Andy's Fan-Fiction Archive

FINAL FIGHTS
By
Manuela Schuppe

Timeline: After "All About Eve" (Day 150)
Author's E-Mail: Wolfgang.Stenzel@t-online.de

AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Earth 2 and its characters belong to Amblin Entertainment and Universal Television, no infringement of copyrights intended

Final fights (1/12)
by Manuela Schuppe
PART ONE
The very last thing Devon saw was her son, approaching the chamber door with his walking stick. And then she fell into cold sleep, leaving all her friends there. Uly put his stick to the door and went out without saying anything. Slowly the others followed him. But not so John who stayed back in grief, sitting down and holding his head low. He couldn't turn around to her, couldn't manage to look at her closed eyes, couldn't cope it seeing her frozen body which once spend so much warmth to him. He shivered. The seconds became minutes and the minutes slowly turned into hours. A night passed without anything occurring, without any interruption of this deep silence. When the sun rose again John was still sitting the way he had sat down but as the first sun-ray fell on his eyes he lifted his head which seemed to weigh tons. He slowly moved his eyes to Devon until tears ran down his face.
*Oh Devon, why did you have to go? Why you? Why now? Why? Why? I can't do without you, I need you, more than ever. Devon...*
He cried and again buried his face into his arms. Slowly his sobbing became more regular and his breathing slowed down. John Danziger was finally sleeping. That was when the boy he should look after came looking after him. Uly moved towards him without making any sound at all. All he did was laying his hand on John's forehead and then Uly walked over to his mother saying that he loved her. He left.
"Hey John, are you ready ?" Ellie patted his shoulder and a short wave of her perfume was blown to him. "We gotta get going. This thing needs to be done pretty quickly!" He glanced at her and smiled. Something stuck him. A feeling that was undefined. Something that was strong but he couldn't figure out what it was. "Yep, Ellie-Darling, I'm on my way. I hurry, I hurry, oh baby babe, I hurry..." She laughed out loud. "You're crazy, you know that ?" They both put on their space suits which had oxygen cans on the back and were equipped with inside gears. Ellie opened the door which let to a tiny room where another door would open their way into outer space. They both got into it and John closed the door behind himself. Ellie pushed a button and they began flying in the vacuum as soon as the air had been sucked out. Of course artificial gravitational pull had been invented years ago but this was an old ship and this mission wasn't also the best paid. Just work for drones... They found the hole faster than they'd thought. Danziger concentrated hard on his work while Ellie's attention sometimes moved towards the stars. This loneliness and quietness made her feel better. On the stations life was full of rushing around but here time actually meant nothing. She wondered if John ever thought about the stars the way she did. She glanced down had her abdomen, where inside a new life was growing. It was just a tiny bit of something but soon enough he or she (Ellie hoped so much for a little girl) would run around causing small confusions by hiding things under a sofa or making a mess like no grown-up was able to do. Of course, it was risky to do this job without proper safety and if John knew about her being pregnant he wouldn't have allowed it. But the time was rare and they had to repair this fast. After all it was their job to take risks. She didn't tell him about the baby up to now, she was waiting for the right moment. Maybe the next time when he asked her to marry him. Yeah. She'd say "yes, we want to marry you". She smiled when she imagined his face hearing the "we". She secretly hoped he'd ask her tonight. It was time he did it again. She always liked it when he asked and now the time was right to start a family. She probably could give him some hints that she was ready to say yes now and not just laugh like the other two times. Yeah. He'd understand it, she was sure. And she knew he'd be the best father imaginable. She turned around, facing him and waving him a kiss. Then, suddenly she felt her air getting rare. Breathing was more than the less becoming impossible. She panicked, threw her arms round. He packed her, tried to pull her into the ship. The seconds seemed like hours. He didn't look at her, just tried to get her in and then his sight fell on her face . All his movements ceased. He stopped in shook. That wasn't Ellie. It was Devon's face. That was Devon.
*Noooooooooooooooooo, nooooooooooo, noooooooo, no, no, no !!!!*
He woke up, sweat covering not only his shirt but also his face. Tears began pouring out of his eyes.

Final fights (2/12)
by Manuela Schuppe
PART TWO
Julia had been up throughout the night, too, trying to figure out a way to help Devon. She sat at her table, all her instruments and equipment in front of her. She glared at them, just as if it was them who caused all the trouble.
*You can't help me. And I can't help her. I'm not up to that. But I can't give up. I have to go on. Oh Devon. What shall I do ???*
She shook her head, not wanting this crazy situation to be reality. But what was reality anyway??? Julia could hardly fight back her tears. Tears that came from the depth of her soul, tears that expressed her grief and despair, her loneliness and her failing. Tears which would pour out of her eyes, causing her helplessness to become even bigger. She stood up and went out. She couldn't bare this silence in her tent any longer.
Some of the others were already up, sitting around the campfire which had long gone out, staring into the nothing, trying desperately not to think of Devon, which nobody was able to. Morgan looked up when he heard her. For a split of a second his eyes showed a light gloom of hope but it faded when he saw Julia's exhausted face. Julia just shook her head, signalizing a no. Morgan laid his arms around Bess who had immediately began to sob again, her eyes already red. Julia looked for John, but couldn't see him among the others. "Where's John?" her voice was low and sad. It were the first words anybody had said after yesterday. But nobody found the strength to answer her and so Julia knew where he was to be found. With Devon.
Before she entered she took one more deep breath. She found John crouched together on the floor, his face swollen from tears and dried sweat.
Very slowly she came closer. His head lifted a bit and his eyes showed everything he felt: anger, sadness, despair, grief, loneliness, pain, sorrow and misery.
*Oh, Julia, I want her back*
"I can't stand it, Julia." she knelt down besides him and tried to comfort him which was hard since she herself felt as if the world had crashed onto her heart.
"I love her, you know it and I know it and all the others, too, but she doesn't . And she will never find out. It ain't fair. It just ain't fair, Julia."
*What shall I tell him. He's right but ...*
"John, we can't give up hope. That's all we have right now. She'll come back to us. And if it takes two years, but ... we will get her back and till then we have to stand it. We have no choice."
*I don't believe myself, why would he believe me?*
"You're doing a great job, doc. I'm sure you can figure out something soon.."
Her look told him all he needed to know. "John, I'm so sorry but it seems as if I was not able to do so, as much I wished I was, but I just don't have the equipment to run any more tests. I've done everything possible and I don't know what else I could do. I think we...we ..we will have to wait until... until the Colony comes..."
*Oh, no... This can't be true. I'm dreaming. And I'll wake up and then Devon will be there... Dreaming. Just dreaming.*
And then his expression changed.
"What?" Julia was startled.
"Do you think that she can dream???"
"You mean on the dreamplain? No, that's not possible.. Remember Shepherd.
He tried it, too and failed.."
"Yeah, but then there was no Terrian in cold-sleep ..." "John, are you lucid? Are you actually thinking about freezing a Terrian ?
I don't know what that will do to them ..." "No, of course not, ... but perhaps Alonzo. This ideas just occurred. I don't know if it would work...but it could be worth a try.." he looked suddenly full of hope again and Julia hated to let this hope vanish.
"Alonzo won't be strong enough to do it." They turned around and faced Uly who had overheard their conversation. "You need somebody stronger."
"You're not thinking of yourself, are you?" John shivered at this thought. Devon would kill him for bringing her son into danger, no matter what kind of danger.
"No. But Mary could do it."
"Mary? But she's miles behind us..." Julia had almost forgotten about Mary.
"No, she ain't. She's always near me. She's kind of ... kind of.." he searched for the right word. Yale had once told him a story about these people. "She's kind of Guardian Angel to me... .She's always around, if anything should ever happen to me she'd be there to protect me from the worst. Only so the Terrians allow her to partly live among them again. But she never gets away more than half a mile from me."
John and Julia frowned at the thought of being followed by Mary, even as Mary was no direct harm to them. But the two had just found out that Uly had more secrets then anybody could imagine. He was full of mysteries, full of unexplainable things which used to pop out every now and then.
"And you think Mary would do it? And the Terrians, would they allow her to do it?" Julia was still not convinced. "Yeah. You know, they owe me something." John didn't know why they owed him something and he was sure that he didn't want to find it out. At least not at the moment. There were more important things now.
"Doc?" he asked.
"Let's give it a try." She sighted .This stubborn man. "Uly, get us Mary. I'm going to explain the others what we're intending to do."
*Which definitively will catch them by surprise !*
Half an hour later they were all again in the ship. It hurt badly to see Devon there, but now they had at least the hope that they could communicate with her even if it was just on the dreamplain. Mary was somewhat uncomfortable, but Uly managed to bring her in here although she had been scared as hell.
Julia tried to be as gentle as possible while preparing her for coldsleep.
Danziger was ready and Bess was talking to him. She whispered so Julia didn't know what she was saying.
Finally Julia had finished on Mary and turned once more to John who had already positioned himself into the chamber. "John, tell her, tell her that ... that I'm sorry, will you?" John touched her face, what slightly irritated Alonzo. "Hey, Jul, she knows that it ain't your fault, comprende?" Julia smiled. It had been ages since somebody had called her Jul. She nodded.
Uly showed Mary how to stand in the chamber and she laid her head from her left shoulder to her right shoulder just as if she was trying to avoid what was coming now.
Maybe she indeed was.

Final fights (3/12)
by Manuela Schuppe
PART THREE
They all sat outside, letting the sun shine on their faces, hoping that John could talk to Devon to tell her the things they all wanted her to know.
Alonzo looked at them.
The small group. Once strangers and not exactly what you'd call friends. But now, in these desperate hours they were hooked together, needing each other and reaching out for the comfort they could give.
He looked for Julia, knowing that it was harder on her, maybe even harder as it was for Danziger. He had seen this expression on her face before. It was months ago and still he remembered desperation and confusion, he'd never forget this hurt and guilty feeling look of her eyes. He had to talk to her.
She wasn't stupid but she had emotions, too. He knew that she had them and he also knew she wasn't supposed to show them.
He walked around, up an hill and down the slope the other side. Then he saw her and it was as if somebody had cut his heart into two pieces, as if someone had thrown a ton of a stone on his heart. She sat there, alone, facing the setting sun, her back showing to him. He heard her crying.
He went to her, sat down behind her and pulled her towards him. She relaxed into his arms, still crying but glad he was there. "Hey, Julia, calm down. Shshh,hey, it's okay. Come here. Relax..." She turned her head around, her face swollen and yet she looked beautiful.
"I love you, Julia."
"I know and that's it. What if it had been you?" she shook her head, trying to stop the tears. "What would I have done then?" finally it was out.
She had fought with this thought the whole night. What if it had been him and she couldn't help him? How would she have managed this???
"But it isn't me. I'm here with you. I'll always be. I'll never leave you, I swear."
And he meant it. He would never let her down, leave her alone again, whatever might come, he'd be there, facing every danger. "I probably won't be able to do anything at all for her right now. I've already run out of tests. There's simply no way left to figure out what it is that made her so extremely sick. If I had more equipment I might come up with something. I just don't know what it is. It made her system collapse within a few seconds.
I've never heard of anything like that before. Something like this is not possible..."
"Well, but you know this planet makes a lot of things possible and it ain't your fault that you don't know what it is. It could be the planet that makes her sick, giving her this strange illness or it could be the Council again or just something we can't put anywhere. But I'm sure that within the time we will find something." His voice sounded so confident that she almost believed him. But it wasn't her way to just wait, she had to find something now, had to come up with something.
That was her job and normally she loved it. So she went on, telling him her theory.
"I doubt that it's an illness at all. I think there's more I don't know. If it was an illness I should have been able to find something like a virus, but I didn't.
It's about as irritating and fascinating at the same time like Uly's sudden curing. I can't help it but I think that it's the Terrians" "No, they seem to be as helpless as we are." She hesitated a few seconds. When she wanted to start again he stooped her by talking himself.
"Mary told me. They have no clue. Don't know what's going on, either. That's why they allowed Mary to help John talk to Devon. I think Devon knows what it is. Can't you remember Elizabeth telling her that we couldn't survive here at all, that we were not meant to live here? I presume that maybe she told Devon more than us. But we're not going to talk about this any longer, not until John wakes up again. You need some rest. The others will get along without us for a few hours. Mary told me about a beautiful place not far from here. I wanna show it to you now. C'mon."
*If it wasn't for him, I'd have given up my life long before*
So they stood up. He took her hand and let her further down the slope. She felt safe talking to him and for a few seconds she even forgot her anger and desperation. Just enjoyed being together with the man she loved.
He led her a few hundred feet away from the hill and then went into a small forest where at first he looked around, trying to see the rock Mary had talked about.
When he finally found it, it didn't take him long to see the other signs, too.
After five more minutes a cave was visible behind some huge rocks. He went in. It was dark and then it was suddenly bright, just for a few seconds and a familiar "whusch" clang in their ears. "Is it another of these spider-nets???" "Yeah." He smiled at her. "C'mon. It won't harm us and it will take us to a nice place. Trust me."
She wondered where it would take them.
"Try to avoid the spiders this time, will you? You know there's no John here..."
"You still can't forgive me, can you?" he laughed. It was a joke she often came up with. Whenever he wanted to do something stupid she'd say that John probably wouldn't be there to stop him from doing it.
"You gotta hear this for the rest of your life. Just face it." She smiled and at this moment it was clear to Alonzo that he'd done the right thing, bringing her here.
They went to the middle of the cave and waited for the vacuum. Seconds later they were out again.
"Okay, you wanna tell me now where we are?" she was curious and she hoped for another coast, best would of course be New Pacifica....
"C'mon, let's go outside and you'll see yourself."
*Let it be New Pacifica, please....*
When they got out of the tunnel the sun had already set at this part of the planet.
"It's not New Pacifica..." Julia looked quite disappointed. "No, but it's just as beautiful. See that lake? That's the lake John and Devon went to while searching for water..." He lead her nearer to the water but avoided it. Mary had told him so. "They use it strictly to give their lightnings power. No other inhabitant goes there. Not even a bird is allowed to drink from it." They got to a meadow and a single tree, sat down and then he laid his arms around her. They faced the last visible part of the sun, the light of the two full moons lightening everything. "It's really beautiful here. I like it." she kissed him and he responded by kissing her back.
It went on for several minutes. Alonzo felt that she was slowly really relaxing, forgetting her work, forgetting the rest of the world, the rest of the universe.
The next morning:
True sat at the outgoing fire. It had burned all night and she had just stood up as first. Baines was asleep also he should be awake on duty.
True waited for Julia and Alonzo to come back. Well, more for Julia than for Alonzo, because Julia would then wake up her dad. She was curious what he would tell them. She realized it was a hard time for her dad and she was worried about him. She didn't feel that much for Devon like he. Well, she liked Devon, sure, but no more. After this thing with this ocean she had thought that the two would come together, get a pair, do all this grown-up stuff, but they hadn't. True always wondered why not, just like everybody else since it was so obvious that something was going on between the two. In the distance two figures came up from behind a hill. Julia and Alonzo slowly came closer, hand in hand. Yeah, these two were happy.
She hoped that things were now clearer between Devon and her dad and she prayed that Julia could heal Devon.

Final fights (4/12)
by Manuela Schuppe
PART FOUR
Miles away, in another dimension... is it really another dimension or is it just ... the dreamplain
She was there, standing alone, looking over the planet. The planet she had chosen to be humanity's last refuge. The planet that healed her son and made her ill. The planet that wouldn't allow them to live here, to make sure the human race wouldn't vanish. The planet that was more than a simple planet. A being would be more accurate to call it. A being with feelings, with organs, with veins and arteries, with transporting systems and water-tanks. She seemed small, standing there on the edge of this mountain, surrounded by what nature had done over millions of years. He let some minutes pass, considered again and again what he would tell her, whether he should deny his feelings or confirm them. He had thought that he needed to tell her, but now he wasn't that sure. He loved her, enjoyed their discussions, needed her provoking words and her optimism.
He watched her going back to a tent. Nobody else was around which didn't surprise him. Well, he could make out a small point somewhere behind him and that had to be Mary. Devon went to a table and looked at something. He slowly approached her.
"Hey Adair !!"
She turned around, nodding to him. "Hi Danziger."
*Whoa, she looks so good, so beautiful*
He could hardly held back to tell her this. He didn't want to blurt it out just like that.
"Hey Danziger, what'd you say, going round this forest from the right or from the left?"
He looked at the map, saw the red point that represented their current position.
What divided them from New Pacifica was just that small forest, a small river and then just plain land... So close to New Pacifica.... But the knowledge that it was just a dream made him sad. "I'd take the right side, then go over the river here" he pointed to a place where the river widened. "The river widens here, that means the same amount of water floating through a larger place..." he waited for what would, no, had to come. "Well, I still think going left would be better. It's shorter. John grinned. That was Devon...
He said nothing, just nodded his head in agreement, feeling happy to be near Devon, even this was just a dream. The way John reacted irritated Devon. Normally he would get angry, telling her that she was doing it again, asking him and then ignoring what he said. Well this time she had done it willingly, wanted to provoke a discussion. She had enjoyed the discussions with him for a long time now and was always looking forward to the next. So, why didn't he argue this time? Was something wrong? A joke or something else? She looked around and then it came to her that something actually was wrong. She saw none of the others. No other tent. Just her, John , one tent, this table and the map. Nothing else. "John, what's up here. What's going on? Where are the others?" she looked kinda scared and it reminded him of his terrible dream. He didn't want to her to feel scared. He wanted her to be happy, to enjoy life, well, at least the short time they had here. Everything else was going to come later and hopefully not too much later... He looked into her eyes, holding her shoulders. "You can't remember?"
"Remember what, John?" she looked troubled, trying to think of what she'd done before he came here, trying to figure out what happened the last few days. And then it hit her. She knew nothing at all. She didn't know how they got that close to New Pacifica, she didn't know where the others were. And that made her angry. Not scared, no, hell, it made her really angry. What was all that about? Then she tried to remember what she could remember.... and that scared her. Scared her to death. Death, yeah, probably right. This had to be heaven. Or hell. Or whatever. She looked at John, trying to find the answer in his eyes. When she didn't find it she began speaking instead. "The last thing I can remember at all is.." her face was getting more and more worried with every second.
"The last couple of things I can remember are worried faces, Elizabeth's death and then Uly... He put his stick to a door. And I was... My God, I was behind that door..." Fear was on her face and that hurt John. He took her into his arms, stroke over her hair.
"It's okay, don't be afraid. This is just the dreamplain. We're only dreaming..."
"Dreaming??? Only dreaming???" relieved she let out a deep breath. Dreaming, ha, and she had already thought of her own funeral. So it wasn't all too late. She wasn't dead yet. But close to death. Too close as she felt.
"Yes." he wondered what thought must have crossed her mind to frighten her so much like she had looked. And then Devon realized what all that meant, could mean, seemed to mean...
*Dreaming. I'm ill. They put me in cold-sleep. When? Why? Can't Julia help?
How's Uly? Is he okay? And the others? Are they ill? Oh no, John !!!*
"John, why are you here? You're not ill, too, are you?" also she didn't want to show it, concern was written in her face. "No, I've come here to... in order to...huh... talk about some things with you..." he paused, partly embarrassed, partly unable to speak, partly just too unsure if he should take the risk and confess his feelings..
"How are the kids and Julia and Alonzo, Bess and Morgan and all the others?"
Devon had noticed Danziger's sudden break and wasn't sure what that meant. To clear her mind and decide what she should do now and to overplay her own embarrassment she just asked some question not regarding her feelings.
"They are fine, but we all miss you, Devon. Come, we go to a nicer place where we can talk..." he had to tell her, That was why he came here in the first place.
He knew True'd kill him if he didn't do it. Maybe not kill but give one of her speeches which meant about the same. Once warmed up she was hard to stop.
She nodded in agreement and seconds later the two stood next to the Sea of Antius, letting the soft wind blow through their hair, letting the sun shine on their faces and letting the smell of the sea fill their noses.
"Whoa, John, it's so beautiful here.." she walked around, watching over the ocean.
He looked at her and wished so desperately this moment was reality and not just a dream. He had to remind himself that it was only a dream and that he had come here for something. Yeah he would just tell her. And as Yale had told him in a silent minute before coming her, Devon felt the same he. And he knew Yale was right. He sat down, waiting for Devon's excitement to slow down. She needed some time until she realized he was just sitting there, watching her.
She sat down next to him. For quite a long time nobody said a word. They both just listened to the sea, which rolled in soft waves constantly towards them, and they listened to the funny-looking birds which made really strange sounds.
*If he just turned around his head. Oh, his hair, the curls. And his hands, if they just touched mine...*
Both enjoyed this moment, being so close together. But for Devon something was clear that moment John turned around to her, his eyes looking directly into hers.
She knew she had to deny her feelings, had to deny them because John had to get the group to the real Sea of Antius. She felt like he wouldn't do such a good job if he knew she felt the same for him and having to live without her, having to cross this planet without her. She knew that she wouldn't do that if it was John who was ill. She couldn't let him back there alone and thus she had to lie to him. Had to tell him she didn't love him. But she did love him and that made it difficult...
"Devon, I came here to tell you that we all miss you and that we want to have you back. Julia will find a cure but it might take some time. We consider to stay with you as long as she needs..." "Oh, no, John Danziger, you lead this group to New Pacifica! This is more important now than I am. You have to be finished with the hospital when the Colony ship arrives, you understand?" she knew it. Knew that he wouldn't go away. And he was stubborn enough to stay even when she told him to go.
"This is what I meant. Nobody feels like going on. Especially not me. I don't want to walk across this planet without you Adair." he had been sure that she wouldn't like the idea at all. And she was so stubborn. Yeah, just as if she would leave a member of the group back. They had done that once and quickly found out they did wrong. Of course, this was something else but still it was the same. Somehow.
"John, you have to. Please don't stay here just for me. I wish,... no I command that you get to New Pacifica and then, when everything is finished you can come back and get me, but no sooner." She had to convince him, had to make sure he went on. "But I couldn't do that without you." he stood up. Angry, desperate, stubborn himself, as he suddenly recognized. But what else could he do? Go on as if nothing happened, as if, now for the second time in his life, the woman he loved had been torn away from him??? Yeah, sounded really easy. He began walking up and down the shore in front of Devon.
"But you have to. No matter what you feel for me. John, this is really important to me. New Pacifica is what we've come here for. You must never forget that." perhaps if she told him she wanted it and it was so important to her, not only to her, but to 1000 people coming closer to New Pacifica every second, too, important to the kids, who needed a home, not always being on the road, important to the others, who would have to build a town once they arrived there. She knew they needed time for that and if it took them too long they would have to do everything faster and that could be very exhausting. It was time they finally reached New Pacifica. He thought for a moment. Why didn't she ask him why especially he couldn't go on without her? Perhaps he had to make his point clearer.
"But Devon, how could I struggle across this planet without you? What would I tell Uly?"
"Tell him that I love him and that he's never alone. He has you and all the others until I can be back..." she didn't want to talk about him now. She wasn't ready to do that now. But he was and he needed some answers.
"And me Devon, what about me?"
"Danziger, regardless to what you might feel for me, you have to do it. And perhaps it is..." that was the joke. What he felt for her. Hadn't she realized yet? Was she so blind? "What I feel for you? Devon, I... I love you..." he stopped his walking and looked at her, waited for her reaction, hoped that Yale was right.
*Damn it. Why now? Now that we can't be together, why does he come up with that now?*
*So, it's out. Finally. Took you much too long John Danziger.*
*I love him, too, but I can't tell him. Not now. Maybe later...*
*She doesn't respond. Damn it, Adair say something...*
*Oh John, how much I hate it to hurt you, to play with your feelings, but that's probably the best.*
*Okay, Dev, tell me now, whatever it is, but talk !!!*
"John." She paused. The silent lay like a heavy, dark cloud over them.
"John, you know, that I like you very, very much, but it isn't the right moment.
Maybe not even the right place. And maybe it just wouldn't work between us.
We are so different, it wouldn't last, I'm sure. I hate to tell you this but I hope you can understand why I have to do this." now she was on her feet, too.
"What are you telling me there, Devon? That you like me but don't love me?
And I shall believe you? Oh no, I'm not stupid. ...What is it you fear?" He couldn't believe that. Yale couldn't be wrong. All the others couldn't be wrong. His sixth sense could not fool him. "I fear nothing." she lied. She feared much but she was not about to tell him.
*Yeah, and the sun circles round G889...*
*This is so hard. I wished I could tell him, that I loved him, that I depended on him, that I longed for him... but I can't.*
"You're afraid of something, Adair, I can feel it, don't lie to me." "I'm not lying and I am not afraid of anything, I just don't feel the same for you.
I'm really sorry." she hoped it sounded as if it was the truth, but somehow it felt like her voice was not hers. It didn't sound like her.
*Devon, you are **so** stupid, what if you ever got out of here, what'd you tell him then? That you were just joking? Having had a good time? *
He didn't believe her, didn't want to believe what he had just heard. So he started a last try. Perhaps it would work. And when not... well then he would decide something else.
"Then it's the best I go now. True's waiting for me to help her repair something."
"How is she? John, please, don't be angry with me..." "She's okay. And why should I be angry. Listen Adair, I really gotta go now.
New Pacifica is waiting. That is what you wanted, isn't it?" what would she do now???
"Be careful. And don't forget me here. John,... I'm truly sorry." she was, oh, and how she was sorry. Perhaps she should just tell him after all. For an instant she really thought about that, but it would be of no use. She'd tell him later, if ever there was gonna be a later. "Yeah, I know. I'll greet the others and tell them you're fine. Bye Devon."
He kissed her on her cheek and then went away, leaving her on this long, white shore. She didn't call after him to stay.

Final fights (5/12)
by Manuela Schuppe
PART FIVE
Back in the camp:
Bess laid awake in bed next to Morgan who had been turning around all the time.
He was dreaming. Heaven knew about what. She thought of Devon and what this whole mess did to John. She had to talk to him as soon as he was out of cold-sleep. Maybe she should have done this before he entered...well, she had talked to him, but hadn't been able to tell him everything since Julia had rushed her.
Well, anyway she had to tell him that... "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhrg !!!!!!!!!!"
"Jesus, Morgan, what's up?" she looked at her husband who sat up straight in bed from one second to the other, his face pale and his eyes having quite a shocked look.
"I...I... I have been dreaming...." he breathed fast, trying to calm down.
"The dream's over now... You can relax." "Bess, I dreamed about you getting ill, too..." There it was ... finally. She had almost waited for this. Well not exactly that way, but similar. She had thought he'd came up with the idea of him getting ill.
"But I feel okay, Morgan. I am not ill. And I won't get." "Oh Bess, I hope you're right." He slowly calmed down, laid back into his pillow and for a few seconds closed his eyes. Then he sat up, and hugged Bess.
"Morgan, you didn't happen to dream of yourself getting ill?" she still couldn't believe this.
"No Bess. Not at all. Really." She looked into his eyes for several moments but didn't find the sign that always told her when he was lying. He was actually telling the truth this time.
*It's unbelievable how much he has been changing since we crashed down here...*
"Okay, I believe you. We should get up now. Julia and Alonzo will be back soon, it's already light..."
"Bess, I love you."
"I know Morgan. How could I forget?" yeah, how could she forget the second, she first met, no better stumped over Morgan? She remembered it as clearly as if it had been yesterday:

Morgan Martin, lawyer, just out of law school had to go down to Earth, or what had been left of Earth. He hated the thought alone. Earth was dirty, polluted and not a nice place to stay. He feared the acid rain, the poison in the air but he had no choice. He had to struggle his way up to where he hoped to land once. He was going to be on the top, the sooner the better. The fact that they had chosen him to go down here proved that. It wasn't a mission any lawyer could manage to do. They needed somebody who was quite well with codes. With encoding. He was that person. He got out of the space ship. How bad everything smelled her, how dark and unfriendly everything looked. Jesus, he was glad he didn't have to live here.
The place he was had once been a desert. There had been a canyon near it.
Grand Canyon or something like that. He didn't think that was the name but who cared. That place didn't exist anymore. So what. And he wasn't going to sightseeing anyway. He waited impatiently for the guy who should have been here when he arrived. The pal didn't show up. Perhaps he ...
"What's that????" he looked around at the sudden noise. A siren was on.
He panicked, screamed at some people who hesitated to get into the building.
He looked up at the sky. Dark clouds hung over his heads. He didn't like that.
No, not at all.
"Shit !!!" he grabbed his suitcase and began running to the building, too.
He didn't know what kind of building it was, but he was sure he was going to get shelter. At least he wouldn't get wet and acid burned there. The person 200 meters before him entered and then closed the door. When Morgan came nearer he realized it was not a building. It was a cottage. Nothing of worth. And the people in there were workers. Poor people. Rats. That was what he'd always called them and he knew at once they wouldn't let him in. He looked just too wealthy for them in his Armani suit. He was right. The guy had locked the door.
"Lemme in !!!" he demanded. Maybe he could offer some money to them, but he was quite sure they didn't have a credit card reader. Well, maybe his jacket would do it although he hated the thought to give away his clothes.
"See this jacket. I'll give it to you, but let me in !!!" The man shook his head and grinned at him. Maybe he wanted more. "What about the jacket plus the tie???" he wanted in !!! The first drops were already falling. Those people were the last thing. He'd sue them if anything happened to him. Suddenly a vehicle, a real ancient vehicle appeared from nowhere. A woman was driving it. A quite young woman sat on it, poorly dressed, was the first thing Morgan noticed on her.
"Jump on !!!" she shouted. He waited a second to make sure she meant it. Then he threw his suitcase on the vehicle and jumped on it. The rain was very close now. He didn't know what would happen when they didn't get to where the girl was headed. She drove this thing like a lunatic. He wasn't used to that. Hell, he had never been on such a thing before and he didn't even know how it was called. He knew he had heard it somewhere but couldn't remember right now.
He had to check that up as soon as possible. He didn't care for the planet, but he was sure he should know the name of this thing and if it were just to tell a judge what damaged, or what he hopped, saved his life. Either way, he would sue somebody for what was happening to him right now. Somebody had to pay for this. The vehicle rattled over the street with potholes everywhere. His hands packed something, trying to keep his body on this hellish thing. After what seemed hours, but was only half a minute they got to another cottage.
The girl stopped the car and rushed him into it. The moment they were in it began raining. He let out a relieving breath and then turned around to the girl. Only then he noticed how beautiful she was. With the right clothes she could easily pass as one of his kind. "Thank you" he brought out.
"That's all right. My name's Bess."
"Morgan Martin, I'm a lawyer from the stations." better to tell her the truth.
"Oh really?" she laughed when she saw his puzzled face. "Hey, don't worry, I was just kidding. I smelled it miles away that your were from there..."
"Oh, yes, ah, yeah...sure." he nodded, suddenly embarrassed. And most embarrassing was that he didn't know why exactly he was embarrassed.
"Ah,... Mrs. ..."
"Just call me Bess, okay? We're taking it somewhat cool with names down here on Earth."
"Yeah, so,...Mrs., ah, excuse me, Bess, how long does it normally rain?"
Again she laughed. He liked the sound of her laugh. And he liked the accent she had.
"Morgan, funny name, no offense, really, it can be minutes or hours. Nobody knows. Can I offer you something to drink?" He wasn't sure what she would offer him and he didn't want to appear impolite if the stuff looked to undrinkable so he just declined. She must have somehow sensed what kept him thinking because she got into some room which had to be a kitchen and seconds later came back with a glass.
"Take it. It won't kill you..." she looked at the kid. Normally those people from the stations were real snobs, acting quite rude to her and not seldom making those offers she always refused. But that kid was different. He was a snob, too, but he seemed to be nice. A gentlemen. A species that had died out down here long ago. He was cute to some point. Carefully he nipped at the drink and then took some big gulps. It seemed as if her secret tasted him after all. "It's okay, ain't that bad, really." he smiled at her. It was a warm smile. Not one of these nasty smiles most men shoot at her, as if saying "Hey, what about us two?". She hated that. But that kid seemed to be really different. Innocent. Handsome. "So, Morgan, why don't you take off your coat and sit down. I'm going to cook us something now. Seems as if the rain was going to last some time."
"Oh, really, Mrs. ....ah.... Bess, that is not necessary. I suppose your husband should be home soon, or?"
Again that nice laugh. He grew to like it. "I'm not married. I live here with my father." That was maybe even worse. A father was sometimes much more a threat than a husband. He had experienced that once. "Is he around here?" she just had to grin at his scared face. As if her father could harm anyone.
"No, and he won't be home until next week. You wouldn't have to fear him anyway. But really, Morgan, you should take off your coat and sit down. I have to prepare something to eat, I don't know what it's with you, but I'm hungry."
"Hmm, I'm not hungry right now, but thank you very much." "Yeah, no problem." She smiled. She'd just cook for two. He would eat something. She could tell it from his eyes. She could read people's eyes and these told her he was hungry. She cooked the meal and he ate it, just as she had predicted. They talked for hours. The rain didn't stop that day, so she prepped some sofa for him to sleep on it. But they didn't sleep much. He kept telling her about the stations and she had asked him question after question, curious if live up above was what she thought it was like. The next day she brought him to were he was expected. He did his job and after work went out with Bess. She showed him some places, even this ex-canyon, the name had indeed been GrandCanyon, laughable when you looked at the remnant. He acted as if he was interested in that because he liked her. Morgan had to stay two weeks on the planet and after that time he was lucky to go back. Not only because he hated that ball of dirt called Earth, no, he took Bess with him. He only met her father once and that had been one time to often. Bess was really anxious to get to know the life there. It seemed like a fairy-tale to her. Perhaps she would even get to see this Devon Adair once. The woman was quite often on TV and she was said to be the second-wealthiest woman on station subspace zero. She'd seen many reports of her and often wondered what life must be like when you're so rich.
Bess got used to her new life fast. But she didn't meet, not even saw Devon Adair, besides of course on TV, until Morgan was assigned to the Eden Project.

And now she was here, on a new planet and Devon had become one of her closest friends, something she never really had. Bess smiled as she remembered her first encounter with Morgan. It was the day she fell in love for the first time. Well, she'd thought she had loved other men before but they were never the real thing. And she never let them closer, kept them at quite a distance, frightened that they would hurt her as soon as they got to near. She hadn't felt that fear with Morgan for she knew he wouldn't harm her. It wasn't his way.
And even now she could depend on his need for protecting her from whatever might come.
She loved him
"I love you ,too. And I know that you love me. You show it to me every second of my life." She kissed him. He wanted to stay in bed but she pulled him out. It was really time to get up.
In the distance one single Terrian stood behind a tree. He looked different from all the other Terrians on this planet. It wasn't like he just was from another tribe or something like that. No, there was something that just didn't belong to a normal Terrian, something that didn't seem to make any sense at all.
He was wearing clothes. And he had a metallic ID planted into the left side of his head. This thing had confused the Terrian at first but he had gotten used to it. It told him what he had to do. It had told him to mix the SOMETHING into the water the woman with the brown hair had been drinking. And now it was telling him to do the same with the other woman, the blonde one . But that was somewhat more difficult cauz this man was always around her. And if he got to close to this guy his secret would be out. The same for that small male. These two he had to avoid cauz they could dream. And if they dreamed then the others would know about him and would be able to help the woman with the brown hair. And that was something his GOD had told him should never happen.
He got back to the place where he could survey the camp best. Outside their tent Alonzo and Julia were coming back. Alonzo waved to True. She came running to them. "You really took your time, or? I've been growing roots meanwhile."
"How long have you been up?" Julia smiled at her. She thought she knew what kept True awake. The same that didn't go out of her mind, too.
"I dunno. When do you wake dad?"
"I was thinking that I'd be able to eat something first, but when I look at you I can put this thought to rest.." "Right, are we going?"
"Kinda impatient, aren't you?" Alonzo grinned at her. She only grimaced back and then went straight towards the ship. At that moment Bess and Morgan got out of their tent. "Morning Bess, morning Morgan. We're going to wake dad now, are you coming with us?"
"Yes, of course." Bess smiled at her.
"But Bess, I'm hungry, can't we eat something first. I mean, John doesn't run away from us and I think he... mhpf.... wouldn't mind to spend as much time with Devon as possible, or?" Julia let out a short laugh.
"True, I think you gotta wait another half an hour. Okay, then we can wake the others, too and get breakfast ready..."
Finally everybody was assembled around the ship. Julia didn't want to have everybody filling the tiny room and therefor allowed only Alonzo and Walman to join her. Inside she pushed a number of buttons, entered some codes until both doors slid open. Alonzo and Walman took care of John while Julia got Mary out.
"John, hey, John, are you alright?" Alonzo shook him on his shoulders.
"Yeah, I'm okay." John stood up, still very weak. He tried to walk out of the interior and made it just to the door of the ship then he had to make sure his hand grabbed the door frame so that he didn't fall. Julia was at his side immediately. Just as Alonzo. Together with him she brought !!!!
John back to a nearby table where they laid him down. Julia checked him up while Alonzo talked insistently to him, urging him to tell him what was up.
When Julia didn't find anything alarming John sat up again. "Devon wants us to travel on to New Pacifica." That was all he said and then he left, this time without any problems, leaving his friends wondering what had happened.
Meanwhile Mary had slowly gained consciousness. She turned around and let one of these strange Terrian sounds out. Immediately Uly showed up. He led her out before Julia was able to check her. Alonzo followed them. He had to ask Marry something. Uly led her far away from the camp, then he left. "Mary..." Alonzo began.
"Dream !"
How stupid of him to forget that. Yeah, she didn't like talking in the real world.
But then the dreamplain perhaps was a real world to her. So he closed his eyes and found himself seconds later in it. "Now you talk."
"Mary, why did the Terrians owe Uly something ?" "Trrrrrrrrrr.."
"Mary, come on, you know it, so tell me." "Trrrrr..."
"Mary,... we need to know it. It's important." "No, it is not. You wouldn't understand it." "Try to explain Marry...please."
She hesitated, not sure if she would be able to explain what no human could understand. Then she went on with a shrug, as if to say "you wanted it so, then don't blame me when it puzzles you even more..."
"He made them understand"
Was this a puzzle, a game he didn't know how to play? "Come on Marry, understand what?"
"You."
"Us? He made them understand us and therefor they owed him something? That doesn't make sense..."
"I knew... you wouldn't... understand it. He explained, showed them why you are here. And they learned something they didn't understand before..."
"And what did they learn?" this was like one of this stupid Quiz Shows he never liked.
"To forgive."
Yeah, this made at least a little bit sense. Perhaps Marry was right. Perhaps he could just not understand it. Nobody's perfect. But maybe it was better that he pretended he had understood what she had told him.
"I see."
"I should go now. Terrians wait."
"Marry, wait...What happened on the dreamplain between Devon and John?"he just had to know why John was acting that way. Then he could perhaps help him.
"Trrrrrrrrr, even when...I knew...what happened....I wouldn't tell you..."
"Come on, Marry, I only want to help John..." "You cannot help him by prying...ask him..." "Yeah, sure. If I asked him right now, he'd probably punch my lights out once more..."
"I have to go."
"Marry, tell me. Now." He demanded it now. He'd see if that impressed her, if not then it was okay, too, then he would just ask John and risk his life...
"They argued, I didn't understand anything. But at first they were close and then he went away."
"Thanks Marry. You really can't help Devon, can you?" "No. Terrians can't get to her."
"Okay, we both have to go now. I know you're always around, so if we should need you or you should need us, we dream again." "Yes. Good-bye Alonzo."
They both left the dreamplain and Marry went into the ground just in front of Alonzo and he felt the earth shacking. He went back to the others.
John was walking around like crazy, barking commands into every direction, being unfriendly to those who in his opinion weren't fast enough, ignored True, ignored Alonzo, in short ignored everyone who tried to start a conversation. He was in one of the worst moods he had ever been. Maybe this was really the worst. "True, can't you put down that tent a little bit faster???" "Dad, what's up with you? We are no slaves !!! Put down the darn tent your-self !!!"
Now she got angry, too. She had tried everything to make him feel better but he had just shouted at her to hurry up and refused to just listen to her. That was just too much for True. She ran away from the camp as fast as she could.
John cursed, but didn't ran behind her. He would deal with that later... maybe.
True was still running, running to get rid of her anger. She only stopped when she saw that strange creature, trying to hide. Then the creature sank into the earth.
*Just a Terrian.*
She thought she had seen clothes, too, but wasn't that sure about it since tears filled her eyes and had worsened her sight. She breathed deep in and slowly approached the spot where the Terrian had disappeared. Nothing unusual. Just the normal softened earth. She shook her head.
"True !!"
*Bess*
She didn't know whether she should like that or not. Quickly she shuffled of her tears and called back. Seconds later Bess was at her side.
"Hey, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm just great. Just great."
"You know, your dad didn't mean any harm..." "I know that better than you, but it's still so ..." "Frustrating"
True nodded.
"He and Devon might have had a little fight." "Yeah, but I think that's none of our business." Of course they had had an argument .Even a blind person would be able to see that. And not that it was none of their business. True would talk to her dad later. After all that was her father and thus it was her business. Just not Bess' .
"Maybe you're right."
"Come on, Bess, we'd better go back not that he gets mad at you, too." "I wouldn't care about that. I think he just needs some time to get over it."
"Yeah, sure." Just as if Bess knew what her dad needed. What he really needed was a conversation under four eyes with his daughter and after that he'd be healed from his mood. That had worked before and True was sure it would work this time, too.
Half an hour later the group was ready to start again. Start again to cross this planet, to walk many miles each day, to go on braving an unknown world.
It was going to be a hard time, without Devon but instead with John in a very bad mood. Even True's little conversation didn't work, for the first time in her life, True wasn't able to bring her dad to his senses and she kept thinking why that was so. She came always to the same answer: Devon. She didn't know if she should hate Devon for that or not.
So it came that True forgot about the Terrian.
The Terrian stood there and watched the people pack their stuff. He told his GOD what was going on and asked what he should do about it. The answer needed a long time. But he was patient. He could wait, well, at least so long as the people didn't start to move... which they were doing just at that moment. Again he reported his GOD what was happening.
>Follow them, and then do as I told you. But be careful< It didn't mean much to the Terrian. And even if he cared he wouldn't have been able to protest. It was the way he had lived for many years now. He couldn't remember anything else than that.
The colonists left. Uly took one final long look into the direction of the ship where his mother was. He didn't complain to John for having to leave her.
He closed his eye and dreamed.
"Uly, come on, we're going." True laid her hand on his shoulder, shaking him softly. At this moment she couldn't be angry with Devon any more. Not when she looked at Uly who had to live from now on without his mother. She knew what that meant. He opened his eyes again. Took True's hand and together, hand in hand the kids began walking.

Final fights (6/12)
by Manuela Schuppe
PART SIX
Uly thought about the last days. They had left his mom and since then life had not been what it used to be. They still walked their miles. They still set up the camp, still sat around campfires. But appearances are deceptive. Everyone felt like a part of himself had been torn away. It was not easy to get over it, especially for the little boy. Every night he dreamed of his mother, saw her running to him like he had run to her after he got healed. And as much as he wished he could help her, he couldn't. These were the moments the boy understood why his mother had done everything impossible to travel to some planet 22 light-years away, just to find a cure for her sick child.
It was a bright morning. The birds flew past the object like two generations of them had done for some time now. They did not care about it because it had never changed. Neither did the Terrians. A beautiful blue, red and green colored bird sat down at the top of the object. It was a large triangle shaped box with no windows and only one single door. It mostly had a kind of silver color. It did not fit into this surrounding but in within the time it had adopted the colors of the woods.
One mile away a group of people walked through the sunburned grass. Followed by a large vehicle, a single ATV lead the way. "Alonzo, Zero got some strange things one mile west. We'd better look at that!"
"Got it John. Julia, you wanna join us?" "Never in my life would I like to miss such an opportunity but I'd better stay here and check up the others." "Okay then let's move Danziger !"
Danziger had become even more quiet than he had been before Devon's illness. After the first days his anger had settled, but he still never talked about what happened on the dreamplain. The others could only guess. True now slept in one tent with Uly and Yale. She just couldn't sleep when her father was up almost the whole night, trying to find sleep and turning around in his blankets. Over the days she either played VR with Uly or talked to Julia or Bess. When he didn't play VR with True, Uly mostly talked to the Terrians. In this lonely hours of walking next to some old-fashioned vehicle he learned a great deal about them. Learned about their enemies, their friends, the life-forms they tolerated, he had learned about their relationship with the planet, learned about dead Terrians, about missing Terrians, about illness they had suffered from and the antitoxins they had discovered in all the plants around them.
But most of the time the kids were together, talking about their parents.
True told Uly about her mother, how much she wished she could to talk to her once in her life. She even took Uly to her. Her dad didn't know about that and she felt that he wouldn't have been very pleased about it, so she wasn't about to tell him. Uly had also talked about his father, but apparently he knew nothing about him. Devon had never told him and he knew better not to ask. Maybe when he was older Yale would tell him, but he wasn't sure if he would ever wanted to know the whole story. But he told her about Devon and the more True listened to his narration, the more she became aware what a great person Devon really was. She understood her dad's feelings now better. Together with Uly she thought about what might have happened between Devon and John on the dreamplain. Uly suggested that he could ask Marry, but True thought it was prying and she didn't want to dig into something personal. But then... she changed her mind, just too curious to find it out. But this time Marry wouldn't tell Uly. So the kids made up their own story, and the story was really close to the truth, for both kids knew their parents very well.
Just as True had grown to like Devon, Uly had long ago began to admire John.
The kids agreed to get the two together as soon as Devon was well again. To them there was no question Devon would get healed.
John and Alonzo took the four seater and rushed west. The others packed out something to eat and sat down. Julia looked around, saw Uly and went to him. She had watched the boy over the last days and she was sure he was hiding something from the others. Whether it was his pain or something else she could not tell but she knew he was trying to handle something on his own. She approached him and gave him a quick check up before she asked him what it was that kept him thinking. "Hey Champ !"
"Hi Julia."
"What's up kiddo? You seem to think a lot the last times..." "No, I don't. I talk to the Terrians."
"About what?"
"I can't say."
"Why not?"
"I dunno."
"The Terrians told you so, hmm?"
"Yeah. Where are John and Alonzo going?" "Zero discovered some signal and they want to find out what it is." "Julia?"
"What?"
"I'm okay."
"Yeah, I see that. If anything's wrong just tell me. Hey, see True? She looks quite bored. Perhaps you two can play something." Without another word Uly ran to True, asking her about her opinion regarding this signal.
John and Alonzo reached the ship and frightened away the bird with the noise of the Dune Rail.
They got out and contacted the others before they entered it. "Yale, it's us. This thing is a kind of spaceship. It must have been here for a long time. It's overgrown by plants but except that it is not an old model. About three or two years older than the Advance had been."
"John, do you know what that means?"
"Do you think it's the Council or something like that?" "I don't know, but for heavens sake, be careful !!" "Don't worry too much, Yale. If it's the Council he'll feel what it's like to be kicked in the ass..."
"Alonzo ! That's not funny. You don't know what is out there!" "Got it Yale. We are careful."
"Alonzo, be careful, please..." Julia now had joint the conversation. "I will look after him, Julia. John and Alonzo out..." John looked pale and Julia worried about him. Nobody knew what had caused his bad mood. She wasn't sure how long he could keep his emotions controlled.
For all she knew, John had already lost one woman he loved. It must be hard on him to go through that again, although Julia wouldn't want to give up. She still thought she could come up with something. She was now closer than ever to something, a something she just hadn't figured out yet what it was. Luckily, nobody else had felt ill and so she knew it was nothing you could get from the air. But that didn't help John. He was desperate, couldn't sleep, ate as good as nothing, he was jumpy, changing moods from one second to the other, yeah,
even choleric in some way...she wondered if it would have been better to go with the men.
The two unlocked the door and entered. Unpleasant memories came up when Alonzo turned on the lights. Memories of almost the same actions they had done when they found that other spaceship what had saved all, their lives, even Devon's, if you could call cold-sleep life.
And the memory got even more painful as they turned around the corner and saw a woman in a cryo-chamber. It reminded them of how they had put Devon into a capsule, similar to this one. The woman didn't look like Devon but the situation along was too much for Danziger, also he tried hard not to show that to Alonzo.
"It'd be better if Julia came here."
"Just a moment. Do you want to wake her?" John was clearly not happy about this idea.
"Cool down, Danz. Not now... but see that here. She'll wake up in two months anyway. Do you want a woman as young as her running alone on this planet?"
"Perhaps she won't be alone then..."
"I know, and that's why I think we should wake her. To make sure she is no threat to us."
"Damn it. You are right. Let's call the others to get them here. I think they are worried anyway."
Half an hour later the group had arrived at the ship and everyone tried to get a glimpse of the �sleeping lady" like Walman had called her. Only Zero was not interested. He put up the camp alone and didn't even look into the direction of the ship.. "Hey, she looks familiar, but I'm not very sure. I can't recall ever having met her..." Uly stated, gazing at the woman, not getting the attention of the others.
Only True had heard his whisper.
"Use your brain, oh sorry, I forgot you don't have one." True was loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Yes, I had to give it to you, otherwise you would be completely unable to think."
"True, Uly!! Stop arguing. We are standing here with serious problems. Go out and play something!! But don't get out of the camp!! I don't have a nerve for this right now!!!" Danziger didn't really listen to what the kids were saying, otherwise he might have been surprised at Uly's words. But he had other things on his mind right now.
"Cool down, Dad. We were just enjoying ourselves, right Sweetlysess?" she often teased him with that. "True, one more word.....!!!"
"Let's get out True, he doesn't enjoy our little fight now." "Your right for the first time of your life. Congratulations!!!" True and Uly left the ship. They had grown to like each other and their little fights were nothing than fun. Meanwhile Julia checked the data on the display. They still hadn't decided whether to wake up that woman or let her sleep for another two months and then see what to do.
"Her functions are normal. She would wake up without problems. But I would like to know why she is here alone. I wonder who put her to bed."
"Going to bed you call that. Got your humor back, doc." "Gee, Alonzo. You are the right person to tell me that." "One point for you."
"Could you two now come back to reality and realize the problem we have here?" John was impatient and easy to annoy, which everybody could understand.
"What problem. There is none !!" said Alonzo as he pushed the button to release the woman from her cold sleep. "Alonzo, what have you done !!" Julia cried out and pushed him away. She tried to make the progress undone, but it was to late. Slowly the door opened and the woman fell out, right into the Alonzo's arms.
"Alonzo, just solved our little problem by taking over the leading role. Damn
it ! Do you know what you just did, you hot temper !!!" John was visibly angry.
Once again. The situation was just too similar. He turned around to go out but had second thoughts and stayed in to watch the woman's reactions.
Julia looked down at the woman.
"She is doing fine. She'll wake up in a few seconds. You better get out of here. She could get a shock if she sees too many strange faces around...."
"Yale and me stay in, no discussion, doc!" John glared at Julia. "You won't get me out of here right now." Julia sighted.
Then suddenly the woman moved and slowly lifted her eye-lids. Blinded by the sudden bright light around her she closed them again. Then she sat up, completely awake.
"Who are you? Where am I? What do you want from me?" Who am I?"
"She is completely disorientated. Must be the cold-sleep affects." "What are you saying? Who are you? What's going on here. Damn it !! Tell me!!"
Julia looked startled at the woman. She had never seen something like this before.
The cold- sleep was not said to have as strong effects on the brain as with that woman.
"Calm down, dear. I'm doctor Julia Heller. This is planet G889. Do you have any pain?"
"No, where am I? G889, what is that?"
It was obvious that she was panicking. Julia knew it would be better for her to get some sleep, so that her memory could recover. She gave her a sedative and then looked at the others. "Seems as if she lost her memory."
"Julia, how long will it take her to get it back?" "I don't know, Yale. It could be one day or one month." "I think she is deceiving on us. I don't trust her. We should watch her every step. I don't know why, but I got a terrible feeling about all this." Danziger looked somewhat troubled and went out of the ship to go to Alonzo who had meanwhile tried to bring the monitors in the cockpit to work.
"Hey, Lonz, can you get that thing flying?" " Most possible not. Something's wrong, but I can't figure out what exactly."
"Damned right. Something stinks to heaven here. The woman woke up but pretended not to know who or where she was..." "Are you kidding?"
"In no way, Ace."
"What is Julia doing?"
"She gave her a sedative. And she thinks the lady is telling the truth." "I am going there now. Want to hear it with my own ears." Alonzo laid down the scanner and went around the corner just to bump into Julia.
"Hey honey. Everything's not right as I heard?" "John."
"Yep, John. He's just worried. Give him some time. He can't get over it."
"I know. That's troubling me. But I can't think of any help. He'll just have to get over it."
"Yes, and he'll make it. I'm positive in that. He is strong." "Walman and Baines brought the nameless stranger to the med-tent. I'm going there. You wanna join me?"
"Absolutely. Let's give her a name."
"What?"
"Yeah, just give her a name. Something like Una..." "Where did you get this name from?"
"There are many nice girls in the endless widths of space." "Ah. Got it. You are going crazy."
"Yeah, crazy for you."
"Get going. I have a patient to look after. But the name's nice. Who is she?"
"You mean who she was... she should be dead now" he grinned She laughed and then kissed him.
"Uly, can I ask you something?" True and Uly sat on a little hill. They had seen that the woman had been brought into Julia's tent and wondered what was up with her.
"You'd ask anyway. So make it quick." He glared at the earth and wondered what would come now.
She caught him by surprise as she said:
"Have you ever heard of any Terrian wearing clothes?" He gave her a look that clearly called her insane. "Terrians don't wear clothes...why do you say things like that?" "'cauz I saw one..."
"A Terrian wearing clothes? You must have been dreaming..." "At first I thought so, too. But then I went to the place where it gone into the earth and the dirt was like it always is when the Terrians come out or go into the earth..."
"And it had clothes???"
"Yes."
"You gotta be kidding. It's not their way. They just wouldn't wear clothes. That doesn't make sense, True." "But I saw it."
"Can you prove this?"
"No." She sighted. "I just wondered. Maybe you're right and I'm wrong. I can't say. It just seemed like it had clothes." "I'll ask the Terrians if that can calm you.." "Yeah, that'd be cool. Hey, what do you think, will I ever have Terrian dreams, too?" she thought that'd be cool. At first she hadn't been very appealed to these creatures but now she was jealous because Uly had something she didn't .
"No. I and Alonzo are the ones they speak to." "That's not fair. I'd love to talk to them." "You wouldn't understand them anyway."
"And where to you super-brain know that from?" He shrugged. True sighted.
"Hey True, where did you see the Terrian?" "Back at the other ship."
That seemed odd to Uly. Why didn't the Terrian contact him or Alonzo? Normally any new Terrian talked to him...so why not this one or was True thinking all this up??? "Hey, we should go and see what happens down there. Think about this Terrian when you sleep..."
"Okay."
When Uly and True entered the med-tent the woman was still sleeping and Julia was sitting next to her. "Who is she?"
"We don't know. She lost her memory. She doesn't remember who she is."
"So she could be harmful and don't even know it?" "Yes, that's possible, but I don't think so. She looks nice." "Yeah."
"I wonder why she came her. Completely alone. Perhaps she is crazy."
"Uly, if she were crazy, she would be in a lunatic asylum or something like that." True shook her head. Sometimes his fantasies were a bit to fantastic. But then the Terrian crossed her mind. Was Uly infectious with his fantasy???
"Perhaps she broke out, stole a ship, got it her, landed it, walked out, felt too lonely and waited for somebody else to come around..." "Uly, I should scan your brain, with all these absurd fantasies." "It's already too late for that, Julia. It's not curable anymore." "You kids have nothing on your mind than arguing." Julia smiled at them and pushed them out of the tent. Perhaps better if this woman didn't see them when she woke up. For a moment Julia thought about the possibility that the woman was indeed crazy, but gave up the thought. It was just too ridiculous.....
"Morgan Martin is striking Big Bully in the face. It seems as if he is winning, yeah, another hit, he's gonna make it... but there, what's that, oh no, MM has fallen over his own feet..." Morgan gets up. He hears the commentator only from a distance. He is concentrating on winning. He knows he can make it. Then suddenly a flashing light diverts him.
He turns around . A person is appearing in VR. Big Bully sees his chance and knocks out MM . Morgan falls to the ground, blood is trifling from his upper lip, he smears it away with his right hand and looks mesmerized at who is coming in.
*Damn it, when anybody sees that I lost.. I� ll kill that bastard that diverted me...*
The thought went away just as he saw Reilly. Reilly looks smiling down at Morgan. "Mister Martin. What a great pleasure, to meet you again. Only that you look so .. wounded..." "What do you want , Reilly?" Morgan brings out in pain. How he hated that man. The thought of killing came back. "Just small talk, Mister Martin... . I heard you finally found the girl ?"
Morgan looks up. "Talk, Reilly, what do you know?" He demands. That is no longer just a game, now Morgan is really angry. "Let's say, enough to have had second thoughts getting her out of the cold-sleep."
"Okay, if you are not going to talk, I�ll go." "Whatever you say Mister Martin. Oh . Send Miss Adair my love. Oops, I forgot, she is sleeping. Or perhaps somebody woke her...." "Reilly, stay here !!! What are you saying, Reilly ,damn it !!!" Morgan stands up and sees Reilly disappearing. "You bastard !!!" Morgan sits down again. Considers what to do now. He puts out the VR and reenters reality.
"Hey, Julia, John, Alonzo, did you hear that, did anybody notice?? Help me!!"
"Morgan, what is up?"
"Julia, it was Reilly. He said something about the woman. And then he said something about that somebody woke up Devon !!!!" "What????"
"Yes, what shell we do now?"
Julia and the others were still in the tent. So they had to stop their conversation when the woman woke up again. "Oh no. It wasn't a dream. Where am I now?" the woman was somewhat calmer this time but she still looked frightened for two. "Hi, I'm Julia. I'm a doctor. You can trust me. You don't remember who you are, is that right?" Julia spoke in a calm and reassuring way. She didn't want her to be scared even more. "Yeah, I don't know who I am and I don't know who you are and I don't know where I am. I don't know anything." "We'll get that all right again, trust me. Are you thirsty or hungry?" "Yes, a little bit." The woman looked searching into Julia's eyes but seemed to have found nothing dangerous. "All right, then we are going to get you something. Do you want to get up or shall I bring it here?"
"I�d prefer this place. Perhaps I am up to going out later...." "No problem. Hey this guy here is Alonzo. He's nice." Julia pointed to Alonzo who was playing the insulted. "Only nice, doc?? I think we were already further than that..." To everyone's surprise the woman smiled. But then it was Alonzo's charm....
"Alonzo, the clown, got it. Sorry, I can't give you my name..." "Doesn't matter. I�ll just call you Una or do you prefer something else?"
"I, uh, I don't know?"
"You must have been an ace in school..." Morgan didn't trust her and he showed that, even as Bess prodded him. "I honestly don't know ."
"Okay, that's enough now. Alonzo get her something to eat and drink. The others leave the tent...now." Julia wanted John and Morgan out of here. It was no use when they frightened her or tried to make her remember when she couldn't .
"John, wait, wait..."
"Morgan, what's up?" Danziger was in no mood to talk to him and he already knew what would come.
"You don't believe her, too. I can feel that. What shall we do? A watch around the clock perhaps?"
"I think we leave that to the doc. I have to go. See ya later Morgan.." Morgan stood there stunned. Hadn't Danziger hours earlier expressed his distrust, too??
In his tent Danziger sat down and looked at a small piece of paper. It was an old picture of Devon. She had given it to him after their trip to the coast. Tears were running down his checks. He stared at Devon and wished she could be here with him. He needed her more than ever before and it made him angry that nothing had helped her. While he sat there he thought about what Devon once had said to him :
" I just like to know the people I don't trust, Danziger." He wished he could know the woman but that was not possible and so he trusted her even less...
He had to fall a decision. He was now responsible for their little group and he took his responsibility serious. He stopped the tears, packed away the picture after a final look and then went out. He was again the man he used to be...
The Terrian had reported all the actions to his GOD. He now waited for response. He rose from the ground. In his left pocked was the SOMETHING
he had to make the blonde one swallow. Only so she'd die. Suffer from a total collapse of her system that would cause her death bit by bit but after some time it would suddenly be over pretty quickly. Within seconds. The Terrian picked up a hat and sat down again. He crossed his legs. That hurt but it didn't matter to the Terrian since his GOD had once done the same and he was now practicing for the time his duty would be fulfilled and he could return to his GOD. Then he could show how much he admired his GOD.

Final fights (7/12)
by Manuela Schuppe
PART SEVEN
On his way to the tent John met Alonzo who was taking away an empty bottle.
"Hey, ace, how's she doing?"
"Very hungry. And she is anxious to get her memory back." "So you trust her?"
"Yeah, I got this feeling that I can trust her, don't ask me why ." "And what about the things Reilly said?" "Reilly is programmed to be an a..hole. I think she has something important to
say and he want her silent."
"Gee, Alonzo if he wanted her silent she would be silent..." "No, not if her death could be harmful for him, too .... And besides that, how
would he be able to kill her?"
"Right. ... But still she has to remember who she is . And that fast." "She knows that, too. But she doesn't know why..." "This is weird."
"Got that right. Gotta go now. Why don't you talk to her?" "I came here in order to do exactly that." Danziger walked on and entered the tent, just to find Julia scanning the woman's head.
�Hey, doc. Shell I came back later?"
"No, just stay, I'm finished anyway. ...You got no trauma and I can't figure out anything else. No illness, nothing. I don't know what is causing this loss of memory .." Julia was helpless and she hated that feeling.
"Hey, young lady. My name's John Danziger, just feel free to say John. How are you?"
"Somewhat better, but you heard the doc..." "That will get better soon. Now, why don't you get out of the tent a little, perhaps some fresh air does you good..." "Well, ... okay... I hate it to be nameless... Perhaps I should really adopt Alonzo's Una."
Julia laughed.
"He was just kidding. But if you want to...but you can also make up one of your own. Perhaps you choose the right one without knowing it ..." Danziger smiled at her. "What do you think of..." she considered her idea for a moment "...Devon. That name sounds somewhat familiar to me." she asked , not knowing what pain that brought to both John and Julia. Julia sighted.
"You'd better pick out another. It's a long story why this name would startle the others, okay?"
The woman felt that something had happened with someone named Devon and she was sorry that she had opened old wounds. "Okay, anything against Caroline?"
"No, that's okay with me... Let's go.." Julia gave John a sign. She would talk to him later.
Whatever Alonzo said, he could be in the need to talk to someone and since she and Devon had grown really good friends she perhaps could tell John something that would help him...
Caroline was amazed when she stepped out of the tent. She could not remember having seen something like this planet before. She was amazed also she didn't know whether she was used to places like this or not.
"It's wonderful here . I can't believe my eyes. But what is this thing?" she pointed to the Trans.
"It's a vehicle. It's called Trans-Rover. It can drive." Zero said out of nowhere. He had finally realized there was one more person and had gotten curious in a way only he could get. "Huh, what is that????" now Caroline was completely stunned. "I am Zero."
"Oh, I see. I am uh, Caroline." It sounded more like a question than everything else.
"Person originally X is now Caroline" Zero had gotten what he wanted. Some ID for the person that was suddenly there among the others.
Julia let out a small laugh.
Later that day, the colonists had decided to stay there for two days and see if Caroline's condition changed or if Reilly showed up once more, Julia went with Danziger to the nearby river. On their way they went past Morgan who had his VR on and was waiting for Reilly to tell them more. When they reached the river Julia sat down on stone and glared into the fast running water. It had a blue, almost turquoise color. Some fish swam next to a small leaf where an insect lay. It was an harmonic atmosphere but not to the two human beings.
John walked up and down the bank, his hands deep in his pockets. He hadn't said a word up to now. He was still fighting with what Caroline had said.
"It is so wonderful here. I would never want to go back to the stations." Julia said.
"Yes, me too. But it would be much more fascinating if Devon was with us."
"She would stand here only for a second and then remember her duties and be the boss, just to make everybody work.." "That's her. Yeah. She wouldn't be able to rest long. Always on the search, always up to something, always another, more difficult aim to reach. That's how she likes life." "Even on the beach she didn't relax, she was so sure we had reached New Pacifica."
"Yeah, but there she also just stood and watched the tide, moments before we went back." he remembered it to clearly. As if it had been yesterday. It cut like a knife. "Uly seems to be doing pretty good."
"He has the optimism from his mother."
"Definitely.... ...John, what happened between you and Devon?" "I don't want to talk about that, okay?" "Sure, but you know you can always come when you want to..." "Thanks, Jul." There were a few seconds neither of them said something.
"John, why do you say Jul?"
"My Grandmother's name was Julia. Grandpa always called her so. I don't know why. Why... don't you like it?" "Oh no... I love it. There's a story to it." she smiled. "Ah, some old lover... c'mon doc, tell me ..." he grinned. "No. My brother Tom used to call me so..." she said, noticing that John was slowly calming down and getting normal again. Normal to the point someone could get, stranded on a planet like this and just having had to leave the person you cared much about, the person you had secretly loved for a long time. "You have a brother?" he was curious.
"Two... one. Tom died when I was 22."
"I'm sorry... what happened to him?"
"They say it was an accident, I never believed them..." "They???" he had an idea who "they" were but still prayed he was wrong.
"The Council. He wanted to get out. It got him killed, but that was never proven."
"That's horrible Julia." So much about family traditions... "It didn't take me long to realize what that meant for my life... My mother was in the Council from her first day. Just as me and my brothers. We had to play along. Tom was never someone to be told what to do. He didn't like authority. You remind me of him in some special way."
"The thing with authority sounds familiar... What about your other bros?"
"Steve... I hope he's alive, but I don't know. You know, I never told anyone... but I didn't come here willingly... the Council decided I should go... when I refused they threatened to kill him. And I believed they would do that. So I went here." John was shocked.
"Reilly can be glad to be just a program, otherwise he wouldn't have a happy life if I got near him.... Why didn't you tell us all this?"
"Would it have made a difference back then?" "No, but it would have helped us to understand why you did all that."
"I know...You see, at first I hated it to be sent here, but now I love this strange planet. I've made a lot of friends I care about and much more than that... I only want to understand why you acted so strange lately..."
"That's why you told me this, hmm?" he put on a sarcastic smile. "No. Like I said, I never told anyone before and right now I felt like I had to tell someone." she tried to smile. "So I was just the guy to be there when it blurted out?" he knew what Julia meant. It happened to him once with Wentworth...suddenly nothing can hold you back from telling someone your biggest secret...
"Somewhat. Yeah. And are you gonna tell me now?" she hoped so but also expected him to keep it to himself. And maybe that was even better.
He glanced at her. "You can be very stubborn, too..." "You're again the one being stubborn. Perhaps it helps to talk about it."
"I'm really sorry, but I think Devon wouldn't want everybody to know that."
"Okay..." she gave finally in.
They were silent for a long time. The sun was setting and the color of the river had darkened.
The leaf was long gone and with it the strange looking fish.
The others had opened the campfire and were now sitting in front of it. Long looks often lay down on Caroline who sat next to Alonzo. Everyone was around except John , Julia and Yale, who was taking the kids to bed.
John turned to Julia.
"What did Devon tell you when you were alone with her?" he refried to the few seconds Julia was alone with Devon while she prepared her for cold-sleep.
"Not much. She was hardly there, her voice very low and she had a hard time bringing out two sentences." "Something about me?"
"No. Just about Uly...that you should look after him, raise him. She told me she trusted you and that she believed in you." "Not more?" he inquired further.
"No, she... hey what's up there?"
"There was a loud yelling from the camp and the two rushed back.
In his tent Uly was sitting in his bed, crying and yelling like hell. "What the heck is up here?" Danziger stormed into the kid's tent where True already was trying to calm him down. "Daddy, he just won't stop. He woke up and immediately started..." True was in a panic.
All the others stood around the tent, worried and curious. "Uly, can you hear me? Uly, stop yelling. It's me, Julia. Uly, calm down."
Slowly he relaxed a bit. He stopped with the yelling but still sobbed.
"You all right now?" Danziger looked into the white face of the boy.
"Yeah...... it's.... okay..... now..." he breathed hard. "Did you dream something bad, boy?" Yale was worried. "Yes and she died again. She always dies and nobody can help her..." he began to cry again.
"I�ll give you something to sleep. Don't worry, it's just a dream, your mom's safe." Julia took out a sedative of her bag. "Champ, it's okay. She won't die. Nobody can do that to your mom, I promise."
"Thanks, John." His eyes closed and he slept.
"True, did he tell you that he was having these dreams?" Julia looked at the girl, who stood there, somewhat shocked, too. "No, never..."
"It's okay, True, don't worry. He'll get all right again. I promise."
True nodded and climbed back into her bed. But she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep.
Uly entered the dreamplain. He looked around. No Terrian there, he would have to wait.
When one showed up he began to dream with him. But the Terrian never had heard of one of his own wearing clothes. He couldn't help him with this.
Uly dreamed himself once more to his frozen mother, but again the Terrian seemed not capable of helping her. He only stood and watched her, trying to touch her. But his fingers didn't get through the glass. He left.
Uly fell back to normal sleep.
Caroline who had remained at the campfire was troubled. Something bad had happened here. But what was it? The whole day she had tried to figure out who she was and why she came here alone. There must have been a really important thing to travel 22 light-years alone to a planet like this. From Yale's recordings she had an idea what life on the stations was like. Full of hard work,
without much joy, no real flower, it was a kind of programmed life. Every step was planned, nothing was done out of nothing. So why did she come
here???
Perhaps she knew something about this group and had wanted to protect or otherwise to destroy them. Yale had told her about the Council, about his activities here on the planet. He had also pointed out that there was the possibility that she was a spy. But she didn't believe in that. She liked the people here, especially Alonzo, but she knew he belonged to Julia. She wanted to join these people, to learn more about them. But there was one point that she impossibly could forget. John's face and Julia's reaction to the name of Devon.
She didn't know why she had said this name, it just suddenly came up. She felt that it was somehow important, as if a key which can open a door. She felt like in a dark room, where there was somewhere a light switch but she didn't know where and that perhaps this Devon could turn on the light. The others came back to the fire. But the once relaxed mood was now full of pain and hopelessness. She didn't really want to bring up the subject but she had to find out who she was. "I hope you don't take it bad on me, but I just have this feeling that I know something about Devon. Could you please tell me, what happened to her?... but if I am too indiscreet..." Yale sighted. "No, it's okay. Sooner or later you need to know what happened anyway, and this moment seems good enough to find out."
He began with what a person Devon was. How she had never given up to save her son, how cool and calculating she had fallen her decisions. He explained her believes, described her way of handling even the most difficult conflicts. He told her about the problems they already had had on this planet. When he came to the end and reported how they got ill, everyone was extremely silent. They remembered it just too well. "We all got healed. But not Devon. We think that she was not ill because of the biostate chips, like Elizabeth had called them. The decease must have been caused by something else." Yale ended his story and looked at Caroline who sat there very silent. She seemed to be in deep thought. When for several seconds there came no reaction from her, Yale cleared his throat. But before he was able to say one word, she stood up, her eyes clearing at whatever in a distance.
"The biostate chips were supposed to" she said with a strange sounding voice "were supposed to monitor every step of this group. Once installed they can only be removed by giving a special code into the computer which controls the activities. To find out that code one has to outwit this computer." She looked up, more troubled then ever before. The others were also shocked.
"You can remember everything now?" Julia stood up and approached her. She checked Caroline's data (was her name really Caroline?). They were almost normal. "No, only this. Somebody told me, but I can't remember who it was. It just came up when Yale talked about the chips. I don't know why I know this and if it could somehow help Devon." "Caroline, can you remember something else, for example if it would kill us when the chips were removed?" Yale spoke calmly but with a demanding voice.
"No...no" she shook her head "I don't know if I am the good one or if I am evil, but I know that I don't want to harm anyone of you now. I can't say if I killed you or not if I knew who I was . I'm truly sorry."
"It's okay . Perhaps you should go and get some sleep." Julia brought her to a small tent they had put up for her. At the fire Danziger and Yale tried to find an answer to the question what they should do now.
"We'd better watch her tonight and we should go back to Devon." Yale spoke everyone's thoughts.
"Yes, perhaps it can't help Devon, but I am quite sure it can help us." Alonzo followed Julia. There was nothing more to discuss.
The next morning everybody was up early. The sun was just starting to rise when half of the camp was already packed away. They were in a great hurry and they knew, that it could be for nothing. Uly was mostly silent this morning. He couldn't wait to get to his mother, to see if everything was all right. He helped where he could to make things go faster. Danziger couldn't stop him from running around like crazy.
But not everybody was as anxious to get there. Caroline still wondered why she knew about the chips and she asked herself whether she remembered how to fool Reilly. It wouldn't be easy, but once they had achieved it, they would not longer depend on him. Danziger was somewhat frightened to see Devon again and still being unable to help her. He wanted her so desperately, more than anything else he had ever wanted and still he wasn't sure what he'd do if they could heal her, how he would talk to her, how he would or better should act towards her...it kept him thinking. Julia felt almost the same. She had been helpless before and this time would perhaps be not very different. No, it would be different . If she could not help her this time, it would be even worse. Coming back with nothing against Devon's illness would be worse. It would be just as telling yourself what a what a miserable doctor you are. Julia knew that nobody thought of her like that, but she felt like one.
Alonzo was ready first. He sat on the single ATV, not bearing the thought to wait a minute longer.
Finally everything was on the Trans and they began their walk. It was not a walk forward, and yet it was. They didn't get their aim New Pacifica any nearer, but they approached freedom from the Council. They would have to walk quite a long time to get back to Devon. They had walked ten days when they found Caroline and they had to walk this ten days back. Danziger and Yale had calculated that they could do it in nine days, if everybody walked faster and if the walkers and the drivers were changed more often. They now changed every hour and within the first day they were already nearer than they had supposed they might come. They walked until the sun had nearly completely set and built up their camp. Not every single tent, like usually. They had agreed to sleep with four people per tent, so that they would be faster with coming on their way the next morning.
The days were very similar. On the third day they had walked half of their way. The mood was getting more and more tense. They were mostly silent, kept their feelings to themselves as they knew everybody felt the same things. What would it be to see Devon again ? How would they , especially Uly, cope with it? Would they be able to remove the chips? These were questions everybody asked himself, but no one had answers to.
On the fifth day something changed. Caroline, who had said no word since her sudden outbreak, was getting extremely nervous. When asked why, she had no explanation. Julia kept an eye on her, like Morgan. He still didn't trust her. His mistrust had even grown. He watched her as she ate, he watched her as she slept and he would even watch her relieving herself if not forbidden by Bess. Bess thought not very much of the activities of her husband although she had to admit she didn't trust Caroline to the extent Alonzo did. But Bess knew Morgan would sooner or later come to rest. It was his normal reaction to strangers. And if not , she would help him find his right way.
The days went by and Morgan was still suspicious. They were all totally exhausted but they still marched on like before, knowing they had to reach the ship as soon as possible. In the evening of the seventh day, they were only ten more miles away. It was already dark, the children were sleeping and the vehicles were getting slower. But Danziger didn't want to lose more time and so they went on. It was midnight when they reached the ship.
There was no sign of tiredness or exhaustion. They raced into the ship and found Devon, still in the cryo-chamber. Julia immediately checked her up.
"The functions are normal. Everything's is as it was when we left her."
"And now, Caroline , what comes next?"
She said no word, just stood there and looked at Devon. "I can remember her. Her face, her hair, everything seems familiar. But no more."
"Okay, people, lets go and get some hours of sleep. We'll discuss everything else tomorrow."
Walman slapped on John's shoulder and went out. The others followed him. Alonzo was the last, he hesitated a moment and looked at John who was still there. Then he walked to Julia. "Do you think he'll stay the night in there again?" " Wouldn't you?"
"You're right. I love you, Julia."
" And I love you, Alonzo"
John stayed back and looked at Devon.
*This is not fair, Adair. You don't' know what you did to me. You have no idea how much I'm suffering. You can't imagine what pain I'm going through. Do you realize what you've said back then? Ha, not loving me. I don't buy this Adair, in no way. I can't believe it, because... oh, yeah, good, John, now you're already talking to yourself...get this woman out of your head !!! If that was only as easy..*
Uly watched them and when they were gone he slowly approached the ship. He wanted to see his mom. To talk to her, also he knew she could not answer him. He missed her and it was becoming more and more hard to do without her, now that he was here again. At first it hadn't been so bad, cauz the Terrians had told him it would get okay, but they hadn't come to him during the last days they had been travelling.
Inside John sat on the floor and thought of Devon. His head was in his arms and so he didn't realize Uly was coming in. Uly sat quietly down next to him.
"John, do you think that Julia can help her out?" "I don't know, Uly. But one day she will come out again, I know that." John lifted his head and smiled at the young boy he was responsible for. He was so much like his mother...all hat he'd been through in his life, faced with death much too often for his age and he had never lost his optimism. It was really an admirable kid, just like his daughter. He was glad the two had each other. He had noticed the lately conversations between them and felt they were now becoming real friends. Friends for life. And maybe, a very, very vague maybe, sister and brother.
"You love my mom, don't you?"
"Yes, Uly, I love her."
"And she loves you."
"She told me something different."
"She didn't mean it."
"Why are you so sure? You don't even know what she said." "She told you to go on without her and she denied that she loved you..."
"Hey, where do you know that from?" he was once again amazed at the ability of the young boy to know exactly what is mother would do. He wondered if he should tell Uly that exactly that had happened. "Hey, she's my mom. I know her best after Yale and I can tell what she thinks. I feel that she loves you. I just know it. She needn't tell me."
"You're a clever boy, Uly."
"You didn't believe her, did you?"
"No, not really..."
"Then how come you were so angry?"
"I dunno, kiddo. The whole situation had gotten on my nerves, I'm sorry ."
"That's okay with me. But you should talk to True. She's a bit annoyed that you treated her like that. You know her." "Yes, you're right, Uly. You should go to bed now. The last days were really hard." he grinned. Not only did the boy know his mother very well, no, now he lectured him about his daughter, too. "I�d like to stay here."
"Okay, then lay down." Uly laid his head on Johns legs. He fell asleep the same moment.

Final fights (8/12)
by Manuela Schuppe
PART EIGHT
The next morning they had all difficulties waking up. The last days had used up lots of their strengths. Julia woke up first. She went inside the enormous ship and found Danziger sitting on the floor and Uly sleeping on his leg.
"Hey, John, how are you?"
"Morning Julia. I think quite well. And you?" "Exhausted and helpless." She said looking in Devon's directions. "Just like I, like everyone else."
"What do you think we should do now?"
"Remove these damned chips. We'll find a way to outwit Reilly. With Caroline's help we should be able to do that." "Yes. I�ll go and wake the others. It's time we start." She went out.
An hour later they had finished breakfast and were now all assembled inside.
Caroline was investigating the controls and all the buttons. Only a few seemed familiar to her.
Suddenly a light went on and moments later Reilly appeared on the monitor in the middle of the room.
"Hello, hello, hello. You are back, I see. Julia, Danziger, wasn't it and this handsome Mr. S.O.L.A.C.E. oh, ... and ...of course... Mr. ... Martin, nice to see you. I see that you told the others about our little conversation..."
"Not again you." Morgan sighted.
"Oh, I see that you have a guest with you. Don't you want to introduce her to me, Julia?"
"Reilly, what do you want now?"
"I just came to tell your guest that she was told not everything. This computer can't be outwitted. Bye, bye then. Hahahahahahahahahahhahah...."
Caroline looked up shocked. They had come here for nothing. "I don't believe him." Alonzo said as he walked towards the monitors and pressed some buttons.
"Yes, he lied. There is a way to outwit Reilly..." "Tell us Caroline."
"John, he is programmed to stop his observations and automatically remove the chips as soon as you all die..." "Oh Jesus!!" Yale cried out.
"Oh no." Everybody was stunned. And shocked. "But I know a way how to let you die and you could live afterwards..." Caroline looked into every face. "Live and let die. Just the other way around. No problem." Morgan was sarcastic.
"Cold-sleep."
"Cold-sleep?" Julia asked, "but wouldn't they have failed in the 22 years cold-sleep?"
"No, they began their work first when you woke up." "And that code?" Alonzo had some difficulties understanding that all.
"Reilly is programmed to give in the code as soon as he learns of your deaths. And only then the chips will be removed." "But Reilly is just a computer-program. What happens to him after we
"died"?"
"He'll exist on, unless I kill him with another code." "Do you know that code?"
"Yes. And I won't have to go into cold-sleep. I have no chip, just like she." she pointed towards Devon.
"Can you enter that code while we are in cold-sleep, Caroline?" "This is the only way to do it."
"At least Devon not having the chip explains that she didn't feel this pain while Yale gave in Benett's code..." Julia looked at her friends. "But why didn't she have one and why don't you have one?" "I think it was due to someone at level six. But I'm not sure. I never was able to find out. And I don't have one because I was not supposed to come to this planet."
That made Julia prick up her ears.
"Who are you, Caroline?"
"Julia, I still can't remember more. It is blocked. Like a gray cloud where you can't see what is next to you." she sighted. "We still have a problem. We don't have enough chambers here." Yale had brought it to the point.
"This ship hosts a secret room where there are twelve more chambers."
"And where is this hidden room?" Danziger looked around. He couldn't see another door anywhere. And there was indeed no door, at least not where he looked. Caroline typed something into the computer and then a door in the floor slipped open. "Wow !" True said as a glomming light came from there.
They all went down, finding 12 more chambers, empty chambers. "Why do they have these chambers?"
"I can't remember .. but I assume that they contained Z.E.D.s or others or they were supposed to carry someone back to the stations.."
"Could be a possibility." Danziger was again getting suspicious. What else did she know and hide from them? He didn't believe that she couldn't remember who she was, now that she had said all these things. Who guaranteed them that she was not in with Reilly? Reilly himself had only said that she had been misinformed. He didn't say a name or more. What was behind all that? Who was this woman? And why had she come here? To save them or to destroy their plans and in the end kill them?
"And now," Julia asked "what shell we do yet?" "Let's get out of here doc. We got something to discuss...." John let her out.
The rest of the group followed. Only Caroline stayed back. She knew that the discussion would be about her. Whether to trust her or not. So she waited. Half an hour passed and no one had come down again. Another 20 minutes went by and still there was no sign. She wondered how long it would take them to come to an agreement. "Who the heck am I?" she shouted at the walls, getting more and more angry at herself.
"Am I the good one or what? Damn it, damn it, damn it.." Then, ten minutes later Uly came in and told her to go to the others. He walked behind her up the stairs but didn't follow her out. Instead he turned to his mother.
"Hey mom. I know you can't hear me, but I have to tell you anyway... I don't want to lose you, mom. I love you. Oh, why can't you be here. You would know what to do." a sound behind him made him stop.
"Alonzo, you're here ..."
"Yes, Uly and I've heard everything you said. I'm so sorry about your mom. I know what a pain that is... I was as old as you are now when my mom died. I was never close to her and still it hurt. I had nightmares every night. Not like you. You're a strong boy. I never was."
"I've learned to live with death early. And I know that my mom doesn't have to die. Not now."
"Uly, what did you do that the Terrians owed you something?" Alonzo still wanted to find that out, even after the try with Marry. "You wouldn't understand it. It's Terrian stuff." "Okay, okay, okay, before I have to rip this out of you I try not to think of that anymore..."
"Yes. How did you come over your mom's death?" "I think I never really did. To outside I seemed to have forgotten, but inside it still hurt. I thinks that's why I stopped dreaming. Over the time I thought less and less about her...but Uly, no word to the others about that. It's a secret...you gotta keep it...okay?" "I swear."
The others were slowly coming back. They had agreed to go into cold-sleep but not without programming Zero that he would wake them in three hours if didn't wake them up earlier. And they connected him with the monitors so that he could supervise their sleep and prevent Caroline from doing something that could harm them. Then they had given in a password which only John and Julia together could give in. So Caroline was unable to change the orders Zero was given.
Julia prepped everyone for cold-sleep. She would be the last to go in and the first to come out.
Alonzo had this boyish smile. "Yeah, cold-sleep. I already missed it like hell ."
"You crazy sleep-jumper." Julia said to him before she closed his chamber. Then she went into her chamber and Caroline closed it. The chambers took up their work and within a few seconds everybody slept.
Now it was Caroline's turn. She went to the consoles and gave in some orders.
Reilly appeared on a monitor. "Ah, I see you did what you were ordered.. . How did you kill them, citizen?" Caroline was shocked. She was the bad one . But she didn't want to play the part of the bad girl. But she showed no reaction, stayed cool. "The water tasted somehow strange this morning as I was told. Perhaps some poison was in it, but I'm not sure. Anyway, I didn't drink any of it." she thought that up pretty fast and Reilly believed her, although he had seen all of them not very long ago, but chip was chip and when there was no life-sign, the person was dead. "Good, good. Great work."
"Yeah. Listen, Reilly. I got something to do now. Giving the corpses a grave and things like that."
"Okay , citizen. We'll talk later again." He disappeared and left a puzzled Caroline behind. Citizen... kill them... what was going on here? She considered everything for five minutes until she realized it was time to give in the code.
She searched for a program, wondering why she knew what she was searching for.
Then she found it. An empty window.
She gave in > goto G889/ ~\ find all chips}| remove biostate chip \ password [7848392]/<
A new window opened and all the names of every person with a biostate chip on this planet was shown. Devon Adair was not on the list and she still didn't know why.
Caroline clicked them all and pressed enter. The Reilly Program could do that but she wanted to do it on her own, to be sure that Reilly didn't wait two days and she woke them earlier...that would mean their project to fail...
"Removing biostate chips in progress" was printed on the screen. Two minutes later it was completed.
But then Reilly appeared "What have you done? You didn't kill them ? That's betrayal , you know that."
She wondered why he knew this but didn't show it. "I don't Reilly. I lost my memory. I only can remember how to remove the chips. Nothing more."
Reilly looked at her. "You lying b*tch. I�ll replace the chips." "Impossible. I destroyed them. You should know that. Elizabeth intend them to fail when removed once." "Elizabeth didn't know what she was saying." Caroline glared angrily at Reilly and then something, a picture formed before her inner eyes.
A picture of her talking to Mark.
<"No, Mark, I have to go. You know it. I just have to help those people. What I know could save their lives." "And what about me, do you think I could live without you?" "Hell, Mark, then come with me."
"You know, that I can't." then suddenly Mark broke down and died.>
This recollection brought back her memory. And that gave Caroline the strength to erase the program which monitored Reilly. With a final scream Reilly faded away.
Caroline stood there, shocked.
Another signal peep.
Another line appeared on the computer
~ Blackout sector out of order ~
~ Coordinates to Z.E.D.-units transferred ~ Program of Terrian destroyed ~
All these lines didn't mean anything to Caroline. But she knew who she was again and she also knew that she now impossibly could stay with them.
She had to leave the group. Desperately she spoke a good-bye on Alonzo's gear.
"I found out who I am and now that I know my identity, it is impossible for me to go along with you. I am not evil, I never was. But I have a background that doesn't allow me to stay on the planet. I have to go back to the stations. I had a good time with you and I�ll miss everyone, even Morgan. Good bye, Eden Project. May you succeed on this planet."
She pushed the buttons to release them from cold-sleep, went out of the ship, packed something to eat and drink and then took the single ATV to drive back to her ship.
The wind blew away her traces which had once been in the hot sand on this new Earth. The Earth that would be home to the colonists, the Earth that would provide them with food and water, the Earth that would allow their children to live free and healthy, the Earth where friendships and relationships would begin, the Earth that would mean everything to them.
But what would be life for Caroline about ? A life without friends, without a place to call home? It would be worthless because friends and a home is what human beings need to survive. And you can't call space-stations home. They are not natural, they don't provide you with fresh air or real light. You just can't call them home when you've been on a planet so beautiful and fascinating like this new earth.......
The Terrian felt a sudden pain, his vision faded. When he woke up again he found himself in something that he wasn't used to. It made him feel cramped. He tried to go into the earth to go to his mother but he wasn't able to do so. Something held him back. He tried to call to the others for help but he wasn't able to dream. He knelt in a normal Terrian way and waited for the strange feeling to fade.
The darkness was slowly fading. The first beams of light streamed into her eyes. Vaguely she opened them . For just a split of a second she had opened them. It was so bright. And she was so tired. Sleep. Yeah, just another five minutes of sleep. She sighted. Five more minutes...
But then it hit her. "Caroline, did it work?" her voice was slightly groggy. But
Julia was awake now. She opened her eyes completely and looked around. She saw Caroline nowhere. She stood up, checked the data of the others. Alonzo was just sitting up, seeming to be perfect fit. "Hey, doc. That was just what I needed now. How are you?" He stood up, walked towards her and laid his arms around Julia's waist, kissing her gently on the neck.
"Good, but where is Caroline? Have you seen her?" "No, you wake the others, I search for her outside. She can't be far away. Zero didn't wake us. It was her, see here." he pointed towards Zero who stood on the same place like they had left him. "Okay." Julia went to the kids while Alonzo sprinted out. True was already up, looking fine, but Uly still lay there sleeping. She remembered the time when he wouldn't wake up from coldsleep, back in the Advance.
She gently shook his shoulder but he showed no reaction. Yale and John approached her.
"What's up, doc?"
"He doesn't wake up. It's been nearly ten minutes now." "Look, he moves..." John said as Uly moved his head slowly. Then his whole body moved.
"He's in REM." Julia said surprised.
"Maybe a Terrian dream." True looked at Uly. "She's gone !!!" Alonzo came rushing back. He held his gear in the left hand.
"What??"
"Listen to that...." He played what Caroline had spoken on it. When it had finished, they all stood around. Nobody said a word. Uly was still dreaming but his movements slowed down. "What's up with Uly?" Alonzo asked.
"We think he's having a Terrian dream." Julia was concerned. But not so Danziger.
"Okay, we now have two problems: first Uly. He'll sooner or later wake up. It's just a question of time, second : Caroline. We need to find her. I want to talk to her. She just can't go without saying a word."
Walman gave Baines a sign. "Danziger, Baines and I take the four seater and drive to her ship. It's most possible that she went there." "Yes, get ready now. Thanks." John sighted. On problem less. At least for the time being.
Baines and Walman left. Magus and some of the others followed them.
True sat next to Uly and patted his hand. "Uly, wake up. Can you hear me? Come on. You've slept long enough." And indeed Uly was slowly opening his eyes. "True??? Is that you??"
"No, it's just my ghost you fool."
"Not again, True, stop it. Please." Danziger couldn't believe his daughter was actually saying this.
"Okay, dad."
"Hey, Uly, are you all right?" Julia laid her diaglove on his neck. "Yeah, I just had a dream. Nothing more." "Was it a Terrian dream?"
"Yeah."
"And what did they tell you?" Alonzo and the rest were curious. "They told me that they couldn't help my mom." Julia tried a smile. She failed. It wasn't easy for her. Neither was it for Uly or anybody else.
"Then we should go leave. Come on, Uly." "I'd like to stay here for a few minutes, please." "Okay, take your time. We won't leave before tomorrow." Julia went out and Uly gazed at his mother.
When he came out True waved to him. He went over to her. "And, do you want to see the place I saw that weird Terrian?" "You still believe it, or?"
"Yes, now more than ever. C'mon. I'll show you where it was." She led him away from the camp and indeed the earth had been digged where she showed him. Uly investigated the place further, his head bend down. True looked around.
And saw the Terrian again.
"Uly..." she said quietly "Uly !" somewhat louder. "Uly, look, there he is again..."
Uly spun around.
"Whoa...you're right !!!"
"See, I didn't lie !" she was glad that she hadn't seen a fata morgana. The kids ran towards the Terrian.
"Hey, you, who are you?" Uly looked at him. The Terrian seemed to feel uncomfortable.
"Why does he wear clothes?" True gazed at the strange figure. Never before had she been that close to a Terrian. It fascinated her. He looked so...so cool. Not like a cat. It was cooler. If only she could dream with them.
"Hey you, why do you wear clothes...let us dream." He waited but the Terrian didn't move.
"I don't know what's up with him..." Uly tried to communicate but failed again.
"Perhaps the clothes irritate him.." True suggested. "Why does he wear them then , he?" he answered but seconds later he ripped the clothes off the Terrian, still annoyed that it hadn't been his idea. The Terrian laid his one hand on Uly's forehead and the other one on True's.
Both kids dreamed. True was mesmerized. "Wow, is that cool !!!"
"Yeah, it really is. But be quiet now. I have to do business." True gave Uly a look that named him an over-important-acting-talker. But the boy was already
occupied with dreaming with the Terrian. True walked a little bit around. Everything seemed dizzy here, the sand, the sky, the clouds, Uly, her hands...
It took endless until Uly was finally finished. A sudden force opened her eyes and took her away from the dreamplain. They were back on the normal level of this amazing planet. "And, what did he say, why did he wear all this clothes?" "He can't remember." Uly sighted.
"One more. Why are there suddenly all those people not remembering what had happened to them during the last days???" "Well, the Terrian can't remember anything that happened during the last ten years or so..."
"And, what are we gonna do now???"
"I'll bring him back to his folks."
"Cool, can I come with you?" True liked the thought of imploring some Terrian caves.
"No, he already took you to the dreamplain. That's enough." "Ah, c'mon Uly, that can't be all. I really like to see it and I won't touch anything, I promise..."
He wasn't sure if she would keep her promise but he wasn't going to argue now. The grown ups could come every minute and he wanted to be back before that.
He didn't want to tell the others yet.
"Okay, come on. Here we go." He took True's hand and the three of them sank into the earth. Moments later they were back. True was a bit disappointed that she hadn't been able to walk much around down there. It had been really cool.
Just at that moment John's head appeared behind a small hill. "Hey kids, you alright?" he wondered what they' done. Both had turned around and were shocked at his sudden appearance but tried not to show it. To bad for them that this was him. Nothing that he didn't see. Especially when it came to his daughter. "Uly, I think Yale wants to talk to you." The boy understood and went away. Now it was only Danz and True. "Hey True."
"Hey John..." she said trying to provoke him. It didn't work. "You know, I haven't been very nice to you lately and I'd like to apologize for that. I'm sorry."
She watched him close for several minutes. It was a hard look, but he gave it back harder. She couldn't beat him with that. She always looked away first.
"Dad." She said coldly. "There's a Koba behind you." He spun around.
She laughed out loud.
"Hey you, this ain't fair !!!"
True began running away from him still laughing. It didn't take him too long to be a her side. He stopped her and sat down. "True, I'm really sorry."
"I know, dad" she hugged him.
Uly felt a sudden need to close his eyes. He sat down and touched the soil, then closed his eyes.
The Terrian was back on the dreamplain. He told Uly what had happened to his mother.
And what he would have to do to help healing her. Uly listened with sharp ears. When the Terrian finished Uly went back to the ship. Nobody was inside. He waited another second. Then he just opened the door.
Nothing happened.
He looked around. Was there any button to push even when he had opened the door?
Still there was no movement. No light had gone on or out. He got nervous. Waited.
Still no reaction.
The seconds were like minutes.
It felt as if time stood still.
Nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing.
In a state of panic Uly closed the chamber. Then opened it again.
Nothing.
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
He closed and opened it one more time.
No reaction. Nothing.
Tttttttrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrttttttttrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrtttttttttrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrr
Something just had to happen !!!
No, nothing.
Then a sound.
He turned around and faced Julia.
The door was still open. Still no reaction. "Uly !! What are you doing????!!!!???" Julia quickly closed the door and looked at the data.
Nothing had changed. Devon was still in cold-sleep. "Uly, why did you do that?"
"I needed to do it. I can't explain why. I just felt the urge to release her as soon as possible."
"Can you explain this feeling closer?" she knelt down next to him. "No. Julia, I can't explain anything that happens with me. The dreams, the feelings, I don't know what they're about." "Okay, champ. It will get all right, believe me. Let's go. Don't worry, okay?" She watched his face closely. Uly looked once again at his mother. She was not visibly ill. She seemed all right. Just as if she were sleeping. But he knew better. Btu why hadn't it work? He had been so sure that was what the Terrians had wanted him to do and yet they didn't tell him why. Julia led Uly out into the scorching G889 sun. Nothing happened in the now empty ship. At least for several days.
The colonists packed their things and took up their journey to New Pacifica again.
In about one year the Colony would arrive. And with this ship over 200 families.
They all needed a home , a hospital and other things. A whole town would have to be built up.
Devon was important, too, but at the moment these things came first. That was suddenly clear to everyone. They knew it was what Devon was expecting them to do. They would return to Devon as soon as possible, no question, and they would come back with a cure for her.

Final fights (9/12)
by Manuela Schuppe
PART NINE
Three days later:
Baines and Walman were on their way to Caroline's ship, that is if her name was really Caroline.
The others were one day behind them. The mood was somewhat sad. The days were long and sleep was hard to find. Reilly was dead, the chips had been removed, but there had been no improvement of Devon's condition. They were all trying to avoid each other. Trying to forget the fact that they would have to cross this godamn planet without Devon. Danziger and Yale were good leaders, too, but they all lacked Devon's optimism.
Caroline drove with the ATV across some plain land. Suddenly, a bullet hit her. She stooped the ATV, bending down to the ground in the deepest pain she'd ever felt. She was bleeding from a hole in her leg.
For several minutes she just laid there and hoped the pain would cease, but it didn't. Apparently, she'd have to wait until the others came. She was sure they'd come. Human's curiosity was predictable. She knew that from herself. Now she could only hope it wouldn't take them too long.
*Damn, this pain is really nasty...And who the heck shot at me???*
A sudden noise from behind her let her turn around, what immediately increased the pain. She didn't like what she looked at. "Hi Z.E.D., not very nice of you to shoot at me like that. Remove this thing !!!"
"Who are you?"
"Rumpelstilzchen"
The Z.E.D. looked somewhat puzzled and Caroline would have almost laughed. But she knew her life had come to an end. She knew the others wouldn't be fast enough here and she couldn't give the Z.E.D. the answers he wanted, so the cyborg would not remove the bullet.
"That name is not on the manifest."
Now she laughed but regretted it the same second. The Z.E.D. didn't look very pleased.
"State your name. Your real name."
"You wouldn't find it on your manifest anyway. I got here after your orders were given to you."
"State it. Now. Or I won't remove the bullet from your leg." "Z.E.D.s never remove any bullet. That's one of their orders." "State your name."
"Come on, this is getting boring." The pain was now even worse. She hoped she could make the Z.E.D so angry that he killed her immediately. She didn't enjoy to suffer like that. But nooo ! The guy just knelt down and pressed her leg which caused more pain. She cried out loud.
"Okay, okay. Caroline." It wasn't her real name, but who cared. She was about to die anyway.
"And now the surname !"
"Monster."
"Caroline Monster. The name's not on the manifest." "I told you."
*And with monster I meant you !!!*
"We are making no progress here. Your time is ticking away." "So tell me, Z.E.D., why are you here? Suddenly don't have any contact to Reilly, hmm?"
"What do you know about him?"
"He was just a computer-program and I erased that program, meaning I killed him. Just as you are going to kill me, right?" "Reilly was no program. He is a real person." "No, your being wrong again."
"I saw him with my own eyes."
"When and where would that have been then?" "On this planet. But I'm not going to answer any more questions before you don't answer mine."
"Okay, let's see if I know anything that helps you." perhaps there was hope.
"Tell me about any contact you had with the inhabitants." "I had none. But I talked to the Eden-Project." "Eden-Project??? The name is not on the manifest. What is it?" "Group of people who come down here some months ago. Their ship crashed.
They came here because of the Syndrome kids. Does that ring a bell ?"
"Yeah, I've heard about that. Kills the children. I kill better." "Whom are you telling this..."
"Where are these people?"
"I don't know. I drove away from them. They were just a little bit too curious.
After all I had a job to do here."
"And what was that job?"
"Erase The Reilly-Program."
"Reilly is human."
"You don't seem to get it, he?"
"Where are these people, don't get of the subject again, I warn you !"
"There." she pointed into the direction where she'd just come from." "Do they have weapons?"
"No, the Grendler stole them. Forget about them. They'll die anyway."
"Why do you think so?"
"Trust me, I know it. They have as much as nothing. No food, not enough water, no place to go. They are as good as dead. Anything else you wanna know? If not then could you please be so kind to remove the bullet?"
"Like you said, my orders are not to do so." "It was a try. Okay, then what about if you prayed with me?" "Praying???" he let out a laugh. "You gotta be kidding." "Okay, then let me die alone."
"No, I want to know some other things. About these people. How many are
they?"
"Seven." She lied. But what could he do about it. "Easy targets or difficult?"
"Among them are two children. They have no doctor. Once you shoot them they are dead."
"Reilly is a doctor."
"Reilly is a program. You'll never learn it." "Sure, then how do you explain this?" he showed her a scar, quite a big one, on his arm. It didn't look very old. And it was stitched with laser.
"You could have done that yourself." She said, not very impressed. "It was Reilly."
"Okay, and where is Reilly?"
"I'm not allowed to tell that to strangers." "Hey, we are no strangers. You know my name and we've been talking for some time now. You can trust me." "So you finally believe that Reilly does exist." "If you can proved it, then I'd believe you." "Later. Why did you come here, besides killing a program?" "I'm sorry, I'm not allowed to...." she fainted. Half an hour later she woke up again. She felt like being sick any second.
The bullet had moved towards her abdomen by now. She spit out some blood. It tasted really ugly.
"Talk to me. Why did you come here?"
"Hey... can't... you see...that...I'm ... in pain...bring...me to...Reilly" her voice was barely audible. She was to weak too move. "It's too far, from here, I'm sorry. I still can remove the bullet. I talked to Reilly.
He said it would be okay if you told me why you came here." "You...would...kill me...if ...you knew. I want... to talk...to Reilly...Now!"
"You die when you don't tell me. I'm having strict orders to keep you alive. Reilly wants to know what else you know. She laughed. It was really crazy. He still believed Reilly was here. "Tell the...people of...Eden-Pro...ject...that...I'm.... ...that I'm...sorry...."
she fainted again.
The Z.E.D. bend down and removed the bullet, but it was too late. It had already cut a hole into the stomach. She was bleeding badly. He shook her.
"What is your name, tell me..."
She woke up again.
"Carol Waldman..."
"That name is on the manifest. I have to kill you Carol Waldman." She looked at him, puzzled, irritated and confused.
*Why*
Was her last thought and then she closed her eyes for forever. The Z.E.D. threw away the bullet. Then he contacted Reilly again. For month he hadn't been able to do so and a lot of data were stored. He transferred them.
Then he told Reilly what Carol had said about the Eden- Project. She'd lied to him...seven people not armed, no doctor. He'd kill them all. One by one. The bullet exploded. The Z.E.D. was going to wait for these people. This vehicle seemed nice enough to drive a bit around. Yeah, he could drive into the direction this Carol had pointed and shorten the time. Quickly he dug a grave and put the corpse in it. Then he took his things and started the ATV. Then he stopped again. He located two more human beings.
Miles behind the colonist the door Uly had opened and Julia closed slowly slipped open. It had never been completely closed. The next few minutes nothing happened.
The cold air began warming up. Lights began to blink. An alarm went on.
The room was full of noise, light and fog from the warming air. Devon fell to the ground.
She opened her eyes with a supreme effort. Her body was aching terribly. She could hardly breath. She raised her hand, tried to reach the consoles. She was too weak.
"John...Uly...Yale...Julia...oh" she coughed "...John..." she tried to scream but she felt much too weak.
*John, where are you all...don't let me die...I didn't mean what I said...John*
She was dying.
Her eyes closed and her last breath let the very last air she had breathed out of her body.
At the same time Uly felt a sudden pain. He stopped. Looked down at the earth. An image of his mom, of his dead mom appeared before his eyes.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he cried out. The others came rushing towards him.
"Uly, what's up? Talk Uly, what's up????????" John was deadly worried. A terrible fear packed him.
"She, she just died. She died. She died." Uly said. Silence.
Sorrow.
Grief.
Misery.
Shocked faces.
Sad faces.
Disbelieve everywhere.
Nobody moved.

Final fights (10/12)
by Manuela Schuppe
PART TEN
Back in the ship
*Is this the ship? Everything's so dizzy...it's... hey, that's the dreamplain !!!"
Devon stood up slowly. She looked around. Nobody there. "Where are they all?" she asked the walls. Desperation grew inside her.
Then a Terrian came up from the earth. He walked around her, watched her.
Devon felt as if he checked her. Checked her for whatever. "What do you want? Where is my son...can I talk to him...please I need to see my son...." she sobbed. All this couldn't be true...or was this heaven after all???
All she could remember was waking up on the floor of the ship and feeling like she was dying...and now she was here...on the dreamplain...or whatever this place was. The Terrian just looked at her.
"I'll do whatever you want...just let me talk to my son...please...what is this
place???"
The Terrian showed her a different place and she suddenly knew she wasn't dead.
She lived...and she would see her son again. And John. Devon cried. "Where are they??? Can you bring them to me? Or me to them? Are they at New Pacifica? Please tell me..." she pleaded.
At the same time Walman and Baines found the grave. "Hey, this wasn't here when we drove by the other day...I have a bad feeling about this." Baines looked around cautiously. "Calm down..." Walman sounded not very easy himself. He stopped the Dunerail.
The two men got their MagPros and got out. "Stop. Or I'll shoot !" a demanding voice said loud. The men turned around.
"My God." Baines went pale. His hands were trembling. Carefully he laid down
his MagPro.
"Who are you? Do you know anything about the Eden-Project?" he was stern.
"Damn it...what did she tell him?" Baines glared at the grave. "Stay cool...we have a very good chance of getting outta here. Don't tell him anything." He tried to sound confident Baines just got frightened too easily.
"Yeah...sure...no problem with that...I'm all okay...I know nothing..." The Z.E.D. came closer and took away their Mags. "Talk or you'll end up like she !"
"What do you want from us? Who is she??" he was trying to get some time.
Considered the circumstances, Walman was pretty cool.
*Okay, boy, the best is to calm down and don't panic. The rest will come here, I just have to contact them and they'll hurry. As long as we don't upset him, he won't shot any of these darn bullets. Keep him happy....*
"So you don't know her? Who are you?"
"C'mon, how can we know who she is...there's a lot of dirt over that body...we don't even know whether it's a female or a male..." "Who are you?"
"Walman, that is Baines. And I'm sure we're not on your manifest." Too late he realized his mistake.
"So you've already met one of mine...how did you survive?" "I have heard stories of Z.E.D.s back on the stations. What do you want from us."
"Your real names. And information about the Eden-Project." "You have our real names. I know nothing about something called Eden-Project.
What is that?"
"You are lying. This vehicle belongs to your little project. I gotta kill you when you lie again. Where are the other colonists?" That looked real bad now. He knew there were others. That much for a surprise
attack. "They are ahead of us."
The Z.E.D. pointed his weapon at him. "That is a lie ! She told me something different."
"She... very young?...called Caroline?" "That was not her real name. So she lied to you, too." "What was her real name?"
"That's none of your business." He wanted to continue but something caught his attention. He was silent for a moment. "Okay, take something to eat and drink and then we have to go." "Where are we going?"
"Reilly."
Walman and Baines looked at each other. Baines wanted to ask a question but the Z.E.D. gave him that don't-even-dare-to-open-yourmouth look and Baines let it be.
"You also believe that Reilly is just a program. I'll prove you otherwise now.
Hurry up. He's waiting to interrogate you." "How far is it?"
"Five days from here. We take this vehicle there." He pointed to the Dunerail.
"That should get us there faster."
Walman nodded. Perhaps he would be able to sabotage it a little. That would give the others more time to close up with them. He was just waiting for the right moment to contact and warn them.
Miles away on the dreamplain:
Uly entered. He tried to contact the Terrians. Alonzo followed him. But nobody else showed up.
They waited and waited but they got no response to the answer they had asked several times now.
The Terrian was still inspecting Devon. Shared her feelings, her pain, her desperation, her love for Uly and her love for this other human. He got to know her life from the very start. Was there when her mom gave birth to Devon. He saw her going to school for the first time. Experienced the proud she felt when she graduated summa cum laude and got her diploma. Found out about the hopelessness when Uly was diagnosed with the Syndrome. His journey took him to the time she brought Uly here. He felt that Devon respected this planet. Respected it , respected the Terrian, respected life itself. He could see that Devon loved his planet and would never harm his mother.
Devon looked up after he had seen the most recent event of her life, her death, and she began begging again. She begged for her life. Begged him to be allowed to watch her boy grow up, begged him to let her go back to the others, if only to tell John that she loved him. The Terrian disappeared. She felt his last thought: he already knows that .
Devon was covered with sand, white hot sand, when her lungs filled with oxygen again. The air circulated through her system, the organs took up their work, the blood transported the oxygen to her brain. Devon woke up. The pain had left. So had the illness. Whatever it had been, it had gone. Once and for all. She tried to stand up but was still too weak. "John !!! Where are you all??? John !!!" what should she do now? She didn't know what had affected her and she felt so sick, so weak and unprotected. No one was around, no human she could talk to. Had they actually left her like she had told John? What period of time had passed since then? One day? One month? Three months? One year? She didn't like this feeling at all. For the first time in her life Devon Adair felt her optimism fade.
*No, you're not gonna give up, go on... try whatever you can...but don't let yourself down !!! Somebody has to be here...why else are you awake??? They'll return...they're just around the corner...Keep your head up, Devon !!!*
Back on the dreamplain:
"They won't come." Uly stated. He turned around so that Alonzo couldn't see his tears.
"We should go back to the others. It doesn't make sense waiting here anyway."
Uly left the dreamplain.
When he woke up John was besides him. Julia was leaning over Alonzo who hadn't returned yet.
Uly didn't move. He couldn't look into Danziger's eyes which were as full of pain as his own.
What would come now? What would he do without his mother? He had nobody, no other relative on this planet. He was alone. "Uly.." John whispered "I will look after you. We all will. You will never be alone here. We belong together and we care for each other. We all feel sorrow and grief now and within the next days that won't change. But we desperately need to know where you know from that Devon had... that Devon had died..." "I saw her dying. Isn't that enough?"
"No, Uly. You see we have to decide now whether to drive back or move on.."
"Drive back, of course. " he wanted to be with his mom, wanted to be hold by her.
Yale knelt down next to Uly, trying to comfort him with all the strength he could.
"We'll drive back." Yale was exhausted. He hadn't been able to help Devon, the person that he had helped raising. She was the only one who had ever trusted him completely, she had stood by him whenever he needed her most. And now she had gone. He stood up and went away.
Uly looked around. He saw True standing in a distance. Once Yale was out of sight she came to him.
"Hey, and did you find out anything?"
"No. The Terrians didn't show up. That's not normal." "What did this other Terrian tell you? I mean the one with the clothes. Couldn't he help your mom?"
"He told me I should open the door and he would take care of her after her then. I don't know what happened." "You know, I don't believe your mom is dead. If that Terrian told you he was going to heal her, he'd to it. This is his planet. Perhaps it was some poison. Like the thing the Kobas have. I don't think she is dead, Uly."
"I wish you were right, True."
"She patted his hand. "Why don't you try it again?" "I don't know what good that will do."
"I don't either. But at least you're doing something then... and if you want, I'll join you..."
"Okay. Sit down." He wept away his tears and laid his hand on True's forehead.
Both kids entered the dreamplain.
The Terrian was there.
"See, I told you... now go along and ask him !" True pushed him forward.
"Uly...is that you?" Devon didn't believe her eyes. "Mom !!!" Uly rushed into her arms. He was crying again, just as Devon. True slowly came closer. She didn't want to disturb this moment. But as soon as Devon noticed her, she took her into her arms, too. True didn't mind that. She had missed Devon, too. "Devon, are you alright?" she asked shyly. "Yes, True, I am." She sounded happy. "Uly, how are you, where are you, what happened?"
"Calm down... what happened to her?" he asked the Terrian. While the Terrian took Uly on a dream-trip Devon talked to True. "True, how is your father?" the kid grinned. "All messed up. I wonder what you told him to make him angry like that..." she would get the story first hand now... "Well, something I didn't mean...but I'll have to talk about this with him. When you see him, tell him I didn't mean it... that it is like he said...he will understand."
"Why don't I just tell him that you loved him...would be much less complicated.."
True laughed when she saw Devon blushing. "Where do you know that from?" should she tell the kids it was true or should she deny this for she didn't know how John was going to act towards her?
"C'mon, Devon... that's too obvious...everybody noticed there was something between you and dad..." True couldn't stop laughing "Hey, it's okay...you can stop laughing like that now." Devon could hardly keep her laughter back, too. She grinned. "And what shall I tell him now?"
"Don't tell him anything ...just make sure you come back here as soon as possible, will you?" Devon was okay on the dreamplain...but she wasn't sure if she was going to survive too long in the real world, but she could impossibly tell that True. "Yeah, it won't take us very long...maybe two days...can you stay there as long?"
"Yes." Devon sighted. Two days could be a very long time. What would she eat and drink? As far as she remembered there was no river near the ship. But she knew she could make it if she wanted to. Uly and the Terrian came back. Uly was very pale. "Mom." He sounded way to serious. "I have to tell you something bad."
"What is it?"
"It was the Council who wanted to kill you..." he sobbed. True and Devon were at his side the same time.
"Explain, Uly...and don't be worried, I'm okay now." The boy tried to be brave. And he wasn't too bad at this. "Reilly is here, he is a real person after all. He captured this Terrian and implanted a chip in his head. So he could take over control over his body.
The Terrian had to mix some poison into your water. He didn't do it willingly, you have to know that..." he paused. Devon was shocked.
*My God...Reilly is yet a real person...but where is he...orbit or planet??"
"Go on, Uly ..."
"It was a poison from a very seldom plant. There are only three samples of it on the whole planet. But the Terrian knew the antidote. But first we had to erase the program that controlled him. Then the Terrians made him remember. Only then was he able to help you...I opened the door before we left the second time...so he could get to you." She wondered through what her son had been through. And still he was so brave.
Devon approached the Terrian "Thank you very much for saving my life. I will never forget that." The Terrian didn't move. "He feels guilty and can't understand why you are not angry with him for what he has done."
"But he didn't do it willingly."
"But he did it. That's all that matters to him." "Can't you tell him that it's okay?"
"I tried...he can't understand it." Uly sighted "Okay, we'll talk about all this later. You two now go and tell the others what happened. And then you come here as fast as you can..." The kids nodded and both hugged Devon once more. "Uly, I love you."
"I love you, too, mom." He had tears in his eyes. "Take care of your dad, True."
"I will. And you try to stand the two days through..." "Yes." She grinned.
The kids left.
Uly sat up immediately.
"She's alive. She's alive. The Terrians healed her. She is alive !!!!!!!!!" he shouted.
Everyone was looking at him. Doubtfully they listened to what he was telling them.
When he had finished Danziger was already barking out commands to pack everything. Commanding again like crazy. Some things just repeated themselves.
They would leave soon. Drive through the night and the whole day. Without a stop.
He would be with his love together again very soon. But what should he tell
her? And more important, what would she tell him? Well, he'd just welcome her back, deny his feelings again and within the time everything would be solved.
But maybe he wouldn't have to deny his feelings. Maybe Devon now was up to a relationship with him. He was in much a better mood than the last weeks. He forgot about Walman, Baines and Caroline.
Devon woke up. She felt like being sick every second but somehow she was able to hold it back. Every time she fell asleep she had dream, dreams as horrible as she'd never thought she could have. She saw her dying just at the moment John finally came back. And whenever she woke up, it all didn't seem real. She felt so weak. She didn't know what period of time had already passed. Devon leaned against the ship. It was hot but she still was cold. She had fever and she felt bad. Headache and aching bones troubled her. She was hungry and thirsty. She froze. It was time the group came back. She felt like she wouldn't make it any longer. She watched the Terrian. He had been standing there ever since she woke up but had never moved. Now he slowly came closer. She tried a smile. "Hey...you...I won't hurt you..." she tried to speak but her mouth was very dry.
He seemed to consider something. Then he touched her head with his hand. Dirt
fell out of it and dropped down Devon's face. Some of the pain went away. It was a relieving feeling.
"Thank...you. ...Do..." she needed to cough for several moments. When she finally was able to breathe normal again she continued. "Do you...have water... water... drink.. I need water..." he gave her a puzzled look.
"Just give....give me some...water...please..." it startled him even more.
Devon fainted. The Terrian laid his hand once more on her head but Devon didn't move.
It was getting dark. For almost two days now the Terrian had watched over Devon. And now he couldn't do anything to help her. The nearest river was miles away.
He was suddenly blinded by a bright light. The TransRover appeared and the Terrian sank into the earth.
Uly jumped off the TransRover and raced to his mother. But Danziger was faster. He knelt down next to Devon, scared as hell that she could be dead. She seemed so lifeless, so vulnerable and hurt. He softly shook her shoulders.
"John???" Devon tried to open her eyes. They slid open only a split. They felt so heavy and it cost Devon all her strength to keep them open.
"I'm here, Devon...I'm here." he sat down and moved her carefully so that her worn-out body rested against his chest. He was extremely worried about her condition. She seemed so weak, so harmed, so full of pain.
"John" she repeated once more, glad and relieved he was here with her, caring for her.
"It's okay, I'm here, don't worry..." she was covered all over with dried sweat and he felt responsible for her bad condition. He stroke over her hair, whispered words of comfort and solace into her ears, trying to make it as comfortable as possible for her. She looked like she was in a great pain.
Meanwhile all the others had gathered around them, all looking worried and scared that Devon wouldn't survive it after all. But they all forgot one thing :
this was Devon Adair and when Devon Adair wanted something, she got it. And now all she wanted was to live on, to feel John so close more often.
"Can I get...water...water." she barely brought out the words. Her plea let the others come out of their trance-like state. Julia bent down next to her and carefully placed her diaglove on Devon's neck. Bess went away and seconds later came back with water which she let slowly drop into Devon's mouth.
"Thanks...Bess..." the water was so cool, so refreshing. And John was so close, so comforting. She longed for his hands, gently caressing her.
"Okay, Devon, how do you feel?"
*Which feeling? My body or my emotions???*
"I'm okay, Julia...I just... needed some... water..." she turned to the young doctor.
"Devon." Yale's deep voice made her shiver with happiness. "Yale... and Uly, Uly..." she looked around. "I'm here, mom. Don't worry..." he took her hand and kissed it. It was covered with sand. He knew this kind of sand. He had once been covered with the same white sand.
"C'mon everybody, we gotta put up the tent." Magus had to tell Devon so much but she knew Devon needed to rest. "Yes...you are right." John felt like he should help them but threw away the thought as soon as Devon grabbed his hand, as if reading his mind.
"Don't go." She whispered.
Alonzo grinned. "See, I told you they would finally come to their senses."
"Alonzo, not now !!" Julia protested, not wanting to upset Devon. "Yeah, seems so..." Devon tried to smile but something caused her to cough heavily. Julia again checked her. "Is she alright, Julia?" John was worried, as Uly, Yale and True who had stayed.
"Yes, she only didn't get something to drink during the last two days. But I'm sure she will make it."
"You know...I really do...hate it when you...talk about me like I wasn't present !"
She tried to smile and this time she was successful. "Sorry, Devon, will never happen again, I promise..." Julia smiled back.
As soon as Devon's tent was up, John carefully lifted her and carried her to it.
He gingerly laid her on a cot and put a blanket around her. "Is this okay so?" he was anxious to make it as comfortable for her as he could.
"Yes." She smiled at him. Then she closed her eyes and fell asleep. He sat down next to her, trying to be as quiet as possible.
Yale came in.
"Hey, John."
"Hi Yale." He grinned. "I'm so glad I finally have her back." "We all are. I guess you wanna stay with her?" he asked, knowing that nothing could drag John away from Devon now. "If you don't mind... and if it's okay with Uly, too." "I have no problem �bout that." Uly entered, too, followed by True. "She looks so bad." True stated. And really, Devon was pale and seemed to have lost a lot of weigh.
"That will get alright again. Don't worry." John embraced his daughter and closed in Uly, too.
"But now you two go to bed. Devon needs some rest to get better." "Okay, dad." True got out of the hug and took Uly with her. At that moment Devon woke up. She was not really fully aware of what was going on but she smiled at all the people she cared about most.
"G'night everybody." She closed her eyes again, seeking sleep. "Good night, mom." Uly gave her a kiss. The kids left. "I can get you a cot if you want..." he pointed to John, still sitting on Devon's cot.
"No, something to sit on will be enough...I don't want to sleep in case she wakes up and needs something." Yale glared at him but he knew it was of no use trying to persuade John into a cot. He left and came back with a box. Julia and Alonzo showed up, too.
"Here is some water... she needs to drink it when she wakes up. And if she's hungry, give her this. But she has to eat it very slowly. When she feels any pain, waste no minute to wake me, clear???" Julia gave John precise orders. She would feel much better if Devon slept in her tent tonight, but she understood that John wanted to be alone with her and she knew he could take care of her, too. And her tent wasn't far away. She would hear him call if anything should occur. "Thanks, Julia... Yale... everybody." They all left. It was getting dark around John and he barely could see Devon. Still his eyes never left her. They'd been through so much lately and he was relieved to be able to sit here, at Devon's side, right now. It was a second chance in their relationship and he wasn't about to waste it. Slowly the hours passed. Devon seldom moved. She seemed so tired, so vulnerable. He longed to touch her but was scared it could wake her. He didn't mind spending the night here on this uncomfortable box. After all he was close to Devon and could be there for her when she woke up again. He let out a very relieved sight. He was so glad to just sit here and watch the woman he deeply loved sleeping. He wondered whether she was dreaming and if so what about. The twin moons stood in the middle of the sky when she moved. He was to her side immediately. She opened her eyes and tried to focus on the shadow that moved towards her. "John???" her throat and mouth were so dry and it hurt to speak. "Yes, I'm here. Are you okay?" he sounded worried. "I think, yes, but my mouth is so dry." "Here's some water...wait..." he sat down behind her and rested her body against his chest once more. Then he let her drink from a cup. It felt so good to lean against him, to feel his strength and his comforting and caressing hands on her body. "Hey, Adair, slow down." He was concerned at what rate she had emptied the cup. He put it away and wrapped his arms around her. She didn't mind. It felt so good...so right. And it was what she had wanted for a long time although she hadn't fully realized it until it had been almost too late. Her body ached terribly and her head was hammering, as if an elephant had stood on it. She was cold but John gave her warmth and his stroking hands let some of the pain go away.
"Are you hungry?"
"No." She shivered again. He noticed it. "You cold?" again this worried voice. It felt so good to know somebody was so deeply concerned about her. She nodded. "Mind when I...???"
"No." she allowed him to curl under the blanked next to her. Protected by John from the one side and his arms pushing the blanket close to her body from the other, she felt much warmer. He kissed her.
"John, about what I said back on the dreamplain..." she didn't want to wait any longer. This thing was still there and she wanted to get rid of it now. She wanted to excuse herself for lying to him. She felt so stupid about it now that he was so close to her and she enjoyed this so much.
"Shut up, Devon, I know you never meant it. And now sleep, okay? Don't think about it anymore. I've already forgotten." he kissed her again.
"Thanks." She was glad he wasn't angry at her and now was here with her to make her feel more comfortable. She fell asleep knowing that nothing and nobody could harm her now. John would keep an eye on her.
For his part, John wasn't able to sleep for a long time. He just didn't want to miss any second of being that close to Devon. Short before dawn set in, he finally found sleep.

Final fights (11/12)
by Manuela Schuppe
PART ELEVEN
When he woke up, Uly sat up at once and slipped in his shoes. Then he quickly left the tent, not caring if he woke True. He hadn't even realized that she was already up. So he looked surprised at her when he saw her sitting around the campfire with the others. "Why did nobody wake me??" he asked accusingly. Yale laughed. "Not so loud...they are still sleeping." The rest of the gang had a large grin on their faces.
"Hey, what's the joke here?" he looked at all the giggling persons. "Go and see yourself...but be careful that you don't wake them." Alonzo pointed into the direction of the tent. Uly was curious and so he quietly walked towards the tent and peeked in. When he turned around again he was grinning, too. "I wonder how they'd react waking up and we were all assembled �round them..." he laughed.
"They'd probably pull the blanked over themselves and hide until we all went away."
In the tent the rustling had woken up John. He heard the others laugh and knew immediately they had seen Devon and him and had their own story on their minds. He sighted. That woke Devon. She felt better now, but was still weak. She turned around and laid her head against his chest. He kissed her.
"Hey, what's all that laughter about out there?" she asked, her voice barely audible.
"Us." He whispered back. "How are you?" "Much better now that you are here." she smiled at him. He wanted to stand up.
"Don't go..." she pleaded.
"But we can't hide in here forever...." he didn't really care what they all thought about him sleeping next to Devon for he knew he had done the right thing. But still he knew he and Devon wouldn't get around their friend's jokes.
"Not forever...just for the next hours." she took his hand. "Don't leave me now. I need you." The thought alone that he would sooner or later have to stand up could have made her feel worse again...and so she wanted these moments to last for forever. "Okay, I won't go. And I think I can use some more sleep..." he yawned. Then he put the blanket closer to him and Devon. Under the blanket he held Devon's hands. He kissed her once more as she was fading back to sleep. He felt like he wasn't able to wait until she was strong enough to return the kisses to him, but he reminded himself that a few more days wouldn't matter. He could do it. Darn, how had he been able to keep his hands off Devon for such a long time? He must have been a real idiot not noticing how much he cared for her, how much he loved her. He sighted. Then he noticed the sudden silence out there.
Meanwhile Baines was talking to the Z.E.D. getting his attention away from Walman.
Walman put on his gear. He contacted the others, but didn't wait until they answered. He gave them their current position and told them what happened.
The Z.E.D. hadn't noticed anything.
Morgan got the message. He went pale.
"We have a problem. A big problem." he announced. They immediately stopped the laughing.
Morgan explained.
"I go and get John." Yale only hoped Devon was sleeping. He wanted to keep the problems away from her. "But don't tell Devon...it could upset her." Julia was concerned.
Yale looked into the tent. John turned around, waiting for any stupid comment to come, but from Yale's expression he noticed something was wrong.
*The silence out there....my god...Baines and Walman...*
He carefully got up, not wanting to wake Devon. She moved but slept on.
John exited the tent. He went to the others. Quickly Morgan told him the story. John was shocked. They couldn't get to them now because Devon needed more time rest. She wasn't up to travelling yet. But Walman and Baines needed help. If the Z.E.D. was really headed towards Reilly it could be dangerous. Who knew who else was with Reilly.
"What do we do now?" Magus was scared and only Danziger knew why.
"Devon isn't up to travelling right now...we can't go yet..." Julia hated to tell them this but it was the truth. "But we have to get to them as fast as possibly, who knows what Reilly is up to..." Morgan was right, too. "I say we go after them and help them. Now." Nobody had noticed Devon was listening to them. She was much too weak to stand on her feet alone longer than a few seconds. John got to her immediately.
"Hey, you shouldn't be walking around here. Go back to bed." John was angry.
"Devon, what are you doing? You need to rest !" Julia pointed out to her.
"No, John...we have to get to Walman and Baines soon. They need our help and I'm not going to just sit here and wait until you think I'm up to traveling. I'm okay !!!"
"No, you are not. Look at you." He was scared that it would harm her to stand here. She shivered and sweat was running down her face.
"I'm okay and now get ready to go. The longer we discuss the dangerous it gets for the two."
"You're so stubborn !!" John wanted to bring her back to bed but she refused.
"John, I know you won't like that very much but I think Devon is right.." Alonzo admitted. "They need us." "Alonzo..." Julia didn't believe her ears. Didn't he realize how pale Devon looked?
"Julia, what kind of choice do we have???" "None. " she gave in. "Okay, Devon, I'll check you up completely, you others meanwhile put down the camp and prepare to leave. Make a nice bed on the Rover for Devon and make sure it is comfortable and protects her from the wind." They nodded in agreement, only John was still not convinced. Together with Julia he brought Devon back to her tent where Julia ran several tests. After half an hour she'd done the most important ones.
"It isn't as bad as it first seemed. In a few days you should be okay again. But until then you have to rest, Devon. No more walking around unless I allow it, you need to drink much and eat something. Try to sleep as much as possible. You will need your strength when we confront Reilly. Am I making myself clear enough to your stubborn head???" Julia stared into Devon's eyes until Devon answered her.
"Sure. Thanks, Julia." Devon was glad she would be okay so soon but still it was annoying to be out of control. Julia left the tent, glancing once more at Devon. It was crazy. The last time she had seen Devon she had been ill to death...and now...she seemed healthy except being a little bit weak from spending two days without anything to eat and drink. John took Devon's hand.
"Adair, when you don't listen to Julia I gotta tie you to bed !" She grinned at him. "You know, as long as you stay with me you won't have to tie me..."
He embraced her, wanting to kiss her.
"Not now, John, we have a job to do now." she stroke his hands, giving him no chance to kiss her.
"Hey, you're not serious about that, are you?" it had startled him. "I am...but try to understand...I'm worried about Walman and Baines. Unless I know they are safe, I won't have a moment's peace. I just feel it isn't right now."
Devon looked into his eyes, seeking for understanding. "Okay, but you know, this won't be easy..." he sighted. "Thanks for understanding." She could impossibly tell him the real reason she didn't want to being kissed now. Heck, she still felt so weak and tired and it was more than annoying not having the power to kiss him back like she wanted so desperately to. "That's fine...as long as you feel good about this, I can live with it."
*Hell, I can't...and I can't tell her how much I wished she was strong enough to kiss me back right now !!!*
*But I don't feel fine about this...darn, Devon, are you ever going to stop hurting him???* *Most possibly not...just as you'll never stop arguing with him...*
"Okay, perhaps you should go and help them out there." She didn't really want him to go. She wanted to be alone with him and not having to care about anything else. But reality had something else prepared for her.
"Well, okay...but remember...I see you once not following Julia's orders...and your tied to bed..." he gave her a smile and got this John-Danziger-do-you-always-have-to-act-like-this-?-look as an answer.
*Oh, darn, Walman and Baines, why did you have to run into a Z.E.D.???*
Something stroke her. Something she had realized yesterday. "John, just one second...why did they take two vehicles?" He sighted. He couldn't hide all the incidents from her. He should have known that.
"It's a long story...I'll tell you when we're on the road." She waited a moment to make sure he meant it. "I promise..."
"Well, one day I'll just have to start trusting your judgment..." "This is the best time to start. Believe me." He went out and left behind Devon.
But she wasn't alone for only one minute. A minute she needed to think about a few things. But no, Bess didn't want her to get this chance.
"Hey, Devon, how are you?"
"I'm fine, thanks Bess."
"You look tired."
"I am."
Bess grinned. "Didn't you sleep much last night????" "Oh, come on Bess. You can't be seriously thinking about this." "You know, John took whatever happened on the dreamplain very hard. And now he seems so happy..."
"Bess, no offense, but mind your own things." Devon didn't like other people to put their nose into private things. At least not when these private things were her private things. Bess wasn't very much offended. Yeah, she even had the nerve to be still smiling. "Never mind, Devon. I just came by to tell you how glad I am that you are okay. Really. And I think you and John are cute together. It was about time you finally
realized that there was more between you." "Thanks, Bess. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so harsh." "Oh, that's fine with me...." she was still smiling. "Really?"
"Yes, Devon."
"That's good." She paused a second. "You know, I was wondering if you could get me some clothes to change. These are completely dirty."
"Yeah, sure." Bess hugged Devon and left the tent. Devon wondered who would show up next. Luckily she had a few minutes for herself until Bess came back with fresh clothes. "Here you are. But you should hurry. They want to put down this tent, too." That
was reason enough to hurry.
True and Uly went out of the camp. They searched for the Terrian to thank him once more.
Uly trilled and the Terrian showed up. He took them to the dreamplain.
There he showed them the way to Reilly. When he had finished, some other Terrians joined them.
"What do they want?"
"They want to thank you for bringing one of them back to where he belongs."
"Me? But I did nothing...you brought him back..." True protested "But you found him."
True now realized how weird the Terrians sometimes were and she understood now how it came that Alonzo and Uly sometimes had problems interpreting what exactly the Terrians were telling them. "Wow. That is cool. Are they making me half-Terrian now, too?" "No, but they allow you to use the dreamplain now. Believe me, it's much cooler than VR. It is more real."
"But everything's dizzy. VR is clearer..." "I know, but still I like it here more." "Yes, it's great. And the grown-ups can't disturb us like in VR." "Except Alonzo..."
"Darn..." she laughed "He won't.. hey, isn't that Marry?" "Yes..." they waited for Marry to come nearer. She held something in her hand.
Some plant. True had a slight idea what kind of plant it was. "This is what made Devon sick...give it to Julia. She can produce... the antidote then and give Devon more in case it wasn't enough." "Thanks, Marry." Uly took the plant. Both kids eyed it suspiciously. It didn't seem to be dangerous. The Terrians and Marry left. True and Uly went back to the camp.
Everything was packed away and Devon had already been laid down on the TransRover. They were only waiting for the kids.
Uly gave Julia the plant and explained what it was. She put it away safely, not knowing which part of this plant contained the poison. She would have to examine this thing in the night when everybody else was sleeping. But she was used to this kind of long hours. "Thanks, Uly...True. Now, I think your mom wants to talk to you and True."
She pointed to Devon who was laying on the TransRover and waving to them
The two climbed on the vehicle and sat down next to . The colonists began their walk into the direction the Terrians had shown the kids.
Walman looked at the Z.E.D. who was driving the vehicle. "How far is it still?"
"You are not supposed to ask questions." "Calm down, I was just trying to do some small talk." "You all are the same."
"Why can't you tell us anything about that woman?" "Reilly will do that. I'm not supposed to answer questions you are not supposed to ask."
"Can't you loosen these ties just a little bit? My hands are getting stiff."
"Shut up now. Or I'll kill you."
"That would be against Reilly's strict orders." Walman knew that that didn't matter to the Z.E.D. . If he felt like killing him, he would do it. No question. But still he had to talk. To make sure the Z.E.D. didn't pay any attention to Baines who was trying to contact the group once more. It was getting more and more dangerous with every second they came closer to Reilly. Walman had no idea what was waiting there for them.
"Yes. It would be. But I should have saved Carol, too. And I didn't." "So her real name was Carol. How do you know it was her real name?"
"Because this name was on my manifest. And her DNA corresponded with the name's DNA in my data. And now stop asking questions."
"Have you ever been to Reilly before?" Baines needed some more time.
"Didn't I tell you to shut up?"
"Yes, but didn't Reilly tell you to help Carol..." "That is not comparable."
Darn, he was slowly running out of ideas. He needed something new.
"Hey, did Reilly tell you anything about Julia Heller?" "Your stupid doctor. Yes. One day she'll regret betraying the Council."
"I don't think so. She is a very bright doctor. You know, she saved our lives more than once."
The Z.E.D. laughed. Then he got serious again. "Stop talking now."
"How about Devon Adair?"
"If you don't stop tormenting me I'll shoot !!!" It sounded as if he meant it. Just at this moment Baines signed him that he had been able to send another message. Walman gave him the It-Was-About-Time-look and then concentrated at the surroundings. It was mostly plain land. He was deeply concerned about would was waiting for them at wherever Reilly was.
John was driving the Trans and Yale was sitting next to him. "Hey, Yale, can you take over? I wanna check up on Devon.." "Yeah." he grinned.
John only smiled back. He would have to get used to these grinning persons all around him. He opened the door, jumped down and closed it. Then he went to the back of the Trans and climbed on it, slowly making his way through all the stuff packed on the vehicle until he had reached Devon. She was sleeping. Just as Uly and True who sat next to her, their eyes closed.
*What's up with them? True and sleeping???*
He gently shook her, but she didn't react. The same with Uly. Devon woke up.
"Hey, what's the matter with those two?" "I don't know. I thought they were sleeping...but I can't wake them." "Uly always behaves like this when he's on the dreamplain...but what about True?" she looked at the girl. "I don't know. She's never been like this before. I can't figure out what's up."
"Well, we'll just have to wait. Meanwhile we can talk." "Sure, what's on your mind?"
"Remember your promise you would inform me about what has been going on while I was sleeping???"
He sighted.
"Yeah...I remember." He told her the story. "And you don't know who she was?"
"No." He didn't tell her that Baines had called in minutes earlier with the latest news.
"Who else do you think lives with Reilly?" "I can't imagine anybody willingly living with him..." "But someone has to. I don't think we will have to confront only him. And I think he knows that we are headed his way.." "Yes, but we will win this battle against him. He doesn't have a chance. We'll somehow accomplish this thing. And then we're rid of the Council once and for all."
"No...they will always try to maintain control over us." "This doesn't sound like you, Adair..." "And it doesn't sound like John Danziger to be so optimistic..." "I want to be alone with you a few days...that keeps me optimistic enough...."
True couldn't hold back her laughter any more. It was just too funny to watch those two trying to lead a conversation without arguing. John turned around and glared at his daughter. That caused her to laugh even harder until she realized he was not very pleased and Devon was turning red. She grabbed Uly, who was laughing, too, and jumped down the vehicle.
John turned back to Devon.
"Did you notice they left their whatever they were in?" "No." She admitted, the red color slowly fading.
*Why don't I just kiss her now?*
*I could kiss him now...I could...but wouldn't I look like not keeping my own rules?* *But when have I ever kept a rule I didn't want to keep?* *Darn, I'll just kiss him...*
*Better I go now before I can't stop myself from kissing her like a love-drunk teenager...*
"Well, seems as if Julia wants to talk to you. Whenever you need to talk to me...do it." He gave her a gear and put on his own. "Okay..." she paused "John.."
"Yeah?"
"Nothing..." she couldn't do it. He left.
*Devon !!!* her inner voice yelled at her *You'll never learn it !!! You could have kissed him and it would have harmed nobody !!!*
*Great, first you don't kiss her and now you put on your gear...what comes next?
Maybe playing some VR??? The next time you just kiss her !!!*
The Z.E.D. turned around to Walman and Baines while stopping the Dunerail.
"We're now close. Sorry but I have orders to sedate you." Walman tried to protest but it was useless. A few seconds later he was sleeping peacefully next to Baines. The Z.E.D. drove on. Minutes later he stopped at a fence.

Final fights (12/12)
by Manuela Schuppe
PART TWELVE
Reilly was waiting for him next to a building inside the fence. Aluminum covered the whole floor. Only so was it possibly to keep the Terrians out. Reilly opened a door in the fence and let the Z.E.D. in. They brought Baines and Walman to a jail-like room. Then they waited for the others to arrive.
Reilly was almost looking forward to punishing Julia for betraying him and the organization he was working for. Nobody betrayed the Council. She would have to suffer. Just like the others. They were a bunch of perks. Good for nothing. Except for his new little project. And he would finally get the boy. That would open new worlds. Now he was almost sorry he had taken their little VTO plane. That made him laugh. They still thought it had been Grendlers. As if a Grendler could make use of a plane ! Yeah, with the plane they would be here faster. Well, he had to wait now. But as far as he knew this group could be real fast when they wanted to.
Some days later :
"Okay, we're now close and have to decide on a scheme...any proposals?" Devon looked into heir faces. They were determined to do whatever was needed to be done to save Baines and Walman. "First of all we have to look for a secure place for you and the kids."
"John, with the kids I agree. But you won't keep me from coming with you !"
"Devon, I'm not about to discuss this with you !" "Oh, yes, you are !"
"The kids need somebody to stay with them while we go there. We don't know how many people are there. It is too dangerous. You stay back with them !"
"No, I won't. I have to tell Reilly a few things." "I can do that for you."
"I know you could, but..."
"Hey, I understand you two enjoy these discussions...but we have a real problem here...could you come back to the topic?" Alonzo just had to shut them up. It was nice watching them argue...to a certain point. But now wasn't really the time for things like that. John and Devon turned around at the same moment and glared at him. "Alonzo is right. We need to decide this fast. " Matzalt turned to the others.
"Yeah. Devon stays back with the kids. We others..." "I'm not staying back !"
Yale had an idea." John, perhaps Devon is right. Perhaps it would be better if we all went."
"But I'm not going to get True into any danger." "The same with Uly." Devon agreed.
"We could leave them with Marry and the Terrians. I think they would be save with them."
"Yes...we could try that. Where are Uly and True?" "We're here." True waved to Devon from the top of the Trans where she was sitting next to Uly and listening to what they were saying. "Come down."
Both kids climbed down and ran to them. "Uly, do you think Marry can take you to a save place?" "Yes, but mom, are you sure you have to go?" "Yes, Uly. But believe me, nothing will happen to any of us. We are all going to come back to you." She stroke of his head. He looked up at her.
"Promise?"
"Promise!" she smiled at him.
"Okay, so we have one problem less...how are we going to operate ?"
"First get rid of the Z.E.D. and then of everybody else hanging around there...If only Walman or Baines contacted us once more...." Just as if he had heard this, Walman called in. He kept the call short, fearing that Reilly or the Z.E.D. would notice. "John, we're in a house with only one room. Reilly lives here, there's a bed and some sort of kitchen and a few windows." He went on video and showed his surroundings.
"Our VTO plane !!" Devon called out.
"Shit, Adair. Are there any other buildings?" "I don't know, but I think there is at least one more. But Reilly seems to be living here alone. He's coming back." He was out again. "Okay, now we have a fair imagination on what is waiting there for us. We only have to find out how we can get in." "I think that would be the smallest problem." Devon explained what she meant.
"Yeah, that could work..."
"Sounds good."
"Wow...that's it...."
They all agreed to Devon's scheme.
"Let's get going. Uly and True you go to Marry now. You know what you have to do?"
"Yes !" both kids were proud to be a part of this and they took this part as serious as any adventure-loving kid would do.
"There it is...only two buildings...the left one should be the one where they keep Walman and Baines..." John took down his jumpers.
"Okay, let's go."
They went to the door in the fence and called for Reilly. It didn't take him long to appear.
"Ah, so we finally meet each other." He grinned evilly at them. How Julia hated him.
"Reilly, let Walman and Baines go !" she demanded. "Tsts, Doctor Heller. You should know that I'm not going to do that. Unless you hand me over the boy. I told you I would get him. Where is he?"
"My son is not here. And I am not about to let some maniac take responsibility for his whereabouts !"
"Devon...I don't know what to say...how did you survive?" "Long story. Let us in."
He opened the door. The Z.E.D. stood there, a weapon pointed at Baines who was laying on the floor.
"I advise you to leave any weapon out !" "We advise you to let the two men go and give us our plane and everything else you have stolen. And then we have a few questions." Devon was serious about this. "No more fooling around, Reilly, you tell us, what you know and we tell you whatever you want to know about the Terrians...and Uly."
"Seems like a fair arrangement. But can I trust you?" Devon laughed. "The question should be, can we trust you?" Reilly opened his arms.
"Come in...do you want some coffee?"
They stared at him. This seemed to be a bad dream. But up to now everything was working quite well.
When they entered the building, Denner hide behind some box laying around. AS soon as the door closed behind the Z.E.D. she stood up and tried to remove the aluminum. It took her some time but after a few minutes she had ripped away some parts. The hole was big enough for a Terrian to fit through it. She clapped at the place. Seconds later Uly came up, a Terrian staff in his right hand. He was followed by True, Marry and some four Terrians. Together the eight examined the second building. "Wow, that's all the stuff that should have been in the cargo pods !!" Denner was speechless. They could built up the colony after all. "This is so cool !" True climbed on a brand new Rover. "Dad will love this one !"
"Okay, so nobody else is here. We gotta go on to our next part !" "Yes." Uly nodded. "I'm ready."
He went out, put the aluminum back as good as he could. The Terrians and Marry took their positions. Uly gave them a sign. "Reilly !" he shouted, quite nervous. This just had to work. Reilly looked through the window.
"Z.E.D., you keep an eye on them. Don't let them touch anything. I'll go and get the boy."
"Oh, my god, Uly !!!" Devon screamed. "Run !!!" "Run away Uly !" Danziger and the others joint her yelling. Reilly laughed. Then he left the building. He didn't fully realize neither Devon nor anybody else tried to follow him. He walked towards Uly, smiling widely.
"Ulysses Adair, it's a pleasure to meet you. Believe me, whatever your mom told you about me is a lie. I want just your be...." he didn't get any further. Marry had knocked him unconsciousness with her staff. Uly and True ran to him and carefully tied him. Inside the building Julia walked around like Devon and the others. The Z.E.D. tried to monitor all their movements but it was of no use. Julia was able to sedate him before he even noticed her standing behind him. Then they freed Walman and Baines from their ties. They all ran out.
Uly and True each had a foot on Reilly's back and grinned into their direction.
Reilly slowly opened his eyes. His head ached terribly. He turned around and was faced by Devon Adair's strong gaze. "Okay, Reilly, we want some answers now. And don't think of any rescue...your Z.E.D. is under control." "What have you done to him?"
"Your not supposed to ask questions !" Walman pointed out. "Hey, that sounds a lot better when it comes out of your mouth ..." Baines giggled.
"We sedated him and now you answer our questions. Who was Carol Waldman?"
"She was a mistake we made. We thought she was loyal but we were wrong. She betrayed us, just like somebody else in this room." He glared angrily at Julia.
"We've had that discussion before, Reilly. How many of you are here?"
"No one besides me. I was send here one month before you departed. They didn't think it would be necessary to send more than one person because you were not supposed to come that far. I was just a someone who was send her to make sure you wouldn't survive if all attempts killing you failed."
"They all failed, even the last one... Reilly, will somebody else come?"
He could lie to them now but he knew they would find it out sooner or later.
"Yes, but only in about forty years. I send them a message as soon as I was sure you survived the crash and everything else. You have a lot time to prepare for them."
"And what about Carol?"
"There's not very much. She and her family belonged to the Council. She started mistrusting us when her father got killed in an accident with a train. She suspected the Council." "Was she right?" Julia stared him. John laid a hand on her shoulder. Devon gave him an odd look. ~ I'll explain later ~ his eyes told her. "Unfortunately, yes." He sighted. This was getting stupid now. "What are you going to do with me now?" "Depends on what else you can tell us..." John glared at him. "What do you want to know?"
"How many human beings are currently on this planet?" "Some Z.E.D.s, penal colonists, you and I. I'd say about one hundred. But I'm not sure. I've been assigned to the Eden-Project. The rest is not up to me."
"Who is responsible for the penal colonists?" "Nobody ." he knew it was over. He had no chance escaping them. They knew how they could get rid of the Z.E.D. and he was all alone now. He depended on them. Darn. The loneliness here had let him become less careful. He should have know they were up to no good when they stood in front of the door. He wondered what they intended to do with him now.
"How can you survive here?"
"I won't ...my provisions are running out. I was supposed to go back to the stations in three months."
"Reilly, we are offering you to come with us to New Pacifica, but you would have to begin a new life, a life without the Council. And you should know that
it would take a long time for us to see you as a friend. If you want to, we can try this."
"No. That's out of questions. I'm Council...I'll always be. I'd rather die."
"So you want to go back to the stations now?" Devon asked him. They had discussed about this over hours and had come to no clear answer what to do with Reilly. Nobody wanted him in the group. Devon, always the optimistic one, was of the opinion to leave answering that to Reilly.
"Yes, if you let me to."
"Your ship is still able to fly?"
"Yes." He was hopeful again. Maybe he was not stuck with these people.
"We'll have to discuss that Reilly. We'll come back to you later...Julia." Devon went out. Julia sedated him once more. He would wake up in an half an hour.
"Okay, what do you think, do we let him fly back? Let's vote." Devon was speaking to the group.
They took a vote.
"Well, I'll think we finally know what to do with him." she smiled. "Thanks people." Now came the really hard part. "I have something else to ask you ...." she paused. She hoped John was right.
"The ship has four cryo-chambers...that means that three people could fly back to he stations..." she paused once more, afraid of her own words. "Does any of you wan t to go back?" she hoped, prayed that no one wanted this.
They all looked at her, completely surprised by this. "In no way." Morgan announced.
"Never !" Bess told her.
"Are you kidding, mom? I will never go back there !!" "Just as me. I love this planet." True agreed. "I'll stay, too. After all you need a doctor." Julia smiled at Devon. "Me, too. Who else could fly this baby." Alonzo pointed to the VTO plane.
"Well, I think I could manage that, too. But it's nice to have a real pilot. I'll stay with you forever Devon." John approached her. Magus looked at Walman. He shock his head. "I'll stay here." She announced.
"Count me in, too." Walman was person ten to say this. "I want to see a real ocean. I'll stay." Cameron grinned. Denner, who hadn't even thought about going back was next. "I came here and I won't go away."
"The same for me." Matzalt nodded towards Devon. Baines was the only one left. He took his time. Finally he said: "Well, you know, being stuck on this planet is sounds more attractive than being stuck with Reilly in a ship !" They laughed. And then there was a large hugging each other going on.
After a while they had calmed down again. "Okay, what shall we do with the Z.E.D. now?" Julia asked. "He's of no use for us. We have all his data." John told her. "But we can't just kill him. He's a human being after all." "We would have to keep him in custody the whole time. That would kill him anyway, we all know that, Julia." "You're right." She sighted. "I'll take care of that.." "I'll help you." Alonzo knew she didn't like this very much. But he also knew that they couldn't let the Z.E.D. live. He would sooner or later kill them.
She stood there, gazing in the dark sky, where the last light of Reilly's ship disappeared. They had put him in cold-sleep before he had woken up again.
Alonzo had programmed the ship. The Z.E.D. was dead and buried. Everything was pretty normal again. Normal what passed for normal here. The stars were so bright today. And the moons spend enough light to let be not that dark. Tomorrow they would leave for New Pacifica.
"Hey, you okay?"
"Yes." She didn't turn to Alonzo but kept staring towards the stars. "They are beautiful."
"Yes." She leaned against him. "And, are you looking forward to fly this plane tomorrow?"
"Kinda. But I'm looking forward to the New Pacifica, too." "Yes, me, too." they kissed.
Three days later they had brought all their equipment to New Pacifica without any problems. They had put up a nice camp on the shore.
They were all astonished at the beauty of the place Devon Adair had chosen to become their new home. These three days had been really busy and now everybody was glad they had a day off before beginning to build the hospital.
Devon was laying next to John. They had been laying like this for several hours now. The dark slowly closed them in. "Don't you think it's time to go back?" he asked her. "No." She smiled at him. "It'll probably be a long time until we'll be able to get another day off and do it again on the beach, just you and me and the ocean..."
"You're right." He sneaked even closer to her. "I wanna lay like this forever."
"Me, too. Let's do it."
"Do what?"
"Lay like this forever..."
She laughed.
"I love you Devon Adair."
"I love you John Danziger."
"And now?"
"What?"
"Don't you want to kiss me again?"
She didn't respond him with words. She just kissed him.
*See, Devon, that's what you wanted to do the whole time since you saw him for the first time.* *Yes. That's it. I wanted this all the time.*
*Well, John, here you are, alone with the person you love...don't mess this up now !* *I can't ask her now...it's still too early !* *It will always be too early when you think like this !!*
"Devon..." he took her hands and looked into her deep blue eyes. "Do you want to marry me?"
*Whoa, that was it...wasn't that difficult, was it? But what will she say???*
*Hey, I wanted to do this.* *Yeah, you wanted to, but you were too scared he'd say no* *That's not true !* *Are you gonna think forever or will you answer him now??*
She looked back into his blue eyes. She could loose herself in them. "Yes, that's all I want..."

-The End-

This text file was ran through PERL script made by Andy. Original text file is available in Andy's Earth 2 Fan Fiction Archive.