Timespin
Disclaimer: The characters don't belong to me, and I did not intend to claim them.
Notes: This is my first Earth2 story, at least the first I decided to publish. English is not my first language, so bare with me. Hope you like it, reviews are highly welcome!!!
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"Hey Jul! Did I already tell ya today that I love you?" Alonzo waved at her with his trademark grin. He knew she hated that. It was obvious the entire camp had listened, and she blushed to her own dismay. "Shut up," she murmered before hastily retreating to her tent. At this point she didn't know she wouldn't see her pilot again any time soon.
The scouting team, consisting of Danziger, Alonzo, Baines and Bess left the camp behind, they wanted to try to find a pass through those mountains.
Later, nobody could really explain what had happened next. Suddenly they were surrounded by penal colonists, but they did not seem to mean any harm to anybody apart from Alonzo, no stealing, no attacking- they just took interest in Alonzo.Danziger stared helplessly at his friend as three men beat him up, he heard Alonzo's screams of pain and he would never forget the look in his friend's black eyes. A look of fear, hate and desperation he'd never seen before.
For Alonzo everything went black after plenty of punches. He had tried to get free again, he'd fought hard, he could remember his friends screaming, trying to help him, to support him. But they could not help him, and he was not able of saving himself, there were just too many convicts concentrating on the young pilot.
When he woke up he was all alone. Unsteadily he got to his feet, his entire body protested. He looked around, but there was nothing. The entire room was white, no windows, no visible door, nothing. He figured it had to be a VR room.
"What do you want? Stronzo! Where the hell have you taken me?"
"Calmati.-Calm down." Alonzo turned around in surprise, he'd never expected to hear his native language here. But there was nobody standing behind him.
"What's going on?"
"We have some information about you, Mr Solace And you seem to be very important for us and our mission." "Vai via- go to hell." Alonzo spun around, but there still was nobody there.
Devon had assembled the group around the fire, they had to discuss their next step.
"Oh my god, we gotta find him. Why did they take him?Why him" Julia shook her head in disbelieve, that had to be a nightmare, she'd wake up in Alonzo's arms any moment now and everything would be alright again.
"There are only two possibilties, let alone he is the most handsome guy around," Devon regretted the joke at once." Anyway, he was taken either because of his relation to the Terrians- or because of his relation to you, Julia."
The young doctor looked at her in shock. "But then....then Reilly would...Oh my god, that can't be true."
Julia swallowed hard, covering her face with her hands.
"Relax,we don't really know what happened, but we are going to find him." Danziger was still shocked by what he had seen earlier that day, he had been a terrible feeling, seeing his young friend being strapped and beaten up.
There was nothing he could have done, he'd played the scene through in his mind again and again. But he believed in Alonzo's strength, the pilot could go a lot, and still he knew they had to find and help him. That was too much for one person to deal with.
"What do you want?" Alonzo rose after having heard somebody switching on a loudspeaker again.
"You are the key to Dr.Heller, to Ulysses, and as a consequence, to G889." a voice told him.
"Why do you even start to believe I'm gonna help you in any way?"
"I don't think you have much of a choice, Mr Solace." Alonzo did not answer, what could he possibly have said? He sank to the ground in the small claustrophobic room, exhausted with fear.
The entire camp was out, trying to find the pilot, without success. Alonzo had simply disappeared, no tracks, nothing.
Julia grew more and more worried with each passing hour, and the longer Uly had no word form the Terrians the liklier the Reilly version became.
Alonzo was tired, thirsty, hungry- and scared. He did not feel secure about anything anymore, he knew Julia's stories about Reilly and the Coucil- that monster would not hesitate to kill for getting what he wanted.
Suddenly a door opened, Alonzo's heartrate increased.
"Mr Solace, I'd like to chat with you a little bit."
"I've no idea what we might talk about. There's nothing I have to tell you."
Without another word two men grabbed Alonzo and he felt something being injected in his neck, he grew weaker within seconds. His legs trembled and he had to use the wall as a support for being able to stand when the two men told him to get up. There was no way he could have escaped, he was too weak for even walking without help.
Julia was really scared, she knew better than anybody else on this planet what Reilly and the Coucil were capable of doing. They could do to Alonzo whatever they wanted, and there would be no way out for him. Would she ever get to see her Flyboy again?With tears in her eyes she rememberd the morning, his last smile still was present in her mind like he was standing in front of her. She wiped away a tear, how much she love that cocky pilot. It wasn't an easy realtionship, they had basically nothing in common, and still they were attracted to each other in a way neither of them had experienced before. He was a hotshot, always living in the future, willing to take risks which she had never consider. Probably that was what helped both of them, she could calm him down when he was too agitated, and he could support her when she needed to do something that didn't seem sensible to her. She trusted him with all her heart, and she needed him, couldn't imagine having to go on without him.
"Stop it!!What are you doing?!!Why??!!" He refused to say anything that could be of any help to Reilly. He did not want to endanger his friends or the planet. But how long could he go on like that? Time passed but he couldn't say how fast. Days, weeks- or just hours? Frequently, inbetween session of torment, pain and terror, he fell into a comalike sleep, or he dozed feverishly having bizarre dreams he could not understand. Up from a certain point, he could no longer remember where he was, why he was there- and he really didn't comprehend the questions anymore. His mind seemed to have went black.
"The pilot is out, he won't be of any help to us anymore. He repressed his memory in order to safe his friends. He has a stronger will than we expected. We actually thought the guy was rather weak."
"Is he going to survive?"
"I think so."
"We have to contact Reilly. I have to know if Alonzo was taken by him." Julia's eyes were swollen and dull, Devon could tell she had cried that night. She was so sorry for the young doctor, knowing how much Alonzo meant to her. Now she nodded, she had known Julia would propose that sooner or later
"I agree, but Danziger and I will come with you."
"Reilly."
"Dr. Heller What a pleasure seeing you again. How are you?"
"Stop it. Where is Alonzo?"
"Alonzo? Ah, you are talking about Signor Solace." Reilly looked directly into her eyes which made it very uncomfortable for her. Julia was reliefed, knowing that Danziger and Devon were with her, invisible, but there.
"Well, we gently asked him for some information."
"Where is he?"
Reilly grinned devilishly. Then the surroundings suddenly changed and Julia found herself in a hospital. Automatically a door opened and Julia entered.
"Oh my god, Alonzo!!" She kneeled down next to her lover. "What did they do to you?" He was pale, thin and looked like a completely different person.
Alonzo did not react in any way and it seemed like nobody had cared for him in a very long time.
"We will get you outta here, I swear. Everything is gonna be fine." She knew she would have to leave him again. "I love you." She kissed him, then she stood and caressed his hair one last time. "I'll be back."
Seconds later she found herself facing Reilly again. "Why did you do that to him?"
"It was a necessity. The Council stands above it." He voice sounded harsh and lacked any feeling.
Julia didn't know what to say. How could she ever have believed in and cherished this organization.
Now it destroyed her life, once more.
"Dr. Heller, I'm aware of your present position. You won't get him back any time soon, and if you ever might, you gotta pay for it."
"You...you son of a bitch."
"Don't be too nice, doesn't make matters any better." Juia listened to the triumphant laugh of the Councilman, then she found herself back at G889.
"Oh my god, have you seen that?" She cried freely now. "Why him? Of all the things, why him?"
Everybody knew the answer, but there was no use in actually answering. Instead Devon sat down next to the doctor and embraced her, trying to soothe her when knowing there was nothing but Alonzo's return that could really help right now.
The days went by, and Alonzo was already gone for nearly three weeks now, slowly their life retuned to the normal chore of travelling, setting up camp, sleeping and travelling again. But for Julia everything had changed, her world was destroyed. Again and again she had tried to reach Reilly - without success. Julia's hope to ever see Alonzo again slowly vanished.
"I can't see Julia like that anymore, she's gonna kill herself, she doesn't eat, doesn't sleep, just covers herself with extrawork, we gotta find a way to get back to that place where she'd seen Alonzo." Danziger looked at Morgan, Devon and Walman. "Morgan, you are the expert on VR. How can we get there?"
"I've already tried some things, we would have to find the frequence, and then try to get there without anybody noticing, that would require some extra safety meassures. I really can't explain, it is actually pretty complicated, but if we would get the right frequence I'm sure I could establish the rest." Morgan shrugged.
"But we've been there once, wasn't the frequence stored somewhere?" Devon pointed out. It seemed like such a obvious thing, and she could see the men thinking it through.
"You might be right, it's not gonna be like looking at the display, it's coded for sure. But I might try and give it a shot. Only I'd need more time than I get in the evenings after travelling all day."
Danziger stood up. "If there's any chance of helping Alonzo, we will camp here as long as necessary. Devon?" "Absolutely. Morgan, please start right away, Yale might perhaps help you. I'm gonna ask him at once."
Before she left the tent she turned around once more. "Maybe we shouldn't tell Julia, I don't want her to raise her hopes too high."
The men agreed.
Alonzo slowly climbed to conciousness, he had no idea of where he was or why. His head seemed to explode any minute now and he felt queasy. Still, he wanted to get out of here, a feeling told him there was something exciting and huge waiting for him. When the door opened and a young nurse entered, he was right in his element. His cocky attitude inside couldn't be repressed
"Good morning, angel."
"Mr Solace you are allowed to leave the hospital, I would advise you to take it slow for a few days though." Alonzo put on his best Flyboygrin when he answered. "How about you check on that tonight. I'd feel a lot better with a professional nurse around. Let's say we have dinner at 8 and then let nature take ist course?"
The young woman wasn't a knockout, but she certainly wasn't a bad choice either. And he knew she couldn't refuse. "At Pierre's?"
"I really don't know..."
"I'll be waiting for you. See ya later!"
With that he left the room, still a little dizzy, but with the prospect of a wonderful night it was easier to bear the headache.
Is first way let him to the port where he found out that a job was waiting for him, he knew it! He'd launch in four days, destination: New Pacifica, G889. Wow, a 22 light-years run each way. He'd earn enough money to party for months after that job.
"Ok, Devon, I think I got it. I was really lucky I found out that fast." Morgan looked like he hadn't slept all night.
"Thanks a lot. Do you think we can risk it?"
Danziger walked up behind her. "If we wanna get Alonzo back, we don't have much of a choice but risk it."
"You are right, I'm gonna tell Julia." Devon looked as determined as Danziger hadn't seen her in months, actually not since that day when she had told the colonists she wanted to make them cross a continent.
"Julia? Can I talk to you?" Devon carefully enterd the tent, Julia was sitting over samples, not even noticing the other person in the tent. Devon layed a hand on Julia's shoulder. "Lonz, not..." She silenced herself at once. "Devon. What is it?"
"We have to talk."
"Sure, what's up?"
"Alonzo." Devon saw Julia's features stiffen.
"Don't do this to me Devon. Not now."
"Listen to me, we might have a way..."
"Oh my god, what...we have to try it...We gotta find him, who knows what they are doing to him." It seemed like Julia had regained all her strength in one second. She still looked exhausted and tired, but her sad eyes sparkled suddenly with a glimpse of hope.
"I don't know if it works, but Morgan found a way of how we can go back to the place where you saw Alonzo."
"Then let's go. No wastin' time!"
Devon and Julia enterd the Messtent where the rest was already in a hot discussion. "...but it is damn risky. You don't know what you are going to find there."
Julia couldn't even say who had said that. She couldn't believe someone was giving up on Alonzo now that there might be a way.
"But it's a possibility. Please, we have to do it. He has done so much for all of us. He is worth every single effort" Tears welled up in her eyes again. "Please, one last try."
"Julia's right, Alonzo is our friend, and if one of us would be in trouble he wouldn't hesitate to risk his life to help us. And so won't we. Devon agreed on coming, then Julia and me. The rest is going to wait for us right here." Danziger nodded at the young doctor. "We leave in half an hour."
"Ok, here we go. Yale is responsible for the group as long as we are gone." Devon switched on her VR gear, and nodded to her two companions as they pushed one buttom in unisono.
Seconds later they found themselves in a hospitalroom. "What the hell?" Danziger observed the place.
"He isn't here!" Julia's voice was a weak whisper. "He isn't here."
"But he definitely was." Devon showed her a piece of paper with some data and Alonzo's name on it. "We'll find him."
Danziger had taken a look on the sheet aswell. "Hey ladies. Guess where we are- Space Station, in 2184, just four days before our departure."
"They must've taken him here instead of killing him." Julia's voice was a little stronger now that she knew for almost certain that her lover was still alive.
"Yeah, and now we have to find him." Devon carefully opened the door and step out in the hallway.
Alonzo was tired and he figured that he would get a chance to relax and a nice chat in his favourite pub. Still he couldn't remember why he'd been at the hospital and why he was in such a bad condition.
"Hey Ace.What's up? Where have you been lately?"
"Ciao Jack. Everything's fine. Just get me a beer, Ok?" Everybody knew him here, after all, he'd been grounded for four months now, besides he'd only taken short runs lately, he'd felt like enjoying life a little these days.
I'm afraid Mr Solace was released this morning." Julia stared at the woman. "Released? But he was in serious condition!"
"I don't mean to be disrespectful Miss. But don't you think it's our job to judge? But if you wanna know more you can ask Kitty over there. She's got a date with him tonight."
Julia wasn't able to say anything, so Devon thanked the nurse and turned away. "Something's terribly wrong here, maybe it's not our Alonzo?" Nobody could provide an answer.
"Come on, I've got an idea!" Danziger headed towards the exit without even checking if the women followed.
The three walked through busy streets and they all admitted that they didn't feel comfortable here anymore. Everything seemed so foreign to them. They missed the fresh air, the wind, the noises and they felt like they could never again return and adjust to that clinical and artificial wa yof life again.
"Here we are." Danziger stopped in front of an entrance.
"What's that?" Devon nearly walked into him, due to the abrupt halt.
"It's been Alonzo's favorite pub, this is where I met him first. If he is on this station, he will show up here sooner or later." With an encouraging nod towards Julia he entered.
"Oh my god." Julia stood in the door, unable to move. Devon and Danziger followed her view and found the pilot sitting alone at a table close to the bar, talking to somebody behind the bar they couldn't see from where they stood.
"Alonzo." Devon whispered only. The pilot had yet to see them and when Danziger regarded the many empty bottles in front of him on the table, he wasn't sure it would be the happy reunion they had expected it to be.
Julia reluctantly stepped towards her lover, she had noticed the amount of alcohol that was probably in his system aswell. She'd never seen him drunk and it wasn't something she looking forward to experience. "Alonzo?"
"Yeah, oh bella. May I invite you to have a drink with me? Jake gimme two more bottles of beer ,please!"
"Thanks, but you know that I don't drink."
"Excuse-me? But how am I supposed to know? Are you wearing a shirt with "I don't drink" printed on it?"
Julia swallowed hard. "It's me, Julia."
"I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry too."Julia turned away, tears in her eyes.
Alonzo had noticed the two figures standing in the doorway, obviously they belonged to the young woman. He glanced at them helplessly, pleading for support.
"He doesn't even recognize me. What am I supposed to do now?"
Julia, don't blame him. Maybe Reilly did sort of brainwash him,and he really doesn't remember us anymore."
"She stared at the mechanic in shock, that really seemed to make some sense.
"We gotta talk to him. We have to convince him." Julia stepped towards the pilot again, Devon and Danziger on her heels. Danziger doubted Alonzo would be accepting their story though, especially since he seemd like he'd been drinking quite a lot. But maybe that was their chance to make him believe.
"Listen 'Lonz, no matter how nuts that is gonna sound, you gotta listen to us and try to believe it." Danziger looked straight into the other man's glaced eyes. But the pilot shook his head. "Are you nuts?"
Devon took hold of his arm. "Please listen to us. You don't belong here anymore, you have to return with us."
"Where?"
"Home. To G889."
"Wait a sec, now I know who you are! You are Devon Adair, right? I'm your pilot for the flight to G889."
"No, Alonzo. Listen. We already landed there months ago. Reilly brought you back here, he kidnapped you."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Alonzo, please, try to remember. It's me, Julia.We...I..." She couldn't control her voice, so Devon went on.
"She healed you, you'd broken your leg in the crash. And then there were the Terrians who..."
"Cut it out, now! I don't know who you are or what you want. But I'm not that drunken I buy this story of yours. Just leave me alone,will ya?!" He got up and left the pub, Julia's hopes vanished. She missed her flyboy.
Alonzo went over to his quarter, he was tired and he could certainly feel the alcohol in his head. He fell heavily into his bed and was asleep in seconds.
*** Alonzo, would you keep still for just a second." Julia examined him, he was angry anddesperate that he couldn't have saved his ship. Why couldn't this woman just leave him alone? "I just wrenched'em, please, gimme a minute and I'll be fine." "Make that 24 hours. You've got multiple fractures." He stared at her in shock. "You got a bonehealing vaccine, didn't you?" "That was for the colonists only, I wasn't even landing." He laughed out loud, then he sank back. Apparently he was not able to think through the implications.
Suddenly he found himself surrounded but strange creatures. "What do you want? No, leave me alone.What the hell do you want? Who are you?"***
He awoke with a start, bathed in sweat. When he'd calmed down a little bit he remembered the three strange people from earlier that day who had told him just what he'd seen in his dream. But he didn't dream, hadn't in decades, why now, and why such a nightmare? It took long until he was able to go back to sleep again.
Julia laid in her tent, bess unsuccesful tried to soothe her. "At least you know now that he is fine Julia. He is going to remember for sure. We've already been through so much together, he can't just have forgotten, he'll only need a little time. Try not to worry too much."
"I gotta talk to him, he can't have forgotten everything just like that."
"Julia, don't blame him, that was all done to him, it's not his fault. Never forget that."
Julia nodded, Bess was right. She was not allowed to blame Alonzo.
One more time they went to the Station in order to get Alonzo back. If he would leave for a 22 lightyears trip they would lose him forever. They had to make him remember, within three days- that was their only chance of saving him.
Again, they found him in the pub and this time he seemed willing to talk to them.
"What had been going on yesterday? I dunno who you are, what you want or anything else. All I know is that I didn't dream in years, and last night..." "You dreamt about a broken leg and the Terrians." Danziger grinned. "What the hell...?!"
"Alonzo the Terians make you dream. They wanna help you to remember. Through the Terrians you rediscovered your ability to dream. You are their friend, they don't mean any harm. Please believe me." Julia looked him in the deep back eyes she'd lost herself in a million times. Now they seemed distant and foreign.
Alonzo looked at the young doctor doubtfully. "Stop telling me fairytales. Those damn creatures scare me and I don't wanna have anything to do with you or with them."
With that he stood and left the room without looking back. Julia was close to tears again.
"What have they done to you Alonnzo?"
"Julia..."
"I wanna have him back, the Alonzo I know, not this one." Devon took her hand.
"Everything's gonna be fine again."
"But how?"
For the rest of the day they tried to find Alonzo again, but he'd disappeared.
"We will come back, Julia. We will find him and convince him tomorrow.No matter how long it'll take us." Devon was determined to get the handsome pilot back.
Alonzo had no intention in seeing those people again, even though the young blond woman looked like his type. But tonight he had the date with the young nursed he'd missed yesterday. He'd been to the hospital, excused for not showing up and then promised to be there that night. She had agreed. He was looking forward to see her again- most importantly she would turn his thoughts away from the nightmares and weird stories.
But he still had some more hours to go, he decided to catch some sleep.
***"Alonzo? How are you?"
" I can't take being trapped here anymore, on this planet. You've got to hibernate me. Give me something to put me under."
"What?"
"At least until my leg heals."
"Alonzo..."
"I used to be a pilot. I could fly away whenever I wanted. But here, day to day, and then the dreams. Please just put me under"
"How old are you?"
Alonzo turned around just far enough to face his doctor. "109, 110.Why?"
"And since you left flight school. What was the longest stretch of time you've been awake?"
"Probably the last few weeks, and it's been hell. I don't wanna be here."
"You're depressed."
"Thanks for the analysis Doctor. Are you gonna put me under or not?"
"Are you out of your mind? Even if I could engineer the metabolics, we don't have the power to maintain a chamber. Alonzo, this place is new to all of us. No ones gonna drag you sleeping across the planet. It can't be done, it shoudn't be done."
Alonzo had turned away again, his last glimpse hope of escaping the situation he was faced with had shattered. "I'm afraid of the dreams. I don't wanna see the Terrians- or you."
"You dreamt of me, when?"
"More of a nightmare."
Alonzo was struggling in the medtent with his crutches, he glanced at Julia as she tried to make him go on by cheering him up. But he was too weak, he couldn't carry his own weight.He fell to the floor and while he struggled to get rid of the brace Julia wanted to soothe him. "I don't need you or you help! Leave me alone!"
"I wanna help you, I'm not your enemy!"
Then Alonzo saw himself driving towards a cliff, trying to kill himself, he couldn't go on, wouldn't go on...***
Alonzo awoke, again covered in cold sweat and his heart raced. He jumped out of his bed and screamed out loud when he found his right leg hurting like hell. He had to talk to those people again and find out what was going on here.
Julia, Devon and Danziger were sitting in the pub on the stations again, they'd tried to find him everywhere and had finally given up, deciding that their best shot was the pub. Maybe he would show up here and be willing to talk. But tehy all knew how stubborn he was, so the chance of making him see their point was minimal.
Uly was sitting in the tent he shared with his Mom, Bess was with him and True.
"Are they going to find Alonzo?"
Bess looked at Uly and swallowed, she didn't wanna lie to the kids, but she also didn't want to scare them more than they already were either. "We all hope so, Uly. You mom, John and Julia will try everything that's possible."
"But when he really can't remember a thing, why should he believe such a story?"
"I really don't know True, let's just hope he will." But Bess knew that Alonzo was stubborn and surly it would be a hard task to convince him, after all the story of theirs really sounded pretty weird.
"The Terrians could help convince him, he would just have to dream with them."
"Maybe that could help, yes."
"But the Terrians can't find him there, they can't enter his mind, they don't know where he is."
Bess shrugged. Uly had turned away, he didn't seem to expect an answer at all.
Suddenly a dark figure sat down on a free chair next to Devon. Julia stared in Alonzo's furiou, tired and panicked eyes.
"Listen, I don't know where you are from, we've covered that part before anyway, and I don't really know what I shall think, all I know is that I'm having nightmares for two nights now.."
"You've never dreamt before, right?"
"Yeah, I already mentioned that."
"OK, would you please listen to us and ..." Devon suddenly screamed. "Uly!"
She grabbed her son's arm and pushed him in the bench next to her. " What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to help. Hi Alonzo." He shyly smiled at the pilot, but Alonzo just stared at the kid.
Suddenly the door opened and the restaurant was full of men in black overalls within seconds. They gathered around the group from Eden Advance.
While Devon, Danziger and Julia couldn't react at all due to the shock, Alonzo freaked out. "What the hell is going on here! I don't even know those people and I sure as hell don't wanna be part of this crazy game!"
Nobody reacted on Alonzo's outburst, together with the others he was taken to a cell, pretty similar to the one Julia had seen Alonzo in at her first visit.
Julia knew Alonzo would freak out again the moment they were alone, she knew how hot-tempered he could be. When he let out his first screaming of fury she knowingly glanced at Danziger. He knew Alonzo nearly as good as she did and nodded at her, grinning.
"Stronzo! What's going on here. What have you done to me?"
"Alonzo..." Danziger tried to calm him down.
"Oh shut up!" Alonzo stepped towards the mechanic and looked directly into the taller man's eyes. "Damn it. In two days I want to leave for New Pacifica and instead, I'm sitting in prison though I've no clue what I've done wrong."
"Alonzo, please listen to me now" Julia layed a hand on the blackhaired man's shoulder, the way she looked at him...
Suddenly he felt safe and like he was at home. Julia noticed the change aswell. "Ok, please let me talk now, don't stop me, just listen, no matter how crazy that sounds. Promise."
"It seems like I've got plenty of time anyway." He sighed and sat down on a cot, his head between his hands.
Julia told him about the kidnapping, she told him about the desperate efforts to find him.
When she realized he still couldn't remember she told him also about other things.
"Don't you remember how you saved Uly?" She motioned to the little boy who sat in his mother's embraced, scared and telling her how sorry he was.
"You've been injured and scared of the Terrians."
"Wait, those are the creatures from my dreams?"
"Yeah, you're the one who understands them, whom they chose to contact." She didn't allow him to interupt her again.
"When Uly still was sick you went to the Terrians together with Devon and safed him. You were so brave, though you were scared to death and exhausetd and tired, and still you helped save Uly." She had tears in her eyes when she recalled those days. And she was furious and desperate that she was trapped here, without Alonzo, without the Alonzo she loved, at her side, embracing herw ith hsi strong arms, ensuring her everything was gonna be fine like he'd done it before- and he'd always been right. Her only chance was to make him remember. "Oh my god Alonzo. We've been through so much."
Alonzo laughed out loud. "You know, what I really believe? You are all nuts."
"Listen to me! Please Alonzo, you gotta remember, then we maybe can get out here."
"Stronzo, just leave me alone!"
"Alonzo, listen, you have nothing to lose." Danziger looked straight into his eyes.
"Just let me talk, alright?" Julia looked at him, pleadingly.
Alonzo raised his eyebrow then sat down on the cot again, taking a deep breath. "OK."
"You broke your leg in the crash," Julia's voice became weaker. She didn't know what else she could do to convince him "And you safed me."
She looked at him again and Alonzo could read the gratefulness in her eyes.
"That wasn't easy for both of us, you were depressed, in pain, scared by the Terrians..."
"Never mention those creatures again!"
"But they are a part of you, they wanna help you!" Alonzo has gotten to his feet again and stared at Julia threadfully.
"Damn, I won't play this game anymore, it's crazy. Never tell me such a bullshit ever again!"
"Alonzo, please dream with me." The agitated man turned towards the small boy in surprise, he didn't want to scare the kid.
"Oh no, I'm sorry, but that is too nuts."
"Alonzo, please, you gotta believe us." Julia's gaze fell on Alonzo's leg. "May I take a look at your leg?"
"What??!!"
"Please, it's no big deal."
Alonzo shook his head in disbelieve, mumbling something in Italian. "Anything else?" But he sat down on the cot and undressed his pants. Julia looked at the tanned, muscular leg.
"Look! Where do you think is this scar from?" Alonzo looked at it in disbelief.
"No idea." He was stunned.
"And this one, it's from a wound you suffered when you were shot by a ZED." Alonzo laughed out loud
"This is really crazy."
"Please trust us, go with Uly." Alonzo slowly seemed to be willing.
"Close you eyes." Alonzo did as she told him. Curious, the three adulty awaited what was going to happen. Finally Alonzo opened his eyes again.
"Ok, that's it. This is ridiculous." Uly awoke aswell and shook his head.
"They won't talk to him, they say they can't make him understand anyway. He doesn't speak the language anymore."
Julia's last hope shattered. "What have they done to you, what the hell did Reilly do, Lonz?"
Alonzo was no longer willing to listen, he grew aggressive the moment Julia tried to talk to him.
Suddenly the door opened and two men stepped towards Uly.
Together with Danziger Devon tried to save the little boy. The two men hit back right away. "Hey, cut it out!" Alonzo stepped between Uly and the men. He tried to fight them with all his might, but in the end he had no chance. In a heap he fell to the floor, trying to curl up in order to protect himself from the pain.
Uly was taken away from them.
"Alonzo, you gotta help him, he doesn't belong here The Terrians gotta bring him back home or those men are going to kill him." Alonzo looked at her, he lay on the floor, sweating and groaning. His nose bleed and he really was in pain.
Julia caressed his forehead and cheek like she used to do, in order to give him all her strength. Suddenly he was quiet and laid his hand on hers. By doing so he stared into the distance. "Alonzo, please help him."
And suddenly the pilot closed his eyes.
Julia stared at the pilot, the look in his eyes, just before he went to sleep, had told her that he was back. She'd recognized her lovere again. Now everything was going to be fine. Alonzo was at her side again, supporting and protecting her with all his might.
Danziger stirred first. "What's going on? Where is Uly, is Alonzo Ok?"
"It's Ok, Alonzo is with the Terrians, he will try to make them help Uly." Devon sat up aswell. "Oh my god, did he remember?"
"I think so, the way he looked at me, I definitely think so." Julia smiled, wearily though.
There was still so much out of order that she didn't dare hoping they would all get out of this mess, but it was at least a beginning.
"I think when Alonzo might convince the Terrians to take Uly back to G889, they will also be able to help us get back. I just don't know if Alonzo could use this way, after all he didn't come here on his own volition. To him this place seems to be more of a reality than to us, but now, that he is remembering maybe he can do it by really concentrating on it."
Suddenly Alonzo stirred, he moaned and breathed heavily, his lids fluddered until he finally opened his eyes. "Alonzo? What happened?"
"Julia, I...I don't know. Gimme a minute please." Danziger helped the exhausted pilot to sit up. The pilot hit his face with his hands and tried to collect himself.
Devon was nearly going crazy, waiting for an answer to the unspoken question, but she also was afraid. What if he hadn't been able to help her son?
"Alonzo?" Julia laid a hand on his shoulder. "Do you think you can tell us what happened?"
The pilot looked at his lover, his deep dark eyes showing all the affection and love he felt for her. Now she was a 100% convinced he was back.
"They showed me everything, the crash, the first few days, the Zed, Eve...it wasn't really a pleasant experience." Devon stepped into his field of view. "What about Uly?"
Alonzo nodded. "He's at home."
Devon sighed reliefed and went forward to embrace the pilot. "Thank you so much. Thank you."
Julia observed the pilot, worried. "Alonzo, are you OK?" He nodded and tried to change the topic a little too fast.
Julia didn't know what Reilly had done to him, but she was sure he'd need a lot of time until he could learn to deal with it. "We'll talk about it later, OK?" Alonzo just nodded.
"First of all we should get outta here." Danziger observed their prison.
"You can leave, I'm going to dream with the Terrians and they are going to help you."
"And what about you Alonzo?
The pilot shrugged. "There's no use if all of us stay here."
Julia shook her head. "No, first of all we have to get out of here."
"Julia, as long as Reilly controls this place I won't get away."
"Julia's right, first of all, we will get out of this place and then we worry about the next step. We won't leave you alone in this prison, that's for sure." Alonzo knew there was no sense in arguing with Devon, instead he tried to get to his feet. When he tried to put weight on his right leg he sank back on the floor, screaming in pain.
"What's up?!" Julia kneeled down next to him once more.
"My knee! It hurts." With Julia's help he undressed his trousers again. The doctor gasped as she looked at her lover's bruised knee, it was bluish and swollen. "It's nothing really serious, but I can imagine that it hurts like hell."
Danziger helped Alonzo to a cot where he laid down, trying to get his breathing under control. Julia sat down next to him and caressed his forehead.
"I'm sorry, Julia. I...I don't know why, but at one point I just repressed everything. I can't explain how, but...but the only way to save you, was to forget about you."
"Alonzo, you needn't talk about it right now..." Julia had tears in her eyes.
"It's OK, maybe it helps me. I'm going insane otherwise."
Alonzo told his friends about what he'd gone through. He told them about electrical charges which left him absolutely vulnerable. He told them about the drugs which made his mind foggy and made him experience everything in a haze. "He released me, and he wanted me to get up. But I couldn't. My legs couldn't carry my weight. He kicked me in the face and the stomach and shouted at me. I tried again to get up, somehow, but I simply couldn't control my movements. Never before did I feel so helpless and vulnerable. And I'd thought the broken leg was bad." He looked at Julia, searching for support.
" I'm so sorry Alonzo." She embraced the young man and he gratefully held her.
Devon looked at Danziger in shock, both had listened to what Alonzo had told them. At one point Danziger had grabbed her hand and had held her all the time. She was gratefull for his silent support.
Slowly Alonzo calmed down, he was still exhausted and scared to death. But he trusted his friends. No matter how much sorrow remembrance brought along, it also brought solace and support.
"Uly! Where have you been? What happened?" Yale made the boy sit down in the mess tent, trying to wipe away a tear.
"I have been with Mom and the others, I wanted to help Alonzo, but the Terrians didn't wanna talk to him."
The little boy cuddled with the old Cyborg. "I'm sorry. I wanted to help."
"It's Ok Uly, they will find a way out. And now you will try to sleep a bit, Ok? I will stay with you."
Uly didn't protest, he was exhausted and still in shock.
Disclaimer: The characters don't belong to me, and I did not intend to claim them.
Notes: This is my first Earth2 story, at least the first I decided to publish. English is not my first language, so bare with me. Hope you like it, reviews are highly welcome!!!
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"Hey Jul! Did I already tell ya today that I love you?" Alonzo waved at her with his trademark grin. He knew she hated that. It was obvious the entire camp had listened, and she blushed to her own dismay. "Shut up," she murmered before hastily retreating to her tent. At this point she didn't know she wouldn't see her pilot again any time soon.
The scouting team, consisting of Danziger, Alonzo, Baines and Bess left the camp behind, they wanted to try to find a pass through those mountains.
Later, nobody could really explain what had happened next. Suddenly they were surrounded by penal colonists, but they did not seem to mean any harm to anybody apart from Alonzo, no stealing, no attacking- they just took interest in Alonzo.Danziger stared helplessly at his friend as three men beat him up, he heard Alonzo's screams of pain and he would never forget the look in his friend's black eyes. A look of fear, hate and desperation he'd never seen before.
For Alonzo everything went black after plenty of punches. He had tried to get free again, he'd fought hard, he could remember his friends screaming, trying to help him, to support him. But they could not help him, and he was not able of saving himself, there were just too many convicts concentrating on the young pilot.
When he woke up he was all alone. Unsteadily he got to his feet, his entire body protested. He looked around, but there was nothing. The entire room was white, no windows, no visible door, nothing. He figured it had to be a VR room.
"What do you want? Stronzo! Where the hell have you taken me?"
"Calmati.-Calm down." Alonzo turned around in surprise, he'd never expected to hear his native language here. But there was nobody standing behind him.
"What's going on?"
"We have some information about you, Mr Solace And you seem to be very important for us and our mission." "Vai via- go to hell." Alonzo spun around, but there still was nobody there.
Devon had assembled the group around the fire, they had to discuss their next step.
"Oh my god, we gotta find him. Why did they take him?Why him" Julia shook her head in disbelieve, that had to be a nightmare, she'd wake up in Alonzo's arms any moment now and everything would be alright again.
"There are only two possibilties, let alone he is the most handsome guy around," Devon regretted the joke at once." Anyway, he was taken either because of his relation to the Terrians- or because of his relation to you, Julia."
The young doctor looked at her in shock. "But then....then Reilly would...Oh my god, that can't be true."
Julia swallowed hard, covering her face with her hands.
"Relax,we don't really know what happened, but we are going to find him." Danziger was still shocked by what he had seen earlier that day, he had been a terrible feeling, seeing his young friend being strapped and beaten up.
There was nothing he could have done, he'd played the scene through in his mind again and again. But he believed in Alonzo's strength, the pilot could go a lot, and still he knew they had to find and help him. That was too much for one person to deal with.
"What do you want?" Alonzo rose after having heard somebody switching on a loudspeaker again.
"You are the key to Dr.Heller, to Ulysses, and as a consequence, to G889." a voice told him.
"Why do you even start to believe I'm gonna help you in any way?"
"I don't think you have much of a choice, Mr Solace." Alonzo did not answer, what could he possibly have said? He sank to the ground in the small claustrophobic room, exhausted with fear.
The entire camp was out, trying to find the pilot, without success. Alonzo had simply disappeared, no tracks, nothing.
Julia grew more and more worried with each passing hour, and the longer Uly had no word form the Terrians the liklier the Reilly version became.
Alonzo was tired, thirsty, hungry- and scared. He did not feel secure about anything anymore, he knew Julia's stories about Reilly and the Coucil- that monster would not hesitate to kill for getting what he wanted.
Suddenly a door opened, Alonzo's heartrate increased.
"Mr Solace, I'd like to chat with you a little bit."
"I've no idea what we might talk about. There's nothing I have to tell you."
Without another word two men grabbed Alonzo and he felt something being injected in his neck, he grew weaker within seconds. His legs trembled and he had to use the wall as a support for being able to stand when the two men told him to get up. There was no way he could have escaped, he was too weak for even walking without help.
Julia was really scared, she knew better than anybody else on this planet what Reilly and the Coucil were capable of doing. They could do to Alonzo whatever they wanted, and there would be no way out for him. Would she ever get to see her Flyboy again?With tears in her eyes she rememberd the morning, his last smile still was present in her mind like he was standing in front of her. She wiped away a tear, how much she love that cocky pilot. It wasn't an easy realtionship, they had basically nothing in common, and still they were attracted to each other in a way neither of them had experienced before. He was a hotshot, always living in the future, willing to take risks which she had never consider. Probably that was what helped both of them, she could calm him down when he was too agitated, and he could support her when she needed to do something that didn't seem sensible to her. She trusted him with all her heart, and she needed him, couldn't imagine having to go on without him.
"Stop it!!What are you doing?!!Why??!!" He refused to say anything that could be of any help to Reilly. He did not want to endanger his friends or the planet. But how long could he go on like that? Time passed but he couldn't say how fast. Days, weeks- or just hours? Frequently, inbetween session of torment, pain and terror, he fell into a comalike sleep, or he dozed feverishly having bizarre dreams he could not understand. Up from a certain point, he could no longer remember where he was, why he was there- and he really didn't comprehend the questions anymore. His mind seemed to have went black.
"The pilot is out, he won't be of any help to us anymore. He repressed his memory in order to safe his friends. He has a stronger will than we expected. We actually thought the guy was rather weak."
"Is he going to survive?"
"I think so."
"We have to contact Reilly. I have to know if Alonzo was taken by him." Julia's eyes were swollen and dull, Devon could tell she had cried that night. She was so sorry for the young doctor, knowing how much Alonzo meant to her. Now she nodded, she had known Julia would propose that sooner or later
"I agree, but Danziger and I will come with you."
"Reilly."
"Dr. Heller What a pleasure seeing you again. How are you?"
"Stop it. Where is Alonzo?"
"Alonzo? Ah, you are talking about Signor Solace." Reilly looked directly into her eyes which made it very uncomfortable for her. Julia was reliefed, knowing that Danziger and Devon were with her, invisible, but there.
"Well, we gently asked him for some information."
"Where is he?"
Reilly grinned devilishly. Then the surroundings suddenly changed and Julia found herself in a hospital. Automatically a door opened and Julia entered.
"Oh my god, Alonzo!!" She kneeled down next to her lover. "What did they do to you?" He was pale, thin and looked like a completely different person.
Alonzo did not react in any way and it seemed like nobody had cared for him in a very long time.
"We will get you outta here, I swear. Everything is gonna be fine." She knew she would have to leave him again. "I love you." She kissed him, then she stood and caressed his hair one last time. "I'll be back."
Seconds later she found herself facing Reilly again. "Why did you do that to him?"
"It was a necessity. The Council stands above it." He voice sounded harsh and lacked any feeling.
Julia didn't know what to say. How could she ever have believed in and cherished this organization.
Now it destroyed her life, once more.
"Dr. Heller, I'm aware of your present position. You won't get him back any time soon, and if you ever might, you gotta pay for it."
"You...you son of a bitch."
"Don't be too nice, doesn't make matters any better." Juia listened to the triumphant laugh of the Councilman, then she found herself back at G889.
"Oh my god, have you seen that?" She cried freely now. "Why him? Of all the things, why him?"
Everybody knew the answer, but there was no use in actually answering. Instead Devon sat down next to the doctor and embraced her, trying to soothe her when knowing there was nothing but Alonzo's return that could really help right now.
The days went by, and Alonzo was already gone for nearly three weeks now, slowly their life retuned to the normal chore of travelling, setting up camp, sleeping and travelling again. But for Julia everything had changed, her world was destroyed. Again and again she had tried to reach Reilly - without success. Julia's hope to ever see Alonzo again slowly vanished.
"I can't see Julia like that anymore, she's gonna kill herself, she doesn't eat, doesn't sleep, just covers herself with extrawork, we gotta find a way to get back to that place where she'd seen Alonzo." Danziger looked at Morgan, Devon and Walman. "Morgan, you are the expert on VR. How can we get there?"
"I've already tried some things, we would have to find the frequence, and then try to get there without anybody noticing, that would require some extra safety meassures. I really can't explain, it is actually pretty complicated, but if we would get the right frequence I'm sure I could establish the rest." Morgan shrugged.
"But we've been there once, wasn't the frequence stored somewhere?" Devon pointed out. It seemed like such a obvious thing, and she could see the men thinking it through.
"You might be right, it's not gonna be like looking at the display, it's coded for sure. But I might try and give it a shot. Only I'd need more time than I get in the evenings after travelling all day."
Danziger stood up. "If there's any chance of helping Alonzo, we will camp here as long as necessary. Devon?" "Absolutely. Morgan, please start right away, Yale might perhaps help you. I'm gonna ask him at once."
Before she left the tent she turned around once more. "Maybe we shouldn't tell Julia, I don't want her to raise her hopes too high."
The men agreed.
Alonzo slowly climbed to conciousness, he had no idea of where he was or why. His head seemed to explode any minute now and he felt queasy. Still, he wanted to get out of here, a feeling told him there was something exciting and huge waiting for him. When the door opened and a young nurse entered, he was right in his element. His cocky attitude inside couldn't be repressed
"Good morning, angel."
"Mr Solace you are allowed to leave the hospital, I would advise you to take it slow for a few days though." Alonzo put on his best Flyboygrin when he answered. "How about you check on that tonight. I'd feel a lot better with a professional nurse around. Let's say we have dinner at 8 and then let nature take ist course?"
The young woman wasn't a knockout, but she certainly wasn't a bad choice either. And he knew she couldn't refuse. "At Pierre's?"
"I really don't know..."
"I'll be waiting for you. See ya later!"
With that he left the room, still a little dizzy, but with the prospect of a wonderful night it was easier to bear the headache.
Is first way let him to the port where he found out that a job was waiting for him, he knew it! He'd launch in four days, destination: New Pacifica, G889. Wow, a 22 light-years run each way. He'd earn enough money to party for months after that job.
"Ok, Devon, I think I got it. I was really lucky I found out that fast." Morgan looked like he hadn't slept all night.
"Thanks a lot. Do you think we can risk it?"
Danziger walked up behind her. "If we wanna get Alonzo back, we don't have much of a choice but risk it."
"You are right, I'm gonna tell Julia." Devon looked as determined as Danziger hadn't seen her in months, actually not since that day when she had told the colonists she wanted to make them cross a continent.
"Julia? Can I talk to you?" Devon carefully enterd the tent, Julia was sitting over samples, not even noticing the other person in the tent. Devon layed a hand on Julia's shoulder. "Lonz, not..." She silenced herself at once. "Devon. What is it?"
"We have to talk."
"Sure, what's up?"
"Alonzo." Devon saw Julia's features stiffen.
"Don't do this to me Devon. Not now."
"Listen to me, we might have a way..."
"Oh my god, what...we have to try it...We gotta find him, who knows what they are doing to him." It seemed like Julia had regained all her strength in one second. She still looked exhausted and tired, but her sad eyes sparkled suddenly with a glimpse of hope.
"I don't know if it works, but Morgan found a way of how we can go back to the place where you saw Alonzo."
"Then let's go. No wastin' time!"
Devon and Julia enterd the Messtent where the rest was already in a hot discussion. "...but it is damn risky. You don't know what you are going to find there."
Julia couldn't even say who had said that. She couldn't believe someone was giving up on Alonzo now that there might be a way.
"But it's a possibility. Please, we have to do it. He has done so much for all of us. He is worth every single effort" Tears welled up in her eyes again. "Please, one last try."
"Julia's right, Alonzo is our friend, and if one of us would be in trouble he wouldn't hesitate to risk his life to help us. And so won't we. Devon agreed on coming, then Julia and me. The rest is going to wait for us right here." Danziger nodded at the young doctor. "We leave in half an hour."
"Ok, here we go. Yale is responsible for the group as long as we are gone." Devon switched on her VR gear, and nodded to her two companions as they pushed one buttom in unisono.
Seconds later they found themselves in a hospitalroom. "What the hell?" Danziger observed the place.
"He isn't here!" Julia's voice was a weak whisper. "He isn't here."
"But he definitely was." Devon showed her a piece of paper with some data and Alonzo's name on it. "We'll find him."
Danziger had taken a look on the sheet aswell. "Hey ladies. Guess where we are- Space Station, in 2184, just four days before our departure."
"They must've taken him here instead of killing him." Julia's voice was a little stronger now that she knew for almost certain that her lover was still alive.
"Yeah, and now we have to find him." Devon carefully opened the door and step out in the hallway.
Alonzo was tired and he figured that he would get a chance to relax and a nice chat in his favourite pub. Still he couldn't remember why he'd been at the hospital and why he was in such a bad condition.
"Hey Ace.What's up? Where have you been lately?"
"Ciao Jack. Everything's fine. Just get me a beer, Ok?" Everybody knew him here, after all, he'd been grounded for four months now, besides he'd only taken short runs lately, he'd felt like enjoying life a little these days.
I'm afraid Mr Solace was released this morning." Julia stared at the woman. "Released? But he was in serious condition!"
"I don't mean to be disrespectful Miss. But don't you think it's our job to judge? But if you wanna know more you can ask Kitty over there. She's got a date with him tonight."
Julia wasn't able to say anything, so Devon thanked the nurse and turned away. "Something's terribly wrong here, maybe it's not our Alonzo?" Nobody could provide an answer.
"Come on, I've got an idea!" Danziger headed towards the exit without even checking if the women followed.
The three walked through busy streets and they all admitted that they didn't feel comfortable here anymore. Everything seemed so foreign to them. They missed the fresh air, the wind, the noises and they felt like they could never again return and adjust to that clinical and artificial wa yof life again.
"Here we are." Danziger stopped in front of an entrance.
"What's that?" Devon nearly walked into him, due to the abrupt halt.
"It's been Alonzo's favorite pub, this is where I met him first. If he is on this station, he will show up here sooner or later." With an encouraging nod towards Julia he entered.
"Oh my god." Julia stood in the door, unable to move. Devon and Danziger followed her view and found the pilot sitting alone at a table close to the bar, talking to somebody behind the bar they couldn't see from where they stood.
"Alonzo." Devon whispered only. The pilot had yet to see them and when Danziger regarded the many empty bottles in front of him on the table, he wasn't sure it would be the happy reunion they had expected it to be.
Julia reluctantly stepped towards her lover, she had noticed the amount of alcohol that was probably in his system aswell. She'd never seen him drunk and it wasn't something she looking forward to experience. "Alonzo?"
"Yeah, oh bella. May I invite you to have a drink with me? Jake gimme two more bottles of beer ,please!"
"Thanks, but you know that I don't drink."
"Excuse-me? But how am I supposed to know? Are you wearing a shirt with "I don't drink" printed on it?"
Julia swallowed hard. "It's me, Julia."
"I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry too."Julia turned away, tears in her eyes.
Alonzo had noticed the two figures standing in the doorway, obviously they belonged to the young woman. He glanced at them helplessly, pleading for support.
"He doesn't even recognize me. What am I supposed to do now?"
Julia, don't blame him. Maybe Reilly did sort of brainwash him,and he really doesn't remember us anymore."
"She stared at the mechanic in shock, that really seemed to make some sense.
"We gotta talk to him. We have to convince him." Julia stepped towards the pilot again, Devon and Danziger on her heels. Danziger doubted Alonzo would be accepting their story though, especially since he seemd like he'd been drinking quite a lot. But maybe that was their chance to make him believe.
"Listen 'Lonz, no matter how nuts that is gonna sound, you gotta listen to us and try to believe it." Danziger looked straight into the other man's glaced eyes. But the pilot shook his head. "Are you nuts?"
Devon took hold of his arm. "Please listen to us. You don't belong here anymore, you have to return with us."
"Where?"
"Home. To G889."
"Wait a sec, now I know who you are! You are Devon Adair, right? I'm your pilot for the flight to G889."
"No, Alonzo. Listen. We already landed there months ago. Reilly brought you back here, he kidnapped you."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Alonzo, please, try to remember. It's me, Julia.We...I..." She couldn't control her voice, so Devon went on.
"She healed you, you'd broken your leg in the crash. And then there were the Terrians who..."
"Cut it out, now! I don't know who you are or what you want. But I'm not that drunken I buy this story of yours. Just leave me alone,will ya?!" He got up and left the pub, Julia's hopes vanished. She missed her flyboy.
Alonzo went over to his quarter, he was tired and he could certainly feel the alcohol in his head. He fell heavily into his bed and was asleep in seconds.
*** Alonzo, would you keep still for just a second." Julia examined him, he was angry anddesperate that he couldn't have saved his ship. Why couldn't this woman just leave him alone? "I just wrenched'em, please, gimme a minute and I'll be fine." "Make that 24 hours. You've got multiple fractures." He stared at her in shock. "You got a bonehealing vaccine, didn't you?" "That was for the colonists only, I wasn't even landing." He laughed out loud, then he sank back. Apparently he was not able to think through the implications.
Suddenly he found himself surrounded but strange creatures. "What do you want? No, leave me alone.What the hell do you want? Who are you?"***
He awoke with a start, bathed in sweat. When he'd calmed down a little bit he remembered the three strange people from earlier that day who had told him just what he'd seen in his dream. But he didn't dream, hadn't in decades, why now, and why such a nightmare? It took long until he was able to go back to sleep again.
Julia laid in her tent, bess unsuccesful tried to soothe her. "At least you know now that he is fine Julia. He is going to remember for sure. We've already been through so much together, he can't just have forgotten, he'll only need a little time. Try not to worry too much."
"I gotta talk to him, he can't have forgotten everything just like that."
"Julia, don't blame him, that was all done to him, it's not his fault. Never forget that."
Julia nodded, Bess was right. She was not allowed to blame Alonzo.
One more time they went to the Station in order to get Alonzo back. If he would leave for a 22 lightyears trip they would lose him forever. They had to make him remember, within three days- that was their only chance of saving him.
Again, they found him in the pub and this time he seemed willing to talk to them.
"What had been going on yesterday? I dunno who you are, what you want or anything else. All I know is that I didn't dream in years, and last night..." "You dreamt about a broken leg and the Terrians." Danziger grinned. "What the hell...?!"
"Alonzo the Terians make you dream. They wanna help you to remember. Through the Terrians you rediscovered your ability to dream. You are their friend, they don't mean any harm. Please believe me." Julia looked him in the deep back eyes she'd lost herself in a million times. Now they seemed distant and foreign.
Alonzo looked at the young doctor doubtfully. "Stop telling me fairytales. Those damn creatures scare me and I don't wanna have anything to do with you or with them."
With that he stood and left the room without looking back. Julia was close to tears again.
"What have they done to you Alonnzo?"
"Julia..."
"I wanna have him back, the Alonzo I know, not this one." Devon took her hand.
"Everything's gonna be fine again."
"But how?"
For the rest of the day they tried to find Alonzo again, but he'd disappeared.
"We will come back, Julia. We will find him and convince him tomorrow.No matter how long it'll take us." Devon was determined to get the handsome pilot back.
Alonzo had no intention in seeing those people again, even though the young blond woman looked like his type. But tonight he had the date with the young nursed he'd missed yesterday. He'd been to the hospital, excused for not showing up and then promised to be there that night. She had agreed. He was looking forward to see her again- most importantly she would turn his thoughts away from the nightmares and weird stories.
But he still had some more hours to go, he decided to catch some sleep.
***"Alonzo? How are you?"
" I can't take being trapped here anymore, on this planet. You've got to hibernate me. Give me something to put me under."
"What?"
"At least until my leg heals."
"Alonzo..."
"I used to be a pilot. I could fly away whenever I wanted. But here, day to day, and then the dreams. Please just put me under"
"How old are you?"
Alonzo turned around just far enough to face his doctor. "109, 110.Why?"
"And since you left flight school. What was the longest stretch of time you've been awake?"
"Probably the last few weeks, and it's been hell. I don't wanna be here."
"You're depressed."
"Thanks for the analysis Doctor. Are you gonna put me under or not?"
"Are you out of your mind? Even if I could engineer the metabolics, we don't have the power to maintain a chamber. Alonzo, this place is new to all of us. No ones gonna drag you sleeping across the planet. It can't be done, it shoudn't be done."
Alonzo had turned away again, his last glimpse hope of escaping the situation he was faced with had shattered. "I'm afraid of the dreams. I don't wanna see the Terrians- or you."
"You dreamt of me, when?"
"More of a nightmare."
Alonzo was struggling in the medtent with his crutches, he glanced at Julia as she tried to make him go on by cheering him up. But he was too weak, he couldn't carry his own weight.He fell to the floor and while he struggled to get rid of the brace Julia wanted to soothe him. "I don't need you or you help! Leave me alone!"
"I wanna help you, I'm not your enemy!"
Then Alonzo saw himself driving towards a cliff, trying to kill himself, he couldn't go on, wouldn't go on...***
Alonzo awoke, again covered in cold sweat and his heart raced. He jumped out of his bed and screamed out loud when he found his right leg hurting like hell. He had to talk to those people again and find out what was going on here.
Julia, Devon and Danziger were sitting in the pub on the stations again, they'd tried to find him everywhere and had finally given up, deciding that their best shot was the pub. Maybe he would show up here and be willing to talk. But tehy all knew how stubborn he was, so the chance of making him see their point was minimal.
Uly was sitting in the tent he shared with his Mom, Bess was with him and True.
"Are they going to find Alonzo?"
Bess looked at Uly and swallowed, she didn't wanna lie to the kids, but she also didn't want to scare them more than they already were either. "We all hope so, Uly. You mom, John and Julia will try everything that's possible."
"But when he really can't remember a thing, why should he believe such a story?"
"I really don't know True, let's just hope he will." But Bess knew that Alonzo was stubborn and surly it would be a hard task to convince him, after all the story of theirs really sounded pretty weird.
"The Terrians could help convince him, he would just have to dream with them."
"Maybe that could help, yes."
"But the Terrians can't find him there, they can't enter his mind, they don't know where he is."
Bess shrugged. Uly had turned away, he didn't seem to expect an answer at all.
Suddenly a dark figure sat down on a free chair next to Devon. Julia stared in Alonzo's furiou, tired and panicked eyes.
"Listen, I don't know where you are from, we've covered that part before anyway, and I don't really know what I shall think, all I know is that I'm having nightmares for two nights now.."
"You've never dreamt before, right?"
"Yeah, I already mentioned that."
"OK, would you please listen to us and ..." Devon suddenly screamed. "Uly!"
She grabbed her son's arm and pushed him in the bench next to her. " What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to help. Hi Alonzo." He shyly smiled at the pilot, but Alonzo just stared at the kid.
Suddenly the door opened and the restaurant was full of men in black overalls within seconds. They gathered around the group from Eden Advance.
While Devon, Danziger and Julia couldn't react at all due to the shock, Alonzo freaked out. "What the hell is going on here! I don't even know those people and I sure as hell don't wanna be part of this crazy game!"
Nobody reacted on Alonzo's outburst, together with the others he was taken to a cell, pretty similar to the one Julia had seen Alonzo in at her first visit.
Julia knew Alonzo would freak out again the moment they were alone, she knew how hot-tempered he could be. When he let out his first screaming of fury she knowingly glanced at Danziger. He knew Alonzo nearly as good as she did and nodded at her, grinning.
"Stronzo! What's going on here. What have you done to me?"
"Alonzo..." Danziger tried to calm him down.
"Oh shut up!" Alonzo stepped towards the mechanic and looked directly into the taller man's eyes. "Damn it. In two days I want to leave for New Pacifica and instead, I'm sitting in prison though I've no clue what I've done wrong."
"Alonzo, please listen to me now" Julia layed a hand on the blackhaired man's shoulder, the way she looked at him...
Suddenly he felt safe and like he was at home. Julia noticed the change aswell. "Ok, please let me talk now, don't stop me, just listen, no matter how crazy that sounds. Promise."
"It seems like I've got plenty of time anyway." He sighed and sat down on a cot, his head between his hands.
Julia told him about the kidnapping, she told him about the desperate efforts to find him.
When she realized he still couldn't remember she told him also about other things.
"Don't you remember how you saved Uly?" She motioned to the little boy who sat in his mother's embraced, scared and telling her how sorry he was.
"You've been injured and scared of the Terrians."
"Wait, those are the creatures from my dreams?"
"Yeah, you're the one who understands them, whom they chose to contact." She didn't allow him to interupt her again.
"When Uly still was sick you went to the Terrians together with Devon and safed him. You were so brave, though you were scared to death and exhausetd and tired, and still you helped save Uly." She had tears in her eyes when she recalled those days. And she was furious and desperate that she was trapped here, without Alonzo, without the Alonzo she loved, at her side, embracing herw ith hsi strong arms, ensuring her everything was gonna be fine like he'd done it before- and he'd always been right. Her only chance was to make him remember. "Oh my god Alonzo. We've been through so much."
Alonzo laughed out loud. "You know, what I really believe? You are all nuts."
"Listen to me! Please Alonzo, you gotta remember, then we maybe can get out here."
"Stronzo, just leave me alone!"
"Alonzo, listen, you have nothing to lose." Danziger looked straight into his eyes.
"Just let me talk, alright?" Julia looked at him, pleadingly.
Alonzo raised his eyebrow then sat down on the cot again, taking a deep breath. "OK."
"You broke your leg in the crash," Julia's voice became weaker. She didn't know what else she could do to convince him "And you safed me."
She looked at him again and Alonzo could read the gratefulness in her eyes.
"That wasn't easy for both of us, you were depressed, in pain, scared by the Terrians..."
"Never mention those creatures again!"
"But they are a part of you, they wanna help you!" Alonzo has gotten to his feet again and stared at Julia threadfully.
"Damn, I won't play this game anymore, it's crazy. Never tell me such a bullshit ever again!"
"Alonzo, please dream with me." The agitated man turned towards the small boy in surprise, he didn't want to scare the kid.
"Oh no, I'm sorry, but that is too nuts."
"Alonzo, please, you gotta believe us." Julia's gaze fell on Alonzo's leg. "May I take a look at your leg?"
"What??!!"
"Please, it's no big deal."
Alonzo shook his head in disbelieve, mumbling something in Italian. "Anything else?" But he sat down on the cot and undressed his pants. Julia looked at the tanned, muscular leg.
"Look! Where do you think is this scar from?" Alonzo looked at it in disbelief.
"No idea." He was stunned.
"And this one, it's from a wound you suffered when you were shot by a ZED." Alonzo laughed out loud
"This is really crazy."
"Please trust us, go with Uly." Alonzo slowly seemed to be willing.
"Close you eyes." Alonzo did as she told him. Curious, the three adulty awaited what was going to happen. Finally Alonzo opened his eyes again.
"Ok, that's it. This is ridiculous." Uly awoke aswell and shook his head.
"They won't talk to him, they say they can't make him understand anyway. He doesn't speak the language anymore."
Julia's last hope shattered. "What have they done to you, what the hell did Reilly do, Lonz?"
Alonzo was no longer willing to listen, he grew aggressive the moment Julia tried to talk to him.
Suddenly the door opened and two men stepped towards Uly.
Together with Danziger Devon tried to save the little boy. The two men hit back right away. "Hey, cut it out!" Alonzo stepped between Uly and the men. He tried to fight them with all his might, but in the end he had no chance. In a heap he fell to the floor, trying to curl up in order to protect himself from the pain.
Uly was taken away from them.
"Alonzo, you gotta help him, he doesn't belong here The Terrians gotta bring him back home or those men are going to kill him." Alonzo looked at her, he lay on the floor, sweating and groaning. His nose bleed and he really was in pain.
Julia caressed his forehead and cheek like she used to do, in order to give him all her strength. Suddenly he was quiet and laid his hand on hers. By doing so he stared into the distance. "Alonzo, please help him."
And suddenly the pilot closed his eyes.
Julia stared at the pilot, the look in his eyes, just before he went to sleep, had told her that he was back. She'd recognized her lovere again. Now everything was going to be fine. Alonzo was at her side again, supporting and protecting her with all his might.
Danziger stirred first. "What's going on? Where is Uly, is Alonzo Ok?"
"It's Ok, Alonzo is with the Terrians, he will try to make them help Uly." Devon sat up aswell. "Oh my god, did he remember?"
"I think so, the way he looked at me, I definitely think so." Julia smiled, wearily though.
There was still so much out of order that she didn't dare hoping they would all get out of this mess, but it was at least a beginning.
"I think when Alonzo might convince the Terrians to take Uly back to G889, they will also be able to help us get back. I just don't know if Alonzo could use this way, after all he didn't come here on his own volition. To him this place seems to be more of a reality than to us, but now, that he is remembering maybe he can do it by really concentrating on it."
Suddenly Alonzo stirred, he moaned and breathed heavily, his lids fluddered until he finally opened his eyes. "Alonzo? What happened?"
"Julia, I...I don't know. Gimme a minute please." Danziger helped the exhausted pilot to sit up. The pilot hit his face with his hands and tried to collect himself.
Devon was nearly going crazy, waiting for an answer to the unspoken question, but she also was afraid. What if he hadn't been able to help her son?
"Alonzo?" Julia laid a hand on his shoulder. "Do you think you can tell us what happened?"
The pilot looked at his lover, his deep dark eyes showing all the affection and love he felt for her. Now she was a 100% convinced he was back.
"They showed me everything, the crash, the first few days, the Zed, Eve...it wasn't really a pleasant experience." Devon stepped into his field of view. "What about Uly?"
Alonzo nodded. "He's at home."
Devon sighed reliefed and went forward to embrace the pilot. "Thank you so much. Thank you."
Julia observed the pilot, worried. "Alonzo, are you OK?" He nodded and tried to change the topic a little too fast.
Julia didn't know what Reilly had done to him, but she was sure he'd need a lot of time until he could learn to deal with it. "We'll talk about it later, OK?" Alonzo just nodded.
"First of all we should get outta here." Danziger observed their prison.
"You can leave, I'm going to dream with the Terrians and they are going to help you."
"And what about you Alonzo?
The pilot shrugged. "There's no use if all of us stay here."
Julia shook her head. "No, first of all we have to get out of here."
"Julia, as long as Reilly controls this place I won't get away."
"Julia's right, first of all, we will get out of this place and then we worry about the next step. We won't leave you alone in this prison, that's for sure." Alonzo knew there was no sense in arguing with Devon, instead he tried to get to his feet. When he tried to put weight on his right leg he sank back on the floor, screaming in pain.
"What's up?!" Julia kneeled down next to him once more.
"My knee! It hurts." With Julia's help he undressed his trousers again. The doctor gasped as she looked at her lover's bruised knee, it was bluish and swollen. "It's nothing really serious, but I can imagine that it hurts like hell."
Danziger helped Alonzo to a cot where he laid down, trying to get his breathing under control. Julia sat down next to him and caressed his forehead.
"I'm sorry, Julia. I...I don't know why, but at one point I just repressed everything. I can't explain how, but...but the only way to save you, was to forget about you."
"Alonzo, you needn't talk about it right now..." Julia had tears in her eyes.
"It's OK, maybe it helps me. I'm going insane otherwise."
Alonzo told his friends about what he'd gone through. He told them about electrical charges which left him absolutely vulnerable. He told them about the drugs which made his mind foggy and made him experience everything in a haze. "He released me, and he wanted me to get up. But I couldn't. My legs couldn't carry my weight. He kicked me in the face and the stomach and shouted at me. I tried again to get up, somehow, but I simply couldn't control my movements. Never before did I feel so helpless and vulnerable. And I'd thought the broken leg was bad." He looked at Julia, searching for support.
" I'm so sorry Alonzo." She embraced the young man and he gratefully held her.
Devon looked at Danziger in shock, both had listened to what Alonzo had told them. At one point Danziger had grabbed her hand and had held her all the time. She was gratefull for his silent support.
Slowly Alonzo calmed down, he was still exhausted and scared to death. But he trusted his friends. No matter how much sorrow remembrance brought along, it also brought solace and support.
"Uly! Where have you been? What happened?" Yale made the boy sit down in the mess tent, trying to wipe away a tear.
"I have been with Mom and the others, I wanted to help Alonzo, but the Terrians didn't wanna talk to him."
The little boy cuddled with the old Cyborg. "I'm sorry. I wanted to help."
"It's Ok Uly, they will find a way out. And now you will try to sleep a bit, Ok? I will stay with you."
Uly didn't protest, he was exhausted and still in shock.