THE JOURNEY COUNTINED SAGA (PART 3)
THINGS LEARNED
By
Paula Sanders
Timeline: On way to New Pacifica
Author's E-Mail: paula.sanders@shawnee.org
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Sorry for keeping you all waiting so long, but this one just did not flow like the others. I was ready to chuck it out and save the pieces parts for later scavenging. But it was saved by Lynne Leeper. I owe her a big thank you. THANK YOU, LYNNE! Without her this story might not have happened. The timeline is fuzzy for this one but it takes place about a week after "Scars on my Memory". As always. ENJOY!Disclaimer: This is not meant to infringe on any copyrights held by anyone involved with _Earth 2_.
Things Learned (1/4)
by Paula Sanders
copyright 1995
Morgan Martin
**Half of a full year on this planet and there are still new discoveries to be made with each passing day. Nothing could have prepared us for what awaited us here on G889. This planet has presented us with new challenges and new dangers. And sometimes the greatest of these dangers does not come from within this planet but from without.**Boot heels clicked on hard metal as a tall, thin woman walked along a catwalk. Emily Kirkland was sharply dressed, her dark brown, neatly braided hair, hung down between her shoulder blades and her back was held straight, her chin high; she looked every inch of the confidence she did not feel. What could not be seen on the outside was her great desire to grip the handrail for support. She had been called into Commander Henrick's office only moments before. It could only mean trouble. Thoughts of the confinement and not so gently persuasions, were running rampant through her mind.
They must have discovered the virus in the computer, Eve. It had been cleverly hidden and protected from tampering. She was not sure if she could do anything to prevent the breakdown of Eve, but it was obvious Commander Henrick thought she could. Whether she could or not was a moot point, because she had refuse.
*I shouldn't have refused,* she told herself. *Who do I think I am? Some kind of radical, rebellious kid?* She gave a congenial smile to Michael Gregory as he passed her. *They'll kill me. You know what the Council is capable of. They forced you into this mission. Didn't even give you a chance to say good-bye to anyone. They have complete control and you have nothing.* Her shoulders began to droop and she quickly squared them up again. She was not going to let anyone see the true state she was in. She had to remain calm. The phrase, "Never let them see your fear." played over and over in her mind. *Yes, I do have something,* she reminded herself. *I have the knowledge they need. Without me they can't save themselves. And they don't deserve to be saved.*
Emily had been so naive when she arrived, blindly following orders. But that had changed quickly. Now, she wanted nothing to do with the Council. Six years she had spent on this small satellite orbiting planet G889. And she was completely aware of everything that went on down there; more than anyone around her thought she knew. Thanks to her advanced hacking skills she had been able to snoop around in the files and gather information without them knowing it. And it sickened her; what they were doing down there.
G889, Paradise, Eden, Prison, Hell, whatever you chose to call it; the Council thought it was theirs for the taking. They had committed unspeakable acts to ensure their claim on the planet; killing innocent people and Terrians, ravaging the land, condemning people to lonely, hard lives down there. She had sat and watched, often enough, while the lifesigns of some faceless person, with a Council boistat implant, faded and died. Had read the files downloaded by the ZED's about life on the planet, and knew the cruelty used to obtain that information. And worst of all, she had read the files on the experiments Council scientists had done on the Terrians and other native creatures, as if they were laboratory rats.
She reached the door to the commander's office and stood in front of it for a long moment, taking slow, deep breaths, before she pushed open the door. Pulling herself together, and with practiced confidence, she pushed the button to open the door and marched right in.
She crossed the plain outer office to the door to the Commander's office. Ms. Bartlett, his executive assistant was seated behind her desk. She waved Emily through, her severe face wearing a blank, unreadable expression. Emily's heart was pounding so hard her throat hurt, as the door slid back and she walked through it, to find Commander Henrick seated behind his desk.
Marcus Henrick was a young man in his early-thirties; square jawed, fine, golden-blond hair, with blue eyes which penetrated right into her core. He commanded this small station, with shrewdness and cunning. He was every inch a politician, not a soldier. She had always wondered how he had gotten the title of Commander.
"Ah, Emily," Mr. Henrick said, looking up from his desk. "Prompt as always. Please, have a seat." She kept her place before his desk.
"Oh, so it's Emily, now," she said with contempt. "Now that you're going to throw me into the brig you think you can throw away the formalities, too. The name is Mrs. Kirkland," she spat at him.
"Mrs. Kirkland," he tried again, holding up his hands. "We have no intention of throwing you in the brig. We just want to see if we can convince you to change your mind." "I wouldn't waste your time," she returned, clasping her hands behind her.
"Please, Em. . . uh, Mrs. Kirkland. You must understand the seriousness of the situation. If the Eve computer ceases to function much of this satellite will go with her." "Well, your engineers shouldn't have been so shortsighted when they built this place. I could have told you this was a stupid set up but no one seemed to be interested. Being dependent on an outside source especially one which is as old as Eve is, is stupid. She was in excellent condition, yes, and a magnificent specimen but she is over one hundred years old, sir." "I don't wish to argue that with you, today," Commander Henrick said. "Maybe no one has told you this yet but there is more than just the functioning of this station to consider. In a few weeks none of this will matter, Mrs. Kirkland. Because we will all be dead. I don't know about you but I planned on going home some day. I don't want to die here in these backwaters." "I'm sorry, sir," Emily said. "But you'll just have to find someone else."
"There is no one else," he all but shouted, surging to his feet, leaning over the desk toward her menacingly. "You were brought here to help maintain the Eve computer because of your expertise in these early models. You know them better than anyone. The only way to stop the virus is to get into her guts and wipe it out at the core. You are the only one who can do that."
Emily stared at him blankly, trying to contain her smile of amazement at hearing his words. Marcus Henrick was desperate and she was the only one who could help him out of his predicament. She now held the power.
"Do you want to die here, Mrs. Kirkland?" he asked, stepping around the desk. "Because that is what will happen to us and everyone else down there." He pointed to the window which held a spectacular view of G889.
Emily stared out the window blankly, hiding her sadness from the Commander. She did not want to be the cause of so many deaths, but there was the bigger picture to think of. This planet had to be left to itself. They did not belong here. Humanity would have to find another planet to colonize. If it meant the deaths of the people down there, to save the planet, then so be it.
Still, a part of her screamed selfishly, that she could not do this. There was someone down there whose death she did not want on her hands.
"Mrs. Kirkland," Henrick tried again. "Don't you ever want to see your home again? All that you left behind." "I left nothing behind," she told him. "Mr. Henrick, I had no choice in coming here, but I do have a choice now that I am here. I have made my choice. You will not get my help. My decision is final." She kept her back arrow straight and her gaze level with his, so that there was no doubt of her conviction. "You will have hundreds, thousands of deaths on your conscience. Can you live with that, Mrs. Kirkland?" "I don't expect to live to regret my decision," she told him honestly.
"Oh, you will live. And you will change your mind before it is too late." He walked around her, to the door. It slid open and he motioned for her to leave. "Mr. Ortiz," he called to a security guard in the outer office. "Escort Mrs. Kirkland to her quarters. And see that she stays there. And make sure that her computer terminals are cut off," he added almost as an after thought. "I don't want her snooping around anymore." Emily left the office with the guard, not relaxing her stiff posture. If she weakened now they might think they had a chance of breaking her. Sebastian Ortiz trailed her back to her minimal quarters. She watched quietly as he took out her terminals, checked for anything unusual then left, locking her in. Once alone, she sank onto a chair, covering her face, glad that there were no surveillance cameras in here. Tears of frustration, anger, and fear surfaced and slid down between her face and hands.
How had any of this happened? One minute, she had been a partner in one of the most lucrative business's around, designing and installing the computer systems on the stations. The next minute, the Council was calling her in and shipping her off to the edge of nowhere. Forcing her to leave everything she knew behind. It had all been so perfect, before, when Alec was alive. Alec Kirkland had been one of the best computer programmers the stations had ever seen. As a couple, responsible for Kirkland Enterprises, she and Alec had been a great team, and were greatly sought after. She had known him all her life. They had grown up together and there had been no question that they would spend the rest of their lives together. Neither of them could have known that his life would be cut short. He was not healthy, that's what the doctors had said. His body was not strong enough. What kind of an explanation for the death of a young man was that? He had only been thirty. She had been so lost after his death, so lonely. Then the Council had come along and told her she had been chosen for a mission. Having nothing to lose she agreed to do what they asked. She never had any reason to distrust the Council. Until now.
She had never been fully aware of the Council's dealings. No one was except those on the highest levels of the government. But she had kept an eye on any public dealings on the stations. Here, in this distant part of the galaxy, the Council's business was handled by a man barely her own age. And there was little to no communication with the Council back on the stations. Here, Commander Henrick made all the important decisions, possessing no compassion. Emily often feared him, but that was the way he governed, using fear and intimidation against the people in his command, disguising it behind a mask of slick, insidious pleasantries. So, Emily had kept her head low and done what she was told, for years. Until the Eden Advance ship had crash landed on this planet. She had slowly gathered strength and determination as she followed them across one of the continents, on their way to New Pacifica.
What finally gave her the courage to do what she knew was the right thing was watching Julia Heller, physician to the Eden Project and Council Patriot turn her back on the Council. That was the breaking point. The point at which she gained the strength to do what she knew she had to do. If someone of the illustrious Heller family could break with the Council, then why couldn't she? She was completely aware of what the Eden Project's Advance Crew had gone through; seen all the VR recordings taken by Eve during that time. No excuses could ever make up for or justify the planted bomb and the sabotage of the Advance ship. She could not sit by and let these things continue, even if it meant sacrifice. But she could not stop thinking about that one person down there, her blood. Would she be able to willingly sacrifice her blood?
The Eden Advance Crew had closed the winter camp a few days ago and begun their trek out of the mountains. Leaving the cold behind, only to find themselves up against another enemy; sickness. It had struck suddenly, without warning. And stopped them in this valley at the base of the mountain range. Dr. Julia Heller smoothed down the dark hair of Eben Syng as the woman lay on her cot, one hand clutching her head, her eyes tightly shut. Julia's dia-glove was over the woman's heart, keeping an eye on her vitals. Cameron sat beside her, holding Eben's hand, a look of sympathy and pain creased his gentle features.
"You're head hurts that much?" Julia questioned, softly. Eben tried to nod but whimpered when a sharp pain lanced through her skull, just behind her eyes. "You're going to be fine, Eben," Julia assured her patient. "I'm sure this headache will pass just like the others." "But she keeps getting worse," Cameron said, looking down on his lady love with sad eyes.
"I know," Julia said sadly. She moved a hand to his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "I'll find a cure for this." Eben released her death grip on Cameron's hand and her body relaxed. She forced a smile, swallowing hard. Julia reached for a thermos of water and offered her a drink, supporting the woman's head as she took a sip. Cameron blinked back the tears that were stinging his eyes.
"I'm all right," Eben said, patting his hand which rested on her stomach. "The headache's gone." She tried to sit up but Julia pushed her back down on the cot.
"I want you to rest. There is nothing to be done we can't handle by ourselves."
"Julia, come quick!" Morgan burst into Eben and Cameron's tent without invitation. "It's Bess. She just collapsed out there. I can't wake her. You have to come, quickly." Julia looked down at Eben, questioning. The other woman nodded and Julia rose to follow Morgan.
"Where is she?" Julia asked, running a hand through her damp bangs. Eben's attack had taken a lot out of her, as well. And they were getting worse.
So, far only three people had active cases of whatever this virus was; Eben, Baines, and Magus. The others were sure to follow; it was only a matter of time. Bess was already starting down the road, passing through what seemed to be the first stage of the disease. Her color was bad, yesterday she had started complaining about headaches, flashes just behind the eyes and disorientation. Eben was much worse, there were small sores breaking out on the woman's face. If Julia did not figure out what this thing was and how to cure it soon, they were all going to die, slowly and painfully.
"I laid her in our tent. I don't know what to do. Julia, you have to do something for her. I can't lose Bess." Morgan's agitated manner normally would have made Julia jumpy and irritable, but she found that, today, she was not annoyed with him. They had all been surprised by how important Bess was to her husband and to what lengths he would go to help her. She pondered that this might just be Morgan's one redeeming quality; his love and devotion to Bess.
"I'll do what I can," Julia told him, hesitant to promise anything beyond her ability to deliver. They ducked into the Martin's tent and found Bess laying on her cot, eyes closed, hugging her middle and fully conscious. When she saw her husband she held out one hand. "I'm fine, Morgan," Bess assured, her voice weak. "Really, it was nothing."
He sat down next to her, taking her hand. "I wouldn't call that nothing. You just crumpled to the ground and looked like you wanted to claw your eyes out of their sockets." "Very poetic, honey. Thank you." Bess tried to laugh, then winced as the pain returned.
"The headache, again?" Julia asked and Bess nodded. Julia ran her hand through her hair, pushing it out of her eyes. This disease did not make any sense. It was not responding to any treatment she tried. She had run dozens of tests and come up with nothing. It was similar to the disease they had come up against caused by the neural motivation chip implanted in Alex Wentworth. But it was not responding to the same treatment or any variation on that Grendler saliva serum. "Have you been sleeping okay?" Julia asked Bess. "Not really," Bess admitted. "These headaches keep me up." "Morgan, have you experienced any of this?" "No," he replied. "Do you think I will?" Julia nodded sadly. "I won't lie to you. This will hit us all at some point." She could not believe she was hearing herself admitting this.
"Try to get some sleep. Bess." She laid a comforting hand on the woman's arm. "Do you need a sedative?" Bess hesitated a moment then nodded to the doctor. Once the sedative had been administered Bess slipped into slumber. "Stay with her," Julia told Morgan. "Let me know if she has any other problem. She'll be all right, Morgan," Julia assured with a small smile. "I need to get back to my lab." "Having any luck?" Morgan asked.
"No, I still don't have a clue," Julia sighed, tucking an offending lock of hair behind her ear.
"Keep at it. You'll find a cure," Morgan told her. Julia stared at him stunned as he turned back to his wife. She never thought words of encouragement from Morgan Martin would mean so much to her. She just hoped he felt that way a week from now if they were all sick, some possibly dead, and she still had no clue. The doctor quietly exited the tent, feeling more than a little useless. What good was a doctor who was hitting her head against a brick wall instead of finding a cure?
The door to Emily Kirkland's small room slid open, bleeding bright light into the darkness. She squinted against it and the pain it caused. It was the middle of the night, she felt like hell and was trying to sleep. What did they want now? "Mrs. Kirkland," a man, silhouetted against the doorway said."Get dressed and come with me."
"May I ask, why?" She sat up in bed, hugging her cover. "Commander Henrick wants to speak with you," the man she now recognized as Sebastian Ortiz answered. He was trying to sound official. Probably hoping to make her jump to her feet. After almost three weeks of keeping watch over her, they had dispensed with formalities. He had almost become someone she could call friend. She had, at one time, contemplated escaping the station and been gathering information about survival on the planet. During her confinement she had found herself wondering if Ortiz could be an ally to her. But she had never been given the opportunity to find out.
"It's one o'clock in the morning," she protested. "Yeah, I know that, Emily," he said, all pretence of formality dropped. "I don't like this any more than you do. You can make this easier on both of us if you just get dressed quickly and come with me."
"All right," she grumbled, flipping on the light next to her bed. "Just give me a minute."
"Good, I'll be right outside this door." With that he turned and let the door close behind him.
Emily climbed out of bed, groaning as her stiff muscles protested the movement. She rose carefully, hoping to avoid the dizziness. Her weeks spent in confinement had done her no good. And even less for the Commander. She still held to her original decision and it surprised her that he had done nothing to her yet.
*But maybe that is because he thinks torturing me wouldn't get him anywhere.*
She knew Henrick was desperate now, for the simple reason that everyone was getting sick. It had started about five days ago and was getting progressively worse. Their doctors could do nothing about it. There was no question that it was the biostat implants breaking down. And she knew that the only way to repair those chips and heal themselves was to purge the virus from Eve's system.
She made quick work of dressing, grabbing a pair of pants and a loose-fitting shirt, not worrying about being formal. If he was going to get her out of bed in the middle of the night she was not going to go to any extra trouble for him. She tugged on her boots, pulled her hair off her face with a small band, shrugged into her jacket and opened the door.
"All right," she said to Ortiz. "Let's get this over with."end of part 1
Things Learned (2/4)
by Paula Sanders
copyright 1995
Commander Henrick was hunched over his desk, pale and tired, the tell-tale signs of the disease broken out on his face. He took a ragged breath as Emily Kirkland entered his office and gazed at her with bloodshot eyes.
"Do you still say you will not help us?" he asked her, not wasting time with pleasantries.
"Yes," she said, without hesitation.
"According to Reilly we won't need your help," Henrick told her. "He may sound crazy and convoluted, but I think Eden Advance woke Bennett up."
"What?" burst out of Emily. "You mean Franklin Bennett, Eve's original creator?" Her eyes were wide with surprise. She had heard rumors that he and his crew, who had landed here fifty years ago, where still down there in cryosleep. She had tried to get Eve to confirm it but the computer could be very evasive when she did not want to answer questions.
*Franklin Bennett.* she thought amazed. She had spent much of her life studying his work. What she wouldn't give for the chance to meet him, one of the most brilliant minds ever to have lived. "Yes, that's what I mean," he snapped. "So, Emily, we have no need of you anymore. In a day or so this will all be sorted out and we will be back in working condition." Emily felt herself begin to shake. Now, she was truly afraid. What could stop them from doing whatever they saw fit with her now? Nothing. She was useless to them, now that they had Eve's creator.
"What are you going to do with me?" she asked, not waiting for him to volunteer the information.
"We thought that since you seem to have such love for this planet you might like to spend some time down there," Henrick answered. "You are being dropped from this station as soon as I am through with you here. You will be given minimal provision in your pod, that should keep you for a few weeks. If you haven't found another way to survive by then," he hesitated, grinning fiendishly at her, "So, be it."
Emily stared at him, unsure of what to say or do, feeling completely numb. It had all been for nothing. The weeks of confinement, the fear and stress. They had Bennett and Eve would survive. She had lost and it had all been for nothing. She looked into Commander Henrick's eyes, and his look of pride and superiority snapped her out of her gloom. She squared her shoulder, determined now to not let them win. She would find a way to survive. If she was lucky she would find Devon Adair and crew. They would take her in after she explained herself. They had to. They would not abandon her.
Henrick slapped a button on his control panel. "Ortiz, get in here," he growled.
The other man came through the doorway, and stood next to her in front of the desk. Henrick nodded at him. "He will take you to your pod, directly," the Commander told her. He spun around in his chair, dismissing them with a wave of his hand.
Ortiz took her arm, she stared up at him pleading, seeing sympathy in his dark eyes; a glimmer of hope for her. But he lead her out of the office, without a word. They walked in silence through the corridors. As they drew close to the launching bay she hesitated. He pulled at her arm but she held her footing. "These things, these pods, can be directed, right?" she asked. "What does that have to do with anything?" he snapped. "But they can only be set from up here, not inside the pod," she talked out her thoughts.
"Yeah, so," he said.
"So, you could put me down close to the Eden Advance Crew." She was getting testy with him.
"No," he shook his head. "I can't."
"Please," she begged. "At least somewhere near. I could find them myself. Just so I am within a few days of them. Please." Ortiz started to shake his head, but she could see his resolve was weakening. He had spent more than a month monitoring her, even before her confinement, and she had found he was someone she could trust. He was one of the few people here who still possessed his soul. If anyone would help her he would. "All right," he finally agreed. "But I can't promise you anything."
"Thank you," she said and threw her arms around him. "I'm sorry," he whispered and pulled away from her. Then, he grabbed her arm and keyed the door to the launching bay, dragging her through it with him. "Don't waste my time, Mrs. Kirkland," he growled, playing the part of security guard. Emily hid the smile that tugged at the corners of her lips. Now, she had a chance and all she had to do was survive a few days. She lay down in the small tube like pod. Before he closed her in Ortiz slipped her his gear.
"You'll need a compass," he whispered. "Good luck." She smiled up at him and he shut the door on her.
Emily closed her eyes, took a long, deep, calming breath and pushed the buttons that would open the hatch to her small pod. She heard the hiss of the mechanism and a rush of air as the door rose. An intense light, like nothing she had ever experienced before, filtered in around her eyes. Cautiously, she opened her eyes, they screamed in pain and she coward from that light. She calmed herself with some effort and did an internal check of herself, realizing that she was still sick. A sharp pain cut through her temple, there was a slight numbness in her hands and she felt weak. They had still not been able to fix Eve. She was not sure how long it had been since she left the station, but if her aching muscles told her anything it had been at least a full day. She let her eyes become accustomed to the light and took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent of the clean, fresh air. She carefully sat up in the pod.
The sight which her eyes met was, in short, amazing. Sure, she had seen nature in holovids and in VR, but no simulation could compare to the real thing. For a long while her mind was overwhelmed by the awesome beauty surrounding her. The green of the trees raising up to the blue sky over her head. The blinding white of the sunlight. The brown of the earth. They were all colors only ever imagined in her wildest dreams. She could not believe they were real.
*Pull yourself together, Em,* She ordered, forcing herself to take stock. First, she took out her gear, slipping it over her head and checking the compass to find out where she was. The gear gave her grid measured coordinates. Looking at them, her expression hardened.
"Perfect. Just perfect," she snapped at herself. "Idiot!" she growled. "What good is this compass going to do me? I don't even have a map."
She sank back down into the pod, covering her eyes, trying to push back the hopeless tears.
"Real smart," she chided. "You just threw your life away for nothing."
She was reaching up to drag the gear off of her head when a voice sounded from it.
"Emily," the monotone, yet almost desperate voice said. "Emily, he's dead."
She thought she recognized the voice now. "Eve?" she guessed. Emily quickly pushed the eye piece into place, seeing the visual aspect of Eve before her eyes. What was the computer doing contacting her? She would have thought Eve would want nothing to do with her, after refusing to save its life. Still, Eve had come to develop a special rapport with Emily. The computer related to her in a similar manner as she had with Dr. Bennett. She saw Bennett as her father. And Elizabeth Anson as mother. So, it only seemed natural that the only other person who worked with her that closely would be considered a sister or aunt.
"Yes," came the reply.
"Who's dead?" she asked immediately.
"Dr. Bennett," the female voice said. Emily's heart stopped, then began racing. Bennett was dead. How? Why? When? Now what were they going to do? With Franklin Bennett dead there was no one to fix Eve. The computer would die and they along with her.
"How do you know he's dead?" Emily asked, not wanting to believe it was true.
"I felt him go," Eve stated. "His lifesigns are gone." She sounded almost as if she were grief-stricken. But that was not possible, not for a computer.
"Then we're all dead," Emily whispered, fatalism taking over her. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see Eve. "No," the computer said firmly. "You can help. You can go to the ship."
"What ship?" Emily asked. Having no idea what Eve was babbling about.
"Bennett's ship. The ship he arrived in," Eve told her. "You have to. It is the only way." She sounded out of control, crazy, desperate.
"I can't do that," Emily snapped. "I don't even know where I am." She drew her knees up and hugging her middle. "I have a map," the computer said, rushed. "I could show you." Abruptly the face of Eve was replaced by a grid map of a continent on G889, with a mark on it indicating the approximate location of the ship which had carried Bennett and crew to this planet.
Emily compared it to the coordinates off of the gear. "And where are the colonists?" she asked.
"Their last projected position was. . ." The image began to break up. "Four cake-walks from Rome."
"What?" Emily's mouth fell open and she stared at the static filled image, confused.
She had not worked much with Eve through her decline. So, she was unprepared for the disoriented state the computer was in. But she recognized that it had gotten significantly worse since she had last spoken with the computer.
"Here," Eve said, not bothering to try again, she put up the map and showed the woman. They were about three hundred kilometers to the southeast of Emily.
"It would take me at least a week to cover that much distance on foot." Emily sighed. "But why am I worrying about that? I'll be dead before I could even get two kilometers." She closed her eyes and tried to stop her mind from thinking about her headache and her disastrous situation.
"Mmmphff."
Her eyes flew open and she found herself face to face with a Grendler. She had seen them before, but no picture could have prepared her for the way they looked this close up, or smelled, or the drool. They were truly disgusting creatures. She held herself very still, knowing they could be dangerous. "Uh. Hi," she tried nervously, pushing the gear's eye piece back against the side of her head.
The Grendler blinked at her curiously and reached down into the pod. Emily crushed herself up against the far wall, trying to avoid the creature.
"Please don't hurt me," she whispered. "I haven't got anything for you. There is nothing here."
The big, slobbering creature held up a hand, in which he held a packet of her food stuffs. She resisted the urge to snatch it back. Carefully and slowly, she climbed out of the pod, as the Grendler appraised its smooth, shiny surface. He looked up at her again clutching her only means of survival, her food rations. "There must be something else you want. I need that food. I can't survive without it. Isn't there anything else I could give you in exchange?" she pleaded, holding her place, knowing that if she backed down it would weaken her standing with the creature. She silently thanked Eve and all the record keepers on the station for being so thorough. If she had not had those records to study she would probably be dead now. She wondered, for a split second how the Eden Crew had managed to fair so well, with so little help.
The Grendler reached out a grasping hand indicating her gear. She shook her head, holding on to it.
"If you want anything from me you have to give me something just as valuable in exchange. That's the Trader's Code, isn't it. Give and take," she said to the Grendler, making the give and take gesture, hoping this tactic would get her out of this mess. With relief she noticed the Grendler seeming to contemplate her words. He rumbled and churred at her. Then, he shook his head violently, sending drool flying, stepping around the black pod toward her.
"No," she said holding out a hand. "Stay back." The Grendler did not stop and she stepped back from him. The creature stopped before her and held out what looked like half of the rations to her. He gestured towards the pod, askance. "You want the pod," she said, smiling with relief. "Sure, take it. I don't need it." She thought she could eke by on half rations. The Eden Crew had done it.
He dug into the satchel he carried and dropped a pair of sunglasses, a lumalight, and a pair of jumpers at her feet. She watched as the contented Grendler waddled away to her pod. She found herself laughing as he began tossing the few things out of the tube that he did not want. A canteen went flying through the air to land near her feet. She quickly snatched it up and slipped it's strap over her shoulder. He picked up a black metal box and contemplated it for a long moment before deciding it was interesting enough, and tucked it into his satchel. Then he looked up at her and raised what could only be called his brow, made a cooing noise, lifted the end of the pod and returned to his lair, while Emily stared after him stunned.
The night was cold, her light jacket was hardly enough to keep the chill air out. Emily Kirkland had run out of food yesterday, but she had pushed herself to continue, desperate to find the Eden Crew. She had rationed as strictly as she safely could, since she arrived here nearly two weeks ago. But it had not been enough. At least she still had water. Her strength was fading, though, and she was having bouts of confusion and disorientation. She clutched her canteen in one hand. Her sunglasses had been broken about four days ago. The jumpers had been lost two days ago, when she had narrowly missed going over a cliff's edge. She was relying completely on the now repaired Eve to lead her to the Eden Advance Crew.
The only problem was that about a week ago their lifesigns had disappeared from the Eve computer. Now, she had no way, but the computer's best guesses, of telling where Devon and crew were. She felt like she was wandering aimlessly. But it probably did not really matter. She would be dead soon. Emily moved closer to the cliff's edge over looking an expansive view. She felt like she could see forever. The bright moonlight made the valley perfectly visible. Something caught her eye, down below, just under the trees. Were those the lights of a camp?
She grabbed her gear and slipped it on, keying in Eve's connection.
"Eve, are you there?" she asked, hoarsely. "I'm here, Emily," came the reply.
"I think I've found them," she said, giddy. She turned around and started down the cliff. It was treacherous going in the dim light under the trees and she stumbled over the uneven ground, in her hast. A fallen tree limb caught her ankle and sent her tumbling. The canteen sailed from her hand as she reached out to break her fall. Her gear went flying off her head as she rolled, then slammed into a tree stump, losing consciousness.
Morgan Martin trailed behind his wife, as she meandered up the hill away from camp. The morning sun drifted down through the trees, glowing green and the cool air smelled of fresh pine. But he was paying no attention to any of it. He was too busy trying to catch his breath. It was pathetic. Even after all these months he still got winded.
The couple had left camp together, twenty minutes ago, telling the others that they were going to collect vegetation. Bess had finally gotten Julia interested in the old folklore, natural methods of healing. They would need to have something to fall back on if their own medical supplies were to run out and they were not able to synthesize more. So, the two women were collecting samples, studying them and experimenting, trying to determine which were of use and which were the most dangerous. "Bess, honey," Morgan gasped. "Don't you think we've come far enough?" He stopped and leaned against a tree trunk, trying to catch his breath.
"I just want to see what's up close to the top," Bess told him.
Morgan tried to reply but could only gape for air. She turned around to give him one of her patient looks. Lord, how he hated those sometimes.
"Are you all right, Morgan?" she asked, concern rising in her eyes. "You know, you didn't have to come." "What? And miss a chance to be alone with my wife," he said, still leaning against the tree.
*Yeah, real romantic, Martin,* he chided. *I'm sure you look every bit the romantic hero, gaping like a landed fish.* He pushed himself off the tree when he saw her gaze soften and started up the hill toward her. She met him halfway. "That's so sweet," she crooned, slipping her arms around him. "Well, you know, it's not that often that we get to be alone, now," he said, his hands sliding up her arms. "I kind of miss the winter camp, with our tent away from everybody else's. I had forgotten how public everything is when we travel." It seemed that since they had arrived on this planet, they had never had any real private time to themselves. They had set up their tent as far removed from the others as would be allowed but still the presence of the group was always there. He felt on display all the time. In the winter camp at least they had some measure of privacy. But here they were again, on the road and crammed together.
"Well, at least we're moving again," Bess said. "With everyday we spend out here, the closer we are to New Pacifica, right? And that's what we want."
"Right," he agreed and leaned in to kiss her. Bess smiled and met his lips, and just when Morgan thought he had gotten his breath back, his wife came and stole it away. "Did you hear something?" he asked, looking up. "Hear what, Morgan?" she asked, with an audible sigh. "I don't know. I thought I heard something." His hands moved to her shoulders as he gazed around. He pointed over her shoulder. "Over there. In those trees and bushes." Bess turned to look but did not see anything, at first. Then, she noticed the bushes quivering slightly. They parted and a woman stumbled out from behind them. She was tall and thin, far too thin for her height, and her narrow face was scarred with small cuts. Her dark hair was a filthy, tangled mess and her clothing had small tears in them. Her eyes were wild as she stared at the couple as if she did not believe they were really there.
"Morgan," she gasped, then collapsed into a heap on the ground.
Bess looked to her husband and he shook his head. "I don't know who she is," he told her honestly. "Whoever she is, we have to help her." Bess moved quickly to the woman's side and helped her to turn over. There were dark circles under her bloodshot and glassy eyes. She was filthy, but Bess suspected that was the least of her worries. She looked like she hadn't eaten a decent meal in days. And her ribs could be easily felt through her shirt, scaring Bess. The woman scanned around her, wide-eyed, then suddenly frightened, she began to flail wildly.
"Shh," Bess soothed, running her hand gently over the woman's forehead. "You're all right. We're friends. You're safe." "Morgan," she called desperately. "Where are you?" "He's right here," Bess said, not really wanting to involve Morgan but feeling that it was the only way to calm this woman down. She grabbed her husband's arm and dragged him into the woman's line of sight.
The dark haired woman stretched out a hand to Morgan and spoke his name again. This time when Bess looked at her husband, she saw recognition on his face.
"Emily," he said, and swept her up into his arms. "I thought I'd never find you," she said, draped weakly over him.
"God, I thought I'd never see you again," he return, holding her tight.
This mysterious woman clung to Bess's husband and jealousy crept into Mrs. Martin's heart. She knew this was wrong. She did not need to feel jealous, but she also could not fight it. Here was a woman she knew nothing about, clinging to her husband and he was holding her just as closely. What else was a wife supposed to think?
"Morgan, who is she?" Bess ventured, placing a hand on Morgan's arm.
His head shot up, surprised, as if he had forgotten she was there. He laughed and pulled back from the woman, gazing at her face. Emily, that was her name, smiled at Bess. "She's my sister, Emily," Morgan told Bess. Bess in turn stared at him, her jaw gaping. Trying to gain her sense of equilibrium, again.
"Morgan, you don't have a sister," she tried to reason with him.
"Yes, I do," he said, with a giggle. "And she's sitting right here."
Emily sagged in his arms, suddenly losing consciousness. Morgan checked the pulse at her neck, then turned back to Bess. "Listen, this can all wait till later. We need to get her back to camp, so Julia can check her out."
Bess nodded, putting her own question aside for the sake of her, sister-in-law, she guessed that's what this woman was.end of part 2
Things Learned (3/4)
by Paula Sanders
copyright 1995
The stranger was met with suspicion when they arrived at camp. But Julia, with her usual, make them healthy now-ask question later attitude, cut through all the questions and protests, and spirited her away to the med tent. Much to Morgan's relief. First off, Julia administered a hydration pack. This woman was not severely dehydrated but it was obvious that she had not eaten much in days and Julia did not want to take any chances. She ran her dia-glove over the unconscious form of Emily, watching Morgan, out of the corner of her eye. She was trying to judge just how important this woman was to Morgan, to see if she could get a clue as to who she was from his actions. But he just sat beside her, holding her hand. While Bess stood over him, the mask of concerned Mrs. Martin, slipped over her face. "She's badly malnourished," Julia reported her findings. "I'd say she hasn't eaten in a day or so. And she hasn't been eating properly for longer than that. Her pulse is much too fast. She has a slight fever. You're lucky you found her when you did." She turned to Morgan and looking at him full face she saw the look of stunned relief that was in his eyes. He glanced up at the doctor and smiled.
"She found us," Morgan corrected. "We were climbing that hill and she just came out of nowhere."
"She's going to be fine, Morgan," Julia assured him, even as the curiosity was eating away at her. "I've given her a mild sedative. I want her to sleep for a few hours. She looks like she hasn't gotten much of that either."
"Can I stay with her?" Morgan asked.
"Sure," Julia replied. "If you want to, yeah."
Devon Adair paced outside the medtent, her arms folded over her chest. Beyond her Danziger stood among the others, watching the tent with a wary eye. Devon caught his eye and shrugged. They were all fighting the urge to barge into the tent and get answers. Who was this woman and how did she get here? Why was she here? Why did Morgan bring her into camp? She hated the fact that they had all become so paranoid as to think every thing was a threat. Back on the stations life was almost devoid of any dangerous threats. It was safe and ordered with little to no crime. So, when confronted with real and lifethreatening dangers on the planet, it was reasonable that they should become wary. After their painful and jarring experience with Gaal in their first few days here, nothing seemed safe. They began to get jumpy, some trigger happy. She glanced over at John, her heart sinking.
She remembered those early days, before Gaal had tried to take True away from her father. Danziger had not seemed the gun toting type. But now, he always carried at least a pistol when he left camp. And he had been known to point a Magpro at anything that looked even remotely threatening. This observation saddened her, that this planet had hardened him so much. But, she smiled, at least he still retained his softer side and shared it with her. This planet had hardened all of them. Here she was worrying about what kind of a threat this stranger would be to them, when that same stranger was lying in the medtent half dead from starvation and exposure. Something was definitely wrong. What had happened to her compassion for fellow humans? What had happened to her belief that every person deserved a chance? Peripherally, she was aware of Danziger approaching, but not aware enough to avoid running into him. He grabbed her shoulders, stopping her before she smacked into him. "We don't need a stray," he told her, without preamble. "I'm well aware of that, John," she returned. "But there is not a whole lot I can do about that now. That woman is sick and needs our help. For now, we have to give her the benefit of the doubt. For now, she stays." She held his eyes, looking for understanding but what she got was grudgingly given at best. "Just until we find out why she's here and if we can trust her." "I don't like this," he said.
"Yeah, well that was a given," she muttered. "Listen, she is obviously important to Morgan. And we trust him." "Devon, he was a government weasel back on the stations. She could be a Council operative."
"I know, but she might not." Devon turned away from him. "I can't stand around here any longer. I'm going to find out how she is doing." She looked up at him again and added, "And who she is. Remember, I do know what I'm doing." With a smirk she marched off to get some answers.
"How is she?" Devon asked, sticking her head into the medtent. Julia stood up and walked to Devon. "She's going to be all right. She's sleeping, something she needs very much, right now." Devon nodded and moved past the doctor to approach Morgan. She laid a hand on his shoulder, capturing his attention. His head shot up.
"Morgan," she did not know how to say this without being gruff. "We're all waiting for an explanation. And you are the only one who can supply answers, right now." Morgan nodded, uneasy and looked back down at the stranger's hand which rested in his. He ran his hand lightly over the back of hers. Then stood.
"I can only tell you what I know?" Morgan told Devon. "That's all we ask," Devon said, trying to give him a reassuring smile. She turned and ushered him out into camp. Bess stuck close beside him, still wary about the woman, but also more aware of her husband's obvious attachment to this woman than the rest of them
"Her name is Emily Kirkland," Morgan told everyone. Martin sat at a make-shift table. Devon Adair and John Danziger across from him. Yale and Alonzo to his right. Magus and Mazati to his left. The others were busy with various chores which needed to be done. Morgan shifted uncomfortably on his crate. He hated being the center of attention. It always rattled him, and all the words would fly out of his ears. And right now, he was so shaken by the sudden appearance of a sister he had thought was dead that he could not think straight even if he wanted to.
"Kirkland," Devon said, surprised. "You mean of Kirkland Enterprises."
"Yes," Morgan said. "She and her husband started the company." Everyone in the group was looking around at each other in surprise. They all recognized the name, but the last person they would have associate with it would have been Morgan. "Alec Kirkland was the most brilliant computer programmer ever," Devon said. "And Emily certainly knew her way around the station's mainframe. The Adair's would use no one else." "No one would," Danziger said. "They were the best." "I used to be a member of the crew they always hired," Mazati said. "Emily Kirkland was the best boss I ever worked for. She was a no nonsense kinda lady. And she sure knew her stuff. You could ask her any question about the particular systems we were installing and she could give you an answer instantly." Morgan relaxed enjoying the praise being heaped on his sister, for her work. Emily had always had a knack for computers, they both had, but Emily had been the one lucky enough to make a career out of it. Before their father could object to her decision to start up Kirkland Enterprises with her husband, they already had become too well known and too important to put a stop to it. Morgan remembered his father's tirades about why his sister could not do as she was expected; get a government job and work her way up just like he had. He felt it was good, solid, secure work that paid well and had certain benefits. That was what he always called them, 'certain benefits'. Morgan had spent the last ten years trying to find out what those 'certain benefits' were.
Emily had done very well for herself. She and Alec were very wealthy and had a near monopoly on the business of creating and installing the computer systems that kept the stations running. With new stations being built every few years and old stations needing to be upgraded, there had always been work. And everyone had turned to Kirkland Enterprises.
Then, Alec had died and Emily had nearly gone with him. Morgan remembered going everyday to see how she was holding up. To make sure that she was still alive. After a few months she seemed to pull out of it. It had been shortly after that when she had disappeared without a trace. She was dead, they had told him, but he would not believe. He had tried to find out what had really happened, but as he searched the mainframe for any clue he slammed up against files so heavily coded that there was no unlocking them. Given these findings he had been convinced her disappearance had everything to do with the Council. People were known to disappear from the stations, never to be seen or heard from again. It was nothing new. But it still scared him. If it was the Council then nowhere was safe.
"So, how do you know her?" Walman asked, bringing Morgan back to the present.
"She's my sister," Morgan told them.
They looked at him as if they did not believe him. Morgan sighed and Bess squeezed his hand.
"So, what is she doing here?" Finally, it was Danziger who asked the question Morgan had been dreading. Sure they knew who Emily was, but they did not know they could trust her. It was up to Morgan to make them see that they could. "I don't know," he answered meekly. "She disappeared from the stations about six years before the Eden Project launched. She just vanished, without even a simple goodbye." Bess squeezed his shoulder, her eyes sad. "Do you have any idea why she disappeared?"
Morgan shook his head.
"No, wait," he said, his eyes going wide as something that had been way in the back of his mind rushed forward. "After she disappeared I did some snooping. I didn't trust the excuse they gave me and I thought maybe I could find some more information. I found some hidden files about some hush-hush project. They were all vague, because they weren't heavily guarded. But they said something about old computer technology. And had a list of the people most qualified to work on that kind of stuff. Emily was on that list."
"Could they have been talking about Eve?" Magus asked. "You mean the Council sent her here to work on Eve?" Devon surmised.
"The Council," Danziger said. "This doesn't sound good." "But if she's Council, what is she doing on the planet, wandering around half dead?" Denner asked. "If she is working for them. It would be a very convincing cover," Danziger put in.
"She is not working for the Council," Morgan defended. "If she were I would know. Emily never had much use for the Council, but she did her job and stayed out of trouble." "There are too many questions that we can't answer," Yale said. "I think we should wait for her to wake. Then we can put all these questions to her."
"Yale's right," Devon said. "Mrs. Kirkland is the only one who can answer our questions. They can wait." Grudgingly everyone agreed.
"Bess, what're you doing?" Morgan asked, as she dragged him inside their tent.
"Why didn't you tell me you have a sister, Morgan?" she demanded. He stuttered. "I thought we weren't keeping secrets from each other any more."
"It's not a secret, Bess," he told her. "It's just. . . I didn't want to talk about it. I know it's a dumb excuse. But I wanted to forget about her. She was my best friend growing up, then she was gone, poof, just like that. Can you imagine?" Morgan regretted not telling his wife about his sister. But when Emily had disappeared the void left had been almost overwhelming. His father had pretended his daughter had never existed and Morgan and his mother had dutifully fallen in line. He watched as Bess's expression softened into sympathy. She was always so patient and forgiving with him. Sometimes he wondered why she put up with him. She could have done a whole lot better, what with those beautiful eyes, gorgeous curls, perfect figure, and kind heart. But she had chosen to marry him and she loved him. She had to be a saint or an angle or something. Morgan knew he needed Bess, more than he ever thought he would need anyone. He remembered the first time he had seen her, he thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. The frank honesty her eyes projected was the one thing he always relied on. She kept him honest. Having a career in politics it was easy for a guy to lose sight of who he was and of what was right and wrong. But, having Bess to come home to kept him well grounded. After too many failed attempts to find something to hold on to, something real and loving, Bess had been a God send. "It's all right, Morgan" Bess said, placing a hand on his arm. "You really had no idea what happened to her?" "No idea," he said. "I thought it had something to do with the Council but I couldn't be sure. I had dinner with her the night before. She didn't say anything. Didn't seem strange. And then the next day, she was just gone." Morgan sank to his cot, hanging his head. He felt the cot give as she sat down next to him. "I never saw her again. I was told she had died in a shuttle accident. Pretty neat lie, huh. No body to be identified. Nothing at all left of the victims."
Bess hugged him, clasping his arms. "But, she's here now. And she's alive."
"How could they do that?" Morgan asked, ignoring his wife's words of comfort, remembering the grief and loneliness left by his sister's absence. "How could they let me believe my own sister was dead? How could they tell me, lie to me, and say she died? I don't understand."
Bess hugged Morgan tighter, and kissed his cheek, laying her forehead against his temple.
"Come on, Morgan," Bess said, smiling and pulling back. "Let's go see how your sister is doing."
"My god, Morgan," Emily said, hugging him tightly. "I never thought I would see you again."
"I can't believe you're here," he said. Emily had just woken up, and the first thing she did was sit up and hug her brother. Bess and Julia, sitting near the cot, were virtually ignored, as the siblings were too preoccupied with each other. Looking at Emily now, Bess wondered why she had never noticed the resemblance between the siblings before. Emily had the same long thin face, dark hair and vulnerable eyes as her brother.
A little chagrined, Emily leaned back from her brother and addressed Bess, "I'm glad I finally get to meet you, Bess." She smiled, stretching out a friendly hand. "You know me," Bess said wary, glancing at Morgan. "How can you know me?"
"I, oh god, I don't know how to explain this," she stuttered, letting her arm drop.
"Emily, what are you doing here on this planet?" Morgan demanded.
"I guess, 'It's a long story, wouldn't' suffice, would it?" she tried.
"I see it runs in the family," Bess muttered. When Emily smiled guiltily, Bess returned it good naturedly. "Let me go get Devon. Now that you're awake, I'm sure she has a lot of questions to ask you." Bess quickly stood up and went after Devon.
"They told me you died," Morgan said. "Can you believe that?" "Yeah, I can," she said. "The Council called me in and I had no choice but to obey orders. There was nothing else I could do." Emily caught Julia's understanding smile and returned it. "The Council," Morgan said nervously. "Emily, you hate the Council."
"Uh huh, still do," she told him. "But when they say hop, you hop, and fast. Or else you find yourself like I am now. That was something I didn't want. I couldn't tell anyone where they were sending me. They wouldn't let me say good-bye. I wanted to. I did not want to leave my baby brother, my best friend, without saying good-bye but they did not give me a choice." "Did it have anything to do with that computer, Eve?" he asked.
"Let's wait for Ms. Adair," she suggested. "I don't want to have to tell this story more than once." Just then a striking woman Emily recognized as Devon Adair stepped through the tent opening, followed by Bess and a very tall, very imposing man. Devon stopped in front of Emily, and took a seat on a crate next to the cot. Bess took a seat next Morgan and the man Emily now recognized as John Danziger, took up a protective position behind Devon.
"Hello, Mrs. Kirkland," Devon said, giving her a friendly smile. "You might not remember me, I'm Devon Adair." "Remember you? No one ever forgets the Adairs," Emily stated. Danziger smirked and Adair returned it. Something about this man made Emily nervous; something in his eyes. She would not want to get on his bad side. She remembered seeing him standing with Julia, Devon, and Alonzo Solace as Julia told Reilly she was through with the Council. The threatening, fiercely protective stances of both men had stuck in her mind. But there was something far more dangerous about John Danziger. "This is John Danziger," Devon said, indicating the man. "He's kind of. . . my right hand, I guess you could say." Devon gave him an affectionate smile.
John reached out a friendly hand and captured hers in a firm handshake. "Nice to meet you," he said and Emily thought he meant it. *Pleasant enough, after all,* she decided, with a smile. "Now that we have that out of the way, I'm sure you have a ton of questions. So, fire away," Emily said. "Do you think you're up to it?" Devon asked glancing at Julia, who nodded.
"I'm fine, although I wish I could have had a bath first. But that can wait. You do have somewhere I could wash?" "Yes, of course we do," Bess said.
"We won't keep you long," Devon assured her. "Good, this grime is fast becoming a part of me. And if I don't get it off soon, I never will." Emily tried to smile despite her nervousness.
"Mrs. Kirkland," Devon began.
"Please, Emily," she corrected. "I haven't been Mrs. Kirkland to too many people since my husband died." "Emily, do you know about the Eve computer, orbiting this planet?" Devon asked.
"Well, right to the quick of it." Emily said. "You don't waste any time. Yes, I do know about Eve, quite intimately. I was sent here to make sure she was kept running smoothly." "How?" Danziger asked, before Devon could. "The only access we know of to the computer is through a ship which is hundreds of kilometers behind us."
"That's not the only way," she said.
She was hedging. She did not want to tell these people about the orbiting station. She wondered if maybe it would be better, after all they had been through, not to know. Did it really matter? Yes, they deserved to know what was out there. "There is a Council satellite up there orbiting, right now. I was sent there."
The slight measure of shock on Devon's face told Emily that they had at least considered the possibility. After all they had been through she did not blame them. They had every right to be paranoid.
"The satellite was linked to Eve, completely. A very stupid set up, I know," Emily said. "I tried to explain that to them, but they wouldn't listen. You know the old school of - if it ain't broke don't fix it." She heard Danziger make a short contemptuous laugh. "When the break down reached the final stages, we all got sick, the station was failing and I refused to help them purge the virus."
"Why?" Devon asked. "Why did you refuse?" her eyes were dulled by shock.
"If you had seen a fraction of what I had seen of what goes on here, you would have done the same thing." "So, they have been monitoring us the whole time?" Julia said, almost casually.
"Yes, but they would never have come after you. They would have made you come to them."
"You mean wait until we got to New Pacifica," Devon surmised. "Probably. The manpower for the station is minimal. They barely have enough to keep it running. They can't spare anyone to go down to the surface and search for you. They already know where New Pacifica is, so will just sit tight and wait. And besides, they're all afraid of this planet." "Afraid?" Devon asked.
"Weren't you a little afraid of this place when you first arrived?" Emily asked. "I know I was."
She heard Morgan and Bess trying to stifle their laughter, remembering their first days here, all alone. They had all learned so much since then.
"Devon, I am not a danger to you. I am an outlaw to the Council. They dumped me here on this planet like all the other penal colonists. To die."
"Um, we have a lot to think about," Devon said, standing. "We'll let you get cleaned up. We can finish this later." Devon still looked like she had had the wind knocked out of her. She turned from the cot, looking up at Danziger. He laid a hand on her shoulder and they left the tent with no further words. "Do you feel strong enough to walk?" Bess turned to Emily. "Yes, I believe so," she replied.
"Good, then we can get you that bath and I'm sure we can find you some clean clothing. I'll go get Cameron to help me move the tub to my tent. And I'll get a bath ready for you."end of part 3
Things Learned (4/4)
by Paula Sanders
copyright 1995
"Can we trust her?" Danziger asked the group, as they sat at the center of camp, without the Martins present. "We all know her, or at least of her," Devon said. "I remember her as being trustworthy. She had a lot of integrity. I liked her. But how do we explain her presence here?" "She could be a Council plant." Walman said. "But Morgan said she doesn't like the Council," Denner pointed out.
"Yeah, well, did you know everything about any of your siblings?" Walman said.
"I think I'd know something like that," she returned, with just a hint of hostility.
"We may have to trust her. I don't think we can abandon her," Devon stated. "She has not done anything to make us mistrust her, yet."
"But remember Gaal," Baines pointed out. Devon eyes narrowed. "I don't think that has anything to do with Mrs. Kirkland's situation. She deserves the benefit of the doubt, here. I have never known her to be mistrust worthy. And the information she has on Eve would be invaluable to us." "Then, we let her stay with us," Danziger said, backing Devon up.
Emily Kirkland sank lower into the warm water, the bubbles tickling her nose. She could not remember the last time she had taken a bubble bath. This was one luxury she thought she would never see again. And something she would never have expected to find herself in on this planet.
"Where did you get the bubble bath?" Emily asked Bess, who was standing with her back to the woman setting up an extra cot. Bess was not at all what she would have expected of the woman her brother married. Bess was so, natural and genuine. Not anything like the other woman Morgan had married. Emily had tried to talk him out of that marriage, but he would not listen to her. He was feeling pressure from their father to get married, so he had rushed into it. And it had been a complete mess, ending in separation and having the record of it wiped from the station records.
Emily thought she was going to like Bess. She seemed like a strong woman who knew her own mind and was not afraid to speak it. And Emily could see why Morgan had fallen head over heels for this woman. She was beautiful, and reminded Emily of those old paintings she had seen in museums by artists like Rossetti and Millais who called themselves the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and painted exotic, fantasy, dreamlike images and portraits. "I smuggled a few bottles in my luggage," Bess admitted sheepishly. "When we were crashing Morgan and I managed to grab some of our things. I have a weakness for bubble baths. We never had baths on Earth, only the dry soap stalls. There is something so decadent about soaking in a tub full of warm water and soapy bubbles."
Emily swirled her hands around in the water. "Only the very rich had the privilege of bathtubs," Emily told Bess. "My family was never that rich."
"Really," Bess said in surprise. Morgan did not like to talk about his family much. And the few times she had met with them she had thought they were plenty rich. But that had all been from her perspective; the perspective of an Earth Res. Anything was rich compared to the where she had grown up. "We were well off. Our grandfather had managed to get out from under his passage up debt. And our father was able to do fairly well for himself as a government liaison. We were surrounded by all the right people and he never let us forget what it was like to be without money. I think that hurt Morgan." Emily's eyes took on a far away look.
Bess remembered the first time she had met Morgan's parents. She had been absolutely terrified. She was not sure how to act or what she should wear. And she was so flustered she was sure she was going to make a fool of herself and ruin everything. Thomas Martin was a very intimidating man and right away she had understood a little of why Morgan seemed so jumpy all the time, like he was doing the wrong thing just being in the same room with her.
"Which one of you is the older?" Bess asked. "Me," Emily smiled. "But only by two years. We were very close. Do you have any siblings?"
"No," Bess answered. "My mother died before she and my father had anymore children and he never remarried." "Life on Earth must have been very hard," Emily said. "Yeah, it was," Bess stated simply.
"Did you marry Morgan to get off Earth?" Emily's bluntness surprised Bess.
"No," she stated. "Morgan is the most precious thing in my life. I love him and he loves me. That is why I married him." "I shouldn't have asked that?" Emily apologized. "It's all right," Bess said, smiling. "You love your brother and are being protective. I would've done the same." Bess looked down at her hands clutching a folded blanket to her chest. "To be honest. I was thrilled to be getting off Earth. Who wouldn't be? I couldn't believe Morgan wanted to marry me. Why would a polished, station side, government liaison want to marry a scruffy Earth Res? But he did."
Bess had hardly believed what was happening to her when she had first started seeing Morgan Martin. He was so different from any man she had ever met on Earth. Every inch of him was perfect, crisp, and polished, and there was something about his bright, sad eyes that drew her in and told her he desperately needed her. He had made her feel special, as if there was no one else quite like her in the universe. And even though he had his flaws, she saw the potential which lay within him and fell madly in love with him. It had all, as Morgan had said, been like a dream. "I saw your VR wedding reception," Emily admitted. "Eve has recordings of everything that goes on in VR here. It was fantastic. I wanted to be there to celebrate with you. You all looked so happy."
"I wish you could have been there, too," Bess said. "But you're here with us now. That's what matters." Emily smiled, thankfully. "Hey, I'm going to turn into a prune if I don't get out of this water soon." "I wish we could do something about your hair." Bess lifted the wet and cleaner, tangled mass of dark hair. "Would you let me cut it for you?" she asked.
Emily looked skeptical and Bess could not blame her. "Don't worry I have experience. I've done this a lot since we got here."
"All right," Emily agreed. "Cut off as much as you need to."
Emily sat on a crate, the uncomfortable center of the Eden Advance Crew's attention. She was supported by her brother and sister-in-law, wrapped in a blanket. Her once long, beautiful hair was now cut to a short bob, hanging just under her ears. It had been beyond repair and she and Bess had agreed to cut most of it off. She felt a bit naked without the feel of her hair about her; the air was cold against her bare neck. That made her position amongst these virtual strangers even more unsettling. "So, why did they dump you here?" Danziger asked, now that they were all assembled.
"I was the only one up there capable of purging the virus Bennett had hidden in Eve. I saw it Eve months before the rest of the officials noticed it. He had buried it very deeply and coded it securely. There was no way anyone was going to get to it by routine routes. I had a chance or at least Commander Henrick thought I had a chance. Once you all awakened Bennett they had no need of me so they did what they do to all people who stand against them. They sent me to G889."
Morgan squeezed her shoulder and she smiled up at him. His presence, just being with him made her feel so much better. She had forgotten how lonely she had become. "Julia," she said, gaining the attention of the young doctor. "I want you to know how brave I think you are. You were standing alone out here, in the middle of nowhere. So, far away from all that you know. Yet, you still were able to break with the Council. Your actions gave me the courage to do what I knew had to be done. Thank you."
Julia smiled shyly and Alonzo, sitting next to her, hugged her to him and smiled.
"I wasn't as alone as I thought I was," Julia said, looking around at all her friend.
"How did you find us?" Devon asked.
"I had a friend up there," she answered "He was able to set me down on the planet, close to where we thought you all might be. I had a compass and a few supplies. Actually Eve contacted me. She begged me to go to Bennett's ship. But there was no way I could have gotten to it in time. I landed too far away and the pod only had about two weeks worth of rations. I got a surprise welcome from a Grendler who traded me a lumalight, a set of jumpers and sunglasses for half of my rations and the pod I was dropped in." "You traded with a Grendler?" Morgan piped up, eyes wide. Emily nodded, grinning. "I'm not ignorant about this planet. I had been studying the information gathered on G889. I had the crazy notion that maybe I could escape to the planet. But I didn't get the chance."
"Do you have any idea what the Council might be planning to do to us once we reach New Pacifica?" Devon asked. Emily noticed Julia shifting nervously, looking terrified. "I can't be sure. But I know they won't leave you alone. Julia," she said turning to the frightened doctor. "You knew it would come. Someday you will have to answer to them." "But she won't have to answer to them alone," Alonzo said, and everyone agreed.
"They haven't got any real power up there," Emily assured them. "The Commander is an egocentric young man. He has no real connection to the Council, past his assignment here. How could he? The Council is twenty-two light years away. As to whether or not they sent anyone after you. I doubt it. You're dead to them. They have no idea that you are here and alive and they won't for another twenty-two years. They probably would much rather consider the matter closed. An insignificant battle lost." "Insignificant!" The word burst out of Devon. "Those children were dying. This Syndrome was killing all of us. And you call it insignificant."
Morgan's arm tightened around his sister's shoulders. But Emily took the hostility with grace. She understood Devon's feeling, and she did not blame her from getting angry at that remark.
"I am just showing you how the Council feels about the Eden Project. All they were concerned with was the general population learning of the plight of the Syndrome children. The fact that the children were dying meant nothing to them. It means a great deal to me," Emily assured everyone, her voice weak. "But so does this planet and its inhabitants. They are the real victims here. We have come marching in here with our usual arrogance and plunked ourselves down, claiming land that isn't ours. Just like in the old days. I thought history was there to be learned from. But we don't learn, do we?"
"We have learned," Devon assured her. "We have accepted that this planet belongs to the Terrians and that we are only here at their invitation. We made a pact to protect them. We promised them that we would not let the Council colonize this planet." Suddenly, remembering her biostat chip Emily jumped to her feet. "Oh lord, they'll know where you are now that I'm here," she said. "The implant. Eve told me none of you have them anymore, but I do. And now they can track us. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"Don't worry, Emily," Morgan assured her, pulling her back to her seat. "We'll just get the Terrians to remove yours like they did with ours."
"The Terrians?" Emily questioned. "But how?" "We have no idea," Alonzo said, grinning. "That's one of the first lessons of this planet. Learn to accept the unbelievable." Emily nodded deciding to let the matter drop and trust their superior first-hand knowledge of the planet and its inhabitants. She sagged against her brother, her eyes slowly closing. Julia got to her feet and crossed to her patient. "I think you need some rest," Julia said. "We've grilled you enough for today."
"I didn't realize how tired I was," Emily whispered. Morgan helped his sister to stand and he and Bess escorted her back to their tent.
The Eden Advance Crew was packing up to travel another 20 kilometers toward New Pacifica. They were striking tents and loading the vehicles. Devon Adair was repacking a crate of food supplies when she saw a shadow cross over her. She looked up to see Emily Kirkland standing above her.
Now, after the woman had received the benefits of a good night's sleep and what little food in the way of breakfast they could offer her, Devon recognized the woman she had worked with on the stations. Poised, rather striking in her own way, with intelligence shining in her eyes. The good qualities the group so rarely saw in Morgan, were readily apparent in Emily. Working together Devon had noticed that they were very similar women; driven, intelligent, strong in convictions, and painfully stubborn. Devon had thought that she and Emily could have been friends if given the opportunity. But before, back on the stations, before G889 and the crash, and John Danziger, the Adair 'walls of steel' had kept Emily out. She looked forward to considering Emily Kirkland a friend.
"Good morning," Devon said. "Are you feeling any better?" "Much, thank you." There was more in those few words than a simple thank you.
"Is there anything I can do for you?" Devon asked, standing. "No," Emily said. "I just want to tell you something, in private. Away from the other." Emily seemed skiddish as a wild animal as she shifted from foot to foot. "What?" Devon asked, trying to smile comfortingly, but feeling nervous.
"The satellite has not been here very long," Emily began, worrying her hands nervously. "It was sent out here when you started to put together the Eden Project." "Why?" Devon asked.
"The information the Council had on G889 was very old. And they had stopped hearing from Bennett and his crew. They received the initial reports, first findings, and contact with the inhabitants. But after that the information they received was vague. Eve was holding back. Was not doing what she had been sent here to do. She concentrated on the planet but did not report back to the stations. She was acting on her own. So, they decided there needed to be a human presence here to insure their claim. And with you planning on bringing thousands of people out here they were concerned about what you would find. And with the penal colonists they realized how unwise it was to leave this planet with no Council representatives."
Devon did not know why this surprised her. Enough had happened in the last six months for here for her to be ready to give up on being surprised by anything. The Council had been such a strong threat in her life for so long that she had forgotten how not to feel that threat. So, why should this surprise her? "What about Reilly?" Devon asked. "Why create Reilly if there were people up there to talk to the people down here?" "Reilly already existed before we came," Emily explained. "Commander Henrick decided to keep things as they were. Besides, I think he wanted the satellite to be a kind of invisible threat. He is so arrogant, it's unbelievable."
"Emily," Devon began cautiously. "You're welcome to stay with us. Because of Morgan we have little choice. But I do remember you and I think you would be a valued member of this team." "Thank you," Emily said, with a quiet, dignified smile.
Emily Kirkland stood outside what had been the Martin's tent, before they had taken it down. She stared up at the brilliant, blue, morning sky, the shining sun washing over her face. Up there, somewhere in the middle distance hung the satellite. A place she had occupied for six and a half long years. Julia was not the only one they would come after once the group reached New Pacifica. The breeze kicked up and she pulled her jacket tighter around herself, hugging her middle.
Yet, she was here. She was free of her false life on that station. No matter what Henrick might have in store for her, she still had this time when she was truly free and with her brother again.
"Hey Sis," Morgan called.
She turned to see her brother standing awkwardly, hands behind his back. She smiled affectionately.
"Hey Kiddo," Emily returned.
"Oh boy. Emily, I thought you had quit calling me that when I was sixteen." He stepped up to her, his expression full of disgust.
"Little brother, you will always be Kiddo to me." "Okay, but don't you dare try to ruffle my hair," He warned, sticking a finger in her face.
"Promise," she said, laughing. "Would you at least let me give you a hug?"
"Sure," he said, opening up his arms to meet her in a hug. "I feel so safe here," Emily whispered, causing Morgan to pull back from her.
"Safe?" he said incredulously. "Here? In this god forsaken place."
"I know it sounds crazy, but I haven't felt this happy, safe and contented since Alec died." She felt the tears sting her eyes. She had thought she was done mourning for Alec. Morgan's expression changed to sympathy and he pulled his sister against him.
"I miss him, too," he said.
Emily held tight to her brother, glad to be near him, still fearing she was dreaming and would awaken back on the satellite, alone.
*This is real,* she told herself. *The first real place I've been in years.*
Emily pulled back, brushing the tears away. She took this opportunity to really look at her brother. Almost seven years had passed since she had last seen him. He had changed. Where was the arrogant, polished, bureaucrat she had often wanted to sock in the jaw? Yeah, she loved him but sometimes she felt he needed sense knocked into him before he did something really stupid. She consider this, realizing that Bess Martin was probably the one who had been able to accomplish what his sister could not. "God, Morgan. I hardly recognize you," she said. She ran a hand over his cheek."You need a shave. And what happened to those expensive suits you always wore?"
"Look around you, there isn't much call for those out here," he reminded her. "They'll be back again after we get the colony going."
"And what about that wife of yours?" she said, her tone teasing. "The ever social conscious Morgan Martin married an Earth Res."
"Well, you know how it is," he fumbled and she laughed. "Kiddo, you have unexpected depth. Bess is a great catch." "You think so," Bess said stepping up beside her husband. Emily smiled guiltily. "Yes, I do. And I look forward to getting to know my sister-in-law. You two are very lucky. I hope you realize that."
"We do," Morgan said pulling his wife close. "So, when are you two going to make me an aunt?" Emily asked, grinning broadly, feeling only a twinge of regret that she and Alec were never able to have children.
She watched gleefully as Bess and Morgan Martin stuttered out a reply. "Someday soon, we hope."**This planet has turned a group of virtual strangers into a family, united in a common goal. Our own survival and to protect this planet from the dangers which come from without. And we are now armed with the knowledge of at least one danger which is out there, waiting for us. This knowledge has eased our fears, for now. Whatever is to happen in the future we know we are strong and can endure. Because we and the Terrians have the upper hand here.**
Morgan Martin-The End-
comments and feedback to: paula.sanders@shawnee.org
This text file was ran through PERL script made by Andy. Original text file is available in Andy's Earth 2 Fan Fiction Archive.