy, Part 6
Maxine McBrinn
Morning dawned bright and cold and Julia was awake to greet it. She had never gotten back to sleep after Alonzo's call. He had sounded weak and frightened, and she spent the rest of the night worrying about him. As soon as she heard others moving about, she dressed and walked over to the common room. As she walked in, she found Yale, Danziger and Devon having a quiet conversation next to the coffee pot.
"Good morning. Everyone is up early." Julia walked to the coffee and poured herself a cup, and then joined the small group. "I wanted to talk to you three. I got a call from Alonzo last night. He'd had some sort of frightening dream. I'm worried about both of them now. It's too cold for camping, and with Walman's knee and Alonzo dreaming, I think we should go get them." Julia stared challengingly at them.
"Actually, Julia, we all agree. That's what we were just discussing. And if Alonzo's having upsetting dreams, that just confirms it." Devon said calmly. "Danziger and Yale were just planning how to do it. There's an extra two feet of snow out there."
"Julia, we'll need to take the TransRover, but we'll also have to widen the path so the vehicle can get to them, and that'll take a day, at least. I figure that if we use the ATV to shuttle between the 'Rover and here in camp, we can do it." Danziger paused to take a long swallow of his coffee. "The 'Rover should leave a big enough footprint that the ATV can use it easily. After breakfast, Baines, Cameron, Magus, Mazatl, and I will get started. Do you want to call 'Lonz and Walman and let them know?" He took another big slurp of his coffee. "It'll probably be tomorrow morning before we can get there."
"Good. I'll call them now. Is there anything I can do to help?" Julia was energized even before she'd had her coffee. Now that she was finally seeing some action, she wanted and needed to be involved. And along with her excitement, she was aware of a continuing residue of anger toward the others, for not doing this sooner.
"We'll let you know if anything comes up. In the meantime, I assume you'll keep in touch with the scout team. And if we need to ferry any supplies to them, we can use those snowshoes we made last year." Danziger wandered off, heading over to refill his mug. Julia wondered how many cups he'd already downed that morning. The big mechanic and his morning coffee were legendary.
"Julia, do you think Walman needs a pain reliever? I'm not sure what was in their first aid kit." Devon asked.
"There were some derm-apps in there, but I'll ask if they need more. They may also need some food. Unfortunately, neither of them is physically able to snowshoe out of there." As she spoke, Julia walked over to the comm center. "Base camp to Walman or Alonzo. Can you hear me?"
Alonzo and Walman were still asleep when Julia called. Walman woke up when he heard his gear beep, heavy eyed from a lack of sleep from the night before. Alonzo had finally drifted off shortly before dawn, and slept soundly through Julia's call to Walman. As he put down his gear, Walman noticed that Alonzo was twitching in his sleep again, and knew that the pilot was dreaming with the Terrians.
Alonzo was on the beach at New Pacifica and speaking to both tribes of Terrians. He knew that this dream was a continuation of his last one. This time, the New Pacifica spokesman immediately began to show him another possible future. Alonzo saw a thriving town, filled that over a thousand people. New Pacifica had hundreds of small houses and tents laid out in a grid pattern, on dirt roads that met at right angles. A small but beautiful park had been developed from what had looked like a plaza before the colonists had arrived, and now sat proudly in the center of the town. The only large buildings in the town fronted on the square, and Alonzo assumed that they were the hospital and administrative buildings. A small gazebo in the middle of the park was surrounded by decorative plants and paths that wandered invitingly over the square. The town looked like a well loved community. Children ran through the streets, playing games that Alonzo remembered from long ago, from his own childhood.
Suddenly, chaos spread through the town. Z.E.D.s moved into the town from the forest at the edges. As they walked through the streets, some of the colonists met them in the streets with mag-pros. The cyborgs calmly shot anyone they saw and left the bodies behind as they moved on into the center of the town. The first man that Alonzo recognized was also the first colonist shot by the Council. Danziger lay dying in the street as True clung to him screaming in fear.
Alonzo sat up abruptly in his cot, gasping for breath. "No, damn it. It can't happen. No. No." He buried his face in his hands, then ran his hands through his hair, still breathless.
"Hey, Alonzo? Another dream?" Walman hopped awkwardly over to the pilot's cot and sat on the edge. He put his hand on Alonzo's arm. "Hey, buddy, what happened?"
But Alonzo didn't seem to hear him. Walman sat patiently, his hand on the pilot's arm, and eventually, Alonzo looked blankly at the hand that was exerting warm pressure on his arm, and followed the attached arm up to Walman's face. "Walman?" Alonzo's face showed his confusion clearly.
"I think you just had a Terrian dream. Do you remember?" Walman's voice was gentle.
"Oh yeah . . ." Alonzo sat quietly for a few seconds, collecting his thoughts. "The New Pacifica Terrians showed me another possible future. This time we were there when the colonists landed, and the town was bustling and it was a happy place. Then the Z.E.D.s attacked. Danziger was one of the first to die . . . True was screaming and trying to help him, but no one could do anything. And the Z.E.D.s just kept on, shooting everyone."
"My God. . . Alonzo, you need to tell Devon and the others about these dreams." Walman looked seriously into the pilot's face.
"I know . . . But, it's not the kind of thing you can say over gear, if you know what I mean." Walman nodded in agreement. "I'm going to tell everyone when we get back to camp." Alonzo sat quietly for a while, then mentally shook himself, throwing off the memory of the dream. "Wow, how late is it? I must have slept in." He looked around, realizing that the sun was well up. "How is your knee?"
"It's okay, doing better. Julia called while you were asleep. They are going to bring the 'Rover out to get us. They'll have to clear out some trees to make the trail wide enough, so it might be tomorrow before they get here."
"Well, I better get up and at least melt the snow for today's water." Alonzo grinned at his partner, "And, I was thinking, I bet I can make you a pretty good crutch. You'll be shocked at how much easier it makes getting around. There's got to be a suitable branch out there." He started to pull himself out of his sleeping bag while he spoke. Walman noticed how tired Alonzo was looking again, his face was pale and there were dark circles under his eyes. "At least it seems a little warmer today." Alonzo shrugged into his jacket as he headed toward the flap.
Walman nodded in agreement, although he hadn't truthfully noticed any real improvement in the temperature, and he followed Alonzo outside. He helped the pilot with the morning chores as best he could, and insisted on watching the stove as Alonzo waded out into the deep snow in search of the perfect crutch. Luckily, the pilot found what he was looking for fairly quickly, because he was out of breath and had to rest when he got back to the tent. He brought back a straight branch with a fork just about arm height, and once he had taped padding to the fork, he presented the crutch proudly to Walman. Walman was amazed at how much easier the crutch made it to get around. He was feeling pretty good as he swung around the camp on the crutch, and so was surprised when Alonzo announced that he was going back to bed. Walman quietly looked at the pilot and agreed that Alonzo looked like he could use the sleep.
After Alonzo went into the tent, Walman thoughtfully sat on a log and considered his partner. Alonzo was not well, that much was clear, but the Terrian dreaming was draining what strength he did have. Walman wondered why the Terrians couldn't see that too, and also wondered if there was anything he could do to help, but he couldn't think of anything. He was just relieved that help was on the way. He thought that neither Alonzo nor he could last much longer.
By mid-morning, the trail crew had managed to clear the first mile. Danziger eased the TransRover through the snow to the point where the crew was still working, and could see from his high vantage point that there was a particularly thick patch of small trees on either side of the trail just ahead of them. He jumped out of the 'Rover and picked up a saw, then looked up as he heard the ATV approaching. Baines had gone back to the camp for a replacement saw blade, but had a passager for the return trip.
Morgan Martin jumped off the back of the ATV as Baines brought it to a halt, and walked over to Danziger. "Uh, Danziger, I thought you could use another set of hands. I brought a tool set for myself. Just tell me where you need me."
Danziger tried not to stare, but he was surprised. Martin *never* volunteered for anything, especially if there was physical labor involved. "Great. We can always use another worker. Uh, Martin, have you ever cut down a tree before? No? Okay, go with Baines, and he'll show you what to do." Danziger nodded at Baines, then watched as the two men walked off together. Wonders would never cease. He picked up his own saw and moved to the next tree in the 'Rover's path.
Alonzo no sooner lay down than he found himself on the dream plane. Once again he saw the pretty little town that was the successful New Pacifica, only this time there were guards and a defensive wall around the outside of the town. He could see a well inside the wall that the colonists were using to supply their water needs, and it was clear that the Z.E.D.s were not able to attack because the colonists had been warned and were prepared. This time, the Z.E.D.s attacked the New Pacifica Terrians. One by one, the tribe members were shot and killed, and Alonzo watched in pain as the land began to die too. The leaves on the trees turned brown and fell, even though it was mid-summer; the grass yellowed and died; and all the small animals began to disappear, either dying in their burrows or migrating out of the blighted area. No birds were left to sing. And then all the cured syndrome children who had been merrily running and playing began to get sick again. Envirosuits came out of storage, and then the first of the children died, and with them the happy little town died too. As colonists tried to leave, they were picked off by the Z.E.D.s, until the only life left was a few ragged and dispirited colonists alone in the dusty ghost town that New Pacifica had become.
Again, Alonzo woke to find Walman watching him. "Another dream? Shank, don't they ever let you sleep?"
"Not when they have something to say. I'll be glad when this conversation is done." Alonzo sat up and buried his face in his hands, moaning, "Damn, I feel like hell. What time is it?"
"Early afternoon. Hey, don't get up! You look like you've been through the wringer." He tried to push Alonzo back down onto his cot.
"There's no point to staying in bed. It's not like I can sleep-- I might as well make us some lunch." The pilot started up as he swung his legs over the side of the bed, and was half way to standing when suddenly the world tilted on its side and big black dots crowded his vision and he fainted.
Walman watched with alarm as Alonzo crumpled to the ground, hitting his cot and sending it skittering backward as he fell. Walman leaned over his partner; he was unconscious and his forehead was bleeding from his collision with the cot. He tried to wake Alonzo, slapping him gently on the cheeks and calling his name, but the pilot didn't wake up. Walman eventually pulled a couple of blankets off his cot and tucked them around Alonzo, trying to at least keep him from getting chilled.
Alonzo opened his eyes to find Walman dabbing at the cut on his forehead with a cloth. Something was wrong, and it took him a while before he realized that he was on the floor of the tent. He looked around, confused, then looked back up at the man hovering over him. "Walman?"
"Hey, take it easy 'Lonz. You're okay." Walman stopped tending the cut and moved to lay his palm flat against Alonzo's chest to keep him from sitting up.
"What happened? How did I get here?"
"You passed out. Are you dizzy? Does your head hurt?" Walman didn't move his restraining hand. He could feel Alonzo trying to pull himself up.
"Yeah. I'm really dizzy. I feel kind of sick, like I need to throw-up." Alonzo relaxed, having convinced himself he needed to stay flat.
"You might have a concussion too; you hit a corner of the cot with your head when you fell. If you'd like, I'll help you move onto your cot. I think it'd be warmer than the floor." He removed his hand from Alonzo's chest.
"Okay." But Alonzo didn't really sound sure. "But you might want to get a bucket or something . . ." Just lifting his head to look at Walman made him feel really sick, and the tent started whirling around him. He felt a thin layer of sweat suddenly form over his whole body.
"Just lie still. I'll go get you something." Walman moved as fast as his knee would let him, and returned with a bag just in time. He tried to support Alonzo as he was sick, then got the pilot a damp cloth to wash his face. "Do you still want to move to the cot?"
"No. I'll just lie here for a while. I'll move when I feel better." Alonzo tried to keep completely still, afraid of what would happen if he moved. He tentatively closed his eyes, but when the room swung alarmingly, he opened them again quickly.
"Okay. Listen, I'm going outside to call Julia. Maybe there's something I can do to help." Walman patted him on the shoulder, then stood with the help of his crutch and moved outside. He left the bag next to the pilot, who looked like he might need it again. Once outside, he moved as far from the tent as he could before he called the camp. "Julia? Julia? I need you."
"Heller here. Walman?"
"Yeah. Julia, Alonzo just fainted, and he hit his head when he fell. I think he's got a concussion. What should I do?" Walman tried to keep his voice low, so Alonzo couldn't hear him.
"Walman, what happened? Why did he pass out?" Julia asked urgently and Walman could see her concern on her face.
"He's had a couple more Terrian dreams, and I guess he's just exhausted. He was trying to stand up, and he just passed out. He hit his temple on the corner of the cot and it bled a bit. When he came to, he said he was dizzy and feeling sick. And he threw up just a minute ago. He's still on the floor, but I wrapped some blankets around him. I don't think I can move him to his cot by myself."
"Just leave him on the floor, but try to keep him as warm as you can. And don't let him sleep until I get there. It sounds like he does have a concussion. I'm going to try to get out there. I think I can use the snowshoes. Oh, and Walman, get him to drink some water if you can. I'll call when I know how I'll get out there. And Walman, don't stress your knee." And with that last warning, Julia signed out.
Walman walked back toward the tent, stopping to pick up a water bottle on his way in. "Hey 'Lonz. Julia says you should try to drink a little water. Here, let me help you." He sat down beside his partner, his splinted leg stiffly sticking out, and supported the bottle while Alonzo slowly picked up his head.
The pilot took a few sips, then looked at Walman and said, "No more. I feel sick."
Walman watched as Alonzo, who had the inward focus of a man who couldn't trust his own body, carefully lowered his head. "Okay. Just lie still. Julia said you can't go to sleep until she gets here. She's going to try to snowshoe out to us."
"Man. We're some scout team." Alonzo said with a very small smile.
Back in camp, Julia talked to Devon, and they both agreed that Baines and Julia should head out immediately. "I'm glad we've already started to get the 'Rover out to them." Devon said as Julia filled a backpack with food and medicine. "At least we're a half day closer to them."
Julia nodded, "I'll call you when we get there, and let you know what the situation is." She walked out of the common room and hopped on the back of the ATV. Baines would to drive them as far as he could before they snowshoed the rest of the way to the scout team.
The Quality of Mercy, Part 7
Maxine McBrinn
Danziger paused to take stock of where they were, and reflected proudly on the fact that they were making great time. The work crew were diligently clearing the trail, working efficiently and wisely. Even Martin was hard at work, moving swiftly from tree to tree, and dragging the downed wood clear as he went. At this pace, they would be at the scout camp by that evening.
And that was good. Julia and Baines had left the ATV with the crew a couple of hours back, planning to snowshoe the rest of the way in. Julia had looked tense and tight-lipped; she was obviously concerned for the two men stuck in the cold. Baines had stopped by quickly as he dropped off the ATV, and said something about Alonzo getting sick again too. Danziger was just pleased that they had already started the rescue before it had been forced on them. He still was amazed that they had waited as long as they had to get started. When it took Morgan Martin to point out their lack of concern, it was clear that they were too involved in their own plans.
Still, they had the perfect day for hard physical labor. Although it was still bitterly cold, there was no wind and the sun shone brightly, warming anyone standing in it, and the snow was still light and powdery and easily driven through. Despite the reason they were out there, it was a joy to be working outside.
Julia and Baines snowshoed for less than a couple of hours when they saw the scout team tent ahead of them. At about the same time, Walman, who had been watching for them, gave a shout, waved his arm in welcome and moved to stand on the edge of the camp.
As they got close enough, he said, "Hey! Boy am I glad to see the two of you." He quickly hugged Julia and grasped Baines' hand warmly. He hardly gave them time to get the snowshoes off before he swung around and moved quickly to the tent, saying, "Alonzo's in here."
Julia watched his progress with an experienced eye. The combination of the splint and the crutch were serving the man well, and he didn't look like he was in great pain. She followed him into the tent, where Alonzo was still lying on the floor. The tent had a sour smell to it, which was explained when she looked into a sack that sat on the floor next to the pilot. "Baines, take this outside and bring in some other container." She added "Thanks" as Baines gingerly lifted the sack, and holding it well out in front of him, walked out of the tent with it.
Julia turned to look carefully at Alonzo. He looked tired, his face had lost the color it had regained over the past couple of weeks, and his eyes had dark circles under them. She reached over and put her hand gently on his forehead, which she was pleased to find was cool. "So, fly-boy, I let you out of my sight for one day, and what happens?" she said lightly.
Alonzo smiled tiredly up at her. "Hey, Doc. I just need to get some sleep. I'm okay."
"Let me be the judge of that," she said as she pulled her diaglove out of her bag. She slipped it on and started to scan him. While she was doing that, she asked, "Are you dizzy? Does your head hurt?"
He nodded carefully. "Yeah. Now." He looked at Walman who was sitting on his cot, watching everything intently. "But Walman's your real patient."
"I'm going to check out Walman's knee right after I finish here. I've got two patients, and one of them is moving around just fine, and the other one is lying on a cold tent floor. Let me be the judge of who I need to look at first, okay?" She took the sting away from her words with a smile. "You do have a small concussion, that's why you've been feeling nauseous, but otherwise you're just tired." Julia felt a wave of relief wash over her whole body, leaving her giddy and relaxed. *He wasn't sick again. He was just tired. He'd be all right.* "Let's move you up onto that cot." She turned to Baines, who had walked back into the tent holding another bag. "Can you help us--? Okay, carefully. Walman, can you move that sleeping bag? Okay, now help him down. Good." She looked down at the pilot, whose face was pastier than ever, and who clutched the clean bag Baines had brought in like he thought he might be using it soon. "'Lonzo, you can go to sleep if you want to. I'm going to look at Walman's knee outside in the light. Call if you need anything." She straightened the blankets around the pilot as she spoke, then brushed the hair off of his brow and kissed him lightly. As she straightened, she beckoned to Walman to go outside.
Once outside, she directed Walman to sit on a log, with his left leg out in front of him. She scanned his knee, reading the results on a small monitor she had pulled out of her pack. "Okay, there's no damage to the bone . . . And your ligaments look good too." She stopped and looked into Walman's face, "Looks like a bad sprain. That's good, much better than the alternatives. But, you need to know that it will still take time to heal. I'm going to put you on a regimen of anti-inflammatories and pain-blocks, and eventually we may want to try some physical therapy."
"Physical therapy? It's that bad?" Walman asked soberly.
"Sprains aren't really serious, but if you don't treat them well, they can stay tender for a long time. But you will be feeling much better soon. You're lucky. Immobilizing the knee was the right thing to do, and so was icing it down."
"Yeah, well, Alonzo insisted. I probably wouldn't have done it if he hadn't made me." Walman stopped and looked earnestly into Julia's eyes. "You know, I've been treating 'Lonz like dirt, but he looked after me, at least as long as he could. And Julia, I feel really bad about it all. The poor guy had to put up with me, and then-- I mean, those Terrians have been hounding him, and there was nothing he could do about it. And now he's sick, because of them--and me."
Julia's expression softened, and she put her hand comfortingly on Walman's arm. "Walman, Alonzo understood why you were angry. None better; that's how *he* first reacted to the Terrian dreams. They were an intrusion, worse even, a violence to his mind. It took a long time for him to learn how to deal with them." She paused, then added, "But I agree with you that they seem unaware that they are making him sick again. It's not by intent, I'm sure. And to be honest, I don't understand why he doesn't resent them, but he doesn't. Somehow he believes that the Terrians are innately good." She turned to rummage through her pack, pulling out some medicine. "Here, this should take care of any pain you still feel. Let me know if you need another dose when that wears off."
Baines walked over to where the two of them were having their quiet conversation. He had a couple of supply bags in his hand, and was shaking his head as he approached. "Hey, Walman, what have you guys been eating? There's not much in here, not even any semolina bars."
Walman's expression showed his embarrassment. "Uh, that's because we've eaten all the semolina bars. Actually, to tell the truth, except for some porridge the first morning, that's all we've eaten. Neither of us was really hungry, and neither of us was in the mood to cook."
"No wonder you both look like you've lost weight! What was this, the ultimate bachelor camp?" Julia scolded. "Luckily, we brought some better food with us. Baines, how would you feel if we put some dinner together? It'll be a while yet before the TransRover gets here. Real food might make both Alonzo and Walman feel better."
"Sure. I'm pretty hungry too. I've had a lot of exercise today. Didn't we bring along the dehydrated soup fixings? That sounds good to me."
"Walman, why don't you go check on 'Lonzo, and Baines and I'll get the soup started." Julia shooed him away.
Danziger was relieved when they reached the scout team camp before the sun set. As they pulled in, they were met by Julia, Baines and Walman, who was using a jury-rigged crutch to get around. Julia took Danziger to one side and suggested that the two scouts should be taken back to camp as soon as possible, along with Baines and herself, and that the rest of the crew could pack up the camp and take the DuneRail and ATV back. After he agreed, she directed a couple of the men to help Alonzo walk to a stretcher they had put in the 'Rovers side-basket. The pilot objected, declaring that he felt much better, but he got quiet as soon as he lay down on the stretcher, and clutched a new, clean waterproof sack like a talisman. Walman refused to sit inside the cab, preferring to join Julia beside his scout partner.
The crew noted the change in dynamics, and Magus took Baines to one side to ask about it. "So come on, spill. What happened?"
"I'm not sure. Walman seems to have decided that 'Lonz is okay . . . All I know is when we got here, he couldn't wait to drag us in to look at Solace. He really looked worried, too. Like he wasn't injured himself . . . I don't know why, but I'm glad."
Magus nodded, "Yeah, me too. Walman's too good a guy-- I mean, it just wasn't like him. What did Julia say? How are they?"
"They're both gonna be fine. 'Lonz has a concussion and is really tired, and Walman's knee is sprained. Julia said that with a couple of days of rest, they'll both be okay. Whoops! Looks like we're leaving. Catch you back at camp!" He jumped into the 'Rover cab, sitting beside Danziger. They pulled out of the scout camp, leaving most of the clearing crew behind.
Once they were back in camp, Julia sent Alonzo to bed in the Medtent, then turned to Walman. She replaced the temporary splint with a new one, then dug out Alonzo's old crutches and adjusted them to fit Walman. He was pleased at how much better they worked than the branch. All round, he was pleased with how well he felt and with his extended mobility, and he enjoyed seeing all the other group members again. He sat in the center of a small group and told them about the past few days. He purposely didn't say much about Alonzo's dreams, preferring to let the pilot give those details.
Julia had seen that Alonzo fell asleep before she turned in herself. It had been a long and stressful day, but the two men she had been worrying about were safe in camp, so she fell asleep quickly, snuggled up against the pilot. She woke up in the dark quiet of the night to find Alonzo muttering and moving restlessly in his sleep. As she lay there looking at him, he suddenly woke up and lay quietly, his mind obviously still on his dream. Julia ran her hand down his arm.
"Hmm?" She could see him mentally changing gears.
"'Lonzo. You were having a dream. Do you want to talk about it?" She lifted her hand and placed it on his shoulder as she looked directly into his eyes.
"Thanks Julia, but not right now. I need to talk to Devon and you and the others about all the dreams. But tomorrow morning will do. They won't bother me again tonight. I get to sleep." He smiled at her, then pulled her into a comfortable hug.
"Would you like me to give you a sedative?" Julia asked.
"No, just let me cuddle. I'm so tired I'll be out in no time."
A couple of minutes later, she could hear his deep steady breathing, and knew that he was asleep. She relaxed and drifted off again herself.
howard@drmail.dr.att.com
The Quality of Mercy, Part 8
Maxine McBrinn
Right after breakfast the next morning, Devon, Danziger, Walman, Yale, and Julia met with Alonzo in the common room. The pilot looked much better for a full night's sleep, although he had still lost ground in his recovery. Luckily, he was no longer nauseous or dizzy. He sat at one of the tables, quietly holding Julia's hand, while his listeners sat around him.
"As you all know, I have been having a lot of dreams. The local Terrian tribe has been in contact with the tribe at New Pacifica. The New Pacifica Terrians are uncomfortable with the idea that we plan to settle there. Apparently, their previous experiences with humans have not been pleasant. I think we can all imagine what they may have been. Our local tribe has been trying to help us negotiate a solution that will satisfy all of us. The New Pacifica Terrians have been showing me a series of possible futures if we and the colonists on the second ship do settle there. Before I give you all the details, you need to know that all the possible futures have been very frightening." He soberly looked around at the faces of his friends, the people who had become his new family, and added dryly, "It hasn't been sweet dreaming. Walman and I discussed the first dreams, but I had another dream last night. But let me tell you about the dreams in order."
As Alonzo told his friends about the three possible futures he had dreamt, he saw first shock and fear on their faces and then the expressions in his audience got reflective. "So you see, none of these are futures we can live with, literally. But the dream last night was very different. The New Pacifica Terrians can't guarantee that we will be able to settle at New Pacifica, but they will try to work something out so that the colonists will be all right. Our local tribe has convinced them that they will have to accommodate settlers somehow. They want to continue discussing this sometime later."
"Later. What does that mean?" Devon asked. Her face had paled as Alonzo had described the first future he had been shown, and an unhappy frown had since settled on her forehead.
"Devon, you know that the Terrians experience time differently than we do." He shrugged in frustration. "We'll know when they start talking to us again."
"All these dreams have a common enemy: Reilly and his Z.E.D.s," Julia stated calmly, although Alonzo had felt her hand tighten it's grasp on his as he had described the first dream. "Maybe we need to start thinking about how we can deal with the Council. They do know where New Pacifica is. Somehow we need to get the Council out of the picture."
"But how?" Danziger asked.
"We have two options. Somehow we eliminate them, which seems unlikely. Or we negotiate a reasonable settlement with the Council too." Yale stated logically, like the tutor he was.
"How could we satisfy the Council? They don't even want us here." Devon asked. She was beginning to see a glimmer of an answer, but it involved Uly and the other syndrome children, and that scared her so that she could feel her gut twisting.
"Well, the obvious answer is to help them understand the change in the syndrome children, starting with Uly. Reilly/Eve is ultimately interested in how the change occurs, and how to stimulate it in everyone else. But that answer probably won't satisfy the Terrians." Julia said. She frowned as she thought through their options. "'Lonzo, the Terrians didn't say anything else that might help us understand what sort of solution they want?"
The pilot just shook his head "No."
"Well, I suggest we all think about this for a while, and then get together again later to brainstorm. We need some time to understand the issues." Devon summed up. "Alonzo, thanks for describing your dreams."
Everyone rose to leave. Walman walked out with Danziger. "Wow. Pretty intense dreams. No wonder 'Lonz was so worn out."
"Yeah, it sure didn't look like fun. He was very upset by them, especially the first one. You know, it really pisses me off that the diggers abuse him like that. I don't know how he can stand it."
Danziger stopped to look at Walman. "Yeah, I know. Maybe that's why they chose him. Maybe they knew somehow that he was able to deal with it."
"Yeah, maybe . . . It makes me angry though. I'm not sure that I can forgive them. Just watching him get sick all over again, and knowing that he was trying to look after me, after I'd been so ugly to him for weeks--" Walman ran both his hands through his close-cropped hair, then squinted back up at the big mechanic. "Actually, that's got to be part of it. I was trying to think that he enjoyed all the dreaming, enjoyed being the contact with the Terrians. That way I could still be angry at him. But now I know how hard it is . . ."
Danziger thumped him companionably on the back. "Yeah, that's the kicker, isn't it? But he seems to accept it. We know that it took him a while to accept them, thanks to the dreams we all got to share. But Walman, we *need* him to dream with the diggers. Somebody's got to do it. If he has accepted it, we should too. But I agree, it pisses me off when the dreams make him sick." Danziger paused. "Hey, are you up to helping me with the 'Rail? I could use some company."
"Sure, just as long as you don't expect me to be able to bend my left knee!"
Julia saw them walking off together toward the vehicles, and called out. "Hey! Walman! I want you to keep off your feet for the next couple of days, and keep your leg elevated!"
Walman turned around to face her. "Yes Doctor. Well, Danziger, looks like you may be by yourself after all." He started back toward the common room, getting there in time to hear Julia reading Alonzo the same riot act.
She concluded, "And I expect both of you to take it easy until I give you a medical `all clear'. And that's not going to be today, or tomorrow. Got it?" She spun on her heel and walked briskly toward the Medtent.
"Boy, she made that clear. She sure can lay down the law, can't she?" Walman grumbled.
Alonzo smiled affectionately, his eyes still following the doctor. "Yeah, but you just have to know how to handle her. She's scared. Once she settles down, she'll give us a bit more room." He turned to look at his partner, "Hey, I could use a nap now though, so if you'll excuse me--." Alonzo followed the doctor over to their tent as Walman grinned knowingly at his back.
As Alonzo entered the tent, he found Julia standing stiffly facing her microscope, but not moving. He walked up behind her and slid his arms around her waist, and lay his chin on top of her silky hair. "Hey, Doc. You okay?"
She twisted in his arms, and reached round to hug him tightly. "Yeah-- I'm just a little frightened. I don't know what we can do--. 'Lonzo, just hold me for a second, okay? I need a good hug."
"My pleasure Doc." He reached under her chin and gently pulled her face up toward his. "You can imagine how upset I was by that first dream . . ." He smiled slightly, "I think Walman was in shock." He bent to give her a tender kiss. "If I lost you . . ." He tightened his arms around her. "But, forewarned is forearmed, right?"
"Alonzo, I was so worried about you. When Walman called and said you had passed out, and that you were sick-- It's too soon after the last time. I can't go through that again, not yet. And then those dreams-- Please, just humor me for a while, okay?" She buried her face into his shoulder, convulsively tightening her arms around him. They stood together like that for a couple of minutes, until she looked back up at his face. "I should send you to bed, fly-boy."
He grinned down at her, "I was hoping you'd say that."
"Alonzo--" She looked up into his eyes, and a small smile started to creep around the corners of her mouth. "I should tell you that you need sleep, but I guess a little postponement of the nap wouldn't hurt too much." She reached her face up to his, and gently kissed his mouth.
He leaned into the kiss and deepened it, then ran his cheek and chin over her hair. "I love your hair, it's so soft, and it smells like you."
Julia chuckled softly, "That's a first. You love me because of my hair!" She kissed his check, reaching up to kiss under his eye.
"Your hair is part of you. I also love your eyes," he kissed her eyelids, "your cheeks", he kissed her cheeks, "your cute nose", he kissed her nose, "and your chin," he kissed her chin, "and your lips." He playfully closed his teeth on her lower lip. "You taste so good."
The smile on Julia's face was replaced with a more intense expression as she reached up to pull his face down toward hers, running her hands through his hair as she held his head, then moved to kiss his neck as he nuzzled her ear.
"Oh God, I need you and I want you, Julia." He ran his lips down her neck and kissed the hollow at the base of her throat. As she responded to his kisses, he steered her over toward the cot, and they both began to fumble with the buttons on each other's shirt.
As the front passed by, the weather gradually began to warm, until a couple of days after the scout team had been brought back to camp, the snow began to melt and sublimate away, and a week later, the hills were bare of snow on their south facing sides, and even the north facing slopes were bare in spots.
Morgan showed up for breakfast un-naturally early that morning dragging all of his cold weather gear with him. After dropping his extra clothes at a seat, he walked up to Danziger, who was at his habitual place beside the coffee pot. "Danziger, I'm ready to go right after breakfast. Bess said she'd pack the food for us all. Just let me know when you're ready."
"Yeah, Martin. I'd guess it'll be a half hour or so. Baines and Mazatl just got here. But I'll let you know. The 'Rail is already packed." He paused to take another long sip of coffee. "Man, I can't believe that Adair is letting us go without her. I think after 18 months she's finally decided she can trust us." He drank again. "Of course, she'll probably fire orders from her command post here."
"Speaking of firing orders, did you hear Julia telling 'Lonz that there was no way he was going with us?" Baines had walked up to refill his mug. "Walman says she's been real strict with him too." The three of them looked over to where Walman and 'Lonz were having breakfast. As they watched, the doctor walked over to the two men and sat down beside Alonzo.
"Yeah, well, 'Lonz and Walman seem to accept it. I bet they're still not really feeling up to, say, climbing a mountain with antenna pieces and cable strapped to their back. Julia's just doing them a favor." Danziger said genially, and Martin and Baines nodded in agreement. "Well, guys, I'm going to make sure True is set for the day, then I'm ready. Meet you at the 'Rail in fifteen, twenty minutes?" The mechanic walked off in search of his daughter.
"Baines, I am so relieved that we are finally able to get started on installing the antenna. I am really looking forward to seeing how it works." Morgan was bubbling over.
"Yeah, me too. I'll meet you at the 'Rail." Baines moved off to roust Mazatl.
Devon intercepted Morgan as he collected his stuff and headed for the door. "Morgan, I just wanted to tell you that I really appreciate all the work you've put into this project. Whether we are successful or not, we've already learned a lot." She smiled, "Though, of course, I hope it works. But, you guys should be careful today. We don't need to launch any more rescues." She looked quickly over at Walman and Alonzo. As Morgan walked on out, she thought to herself, *Though their ordeal settled their differences, Thank God.* She followed Morgan out to see the installation crew off, and watched proudly as they pulled out of camp.
Yale joined her there, "I certainly hope this works. It will take them several days to finish installing the antenna and string the cable back to camp."
Devon smiled affectionately at his pedantic tone. "I know. And then we need to see what the dish tells us. But, Yale, this small network may help us understand the options we have at New Pacifica."
"Yes. Has Alonzo had any more dreams?" His face had sobered at the mention of their need to make decisions about New Pacifica.
"No. He thinks they will take a while to come to some decisions themselves. We need to be patient." Yale nodded solemnly.
"Come inside, there's no point in standing out here in the cold." Together, they turned and went back into the common room.
Later that morning, Morgan stopped to lean against a handy tree as he caught his breath while they climbed the hillside toward the peak. "Man, I never thought mountain climbing would be something I'd ever do in real life. I never even wanted to do it in VR."
Baines laughed while he rested. He looked up the hill to where Danziger and Mazatl were stolidly trudging up the slope. "Me neither. I'm not a mountain goat like those two."
"Well, mountain goat or not, I guess we better get a move on, or we're going to lose sight of them." Morgan pushed off the tree and lowered his head to begin the climb again. "At this rate, we're going to get to the top just when it's time to head back down."
"Yeah, but at least tomorrow all the parts will already be there, and we only need to get us up." Baines reluctantly followed Morgan's lead up the hill.
Four days later, the whole Eden crew was assembled in the common room, waiting for the inaugural transmission using their new antenna. Devon held her hands up for silence, "Quiet please! Okay, as you all know, the communications team of Morgan Martin, Yale, Baines, John Danziger and Mazatl designed and built a trial connection that should let us talk to the communications dish in New Pacifica. Before we attempt the link to New Pacifica, I think we should all give a round of applause for the team." She was joined by the whole crew when she started clapping. When the applause tapered off, she continued, "And now, Baines, see if you can link to the dish."
Baines sat at the console and started to type in some commands. At first a static display filled screen, but then the display changed to a more ordered test pattern. "Okay, we're through to the dish control! Now I'm going to see if the dish is picking up any signals." His fingers flew over the keyboard and commands he hadn't used in months flowed out like he had used them yesterday. Suddenly, the background on the screen changed to a blue field, and "Council Watcher Reilly" appeared.
Alonzo moved so that he was behind Julia, and he put his arms around her for both their comfort. Julia paled immediately when she saw her former contact, and sagged gratefully against the pilot.
"Well, well. Our little intrepid band! Devon and Julia! How are two of my favorite ladies?" Reilly smiled and spread his hands in a mockery of a welcome gesture.
Devon stepped forward and took the mike. "Reilly! I should have known!"
"Really, you should have. I know where you are, and I know where you're going. You can't avoid the all knowing Council, Ms. Adair. I'm just surprised that it took you so long to talk to me. I'm hurt."
"What do you intend to do, Reilly?" Devon spat out.
"Do? Well, that depends on you. New Pacifica is mine, and I *will* control it. If you insist on coming here, you will have to deal with me, one way or another." He gave a patently false friendly chuckle. "What that means depends completely on you, my dear lady, and on your little band of pioneers. From this dish, I can easily wreck the colony ship. It's quite a simple operation. Or I can destroy them and you. The methods of control are almost endless. But, you should realize that I am a player, a powerful player, in your plans, or there is no New Pacifica. I'll leave you to ponder that, and look forward to talking with you again soon." And Reilly was replaced again with the test signal.
As Alonzo looked around at all the shocked faces, he knew that the entire group now understood, as he had from the dreams, exactly what the threat to them was. Now, how would they solve it?
-The End-
To Be Continued....
Please send any comments to:
howard@drmail.dr.att.com
This text file was ran through PERL script made by Andy. Original text file is available in Andy's Earth 2 Fan Fiction Archive.