Flower Child

An Earth 2 Episode Summary
by Ariadne[June 6, 1995]

CONTENTS:

• Teaser
• Act I
• Act II
• Act III
• Act IV

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Screenplay by: Carl Cramer
Directed by: Jim Charleston

The Teaser

Morgan, in narration, says they've been on this planet for 130 days, but somehow that seems like nothing compared to the 81 they've been stuck in this dome. For some of them, the cabin fever was so bad, they'd take any excuse to get away, even another scouting trip. The scouts were day-long boring forays to find food, fuel, and most important, a safe way out of these never-ending mountains. They needed to find a route their vehicles could travel that took them to the western limits of this range, and it had to get them down below the snow line quickly so they didn't get pinned in by another storm.

Morgan, Bess, Alonzo, and Danziger are out on a scout in the dune rail. They stop and split up - Morgan and Alonzo to check out the terrain and Danziger and Bess to look for food.

In narration, Morgan says this was the ultimate irony of their situation. As much as the planet seemed to want them gone, it kept them trapped there with its own mountains, its own cold, and its own endless variety of perils.

Bess spots buds on shrubs, then sees flowers; she thinks they're beautiful. Danziger wonders if they're edible. As they bend to smell them, the flowers shoot off a powder. They both cough; Danziger decides the flowers aren't edible.

Morgan calls Danziger and Bess over. He and Alonzo have found a rough pass through a dry wash and a valley on the far side of the range. They decide to head back and tell the others. Morgan sees the powder on Danziger and says it looks like he's been eating puff pastries.

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Act I

The group is in the dome; Adair asks about the route. Danziger says the road gets bumpy every now and then, but for the most part it's pretty smooth sailing - it's their best chance out of there. Baines says great, just when he gets the perimeter monitors up and working. Morgan is excited that they're headed back to civilization - static loft mattresses and auto-tropic temp control and 5000 channels of omni stimulation! When Bess reminds him the colony ship is still 2 years away, he says every step out of this place is another step closer to home. Bess is going to miss this place. Danziger asks Adair why she's not celebrating. She isn't sure they're ready to leave; they don't know if winter's over, and she would not want to get stuck in another blizzard. Yale adds that by leaving here, they leave the black-out zone that shields them from detection by Reilly; Danziger says they've got to deal with Reilly sooner or later. Morgan says it's been getting a lot warmer lately - Danziger and Bess found spring flowers on the scout that morning. Adair says alright, they should start packing tomorrow, and if it continues to get warmer, they'll leave. As they leave the dome, Bess tells Morgan that she doesn't feel so good.

That night, Bess walks across camp. The perimeter defense monitors loudly announce: Please halt - you are approaching the perimeter - laser defense engaged. Bess walks into the laser and is burned on the leg. Others come running. When Morgan tells Baines he told him that thing was dangerous, Baines says he set the volume at maximum. Bess doesn't know why she didn't listen to the warning; maybe she was sleepwalking. Julia checks Bess' leg; there is no longer a burn there. Morgan is confused and says he thought she was burned because she was screaming. Bess suddenly doubles over - she has a pain in her stomach and can hardly breathe. Julia gives her a pain block, and she can breathe again.

In the med tent, Julia checks Bess over; she says it's early to say, but going by her hormone spectrum, she thinks Bess is pregnant. Bess is surprised and rather pleased. Julia wants to do an abscan to be sure. Bess says to Morgan that she thought he was taking his suppressors; Morgan says ask Julia - she was making them for him. Julia says her synthesizing equipment isn't all it could be; it's possible the compound is faulty. Morgan, a little shocked, says it's fantastic, then asks Julia if she's sure it's a good idea out there in the middle of nowhere. Julia says it's not ideal, but perfectly safe; Earth pioneers delivered babies with a lot less technology than they have. True runs in, shouting that there's something wrong with her dad.

Danziger is on the floor of the dome, rolling in pain. Julia runs a quick diagnostic and finds he has the same HCG levels that Bess has. Bess asks if this means she's not pregnant. Julia asks if either of them encountered anything unusual lately - a plant, an animal?

The next day, Danziger shows Julia the flower and warns her to be careful. She collects some of the powder. He asks if that's what made them sick. She is unsure; she didn't detect anything foreign in their bloodstreams, and now that their symptoms are gone -- She needs to run some tests on this powder.

Morgan tells Bess that he's sorry, but he doesn't think it's the right time for them. Bess says it's not that - she didn't have enough time to get attached to the idea of having a baby. She wants to get out of this place. Morgan thought she was sad about leaving. She says if they're going to go, she wants to go now; she wants to take the north route and get out of there. Morgan says the route doesn't go north.

Danziger and Julia join them; Julia wants to get back so she can scan the powder while it's still viable.

Morgan, in narration, says Julia searched the powder for answers. She would search all night, knowing as always, she labored with instruments and learning that belonged to another world. None of them knew that more answers were hidden in a few idle words from Bess about traveling north. Julia found nothing that night, but the truth was close at hand, only waiting for them to see.

Late that night, Danziger enters the med tent where Julia is sleeping. Bess is there, watching the powder; both she and Danziger are there because they had to see it. She rubs the canister the powder is in and it glows yellow. As he breathes, the same yellow glow is in Danziger's breath - he notices it and is alarmed. He wants it out of him! Julia wakes and says it seems to want back into him; she puts him on respiration.

Julia uses the respirator to suck the vapor out of Danziger; he turns up the suction because it's actually fighting to stay within him. She pulls out the respirator, and he gasps for breath. Bess, looking at the glowing vapor in the canister, says it's dying - can't Julia feel it? Julia tells her that this organism does not belong in her body; Bess says then how come she's never felt better in her life? Julia can only explain that if she doesn't remove it now, it's going to be harder to do it later. Bess asks what if she doesn't want to remove it? Julia thinks that would be a mistake; Bess says she'll have to be the judge of that and leaves the med tent.

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Act II

In the dome, a group is discussing the situation. Baines says that thing comes out of Bess, or she leaves the camp. Alonzo asks when he started making the rules. Baines answers since his butt's on the line; does anyone remember when the Terrian got into Danziger? Alonzo says he remembers that Baines locked himself in the transrover; Baines grabs him. Danziger breaks it up; whatever this is has them beat if they can't talk about it without killing each other. Adair asks Julia what she thinks they're dealing with. Julia says it's unlike any toxin or parasite she's ever seen; right now it resembles human blood, which is why her scanner missed it at first. Baines says so, it seeps into a body and takes it over. Morgan says nothing is taking over his wife's body; all she did was say no thank you to a vacuum tube down her throat. Julia says the pregnancy hormones may be an atypical response in a human host, or it may be that the vapor is trying to make her feel protective of it. Walman worries it's contagious; Morgan answers that Bess and Danziger have never felt better in their lives. He asks if they want to tie Bess down and stick a vacuum tube down her throat; Baines says that's the idea. Morgan says it's her body; Adair agrees they can't force a medical procedure on anyone, especially if there's no proven threat.

Everyone if packing. As Morgan and Bess load a heavy crate onto the transrover, Bess cuts her hand. When Morgan checks it, the vapor attacks him, burning his eye. Everyone comes running. When Adair finds out what happened, she asks Bess if she now understands why everyone's so concerned about it. Bess says it was just protecting her; she panics and yells to Walman to stay away. Julia quietly slips Morgan a sedaderm. He tells everyone to back off and hugs Bess; he uses the sedaderm to sedate her and carries her off.

They remove the vapor from Bess' lungs; she and Danziger still have it in their bloodstreams, however. Julia has synthesized an interferon variant to slow the spread of the organism. She warns Morgan the treatment could be painful.

Bess awakens to find she is strapped down to a bed. Morgan, who has been pacing, tells her they pulled the stuff out of her. She notices the patch on his eye. She wants him to leave; she can't look at what she did to him. He lifts the patch to show her it's not bad and loosens her hands a little bit; he should know his own wife. When he notices her hand is completely healed, he reties the straps. She says she's not going to hurt anyone; all she wants to do is run up north and finish this! He says she can't; there's another cold front moving in, and they already postponed plans to leave. Her continued pleas for him to help her go north frighten him; he leaves as Bess yells. Magus, on guard duty outside the tent, stares.

Morgan tells Julia that that stuff is still controlling Bess and that she wants him to take her north; he wants to do what she's asking. Julia says Bess is running on borrowed time; Danziger gave them a headstart by letting them remove the vapor when they did. Magus comes in and says Bess is gone; it got quiet in the tent, and when she checked, the bed was empty.

Magus shows them that Bess literally ripped her hands free. Morgan grabs the coat and boots Bess left behind and leaves to follow her on foot. Julia says she'll follow in the rail.

Bess runs through the night barefoot. Morgan tries to follow and loses her tracks. Before he calls to Julia over gear, he rips off his eyepatch. Alonzo and Julia are in the dune rail; they may have to detour around some of this rough ground, but will catch up to him. Morgan spots Bess' footprints and runs to follow them.

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Act III

Over gear, Julia tells Adair that Bess is still headed north. She thinks the substance is trying to hitch a ride somewhere. Yale says the males of many plants produce a pollen designed to be carried to females far away; the organism wants Bess to live long enough for her to reach its mate. Julia says it's both protecting Bess and Danziger and killing them. Adair, hearing this, gives Danziger more medication.

At dawn, Morgan yells over gear that he keeps losing and finding Bess' tracks; now they're gone for good. Alonzo tells Julia that Bess has been going due north all night; if Morgan heads north, he'll find her. Morgan runs off, saying how could you do this to me?

Morgan finds two sets of tracks; something else is out there - Bess isn't alone.

Later that day, Julia and Alonzo catch up with Morgan. He shows them that the tracks go off in different directions; they can't tell which is Bess'. Morgan tells them to follow one set in the rail; he runs off after the other. Julia yells to him that he's been out there for 11 hours - he needs food and rest.

As they follow the tracks, Julia tells Alonzo they should not have let Morgan go off by himself; they don't know what's out there. He says they never know what's out there. She says they could have made a safe and sensible decision, but, once again, they decided to just wing it. He says that for someone who talks about learning from this planet, she hasn't learned much from it; what's the point in making plans when they have no idea what to expect? Take a lesson from the Terrians; let nature take its course.

They stop when they spot a dead Grendler; it has the same stuff around its mouth. Julia guesses the pollen doesn't protect them forever; nature took its course. She tells Morgan what they found. He thinks he sees Bess up ahead.

Morgan finally catches up to Bess; she is walking quickly, and Morgan cannot stop her. He tries to tell her to rest, but she says she's never been stronger. He says no offense, but she looks like hell. He finally convinces her to stop and put on the shoes and coat, Over gear, Yale tells him to stall her. He tries to convince her to come back to camp. She says she's not done yet; she's helping something to live. She will find this place or she will die trying; the only way to make it leave her is to take it where it wants to go. Morgan asks her if she's absolutely positive it's the only way; she is. Over gear, Julia tells him he can't listen to Bess; she may sound lucid, but it's not Bess talking. When Morgan asks Bess how he can know for sure, she tells him to trust her. As she runs off, he says he misses his wife - he misses her so much. He runs after her.

Later that day, Julia and Alonzo find Morgan's gear sitting on a rock. In his gear message he says maybe he's crazy, but he has to trust Bess; she's his life.

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Act IV

Danziger dreams of Bess and he running across a mesa. He awakens with a start.

As they walk quickly toward Bess' goal, she asks if he knows what she feels like; he asks: like taking a breather? She feels like she's carrying a child; she knows it's not hers, but there's still a life inside of her. Morgan hopes so; this better not be for nothing.

Over gear, Julia tells Adair they have been heading north, hoping Bess and Morgan stay on course. Yale has been running some tests on the pollen; it has no genetic components, making it unlike any known reproductive agent. It's an organic compound that mimics the signal behavior of protein enzymes; whatever Bess finds at the other end of that journey will be something other than a pretty flower.

Danziger puts on gear and tells Julia he thinks Yale's right; he's been having weird dreams and thinks the pollen's giving them to him. He keeps seeing this high mesa that ends in a cliff; the mesa looks like it's breathing. And he thinks he knows what happens when you get there.

Morgan asks Bess is she ever needs a rest; she heads determinedly onward. She climbs a steep hill and falls; she is unconscious. Morgan holds her and notices her cuts aren't healing; he bemoans his leaving his gear. He would take her the rest of the way, but he doesn't know where she's going. What does he do now? He kisses her to take the organism within himself. He picks her up; he now knows where they're going.

Julia and Alonzo catch up with them. They cannot get Morgan to stop. They decide to head toward the mesa and cut them of in the rail.

As Morgan walks across the mesa carrying Bess, he passes a skeleton. He finally collapses and sets Bess down. She awakens. They can see their goal and run toward it.

Alonzo and Julia, racing in the rail, spot them. Julia says Danziger's dream - they're going to jump in the hole; how are they going to stop them? Alonzo says they'll let nature take its course; the plant put the stuff in them, so let it take it out.

Alonzo jumps out of the rail and tackles Bess and Morgan, who are close to the edge of the hole. He tells Julia to grab the rope and tie the end to the rail. He tries to hold back Bess and Morgan, who are crawling toward the edge. Julia ties the rope to their feet, and she and Alonzo hold the rope as Bess and Morgan crawl off the edge. As they hang off into the bottomless hole, the stuff comes out of them. They go back to being themselves, and Alonzo and Julia pull them up.

The four run away from the hole as it starts to explode; vivid colors pour out of it into the air. The air becomes warmer and more humid. Bess has made spring. She says they almost died in there. Morgan wasn't afraid; he guesses the pollen took the fear away. Bess says no, _he_ took the fear away; he didn't give up on her for a second. He says he couldn't.

Morgan, in narration, says they sat there watching spring pour from a chine in the earth. They thought this planet had no use for them, but now they saw that it did. They completed a cycle of seasons that the planet itself could not, and in the process won their freedom from the never-ending cold. The temperature rose for days and days. It was far from summer yet, but winter was definitely on the wing. The crew made preparations for an imminent departure, and all of them began to feel the thrill of expectation. They'd be living on the horizon once again, and this winter camp would be home only to memories of things feared and things overcome and things learned. Enough, they hoped, to make an impossible journey possible.

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