Promises, Promises

An Earth 2 Episode Summary
By Ariadne [June 26, 1995]

The Teaser: As the group travels, Alonzo says, in narration, that they've been crossing the planet for weeks, every mile fraught with dangers.

In the dreamplane, Gaal chases two Terrians. He catches one and puts a metal shock collar on it. He tells it that it's the last one and it is his.

Julia and Alonzo are riding in the dune rail. She's been talking to him; he asks how long he was out - he thought he was asleep just then. He doesn't remember their conversation about the kind of prisoners that might have been dumped there. He had a Terrian dream; they seem to be able to contact him when he's not asleep, to get into his head whenever they want. It was a bad dream, but it was worse for the Terrian, because for him, it was real.

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Act I: As they travel, Morgan comments to Danziger that it sure feels good to get some distance between themselves and that psychotic maniac; Danziger hopes what's ahead isn't worse. Morgan is very unnerved by the remark.

In narration, Alonzo says when he was a pilot, he knew all about how to face danger: you flew right through and you came out the other side, unchanged. Here, the rules are different - every day they head deeper into danger, and every day they're changed, whether they like it or not.

It starts raining, and in alarm, they all rush for cover under the transrover's awning. Julia analyzes the rain and says it's not toxic in any way. Some run out into the rain; all are joyous. Uly wants to run out also, but Adair wants him to stay dry because he's been coughing all day. Danziger tells him to listen to his mother and goes out to put a jacket on True.

Alonzo, in narration, says it turns out the rain was harmless, but other dangers were lurking. The Terrians had healed Uly once, but had they healed him for good?

In her tent Adair opens the container holding Uly's immuno-suit. True enters and is disappointed to find that Uly's asleep; she came to tell him she's sorry about his horse running away. Adair says the only thing that matters is that she's safe; she's sure her father has warned her that there may be other strangers that they have to be careful of. Danziger sees True and asks what she's doing there; he told her she's to sleep in the transrover from now on and is not to be out after dark. Adair tells him True came to apologize; she thought he had coached her. When True leaves, Adair says she's really a good girl. After Danziger leaves, Adair kneels by Uly's bedside.

Alonzo dreams. In the dreamplane, he sees Uly in an immuno-suit. A Terrian with a shock collar on starts removing the immuno-suit.

The next morning, Uly wears his immuno-suit; he is more congested. He insists he's not sick.

Danziger tells Adair that Alonzo heard from the Terrians again. Alonzo says they're in some sort of trouble; he thinks they're being captured or locked up somewhere. They want the group to help; they're in those mountains over there. Morgan says those completely out of their way mountains? He thought they were trying to get out of this god-forsaken territory. Alonzo tells Adair the Terrians haven't forgotten her promise. Danziger asks what promise? Adair says that when the Terrians released Uly, she promised to do whatever they asked. Morgan asks what does it matter what promises they made; he's a lawyer, in case they sue. Danziger asks what happens if they don't go? Alonzo says they showed him what happens if they do go - Uly won't need the suit anymore. Adair asks if that's why he's sick again - did they do this to him? Yale says if they can do this to Uly, the group needs to stay as far away from them as possible. Danziger adds who knows what these diggers are up to? Adair says maybe they do need their help. For the time being, this place is their home. Some of them are going to leave when the opportunity arises, but a lot of them are going to grow old here; the Terrians may not be their friends, but they're certainly their neighbors and it seems to her they should treat them the way they'd want to be treated.

Uly collapses on the ground - his lungs are filling up with fluid. Danziger announces that they're headed to those mountains.

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Act II: Yale asks Alonzo if anything looks familiar; Alonzo says it looks like the place in his dreams. Morgan asks what he recognizes - these rocks look like the same rocks they've been passing all night. Alonzo says this is where they live. Danziger says the vehicles need a charge anyway; if the Terrians want to find them, they can find them right here. Adair thanks everyone for giving this a try; she knows that so far, they've stuck together out of a sense of survival, but she considers their coming here an act of friendship. The group sets up camp.

Uly tells Yale it's worse this time; before, he didn't know what it was like not being sick.

Adair spends the night by Uly's bedside. The next morning, he is no better, but his rate of deterioration has slowed.

Adair goes behind the tent to cry. Only True sees her.

True uses her whistle to call Gaal. He arrives, pleased to see her. He asks about daddy; the last time she came to see him, daddy came right behind. True says he's busy at camp now. Her father said that on the stations Gaal did something bad, but she knows there's no such thing as good and bad on this planet. Gaal hugs her; he says he only did what was necessary. True says like making it rain? She knows it was his magic that made it rain so they had to stop. Gaal, surprised, says of course! She says she needs his magic because the Terrians are making Uly sick again; they sent them here. If Gaal helps Uly, then the group will see. He says what a plan, poppet, but this will take all their cunning; the Terrians are a fierce, cold breed. Their success will depend on secrecy; he tells her to hurry back before she's missed.

Gaal tells a waiting Terrian that he thought it was the last of its tribe, but it seems he let one slip away; one who sent an SOS. It wasn't that one, because it's stopped dreaming. He says "charge" into a device, and its collar shocks the Terrian. Gaal says he must thank its dreaming mate if he finds it; it did what he failed to do. It got the Utopians back, and they've brought along all their lovely vehicles. He says "follow", and the Terrian follows him.

Night. Danziger asks Adair how Uly is doing - he wants to know if he can travel. He was all for giving this a shot, but Alonzo hasn't heard from the Terrians - maybe they're past saving or maybe they never needed saving in the first place. They cannot afford to stay there another day - none of the vegetation scans as edible. Julia says Uly can't travel now.

A loud explosion draws them outside. It is a Terrian. Adair approaches it, and it fires a lightening bolt from its staff. Julia asks Alonzo if he can talk to it; he asks how - it's not like calling someone on gear. Danziger tries to go for a weapon, and the Terrian shoots again. Alonzo succeeds in entering the dreamplane. He tells the Terrian, who is waving its staff, that they're his friends, answering his call. He tells everyone the Terrian didn't know it was them; it's frightened - all the humans it has known are killers. Alonzo moves closer and says they're here to help.

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Act III: The next day, Alonzo scans the Terrian, then hands the scanner to Julia. She says the spectral function can't decide if the Terrian is animal, vegetable or mineral. Alonzo says it's a he, they all are. Something's trying to hurt Uly; he thinks their problem made a bond. When the Terrians suffer, Uly does, too. He thinks the Terrian was hoping they'd know what to do to help it.

Gaal has been observing this interchange. He says how enlightening - two species meet, the noble savage and the pilgrim band. First contact. Except for him.

Danziger asks True if she wants to come out from under the transrover; he doesn't like that Terrian either, but it's not like her to be scared. He's only been tough on her because he loves her. True says the Terrian won't help Uly because they're a fierce, cold breed. He asks who told her that and reminds her Gaal said lots of things that weren't the truth. She thinks there's no such thing as good or bad on this planet. Danziger asks then how come she's so scared of that Terrian?

Alonzo tells the others that the Terrian wants one or two of them to follow it at a distance. Morgan asks if they're actually considering this. Adair says she'd consider anything if it would help her son. Morgan says he realizes that every morning when he wakes up in the middle of nowhere. This has all been according to flyboy's translation - this whole thing could be a ruse. There could be 20 more of these things hiding in the rocks or under their feet. Adair says his concerns are valid, but doesn't he think that if the Terrians were going to harm them, they would have done so by now?

Yale calls them; Uly has taken a turn for the worse. They all go to him. The Terrian crouches by the entrance to the tent and picks up a handful of dirt. It hands it to Adair. Alonzo says it wants her to put it on Uly's head. She does, and his fever goes down. Julia's analysis says it was just plain dirt.

Danziger and Adair follow the Terrian. Alonzo, in narration, says he hated having to stay behind. He guesses the Terrians were starting to get to him.

Adair and Danziger pause to watch the Terrian through jumpers. He says that thing's responsible for making Uly sick. She, however, thinks the Terrians are linked to Uly's well-being. He says they're withholding treatment - that digger's got them hostage until it gets whatever it wants. She asks if that's the way he feels, why did he risk his neck coming here? He says because of Uly - everything on this planet could get croaked and he could care less, but Uly's one of them. Does that offend her? No, it frightens her.

They see a band of Terrians wearing shock collars join their Terrian. Adair and Danziger hide and see Gaal put a shock collar on it.

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Act IV: Magus lists an inventory of their weapons: the Commander's rifle, one handgun, two magpros, and a magpro grenade. The grenades are banned from the stations - one stray launch could blow an exo-hull. Does anyone know how to attach one? Yale does. Walman, Magus, Alonzo and Danziger will go. Yale will go as well, even though he has a weapon aversion program and won't be able to fire. Danziger says the goal is never to have to use these - you take them by surprise.

Gaal is cleaning grenades with spit and a rag. He says so, finally, his neighbors bring him here - pray God he's equal to the task. The pettiness of murder's lost its charm; he's plateaued years ago. But slaughter, ah, now that tests spontaneity, skill and stamina. Eden Project, come and meet your fate. Except the little True. Ah, there's the rub. A pity not to spare her tiny self and her winsome large-eyed ways. But how to settle for a mere 16, when he could kill them all? Why compromise? If poppet's to be spared, she'll spare herself. Gaal's gotten greedy. But he deserves it. He's paid his penance here, a universe apart, a cruel price. His slate is clean. It's time to sin again.

Adair tells Danziger she's the one involved here. He says if he had known that Gaal was the one enslaving the Terrians, he would have crashed the dream world himself. She suggests using the transrover like an old-fashioned tank. He says he'd do that if he could still be sure of surprising Gaal; the best thing for her to do is stay here with Uly. She says she has no choice - Alonzo lost contact with the Terrian. Danziger thinks the shock collar interferes with communications; whatever Gaal's up to has got to end. True, who had been listening to all this from under the transrover, says don't - Gaal was only trying to help; he's going to use his magic to make the Terrians go away. Danziger asks if she's seen that man again. He locks her in the transrover; he will talk to her after he simmers down. The other door to the transrover is open, and True leaves through that, running off into the woods.

Gaal spots a figure running though the forest. He aims his weapon at it until he sees that it's True.

True tells Gaal she wants them to run away together and hide somewhere. Gaal thought she'd never ask. He offers her grass; she says they haven't been able to find anything to eat where they've been camped. He says that's because she doesn't know where to look.

He shows her the Terrians. They're his; they work for him. They're harmless once you harness them. He shows her the magic of shocking the Terrians with the collars. True is upset by that because it hurt them. Gaal says magic doesn't hurt; it just gets you what you want. They don't last long, these Terrians; some start to rot as soon as they're caught. She asks if they fight when he puts that thing around their necks. He says ferociously, but he discovered their secret - Terrians cannot strike back at their own kind. He wears a necklace made of Terrian bones to keep himself safe. He stands among them and shocks them over and over and shakes his necklace at them. He shocks one repeatedly until it collapses. True says he's killing it! Is that a problem, pet? She says if he kills them, they can't use them anymore. Gaal says if it dies, they could start making her necklace. She says they have to go hide before the others come. He tells her they have no means to run; they'll have to fight. She says she'll get him a vehicle; she can call it on remote over gear. When Gaal asks if anyone would notice, she says its parked far away from camp.

At camp, they hear True activating the transrover. The designated group climbs aboard the moving vehicle, and they cover the back with tenting.

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Act V: True asks Gaal why they don't go down to meet the 'rover. He says one of the things he's had plenty of here is time - to plan, to read. His captors were kind enough to provide an extensive library, hoping that literature would do what behavior mod could not. He especially liked the chip of The Iliad, the story of the Trojan horse. And here it comes, its belly full of betrayal. He saw True with those Terrains; he's had to blot out that look scores of times. As he aims his weapon at the transrover, True yells to her father to look out.

Gaal's leg is suddenly shot out from under him. Danziger, on a rock, yells for him not to move. True grabs the shock collar control and says "release, unlock." Gaal grabs her and yells to Danziger that if her loves her, he will hold his fire. Yale tells Danziger to shoot him; Danziger cannot. Yale grabs the weapon and shoot Gaal's. True rips Gaal's necklace from him.

Alonzo and Walman have been removing the shock collars from the Terrians. They suddenly all disappear.

As Gaal scrambles on the ground, looking for his bones, Terrian arms reach out of the earth for him. They drag him down.

True, holding the bones of a Terrian finger, is in her father's arms.

Alonzo finds one Terrian collapsed on the ground. He asks it to tell him how to help it. In narration, he says if you told him a month ago that he'd be crying over a dead alien, he'd probably have punched your lights out. But that's the thing about this planet; it never lets you stay the same. Uly was healed now. Before the Terrain died, it begged him to help it go back into the earth, the way all Terrians do. So he brought it home.

The all stand around the dead Terrian. A row of Terrians stand on the hill. The dead Terrian disappears. Alonzo, in narration, says the earth took it back. A promise fulfilled. That was it. No thanksgiving dinner, not so much as a handshake. Julia says biologically they have more in common with a mosquito than they do with a Terrian, but something tells him they have more in common than any of them knows.

Danziger tells True it was smart calling on remote, tipping them all off. This was his fault; he never should have brought her along. He knew it was going to be a risky trip when he took the job, but he just couldn't stand the thought of leaving her at the stations. It was selfish of him and wrong. True says it wasn't wrong; she won't go anywhere without him. She hugs him and he cries. She asks if Gaal was lying the whole time, even about the magic. Danziger says no, that part might have been true.

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Promises, Promises

An Earth 2 Episode SummaryBy Ariadne [June 26, 1995]

CONTENTS:

An Earth 2 Episode Summary
By Ariadne [June 26, 1995]