SPY ON BOARD
By
Rebecca Jane Yoo
Timeline: After "Enemy within" (Day 49)
Author's E-Mail: rjyoo@umich.edu
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
The characters and situations of this story are property of Amblin/Universal Entertainment. No copyright infringement is meant, this is purely a work of fan fiction.
This story is suppose to occur during episodes "Redemption" and "Moon Cross".
TRUST IN ME
By Rebecca Jane YooBess Morgan was excited. She was excited because they had stopped for a few days so the vehicles could be repaired. Bess wasn't excited just because they had stopped, even though everyone needed a rest after a long time of hard travel. No, she was excited because they had set up camp only a half a klick away from a stream. No matter how gross it sounded, Bess couldn't remember the last time she had a bath, and the creek was close enough to camp to be safe, but far enough for a little privacy. She loved her fellow colonists, but twenty four hours a day, seven days a week for a couple months was a little much sometimes.
Bess arrived at the creek and set her things down. She took a quick glance around to make sure no one was there before she removed her clothes. 'Oh, don't be so paranoid,' Bess thought to herself, 'you told everyone where you were going and not to come down here.' But then she heard something. She whirled around. No one was there. 'Calm down and relax' she told herself, but as she got closer to the water to test its temperature she noticed a figure off in the distance. She couldn't make out who it was, but it didn't look familiar. Bess quickly picked up her stuff and headed back to camp as discretely as possible. She must have not left as discretely as she thought because the person began to call. Bess started to run.
"Whoa! Where are you going so fast" John Danziger said as Bess slammed right into him as she flew into camp.
"There's a..." she stopped to catch her breath, "There's a person down by the creek."
"Camp alert!" Danziger shouted as he reached down to the MagPro he kept with him as always. They had to be careful. If someone would have told him a couple months ago that a stranger was coming, he would have paid attention, but now with all the trouble they'd had with strangers; Gaal, the Zed, kobas, they had to be real careful.
"What is it?" Devon Adair demanded. "Bess saw someone down by the creek," Danziger replied, not really annoyed at her tone. He was used to it.
"Baines, Magus, Cameron. Come with me," Danziger ordered. The group walked cautiously as they headed closer to the creek. As the creek slowly came into view they could here something. It wasn't the sound of the water flowing over rocks and it wasn't the normal sounds of the forest. It was a voice.
"Hello! Ma'am! Hello! Ma'am, where'd you go?" On the other side of the creek Danziger could see the form a human. It was male and probably no older than seventeen or eighteen.
"Come on, it's just a kid. He looks unarmed," Danziger said to the others how were a few yards behind him. They moved in a little faster now.
"Hello!" the boy called again.
This time Danziger yelled back, "Hello!" The boy tuned around and faced Danziger. "Thank God I found you. I've been trying to find you ever since the crash!" the boy said with obvious enthusiasm."Who are you?" Danziger said, trying to be friendly, but still being unsure he didn't put the MagPro down.
"My names David O'Donnell. I was on the ship headed for New Pacifica, but it crashed. Aren't you from the colony too?"
"Yeah, the name's John Danziger," Danziger replied, "I don't really remember seeing you aboard the ship. I thought True and Uly were the only kids aboard."
"Well, they were, at least they were supposed to be. I'm a stowaway," David replied.
The now expanded group headed back into camp with Danziger in the lead. He wanted to talk to Devon first before anyone drew any conclusions about the young stowaway. The colonists were milling around the center of camp eager to see what Danziger and the group had uncovered. They all ran as the lookout, Danziger's daughter, True, shouted that they had returned and with someone else. Devon was in the lead, but before she could say anything, Danziger took here arm and said, "I need to talk to you."
"David, can you join us please?" Danziger said, not really asking. The three walked into the nearest tent. "Take a seat, David," Danziger said as he pointed to a cot and pulled Devon to the other side of the tent behind a stack of crates.
"What is this all about, Danziger?" Devon demanded. "David, the kid out there, says he's part of the colony," Danziger replied.
"What does he mean, there weren't any other kids on board besides Uly and True." Devon insisted.
"I know that's what I said. He says he's a stowaway." Before Devon could reply, voices came form the other side of the crates. Poking their heads out from either side of the crates, they saw that Uly and True had somehow slipped away from Yale and were talking to David. The three children looked up and True and Uly ran out of the tent. They knew their parents feelings on talking with strangers. After the episode with Gall, True was surprised her father didn't have her on a leash.
"Before you say anything," David started, " I just want to tell you I understand if you don't want me coming along with you. I am a stowaway and I have already broken your trust there, but please don't just throw me out at that. It's awful being out there all alone. Before David could continue Devon cut in, "Now David, you seem like a nice boy, but we need to talk to the others."
"Perfectly understandable," David said before Devon could finished.
The group then walked out of the tent and Devon announced to the curious colonists that they would have a meeting tonight to discuss whether or not David would be accompanying them the rest of the way to New Pacifica.
That evening the colonists gathered around the fire and got ready to discus what they were going to do with David.
"Excuse me everybody, I would like to get the meeting started," Devon said looking around at her companions, her eyes falling on David. "David, I'm sorry, but we would like do discuss this in private if you don't mind."
"I do mind," David said unexpectantly. "What did you say?" Devon asked even though she already new the answer.
"I said I do mind. I have every right to stay and find out if I am going to be booted or if I am going to be asked to stay. I should be able to know why people would want me to do either. I have a right to speak for myself. Tell my side of the story," David explained.
"Ok, David, this is not a dictatorship. You can stay," Devon replied.
"You're up, buddy," Danziger said looking at David. "OK," David said as he stood up and addressed the colonists, "As you all know, my name is David O'Connell and I was on the crash, but I was not a registered colonist or crew member, I was a stowaway."
"You're a what?" Morgan asked and then answered himself, "A stowaway! How do you expect us to even consider taking you along with us? You're a stowaway! You probably planted the bomb that made us crash!"
"Morgan!" Bess said, "That's not fair, you're not giving him a chance."
"He doesn't deserve a chance!" Morgan went on, "Look at the people we've met so far and what they've done to us. Gaal and the Zed tried to kill us all and even our own doctor tried to too!'
"Morgan!" Alonzo and Devon shouted. "Sorry," Morgan said as his wife pulled him back down to her side. "Go ahead David," Bess said once Morgan was sitting down pouting. "I can't deny that I was a stowaway, but I did not plant a bomb on the ship. I stowed away on the ship because I wanted a new life, a new beginning."
"Yeah, probably an escape of your former criminal life, right," Morgan said under his breath.
"Shhhh!" several of the colonists piped in sick of Morgan's rude interruptions.
"No, it was not an escape from a criminal life, but an escape from the harsh realities of living on Earth," David continued.
"You're from Earth, too? So am I! What sector are you from?" Bess, being the only other Earther, asked excitedly.
"Sector 13. What about you?" David asked with a grin, also happy that there was also someone else from home.
"Sector 5. No wonder you left Earth, Sector 13 was probably the worst polluted and corrupted areas," Bess replied.
"What'd I tell you?" Morgan asked. Ignoring him, David continue, "Both of my parents had been killed by the deadly levels of cantonments in the air and water from our sector, but the council prohibited anyone form Sector 13 to leave or to come up to the stations, for fear of us spreading something. But, once they were gone there was nothing left on Earth to keep me there, so I crossed the border into the next Sector, where people were allowed to migrate to the stations. When I got there, I found out why all Earthers hate the stations; a council that controlled everything including the stale air and water that was almost as bad as Earth. So when I heard on the news about Ms. Adair's plan to take the Syndrome kids to a planet that was just like Earth used to be, I new I had to get aboard somehow. I first tried getting on legally, but of course with all the bureaucracy of the stations, that was impossible, so when the crew was loading supply I slipped on an extra uniform and loaded equipment on and then just stayed aboard when it was all done."
"But, I don't understand how you were able to put yourself into cold sleep?" Yale asked.
Before David could answer, Dr. Heller answered for him, "I did it."
"You were aware of a stowaway on board and you didn't report it!' Devon said.
"No,no it wasn't like that, I had no idea he was a stowaway. He told me he was a crew member and I believed him and put him down into cold sleep right after Uly," Julia answered in defense.
"I bet he was accomplice! Wasn't he, Julia? He was your accomplice! You are both spies working for the council! You're going to kill us all and then claim this planet and all of its profitable resources in the name of the council and for yourselves," Morgan rambled on.
"Really, Morgan! Could you please be quiet. We are talking about David, not Dr. Heller or her past actions," Devon said, "Go on, David."
"I was in an escaped pod with five other people," David proceeded to say.
"Who else was with you?" Devon and Danziger asked simultaneously. "They were all crew, but I didn't really know their names. Once we crashed they all wanted to split up. The one, hated all Earthers and hated me even more, because I was a stowaway so he and this other guy went off in one direction and the other three went off in another, each group taking their share from the pod's supplies. The left me almost nothing, so after they left I scrounged what was left for anything I could use. My plan was to find where the other pods had landed and join up with the main group. And so, here I am. And I promise if I am allowed to go along with you I will earn my keep, I'll go with less rations even." David finished, "I am now open to questions."
"David, what did you do on Earth? I mean do have any special talents that you think might help getting us to New Pacifica?" Danziger asked, "Do you know any mechanics, I sure could use your help there."
"I'm not a mechanic, because we could never afford any type of vehicle that really required maintenance, but both my parents were Earth doctors and .." David said before being cut off.
"Earth doctors, you know Earth medicine?" Dr. Heller said excitedly.
"Yeah, just primitive medicine from Earth, I never had any formal training," David replied.
"But, that's what we need, someone who can make medicine from what's around us," Dr. Heller explained.
"Well, that's a good point to consider everyone," Devon added, "Who else has a question for David?"
"How old are you?" Uly asked.
"Honey, I meant questions relevant to the discussion. You can ask him later," Devon told her son."No, that's OK Ms. Adair, I turned seventeen the week before we took off, Uly. Any other questions?" David smiled back at Uly like an older brother, obviously amused at such an innocent question.
"Do you know other good stories?" Uly asked. "Now, Uly that is really enough, you can ask that question later," Devon said.
"Yeah, I know some great Earth tales," David whispered back to Uly. Uly smiled back.
"David, I have a question for you," Danziger began, "Did you see anything suspicious when you were on board the ship, because according to your story you were there with the loading crew, which before pretty much everybody else. Anyone carrying unusual looking boxes or someone tampering with any of the control panels or boxes?"
"No, not really. Everyone was carrying stuff on board and it all pretty much the same and as for people working with the control panels and stuff, I just assumed they were all making last minute adjustments," David answered.
"You know, he was including you in the question," Morgan said. "I told you, I had nothing to do with the crash. Why would I get on a ship and then blow it up anyway, I would have been killed too. I don't even know anything about explosives or any of the workings of the ship, like I told you before, we didn't have many mechanical stuff back home on Earth." David said defending himself.
"OK, if there are no more questions we'll take a vote. Would you mind leaving while we vote?" Devon asked.
"No, as long as you will explain your decision when you're done," David said.
"Of course," Devon replied.
David walked away from the fire until he was out a ears reach. "Now, who votes to let David stay and come along with us the rest of the way to New Pacifica?" Devon asked the group.Uly's and True's hands shot right up, then Bess's, Danziger's, Yale's, and Julia's hands also went up. Alonzo's, Baines's, Magus's , and Cameron's hands went up a little bit more slowly as the first group, but they looked as if they made the right decision. Devon's hand went up last. The vote was eleven to one, Morgan's vote of no. David would be staying.
Over the next few weeks, David proved to be true to his word. He did his share and more of the work, helping where ever he could with the other's chores. He hardly ate any of his allotted rations, giving them to Uly and True, while he foraged among the greenery for food and medicine for himself and everyone else. He was big brother to Uly and True and the son that Danziger never had, with David receiving a maintenance lesson from Danziger and True nearly everyday.
One evening, David and Alonzo were on watch together. They were sitting around the camp fire, when David asked Alonzo the most peculiar question.
"Do you dream Alonzo?" David asked. "What?" Alonzo asked back.
"I mean, have you been getting weird dreams ever since we've landed on the planet?" David asked again."Yeah, how did you know? Have the Terrians contacted you on the dreamscape?" Alonzo asked almost in awe. Out the the group of colonists he had really been the one that the Terrians insisted on contacting with on the dreamscape.
"Yeah, they lead me to you guys. How did you think I found you so fast? A lucky guess?" David continued.
"OK, people let's move out!" Devon called to the group of colonists. The group was now moving out of the dense forests and out into the open plane of the savannas. Devon scanned the horizon guessing how far they would get today. 'Fairly level ground,' Devon thought, 'They should be able to make a few more klicks than usual today.' But then her gaze stop on something out in the distance. There was something out there, and it was moving.
Turning around, she looked for Danziger. "Oh, where is he?" Devon scowled under her breath. Then see saw him. Following the DuneRail, obviously expecting it and how it handled the new terrain.
"Danziger, can you come her for a minute?" Devon asked just load enough to get his attention, but not to alarm the others.
Danziger walked over, clearly annoyed being interrupted from his work.
"What is it, Adair?" Danziger said with annoyance still on his breath.
"I saw something," Devon said plainly. "What do you mean? What did you see? Could we be a little bit more explicit?" he said getting more aggravated.
"I don't know. That's why I'm over here, you have the jumpers don't you? All I saw was some movement. It could have been a grendler or a koba or something, but it...it looked more human," Devon went on.
"OK, let's take a look," Danziger said as he headed back to the DuneRail to get the jumpers.
The two walked ahead the rest of the group, trying to look as causal as possible. Once they had a small lead ahead of the vehicles and the other colonists. Devon paused and pointed, "It was over in that direction."
Danziger put the jumpers to his face and scanned the area that Devon was pointing in.
"Well, I don't see....." he began, "wait, I see something it looks like a human, but it could be a Terrian. Let me zoom in a little bit. Yeah, it's a person."
"Are you sure?" Devon asked even though she already new the answer.
"Yeah, I'm sure. We're gonna have to the others. We're heading right in that direction, and if you say him without the jumpers, there's now doubt that he saw you too," Danziger said.
"OK, I'll tell them," Devon said as she turned around to announce to the group that they had found yet another person. "OK, everybody, I have an announcement," Devon started. The vehicles and the colonists came to a halt and looked curiously at Devon. "We've located another person."
"You've what!" they all said together apparently surprised. "We've located another person, he's on the horizon, about seven klicks to the northwest," Danziger said taking over.
"Well, what are we going to do with him, adopt him too?" Morgan whined, still bitter that the group had decided to bring David along to New Pacifica.
Ignoring Morgan, Devon continued, "He's in the direction that we need to go in and he's probably already seen us. We'll keep moving in our schedule direction, but everyone is to keep their guard up, even more than usual and we will deal with it once the situation presents itself."
Morgan let out a groan, which everyone ignored, and the group moved on. By midday they had reached a halfway point from where they had first seen this new stranger. The flat surface, had now changed into rocky terrain and unlike Devon had earlier expected they were moving slower than earlier, and the stranger was not making much progress either. Once it had started to get dark, the colonists had to break camp, before night completely fell, theyUd have to wait for him to come to them.
That night hardly extra guards were posted and hardly anyone could get to sleep, even after the rough day of travel. Around 23:00, the stranger limped into camp. He was in his late twenties and had dark, black hair. He was greeted by the guards, Danziger, Baines, and Cameron, and the MagPro, as well as the other members of the group, including David. David's eyes locked onto the stranger and his eyes locked back on David's and like from a scene from the old Earther Western movies from long ago the two flew at each other, almost in slow motion.
They fell to the ground, David knocking the stranger to his back, but almost as quickly the hit the ground, the stranger now had David on bottom and smashed his fist into David's face. But before David could return the punch Danziger pulled the stranger off of David.
"Cut it out, cut it out," Danziger yelled as he dragged outsider off, "Now what is going on David?"
David stood up and answered after he caught his breath back, "This man is Byron, Byron Cain. He was in the escape pod with me, he left other's behind on the ship, he attacked me once we landed, blaming the crash on me because I was an Earther and he left me with almost no rations or supplies at all from the pod, even though we had enough for ten people. David was getting more and more upset as he went on.
"David," interrupted Dr. Heller, "Why don't you come with me and we'll take a look at that eye, OK?"
"But," David started like a little boy. "Come on," Julia insisted sounding like a mother herself. "Yes, ma'am," David responded, this time with no argument and followed Dr. Heller into the med-tent, but still insisting that the main they had left behind was pure evil.
Back in the center of camp, Byron started with his own defense, 'I don't know what he's talking about. He's the one who blew up the ship and made us crash and all. He disgusts me, all those people from Earth are disgusting creatures."
Bess opened her mouth in retort, but Morgan pulled her back before she could say anything.
"Now, Byron, I'm Devon Adair, leader of this expedition and we all thoroughly discussed and then voted that David is a harmless, frightened boy and was not responsible for the crash as far as we can tell."
Before she could go on, Byron cut in, " Well, if you believe anything a Earther and a stowaway has to say then of course you'll think he's innocent, but I saw him; fiddling with some wires aboard the ship right before the crash. Did he tell you that?"
"He did not!" the children shouted, "David wouldn't do anything like that, ever!"
"Now children," Yale began, "I think it's time for you two to get on to bed, its been a long day for all of us. Despite their protests Yale shuffled them off to their appropriate tents.
"YaleUs right, its been a very long day, we'll settle this in the morning," Devon said ending the debate.
"You, Byron," Danziger ordered," You'll sleep out here, OK." "No problem, don't want to cost you any troubles," Byron said, a smile creeping onto his lips.
The next morning, after discussing it with Yale,Danziger, and Dr. Heller, Devon decided the only fair way to deal with this predicament is to hold a trial. Devon announced this to the group and they seemed to agree.
"Now, I have already picked Yale as the judge, because he is the most impartial to everyone, but I leave it to volunteers for the people who will defend David and Byron.
"I'll represent Byron," Morgan said as everyone turned around and stared at him with open mouths.
"Honey!" Bess said with astonishment. Morgan looked at her, but did not respond.
"And I will represent David," Doctor Heller said, giving David a quick smile which David returned, only to be a pretty pathetic one with half of his face swelled up from the blow last night.
"OK, good. Now for the proceedings, both Dr. Heller and Morgan will first give their opening statements, which will be basically how David and Byron feel. Then, each of them will be able to call upon three witnesses each to support either David's or Byron's side of the story," Devon explained, "We'll start after breakfast, announce the verdict tomorrow morning and then pack up and be on our way again to New Pacifica."
After breakfast the colonists gathered around the now burnt out camp fire and prepared for the hearings. Yale was positioned on a crate, with the witness stand next to him (another crate), in front of him on one side was Dr. Heller and David and on the other side was Morgan and Byron. Behind them, the rest of the colonists sat waiting eagerly to see what would happen.
"OK, everybody, can we quiet down please," Yale said sounding with an authoritative tone of that of a teacher, and now of a judge, "I would like to begin now. First, Morgan will you please present Mr. Cain's side of the story, and keep it as brief as possible."
"Of course, your honor," Morgan started, "My client here, Byron Cain, is a hardworking electrical technician from the stations. He was assigned as head technician for this crew and is direly needed for the set up of the colony once we reach New Pacifica, unlike his opposition, David O'Connell, who can offer nothing besides his voodoo magic medicine. My client had nothing to do with the crash and suggested that the group form their pod split up because of the uneasiness and uncertainty of David, since he knows David was responsible for the crash."
"I am not!" David interrupted.
"David, you will have to wait your turn," Yale told the boy. "Thank you, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, Mr. Cain was considered about the dangerous prospects of taking David along with them. Mr. Cain would like the group to decide what to do with David and to allow him, my client, to join the group to New Pacifica," Morgan finished."Dr. Heller, you are next," directed Yale. "Yes, David here is just a child, incapable of any of the atrocities that Byron accuses him with. Since David has joined the group, I, nor anyone else, has observed any violent behavior demonstrated by David, except last night, but he was clearly provoked by the previous harsh treatment of himself by Byron. David has shown that he can be of great use to this expedition, by providing us with food and medicine from the local landscape, as well as assisting with maintenance of the vehicles and other such chores, and looking after and being a positive role model for the children. David has proposed that he would like to stay with the group and possible take along Byron, only under close supervision, but not to subject him to what David suffered in traveling alone," Dr. Heller said, clearly prepared for here address to Yale and to the group.
"Jesus, she should have been a lawyer instead of a doctor," Danziger whispered to Alonzo.
"Now, Morgan will be allowed to call on up to three people who may answer a few questions by both Dr. Heller and Morgan and then Dr. Heller may call her three people," Yale explained.
"The first person I would like to call to the stand is Baines," Morgan said.
Morgan continued and asked Baines several questions about David's character and if he saw him doing anything on the ship.
"Well, I don't really now David all that well he spends most of his time with Danziger, Bess, and the kids, but I did see him on the ship because I was also there early loading crates. I did see him closing one of the side control panels on the ship, but I don't know if he was just closing it or if he had first tampered with them, and then was closing it. But, that doesn't matter, what matters is he's from Earth and a stowaway that makes him bad enough in my books" Baines conveyed to the group.
Dr. Heller refrained asking Baines any questions as well as with Morgan's second witness, Magus, who had also been on the ship earlier and gave similar responses as Baines did.
"For my last witness, I would like to call...Devon Adair to the stand," Morgan said.
Devon looked over to Morgan with a surprised look on her face. 'What,' she thought,' 'why was she being called to the stand in defense of Byron?' Devon stood up slowly and then walked over to the crate that was the stand and and sat back down.
"Now, Ms. Adair , Morgan began his questioning again, When David first showed up you where unsure if you should bring him along, is that correct?
"Of course, with all the problems we've had with strangers, and all the things we don't know about this planet, we always have to be careful, be that's why we had the meeting, to discuss if we agreed that David was safe to come along," Devon answered.
"Now isn't true that on the stations, the penalty for the act stowing away is very strict?"
"Yes," Devon replied.
"Who started the fight last night?" "David," Devon responded.
"That's all Ms. Adair, Dr. Heller?" Morgan finished. "Devon, I only have a few questions for you. Do we live on the stations? And therefore have a harsh punishment for stowaways?" Julia asked."No we don't live on the stations, and there for do not have a punishment for stowaways," Devon answered.
"And for my last question, was last night's fight provoked?" "Yes," Devon began.
"And by whom?" Julia finishing the question. "Byron," Devon replied, a smile forming on her lips. The trial next continued with Dr. Heller's three witness, who included Danziger, Bess, and Alonzo. With Bess going first."What do you think of David, Bess?" Julia asked. "David is a great kid. He's helpful, friendly, and smart. And I don't think it's right he's being persecuted by this guy and some of you are doing just because he's from Earth. Are you going to start attacking me now, because I'm from Earth too. Are we going to start judging people by where their from or how they look?" Bess asked, glancing over to David, giving him a wink.
"That's it, Bess, thank you. Morgan?" Dr. Heller said. "No questions," Morgan mumbled unable to question his wife. "John, what do you think of David?" Dr. Heller asked again. "Like Bess said, he's a great kid. He's practically like a son to me already. He gets the job done, and he does it right. He might be some kind of fancy trained technician, but he does things to the best of his ability. He's also great with the kids, he's like their big brother. It's hard to believe that a psychotic killer as the one Byron describes would stand all the work we give him and all the things the kids pull on him. David's not a killer,' Danziger said.
"No, questions your honor," Morgan said, burying his face in his hands no longer able to look at his fellow travelers or his client.
"Alonzo, like the others, what's your opinion of David?" Julia asked for the last time.
"I agree with both Bess and Danziger, but there's more. David is in contact with the Terrians. He dreams, like I do, but only stronger. They lead David to us. He's got an amazing bond with them, almost as great as Uly's, he might be another link between us and the Terrians," Alonzo stated.
"Why didn't you tell us before?" Julia asked, a little annoyed that she was not told sooner.
"I needed the right time, and I guess this was it," Alonzo said. Morgan remained silent.
"OK everybody, I announce my decision tomorrow morning before we pack up," Yale broadcasted to the group.
Later that night after the trial had ended, Devon was tucking in her son for bed.
"Are we gonna have to leave David behind?" Uly said with big, sad eyes.
"I don't know, that's up to Yale to decide, but I don't think you have to worry to much. David's a good person and that was proven today, wasn't it?" Devon explained, trying to comfort her son.
After Uly was asleep Devon laid down on her own cot. She was exhausted, not form the usual travel, but from sitting around all day! Then she heard a noise.
"Devon!" Danziger said rushing into her tent. "What is it, John?" Devon said trying to shake off the sleep that had already settled in around her.
"David's gone, so's Byron, and... the MagPro's gone too, Devon," he explained.
"How long have they been missing?" Devon asked pulling on her coat as she followed Danziger out of her tent.
"I don't know. Zero was making his hourly round when he noticed that they were gone."
"Do you know which direction they were headed?" Devon asked, getting more and more concerned. "What had happened? Did David snap or something?" Devon thought. "Stop that, didn't you defend him today? Byron's the bad one," she told herself.
"Yeah, they headed northwest, but I wanted to get you before we went after them," Danziger explained.
Danziger along with Devon and Alonzo followed the tracts the pair made in the moist soil. Farther along down the path, Byron was shoving along David with the tip of the MagPro.
"Keep moving or I'll blow your head off" Byron barked at David. "Isn't that what you're gonna do anyways?" David asked, not wanting to know the answer.
"Why they are all right, you are smart," Byron replied sarcastically, "I don't see how anyone could trust you, being an Earther and all, you are sickening. I thought for sure when I told them all that you tampered with the wires on the ship instead of me, I thought that for sure that they were going to do something with you, but I underestimated your influence over them, but I guess I can take care off that."
At that moment, Danziger, Alonzo, and Devon burst through the trees. Byron raised the MagPro.
"No!" shouted Danziger, but it was too late. The MagPro went off and David fell to the ground. The three ran to his side and Byron ran off in the other direction.
"David, David can you here me?" Devon asked. David didn't answer, he was already dead.
"Where is he, I'm gonna kill him, I swear, I'm gonna kill him!" cried Danziger getting up and headed in the direction that Byron had run off.
"Wait, John!" both Devon and Alonzo screamed as they headed after him.
After a long evening of searching for him, Devon, Alonzo and Danziger caught up with Byron and brought him back to camp. Julia sedated him.
"We've have to decide what to do with him," Devon started. "I saw we kill him like he killed David," Danziger said. "We can't do that, we'd be no better than he is," Dr. Heller began.
"We are a hell of a lot better than a spy and a murderer," Danziger replied.
"We'll take a vote," Devon told them. The three exited the tent and faced their fellow group members. They had all taken the news of David's death very hard and their eyes were still red from the funeral they had held that morning. Devon had no idea what the group would vote to do with Byron, she wasn't sure what she wanted to do with him. They never had to deal with anything like this before, even with Gaal and Julia and everything. Somehow the situation always corrected it somehow, but this time it would be different.
"OK everyone, we have to decide what we are going to do with Byron," Devon said addressing the group, "Danziger suggests we execute him, but Dr. Heller disagrees and suggests we do something else. Does anybody else have an idea or an opinion of what we can do?"
People began to talk and then to shout. "Kill him!" shouted a few of the colonists, while others called to banish him.
"I say we banish him, as we did with Julia, but with no food, no water, no supplies. We drop him in the middle of nowhere with only the clothes on his back. We leave him there sedated, so we can get a good head start of him without worries that he'd catch up with us. I mean, that's a death sentence in itself, without any of us having to pull the trigger. And stoop to his level," Alonzo suggested.
Byron opened his eyes, surprised not to hear the noise of the usually bustling camp around him. He sat up and rubbed the sleep out his eyes and looked around. They had gone, all of them had gone. Byron stood up and look at the sky and screamed.
Alonzo turned around listening for a noise he didn't hear. The world seamed to stop for a moment even though the vehicles still moved along slowly. Everything seemed to go quiet even though the colonists still chatted. David could know rest in peace.
-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.