The Coveting of Eden

by Raven Sedai

Finally at New Pacifica, Eden Advance finds that a Government Ship has followed in the wake of the Colony Ship. Will the Eden Group be able to stop the Government's dark agenda?

1. Part I

The Coveting of Eden

(Part I)

By: Raven Sedai

Disclaimer: The characters used in this fan fiction are the creation and property of Universal and Amblin. They appear in my saga, not as pawns for profit, but as emissaries of entertainment. Earth 2, in my opinion, was laid to rest far before its time, but the indelible strength of the characters and soulful power of their potential futures echo forward into space, cyber space. May the journey continue forever, spelling out hope and aspiration for the dream of Eden that is not yet lost on Earth 1.

This story is rated PG-13, for adult situations, language and violence.

Chapter I: Tainted Windows into the Past

She sat alone, peering into the darkness that foreshadowed another day upon this planet. Another day that would build their tomorrows and usher in a new hope for all of mankind.

Julia's dark blonde hair freed itself from her shoulders as the wind swirled about her solitary form. Sitting on the edge of the enormous mesa, seemingly high above the past, she stared out into the darkness, imagining the immense distance that they had traveled over the past year since landing upon this planet, twenty-two light years away from all they knew. They had come so far and had lost so much. "It has to be worth it . . . mankind's second chance has to be worth all this," she silently thought to herself, grimacing at the painful memories that had plagued their journey.

Eben's death was still painfully fresh in her mind, and though there was little she could do to save her friend, she had never felt so helpless in her entire life, so out of control. Then there was Devon's mysterious illness, which threatened to tear the already weakened Advance group apart for good. She looked absently down at the dirt beneath her feet, shifting it about. There was so much the usually together and in control Dr. Julia Heller did not know about this planet. She still did not know why the Terrians uncharacteristically helped her cure Devon. All she was sure of was that she could not have done it alone.

But that was more than a year ago, an adventure that seemed a lifetime away, buried in the sand. The Advance team was finally at New Pacifica, the place where they had hoped to build their futures. Julia smiled faintly at the growing community just below the mesa where she sat. It had sprung up so quickly, out of the dust. Many buildings now huddled together against the base of the great mesa they called "Arrow Point." The hospital was the biggest of the buildings; the impressive three story structure seemed to tower above the other single level buildings. Searching through the buildings, Julia tried to spot her small cabin. Sadness slowly crept through her blue eyes, eyes, which sparkled with pain. There was no light on, no one home waiting for her, just darkness. Cold and profound, the darkness had become her constant companion now that he was gone. Closing her eyes, she attempted to still her heart, which had begun to thump forcefully within her chest, but as the darkness overcame her sight, she could only see him. In truth, she came to the mesa because it helped her feel closer to him. Here, she felt close to the stars he loved, and his spirit seemed to permeate the countryside.

"Alonzo," she whispered, seeing his smiling face in her mind's eye. The wind began to stir again, and she could almost feel his loving touch against her body, filling her with warmth and light.

"Julia," a voice called gently from behind her.

Startled by the sudden hand upon her shoulder, her eyes flew open as she turned to find True. "True, what are you doing here?"

"I followed you up here. I didn't see you at dinner, and I went looking for you . . . ." the girl replied.

Standing to face the youth, Julia's brow creased with concern. "You shouldn't have done that, True. It's dangerous outside the perimeter, especially with the tensions between the officials and the Terrians. How did you get past the zone alarms?"

"Julia, we have to get back," True began with urgency. "It's almost time for the night patrols . . . I was afraid you wouldn't get back in time and . . . ."

"Oh Lord," Julia exclaimed as she gazed at her chronometer, "let's go." She took True's hand, and they both started down the mesa.

They scurried down the trail that hugged the side of the large mesa. "Damn it, we're not gonna make it! I can't believe I lost track of time," Julia chided herself as she and True ran toward the south end of the New Pacifica perimeter wall, which stood against the mesa.

"If we get caught outside the perimeter . . . ." True's frightened voice was cut off by Julia's hand over her still moving mouth.

"Shhh," Julia said into her ear, halting their sprint and pulling True into what was left of the nearby tree line.

Two sets of wide, frightened eyes watched as a sentry strolled by them on the other side of the invisible perimeter force field, which surrounded New Pacifica. Julia stared keenly at the triangular symbol on the soldier's armband; it was the trademark of the all-powerful Station Government, whose long arm of power had stretched twenty-two light years into their lives. Unconsciously, Julia winced as she recalled the day the Colony ship had arrived. For unbeknownst to everyone, Advance and Colony alike, a large government ship had followed in the Colony ship's wake. It descended out of the Heavens like a black cloud shielding the sun's rays and casting an enormous shadow upon the then small town, dwarfing all those who stood frozen in fear watching its landing. Devon had been furious, the Stations intended on establishing their government upon G889, and there was little anyone could do about it. The Government ship carried a board of officials, an army of soldiers and an arsenal of weaponry. Julia shook her head when images of the soldiers unloading the massive ship reeled through her mind. There was no question; they were taking over, and it was painfully obvious that they'd use force to do it.

Their power and their arrogance scared Julia, and she wondered how much longer before the planet would start to fight back. The Station Government, which she knew was driven by the heart of the all-powerful Council, had already made it clear that they viewed the Terrians as a threat, a threat that they had to dispose of. Julia stared at the thick metal and stone foundation upon which the city had been built, evidence of the Government's ignorant fear of the planet's indigenous population. The officials had seen first hand what the creatures could do, and their first order of business was to move the already growing town onto a massive slab of metal and stone that dug into the earth at least one half meter. One thing was certain, with the man-made stone and multi-alloyed metal as a foundation, no Terrians would trespass upon what the Government had claimed as their land. The strange ground prevented the aliens from swimming through the Earth, burrowing home into the planet they called Mother.

The sentry paused in front of them to adjust his weapon harnessed at his shoulder. The noise of the metal being shifted about carried through the still night air and startled Julia back into the present. She turned and looked seriously into the eyes of a very worried True Danziger. "True, listen to me carefully. This sentry will not leave his sector, and this is the weakest sector in the grid. We have to re-enter here." True nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "When he turns his back and starts back toward the town, I'm gonna deactivate the force field. As soon as I motion for you, you run like hell back to your cabin. Got it?" Julia said in the tone of an order rather than a question.

True nodded, her eyes wide with fear. "What about you?"

Julia's eyes narrowed, grimacing at the thought. "I'm gonna distract him until you're clear."

"No, Julia, I won't leave you!" True cried immediately upon realizing Julia's plan.

Looking fondly at the young girl, Julia smiled as she realized that she was no longer a child. True had grown since their first meeting on the Advance ship that brought them here, and soon she would be a full-blown teenager with a strong spirit and the stubbornness of a Danziger. The entire Advance team had grown into a family, having journeyed across this, then unknown, planet together, and they had formed a bond among each other and with the planet that nothing would sever, not even the Government or the Council. Gently but firmly, Julia put her hands on the shoulders of the girl she thought of as a little sister or niece. Then, smiling tentatively, she said, "True, don't worry about me. I've gotten myself out of stickier situations." They both took a quick mental review of the trek that had brought them to New Pacifica. Danger and misfortune had been in abundance along the way. Laughing softly, the two looked at each other through knowing eyes, understanding only what an Advance team member could.

Throwing her arms around Julia, True hugged her earnestly. "Please be careful," she said, but her voice was muffled by Julia's shoulder.

"I will," Julia assured her. "Are you ready?" At True's hesitant nod, Julia crept stealthily up to the metal control pillar that stood against the energy field, which barred their entry into the town. She grimaced at the machinery that had helped make their new home a prison. Punching in a series of access codes, Julia watched the receding back of the sentry as he continued on his loop like a machine. Lifting her hand in a beckoning motion, she waved True on.

True did as Julia had instructed, looking over her shoulder as she passed her friend, who had already begun re-activating the field. Hurrying toward the sentry, Julia watched with relief as True disappeared behind the first set of buildings that marked the edge of the barren southern perimeter. Just as she had suspected, the sentry turned toward True's direction, having heard or seen her retreat. Perimeter sentries were fitted with extra sensory visors that permitted night vision in addition to ultra sensitive hearing. He started toward the building behind which True had run.

Julia coughed loudly, drawing the soldier's attention. "Halt!" he ordered. Quickly brandishing his weapon, he charged it as he approached Julia's position.

Suddenly the night air seemed colder as Julia shivered where she stood, awaiting the sentry's arrival. As he drew closer, the sentry removed his visor, and Julia got a clear view of his face for the first time. Their eyes met, and in the same moment that a large grin formed across the sentry's face, a devastated expression formed on Julia's. Immediately, she rebuked herself, knowing the dangerous situation that she had placed herself in.

"Well, well," he said smugly as he powered down his magpro. "Dr. Heller, to what do I owe this visit? Did you reconsider my offer?"

Fear loomed over Julia like a dark cloud obscuring the moon's light, but his arrogance seethed her, giving her courage to speak. "Dekkar, our last encounter left nothing to be desired, and I mean nothing," she said boldly, attempting to walk away.

The sentry looked at her through narrowed eyes, forcefully grabbing her arm. "I'm not finished with you." Before Julia could protest, he roughly flung her toward the energy field. Pinning her front to the inner field wall, he spread her legs apart.

"Are you insane? What the hell are you doing?" she cried through a surprised and trembling voice, attempting to hide the growing fear that was relentlessly welling within her.

The overconfident soldier smiled at Julia's discomfort. "You know the law. No one is allowed near the perimeter after 0800 hours. It's my duty to search your person to ensure that you do not possess any weaponry or devices that are meant to challenge the power of the Government." His words were scripted, but his tone was not official.

A shiver ran through Julia's spine, anticipating his unwelcome touch upon her. Face and hands pressed up against the invisible barrier, which she now felt was very tangible, Julia attempted to look at him, to challenge his authority. Unfortunately, Dekkar was substantially larger than Julia, and the force with which he pinned her to the barrier prevented even the slightest movement. She closed her eyes tightly as his probing hand made its way up her inner left pant leg. A bitter taste formed in her mouth, realizing that his touch was not quick and efficient but slow and lascivious.

Dekkar's mouth began to water as his hand neared her buttocks, and in his lustful hunger, he grabbed at it with both hands. Julia cried out in shock. Then, feeling his restraining arm no longer on her back, she turned quickly and slapped him firmly across the jaw. Both were momentarily stunned, and Dekkar stood back, licking the blood that trickled forth from his lip. He glared at Julia, and before she found the strength to react, his entire body pushed her forcefully up against the perimeter wall. His large right hand gathered her tiny wrists above her head, incapacitating her arms, and his muscular thighs pinned her legs, rendering them immobile as well. "So, you wanna get rough again?" he snickered, recalling their previous encounter. "This time your boyfriend isn't here to save you. No one will save you," he said threateningly as he pressed his lips against hers, knocking her head brutally against the wall behind her.

Julia felt as if she were choking. He was smothering her beneath his hard presence. She needed air, and she needed it now. Jerking her head quickly to one side, her pearly whites came chomping down upon his already tender lip. "Ow!" he yelped in pain, temporarily releasing her, holding his hand to his now constantly bleeding lip. Surging with fear and adrenaline, Julia forcefully brought her knee up. It found its mark between the sentry's legs, and he doubled over in pain. Quickly jumping over his writhing form, Julia tried to make a run for it. The sentry's pain quickly turned to anger, and he grabbed her ankle as it passed his head. The firm, vice-like grasp made Julia fall forward, crashing hard onto the solid ground. Shaking her now pain ridden head, she struggled to get up, but he was quickly upon her, again pinning her hands above her head with his large hand.

Julia looked up at him, and images of their previous encounter haunted her mind. Trying desperately to bury them in the past, she glared at him sitting astride her. "You bitch!" he exclaimed as his hand came down hard against her face. "You got away last time, but no one will save you now!" he said with a smug smile that echoed doom in her mind.

Her head was pounding, and she ached to be free of his oppressive weight upon her. Fear was very palpable upon her tongue, and she knew no one would find them in the barren south sector. If she could not find a way out, he would finally have his way with her. She tried to slow her racing heart, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing that she was afraid. "He will not have that," she thought grimly. "He will not have my strength."

Julia began to struggle beneath him, despite the pain that was quickly claiming dominion over her throbbing head. "You'll never get away with this," she uttered, sounding less convincing than she had hoped.

Dekkar's smile broadened. "Ah, you're forgetting who I am." His eyes narrowed and stared straight through Julia. "It's your fault I have been temporarily demoted to perimeter patrol, you and your interfering boyfriend." His anger began overflowing as the crimson from his lip fell onto Julia's shirt. He grabbed her face with his other hand and thrust it violently against the ground beneath her. "But he's gone now." He smiled menacingly. "I saw to that, and he can never interfere again," he said satisfactorily as he rose his hand to strike her again.

Julia squinted in fear and turned her head, anticipating the coming pain, but as his hand began its descent, another large hand swooped out of the night sky and held it in place. Hesitantly, Julia opened her watery blue eyes. She saw a large shadow grab Dekkar forcefully and pin him to the barrier wall. Relief quickly washed through Julia, and she grabbed her aching head, feeling a sticky wetness at the back of her scalp. She rose upon unsteady legs, and through now blurred vision, she watched in horror as the large shadow began to beat on Dekkar. For a faint moment, she saw Alonzo, as familiar images plagued her once again, but the hazy dream passed quickly.

"Danziger, no!" she cried, stumbling wobbly toward him. "He's not worth it," she pleaded as she placed a firm hand on his arm.

John Danziger paused, still holding the man against the perimeter wall. His anger was pulsing through him like a quick, strobing fury, unwilling to be tempered, but hearing Julia's voice, weak and frightened, seared through his anger to the tender heart that lay beneath the façade of the big, tough man. Reluctantly, he released the dazed Dekkar, and turned to face his friend. Danziger looked at Julia, and seeing the fear in her blue eyes and the large bruise upon her face, he felt his anger rising again.

Julia took a firm hold of his arm. "Please, not again," she said, almost inaudibly. He knew she was referring to the previous incident with Dekkar. "Think of True," she reasoned.

The very mention of his daughter's name quelled the big man's anger. He loved her more than anything in the world, and he would never intentionally endanger her. His gaze looked with fatherly concern to the young doctor. "Julia, are you okay? True told me that you were in trouble."

Julia nodded, "I'll be fine, but. . . ." Her voice was cut off and she stared wide eyed at the man that stood behind Danziger.

Danziger turned around and looked straight into the barrel of a magpro, Dekkar's magpro. "You two have a lot to answer for . . . resisting an official search, assaulting a soldier of the Government. . . ." He had re-equipped his visor and was now talking into his gear. "I'm bringing two offenders in. Ready the detention cells, and send a replacement to the south sector," he ordered.

The detention cell was a small steel and glass enclosure that was as colorless as it was dreary. An invisible energy field blocked passage to and from the cell. Julia lay upon one of the cots that jutted from the metal wall. She held her head gingerly, but it was not the physical pain that overwhelmed her but the pain of the past. It was about three months ago, and Alonzo sat where she lay now, an invisible force field blocking their touch. Tears welled within her eyes as his words echoed through her mind. "Julia, I don't care what they do to me, that bastard deserves more than I gave him," Alonzo said angrily, standing to face his love, who stood on the other side of his prison.

The cut on her lip had dried, but the bruises on her face and neck remained. Alonzo looked at her, wanting to reach through the field and mend her wounds. "Alonzo, I'm afraid," she uttered softly. "They already fear your unique relationship with the Terrians. This is just the kind of excuse they need to crucify you."

His gaze attempted to steady her trembling form. "Julia, I don't regret one thing I did to that misogynist! He had it coming."

"Alonzo, you almost killed him," she said, afraid of the pride he took in beating a man to a pulp.

"Yes," he said, trying to calm the rage that still festered inside him. "If I hadn't come looking for you, if I had gotten there a few minutes later. . . ." Biting hard on his lip, he stopped himself, unwilling to utter the horrible possibilities out loud.

"But he didn't, and now. . . ." Julia paused, fear for Alonzo's safety running through her like a raging river ready to overflow. "These people are powerful. I don't know what they will do to you. The Council. . . ." She silenced herself, disbelieving that she actually said that name out loud, in a Government building.

"It's okay." He managed a smile, knowing the fear and pain the ever-present Council brought to Julia's life. "It's in the Government's hands now, and they are supposed to uphold justice," he said, trying to convince her but unable to convince himself.

"Hey!" Julia's mind now focused on Danziger's yelling voice. "Get a doctor in here. Dr. Heller is injured." His loud voice vibrated the metal walls of the foyer that preceded the detention cellblock, but the guards carried about, his powerful voice left unnoticed or ignored.

"I'll be fine, John. I think I just have a mild concussion," Julia announced weakly from the bunk.

"Hey, you're awake," he said as he moved to her side. "I tried to wake you earlier, but . . . I thought you slipped into a coma or something," he admitted with genuine concern.

She laughed lightly at his amateur assessment. Then, her smile faded as she recalled her dream. "I was just dreaming about the last time I visited this cell," she said grimly.

"Oh." He grabbed her hand in understanding, his firm but tender grip assuring her that he would protect her.

"I'm sorry, Danziger," she said through sorrow-filled eyes.

"What are you talking about, doc?" He smiled mischievously. "I'm the one who used the idiot for a punching bag."

"This is all my fault. I put us in danger, and. . . ."

"John, Julia, are you okay," a voice interrupted. They both turned toward the entrance of the cell and saw Devon Adair. Julia could not help but smile. Dressed neatly like an official but shining with a spirit that announced the transformation the planet had infused in her, Devon seemed to be surrounded by a halo of light. Standing there like a savior in the night, she looked every bit like the leader of the Eden Advance team. "Guard," she commanded with an official tone. "De-activate this field." With a slight flash of light, Devon joined them in their prison. Immediately, she rushed to Julia, who was struggling to sit up with Danziger's help. "Oh Lord, has the physician come to see you?" she began, her protective mode fully active now.

Julia waved off her efforts to call for a doctor. "I'll be fine."

"Julia," Devon began in protest, knowing the stubborn doctor was a bad patient.

"I already tried, Adair," Danziger insisted, smiling at the woman whose every action it seemed he could predict.

Turning toward the gruff voice that addressed her, relief washed over her as she saw that he was unharmed. An appreciative smile graced her face as she pieced together the missing details from the official report she had glanced over. Danziger nodded in acceptance of her gesture. Devon found herself looking fondly at the big man, who had come to be one of the fiercest protectors of the group of Advancers. Awkwardness filled the look the two had been exchanging. Not now, Devon thought to herself. Though she and John Danziger shared an affection they both were powerless to describe, now was not the time to get mushy. So, she reverted to the other dynamic that powered their strong bond. "Danziger," she scolded. "Did you have to beat him senseless?"

Here we go, Danziger thought as he rolled his eyes. "Adair, don't start," he cautioned. "It's been a long night and. . . ." Danziger paused remembering the last time he spoke to his daughter. "Where's True," he asked worriedly.

"She's fine. I left her with Yale and Uly," she reassured him, wordlessly admiring the bond he shared with his daughter.

Glancing quickly at her chronometer, Devon sat on the bunk next to Julia. "I don't have much time. Admiral Dekkar is very upset about his son."

"Hey, I don't pick who attacks innocent women," Danziger said, throwing his hands up in defense.

"Nonetheless, the Government is using this incident to incite the colonists against the Advance team."

"But the children . . . they've been cured. The Terrians have proven themselves time and time again to be our allies," Julia protested.

"We know what the Terrians are and what they can give us, but the Government is still afraid. . . ."

"Afraid of their power being stripped away by a species they can't understand," Julia said distastefully.

"Yes, they are calling a public meeting of the Government Officials early tomorrow morning. I have to go over all the incidents before then. I just wanted to see you both, make sure you were okay and assure you that we're doing everything we can to vindicate you."

"That goes without saying, Adair," Danziger said, smiling at the auburn haired woman.

"I'm glad you're alright, Danziger, but you, Julia, I'm not so convinced of. I'm sending in the facility's physician before I go," she said looking closely at Julia's bruises. "You're bleeding," she said worriedly.

Julia looked down at her bloodied hand. "I have a small gash in the back of my head. It's nothing."

"What about the blood on your chest? Did he stab you?" Devon asked as Danziger moved in more closely.

A knowing smiled played across Julia's lips. "That's his blood. I sunk my teeth pretty hard into that unwelcome kiss he gave me." The three laughed, savoring the temporary levity, but all could feel the taint of the dark shadow that had descended upon them, threatening their futures here.

Chapter II: What the Shadows Hide

Danziger and Julia sat uncomfortably shifting in their mechanical bonds. They were in the New Pacifica courthouse, watching as noisy protesters filed into the pews behind them. The room was quite spacious, and sunlight flooded the now crowded chamber from all sides. At the front of the room stood an enormous judge's bench. High and lofty, the metallic structure sat three, side by side. In actuality, the room with its straight-backed pews, high ceiling and pious front section, resembled a church more than it did a courthouse, and Julia wondered if the Government hadn't constructed it that way deliberately.

Seated at one of the two large tables that preceded the rows of pews, Danziger and Julia looked over their shoulders grimly. The colonists were angry, and they seemed intent on witnessing a lynching today. Searching the restless mob for a friendly face was a difficult task. Danziger's eyes roamed the room to the back of them and glanced over the Vicher family and the large Craegan brood. Most of the colonists were hard working men and women who just happened to be idealists looking for the promise of hope on this new planet. Though many were happy with the healing of their children, most feared the alien change that seemed to be the hefty price of their children's health. All of the conservative colonists feared change in general, and were up in arms about any disquiet that rustled their new town. They had born the pain of dying children to the point of desperation, and now they wanted only peace and security, unable or unwilling to bear any more change.

"We've had enough of their trouble!" Joren Laplin shouted. "If they won't heed the rules of the Government, they should be cast out." Anger was apparent in his voice, but it was fear that loomed in his eyes, fear of what the Advancers knew that the colonists and Government would not accept.

Julia turned around grimly, placing her sore, tired head in her hands, which were bound by metal restraints. In truth, she and the Advance group did discuss leaving the Government controlled settlement and setting up a town of their own. "Lord knows it would be easier than living with this," she thought to herself. But the group had decided that their duty lay with the colonists and their children, for they were the future of G889. The presence of the overbearing Government just complicated things, but with Devon and Morgan on the Government Committee and Yale, Julia and Bess on the Science Institute's Board, the Advancers would find a way to get through to the colonists, making them understand the planet and accept it rather than fight to control it.

"Hey, Doc, don't you worry. You know these colonists . . . they get riled up about everything. Anything out of the ordinary is a threat to them, but their focus will change. It always does. Damn fickle bunch," Danziger said, shaking his head in disgust.

"You show them miracles . . . the beauty that this new land can offer, and they eat it up like gluttons, but present them with anything new, anything they can't understand and they take up arms, demanding more laws and the right to control those who possess a different perspective from theirs." Julia was tired and indignant. The Advance group cared for the colonists, helped nurse their children back to health, journeyed across the planet to build their new home and this was how they repaid them.

She recalled quite clearly how difficult it was getting the parents and the Government to agree to letting the Terrians heal the syndrome children. Looking at the ignorant, frightened mass now, Julia wondered how they ever consented, but it did happen. With Uly as scientific proof and Devon's eloquent words, they reluctantly agreed. Devon Adair's name and standing still held power over the colonists. They had, after all, followed her twenty-two light years away from the Stations. Julia had come to understand why the parents had agreed to the Terrians' aid, but she was still unsure why the government had retracted their opposition. They certainly were not as spellbound by the Adair name as the colonists. After all, wasn't it the Government who planted the bomb on the Advance ship, attempting to kill Devon and the rest of the Advance crew? The Station Government did not want Eden Advance on G889 at all. The colonists were easy enough to herd into the Government mindset, but the Advancers had bonded with the planet, making their agenda very different from the Government's.

"Adair will get us out of this," Danziger assured.

Julia looked at him grimly. She knew that the powerful Council controlled the Government. Their rigid edicts, which had been drilled into her since she was a child, plagued her mind. "Nothing is done without the Council's knowledge, without the Council's consent," she thought to herself.

"Devon still has power," he added hopefully.

"Only the power 'they' allow her to have."

* * *

"He tried to rape her . . . again!" Devon's voice was exasperated, and it echoed in the large circular chamber.

"Devon," Official Chorlain tried calmly, "read the medical report for yourself," he said wearily tossing a document on the round table that separated them. "Dr. Abrahms examined her thoroughly. He concluded that there was no signs of rape, just a concussion and a few cuts and bruises." He saw that Devon was opening her mouth to protest, so he continued, "Which were acquired during the struggle proceeding Dr. Heller's unwillingness to be searched."

"She resisted because he was doing more than just searching her," Devon defended.

"What was Dr. Heller doing at the Southern Perimeter after hours?" Official Kildare questioned accusingly.

"I don't know," Devon admitted.

"Perhaps there are many things you do not know about Dr. Heller," Kildare continued, her eyes burning the suggestion into Devon's mind.

Devon shook her head, realizing that they were trying to cast doubt within her, doubt about one of her best friends, but she was stronger than that. "Nothing you say will convince me to trust you above any of the Advance team members," she announced staunchly.

"Nevertheless," Chorlain said, "order must be upheld at all costs. If laws are not followed and the offenders go unpunished, chaos will reign." Before Devon could speak again, the two stood and moved to the door that connected the chamber with the courthouse.

Devon followed reluctantly, and she noticed Chorlain give Kildare a knowing nod. "They are up to something," she thought to herself. "Despite all that was said, something is up."

* * *

Upon the entrance of the remaining two officials, the crowd quieted and settled into their seats, awaiting the swift hand of justice. Devon took her seat beside Danziger and Julia, who were talking to the Advancers in the pew behind them. All turned toward the bench and rose respectfully as the tribunal took their places.

"You may be seated," Chorlain announced from his chair in the middle, which was raised slightly higher than the other two. "John Danziger and Dr. Julia Heller, you have been charged with crimes against the Government. . . ."

Danziger looked at Devon grimly as he listened to the Official's speech, but Julia could hear nothing as she thought of Alonzo. "At least this is more than 'Lonzo got," she muttered to herself. She absently fussed with her shirt collar. A choking feeling was overwhelming her, and she felt as if she were being smothered. It was an uncomfortable but familiar sensation that manifested itself when Julia was under extreme stress, usually at the hands of an oppressive power making her do something she did not believe in. She had acquired this reaction as a young child growing up under the watchful eye of the Council. For twenty-five years, the Council told her who she was and what she would do for them. This planet and the people she now called her family had finally helped her discover the strength she had within herself to oppose the all-powerful Council. Staring at Official Chorlain, Julia shifted in her chair. She knew he was really "Reagent" Chorlain, Reagent of the Council.

"Devon Adair has spoken passionately on behalf of both Mr. Danziger and Dr. Heller, and. . . ." Chorlain continued.

"And?" Devon thought to herself curiously. She had been expecting a "but."

"And we have come to the conclusion that New Pacifica would not benefit from either the imprisonment or banishment of the offenders." A low moan began to rumble from the crowd. "Order," Chorlain commanded. His powerful voice magically stilled the colonists. "It is crucial that all citizens of New Pacifica uphold the laws we have established here, but the Government is not without mercy. It is the first offense for both, and thanks to Ms. Adair's eloquent pleas, we, the residing officials of New Pacifica have decreed that Mr. Danziger and Dr. Heller will be released with a stern warning. Lieutenant, remove their restraints. That is all. We are adjourned."

Though stunned, the crowd was not silent for long. They began murmuring among themselves, and started shouting things at the Advancers as they filed out of the courthouse. Devon's relief was short-lived. The officials had acted contrary to their discussion in the Magistrate's chamber.

"They are up to something," Julia said.

"Yeah, did you notice that Admiral Dekkar wasn't even here," Baines added suspiciously.

"Maybe Devon was so convincing that they realized they had no case," Bess said.

"Trust me," Devon began, "our discussion was completely one-sided. I didn't convince them of anything. Julia's right. They're up to something." The Advance crew nodded grimly.

* * *

Julia winced as she fastened the top button of her long, white physician's coat. It was too pressed and pristine, too much like the Stations. It didn't seem to belong on this planet or on the doctor that the planet had changed. She had put her hair up in the official fashion, but she never did manage to set it the way it had always been on the Stations. "Nothing would ever be that neat or sterile again," she thought to herself absently. Staring at the image of herself in the physicians' bathroom mirror, Julia slowly shook her head. She appeared almost exactly as she had been before the journey began, but something was different. She was different, and now, no matter what anyone told her to say or made her do, for the first time in her life, she knew who she was and what she believed in. And it wasn't what the Council had instilled in her. With her chromosomes skewed from birth, she had always known who Dr. Heller was, but the planet and her friends had helped her discover who "Julia" was.

Julia felt strange every time she walked down the hospital's halls of metal, plastic and glass. It seemed so foreign from the dirt and grass to which she had grown so accustomed. Nevertheless, Dr. Heller made her rounds silently and efficiently, ignoring the stares and subtle comments about her trial.

"Nasty bruise," a voice said from beside her.

Dr. Quinlan looked worriedly at her. "It's worse than it looks," Julia assured her friend. Ian Quinlan and Julia had attended Med School together back on the Stations, and he was one of the only people outside the Advance team she trusted.

"Julia," Ian said, grabbing her hand, which held a medical chart, "you've gotta be more careful around these people. We've seen what they can do." Ian quickly stopped himself, realizing that he had touched upon a sensitive subject.

Julia knew he was talking about what they had done to Alonzo. "Don't you think I know that?" she said, sounding more harsh than she had intended. "Ian," she said more calmly, "the Government is up to something, and I know it has something to do with the East Wing."

"Julia," Ian cautioned, "don't even think it! You know only Government officials and military are allowed in that section of the hospital."

"Them and Dr. Vasquez," she added as she took her leave.

"Don't go looking for trouble, Julia," he said grabbing her arm gently. "You'll never get past the guards. They took Alonzo there, and he never came back."

Julia pulled her arm free. "Don't you get it, Ian? Whatever they're hiding threatens us all," she said as she walked away.

Julia stormed down the hall that led to the entrance of the Eastern Wing. "Halt, you are not authorized beyond this point," a guard in full military gear warned.

"I need to speak with Dr. Vasquez. It's a medical emergency." Her stance was bold and her eyes gave away nothing.

"I'm sorry, Doctor. You'll have to wait until he exits the facility."

"Are you saying that whatever is going on beyond those doors is more important than someone's life?" she lied. "This is ridiculous! I'm going in there, and you'll have to shoot me if you want to stop me," she said, bravely marching toward the metal doors.

The guard stepped in front of the large, double doors and lowered his magpro. Julia opened her mouth to speak, and another voice interrupted before she could.

"Dr. Heller," Morgan called, "there you are," he said as he grabbed her and smiled diplomatically at the guard. "Good job, soldier. I told her that this place was secure, but she insisted on testing it herself," he said nervously to the guard. "Come along, Dr. Heller. You can rest assured that the East Wing is secure," he said as he pulled her down the corridor.

"Morgan," she protested, squirming in his arms, "let go of me!"

"Julia," he whispered in her ear, "are you out of your mind? You are making a nasty habit of putting yourself in dangerous situations and making it necessary for one of us save you.

"I don't need saving, Morgan," she said indignantly as she struggled against his restraining hold.

"You need saving alright . . . from yourself!" he said firmly.

"Julia, please," a soft voice said, and Julia felt a gentle touch upon her shoulder. Bess had joined them, and the three made their way safely out of the East Wing.

Having entered a nearby storeroom for privacy, Morgan released Julia, who shrugged him off with a huff. "I know everyone thinks I'm unstable after what happened to Alonzo, but I know what I'm doing," she said angrily.

"Do you?" Morgan questioned. "You are trying to get yourself killed!"

Before Julia could respond, Bess' kind face stood between her husband and Julia. "Julia, you need to think rationally. It's not like you to do things without thinking them through."

Julia paused as tears of frustration welled in her eyes. It wasn't like her to go off half cocked . . . it was like Alonzo. Often ruled by his emotions, he was the one always jumping in and flying by the seat of his pants, but lately, she found herself reacting to things as he would. His strong spirit surged within her, reminding her of better times. She sat down on the cold, hard floor and leaned her aching head against the wall.

"Julia," Bess said, sitting next to her, "it'll be okay. The colonists can be persuaded," she added optimistically. "We just have to find proof of the Government's. . . ."

"Proof lies beyond the East Wing doors," Julia interrupted.

"I know, but we have to be more careful," Bess said. "I discovered small bunches of herbs and seedlings missing from the hydroponics lab." Julia's interest was peaked, and her watery eyes now looked to Bess for enlightenment. "These were not just any plants, mind you. They were the very ones we were still testing for various toxins. Yet, any traces of them were wiped from the catalogues as if we had never had them in the first place, but I catalogued them myself."

"Did you tell Devon and Danziger?" Julia asked.

"Yes, she managed to get Denner and Matzl on this morning's scientific scout. I gave them detailed descriptions of the missing plants. They will gather more samples, and we'll do some studies of our own," Bess informed.

"I'll see what I can find here at the hospital," Julia said, and at Morgan and Bess' worried stares, she added, "Don't worry. I'll be careful."

* * *

It was late, and Julia wandered the now sparse hospital halls. She paused at the children's ward. Most of the beds were empty now, the children having been fully healed, but a few remained, still under "observation." Anger glazed over Julia's blue eyes as she thought about the twelve syndrome orphans the Government had "benevolently" sent on the colony ship to begin a new life. Though they were taken into the ground to be healed, all twelve became mysteriously ill a few days after receiving the Terrians' gift. The government reacted stoically, confining the twelve to a separate ward. Julia remembered her and Alonzo protesting vehemently, saying that they needed to be taken back to the Terrians, but the twelve were wards of the Government. It was their parent, and the Government had made it clear that though they allowed the initial healing, no further "aid" would be tolerated. Julia shivered as she remembered all twelve getting sicker, then disappearing behind the doors of the East Wing. "All dead now," she thought solemnly, knowing that none of them could survive without the treatment the Terrians offered.

Glancing at her chronometer, she saw that it was time. Dr. Vasquez was gone now, and she would search his office. Vasquez was the chief of staff and the lead physician. His office was in a private section, near the East Wing, and it was shut securely with an electronic lock. Julia punched in the code that she had been given by Vasquez himself, evidence of the former relationship that they used to share. A relationship Julia wanted to forget, but Vasquez remembered fondly.

Shutting the door behind her, she began a thorough search of his desk. She read various files and reports on the twelve orphans' progress. Julia shook her head in frustration. There were too many loopholes in the reports. "These must have been meant for public viewing," Julia thought. She had to find the confidential reports, the ones that revealed what they were doing in the East Wing.

Rummaging through the drawers, she found a sedaderm. Though it struck her as an odd place to keep a sedaderm, she put the instrument and its capsule refills in her coat pocket and searched the file cabinets behind her. She came upon a locked one. Trying to override the complex lock mechanism, she suddenly wished Danziger were there.

"Beep, beep." Julia heard the noise of the keypad on the door being activated. Hastily, she turned off the light and hid under the desk.

"Julia," she heard a familiar voice whisper. "Julia, are you in here?" Devon called, turning on the desk lamp and shutting the door behind her.

Rising from her hiding place, Julia steadied her shaking limbs. "Devon, what are you doing here? You scared the daylights out of me."

Startled by Julia's sudden appearance, Devon jumped slightly. "Morgan and Bess told me that you might try here, and I remembered the pass code you taught me."

"Did Denner and Matzl find the plants?" Julia asked.

"Yes, and the tests Yale has done so far are inconclusive. However, they suggest that the plants possess an extremely powerful enzyme. When you're done here, meet us at my cabin. I'm gonna grab a few pieces of equipment and head back there now."

"Okay," Julia muttered, her head now whirling with scientific hypotheses.

"And, Julia," Devon said before leaving, "be careful." At Julia's nod, Devon was gone.

Frustrated at being unable to pick the lock, Julia pushed the cabinet forcefully. But she was lifted out of her defeat by the sound of a small object hitting the floor. Shining the lamp light between two cabinets, she saw a mini-disc. Immediately, Julia realized that the space was too narrow for her hand, and she searched the room until her eyes fell across a metal T-square hanging on the shelf beside the window.

With a little finesse, Julia managed to extract the mini-disc. Now, holding the unmarked computer disc in her hand, she found herself praising Vasquez's bad habit of never putting things away. She dusted it off and inserted it into the computer, which sat on one end of the desk. With eyes widened with amazement and shock, she stared at the monitor stunned, touching the screen to probe the disc further. So shocked by what she saw, Julia did not notice sound of the door opening behind her.

"Turn around," a voice demanded. A startled Julia could hear an unpleasant click ring through the silence that followed the command. It was the sound of a pistol being cocked.

Slowly, she put her hands up and swallowed as she swiveled the chair to face the visitor. "Julia, damn it," Vasquez said as he lowered his gun. His tone was laced with relief and fear.

"What are you doing with a gun, 'Doctor?'" she questioned, fear very apparent in her voice.

He placed the gun on the desk and looked over Julia's shoulder at the telltale screen, which flashed brightly with evidence. "So, you know," he said grimly. "In a way, it's a relief," he said brokenly as he approached her. "It was killing me to hold this secret, this horrible secret."

Julia had noticed that the normally demanding and overbearing doctor had become withdrawn after the Terrian healing. She looked into her mentor's dark eyes, and where she used to see strength and intelligence, she saw pain and fear. Pablo Vasquez was almost twice her age, always the leader in their relationship, but now, he looked to her for answers.

"Julia," he said, placing his rough, tan hand upon her soft, pale one, "they gave me no choice."

"We all have choices, Pablo," she said. He appeared wounded at her strong statement, but she was too upset to notice. "Are these x-rays real?" she questioned with disbelief, and swallowed hard when he nodded. Her razor-sharp mind was quickly beginning to piece together the missing pieces of the puzzle. "You allowed this?" she accused, anger overcoming her disbelief. "They're children, Pablo! The herbs and the gray root . . . the enzymes they produce act as a catalyst . . . an accelerant," she announced, seeing the puzzle more clearly with every word she uttered. "The Government . . . the Council introduced vast amounts of this enzyme into the systems of these twelve children. That's why they became so sick." Julia paused, her eyes searing through Vasquez's head, "They are trying to accelerate the evolution process in the orphans, creating within them the DNA of a fully evolved Terrian," she shook her head, finally understanding why the Government supported the Terrian healing. "Those sick bastards are trying to manufacture their own Terrians!" she exclaimed in horror.

Chapter III: The Power of One

Shock and horror played across Julia's visage as she rose from her seat and faced the doctor, the man, to whom she had given her faith so trustingly. The darkness that surrounded them seemed to encroach on the meager light given off by the desk lamp, and shadows painted Vasquez's face, making it appear distorted, almost evil. "Julia," he said, a hint of regret apparent in his voice, "you have no idea what's at stake here."

Searching his face, Julia was unable to find a trace of the man with whom she had been infatuated, the man whose world had seemed so glorious to her. Their "relationship" seemed further in the past than the twenty-two light years they had spent in cold sleep coming to this planet. In truth, Julia did not recognize the man that stood before her. "You had no right! They are innocent children, Pablo!"

The senior doctor held up his hand, attempting to quell her rising agitation. "The Government has known about the Terrians long before the Eden Project was even a twinkle in Devon Adair's eye. They are an ever-present threat to our existence here, and these experiments hold the key to mankind's survival."

Julia shook her head slowly in disgust, her blue eyes blazing with betrayal. "The Council brought those children here to be used as lab rats, guinea pigs, and you knew about it all along," she accused. Vasquez lowered his eyes as if unable or unwilling to defend himself. "What did your loyalty cost, Pablo? What was the price of your conscience?" Each word she uttered was a dagger impaling the already abased Vasquez, but Julia continued, her emotions rapidly overflowing the meager, Council-constructed barriers that used to contain them. "Those twelve children trusted you . . . I trusted you!"

Though he was wounded deeply by her lost faith in him, Vasquez could still see the innocent, young intern that he had fallen in love with, and the hurt that glistened in her eyes beckoned him. "Mi amor," he said tenderly, reaching out his had to caress her face.

A shocked Julia recoiled. "Don't touch me!" she warned, backing into the computer. There was a time that his presence made her quiver with excitement and pleasure, but now, his presence brought anger and pain. "You have no right to call me that anymore."

Vasquez backed away solemnly, visibly hurt but not entirely surprised by her reaction. "You have every reason to hate me. Julia, I. . . ."

"Don't!" she said, glaring at him. "This is not about 'us.' It's about those twelve, innocent children that you've deliberately sentenced to their deaths," she said, pointing to the screen. "How could any of them survive that?" she said rhetorically.

"Most of them did not," Vasquez admitted sadly.

"How many are still alive?"

"Julia. . . ." Vasquez began.

"How many?" she said with greater emphasis.

"Two."

"They have to be taken to the Terrians. It's not too late for them!"

"Impossible!" he stated firmly. "Both are dying, but one of them . . . Kiran," Vasquez continued, saying the boy's name softly, with more sentiment than he had intended, "is efficiently reproducing adult Terrian cells. His system seems to tolerate the abundant presence of the alien DNA much more readily, making him immune to the various deformities that have plagued the other children. That one boy has the power to save us all."

"What do you mean?" Julia questioned, unsure if she was ready to hear the answer that would follow.

"You were right when you concluded that the Government is 'manufacturing its own Terrians,' but even with the accelerant, evolution takes too long. The children are only the incubators." Julia's jaw dropped as she braced herself to hear the rest. "The Terrian DNA we harvest from Kiran will be cloned, allowing us to reproduce, at will, an entire. . . ."

Julia could not believe what she was hearing. "They're not just creating Terrians . . . they're creating a Terrian army," she said gravely, realizing that the Government intended to engage the alien population in an all out war.

"It's our only chance, Julia. Don't you see? Once we have control of the planet, there will be no more Stations, no more syndrome. Humankind will begin again here on this second Earth, continuing the legacy that was not meant to end with the destruction of our first home."

Staring at him, Julia saw the passion that gleamed in his dark eyes. Vasquez truly believed that the sacrifice of twelve, innocent children was necessary for mankind's new beginning. "The Council has conditioned him well," she thought, and she grimaced at all the lies that the organization had made her believe were truths.

"Julia," he said softly as he approached her once again, "you must not tell anyone of this. Just your knowing about the project puts you in great danger. If they were to find out that you knew. . . ." Vasquez stopped himself, unwilling to utter the consequences he knew would befall his young protégé.

"Listen to yourself, Pablo . . . caring more about secrecy than saving the lives of two children. You have to help them. It's not to late!" she pleaded, knowing that he had unlimited access to the secured East Wing.

He grabbed her shoulders firmly, and she flinched, struggling to free herself. "Julia, haven't you heard what I've said?" he said desperately, fearing for her safety and his own. "No one goes against the Government's agenda."

Attempting to shrug off his hold, Julia's eyes fell upon Vasquez's gun, lying forgotten upon his desk, and in one quick motion, the barrel of the weapon was pressed against Vasquez's temple. "Sit in the chair," she demanded.

Startled, Vasquez released Julia and put his hands in the air. "Julia, don't do this," he said. He had a grave look in his eyes, as if Death itself hovered over Julia's head.

"Sit!" she said, more forcefully.

"You are signing your own death warrant!"

"I don't have time to convince you," she said, retrieving the sedaderm from her coat pocket.

"No!" he cried, realizing what she intended. "Phase two has already begun . . . you can't stop it!" As he heard the familiar hiss of the sedaderm, Vasquez grabbed Julia's hand. His eyes passionately pleaded with her as he said, "Julia, they'll . . . kill you . . . mi amor." His last few words faded as the sedative overwhelmed him, but Julia heard them clearly. They seared through her defenses and impaled her heart.

Staring at Vasquez's unconscious form, Julia's eyes lingered on the gold Caduceus that adorned his left collar. Still gripping the gun firmly in her hand, she closed her eyes tightly, attempting to stop the flow of memories that the symbol had triggered. She had given Vasquez the gold pin so many years ago when she had graduated from Medical School. At the time it had represented so much to her, the fulfilling of her Council-designed destiny and the future she was so sure would involve her mentor, but as she looked at him now, she found herself questioning all that the symbol stood for.

Tears began to overwhelm her closed eyelids as they slipped through her dark lashes without pause. Julia remembered Reilly asking her to perform a similar sacrifice in Uly. Reilly, a spokesperson for the Council, was convinced that Uly was the answer to mankind's salvation, and he was so certain that the changes the Terrians had bred in him could be used for the greater good. She shook her head slowly, realizing that she had come so close to making the same unconscionable mistake that Vasquez had. The Council had made them both believe its lies, and their blind faith cost them both dearly.

Julia loosened her collar as a familiar suffocating feeling began to overwhelm her. Her bitter sorrow was quickly turning into indignation, and she could feel the heat of her rising anger. The all-powerful Council and its God-like proclamations had been her parent, her guardian, her instructor and her priest for twenty-five years of her life, and just when she thought she had freed herself from its oppressive weight, it reappeared, threatening to destroy her more completely than it ever had before.

Her blue eyes flashed open then narrowed with determination. "The Council took away my childhood. I won't let them take theirs! Kiran and the other child will not die at the hands of the Council . . . not while I'm alive!" she declared, tucking the gun under her shirt.

* * *

Julia walked purposefully down the hallway, away from Vasquez. Determination and anger possessed her every step. "No more," she said out loud, feeling herself dancing dangerously close to the same edge she had crossed after injecting herself with Uly's Terrian-altered DNA. "No more lies, no more 'necessary' sacrifices for the greater good! I won't be the Council's puppet!" she declared indignantly. She angrily grasped at the pin that held her hair neatly in an official twist. Freed from its bond, her long, blonde hair flowed loosely onto her shoulders. Then, grabbing the insides of both lapels of her pristine physician's coat, she pulled them both forcefully, unfastening, in one motion, all the gold buttons that formally adorned its front. Julia quickly pealed the starched, white coat off of her and threw it to the side of the corridor. She sighed, embracing the freedom that it brought, and as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders, she quickened her pace.

"Halt," the East Wing soldier commanded. "You are not . . . you again," he said, recognizing her. "Dr. Vasquez has left the East Wing." The soldier straightened where he stood, attempting to command the authority that his military rank held.

"I know," she replied with a confidence that sent a shiver through the guard.

"You'll have to leave, Dr. Heller," he said firmly.

"Okay," she said, and she turned to leave.

The relieved soldier relaxed his posture. He did not want to use force with the young doctor and was glad that she had come to her senses.

Abruptly, before the guard could react, Julia spun around, gun in hand. "Hand me your weapon, soldier." Now it was she who held the power.

The guard looked at her in shock. "Are you crazy?"

"How badly do you want to find out?" she threatened, cocking the pistol and aiming it at his head.

"You are insane," he declared as he gave her his magpro, which she shouldered. "You'll never get away with this!"

"So I've been told. Now, move!" she ordered as he quickly punched in the access codes, and they both entered the forbidden East Wing.

Gray, metal corridors stretched out in all directions. "Take me to the lab where they're holding the orphans," she instructed. "Where are the rest of the guards?" she asked suspiciously as he led the way. She had not thought of what she would do when more soldiers appeared. "Give me your grenade detonator," she demanded, pressing the gun against the back of his head. Slowly, he began to reach into his vest pocket. "Stop," she said abruptly. Eyeing his belt, she grabbed his shackles and bound his hands behind him. "I'll get it," she said, delving into the pocket he had reached for. She shuddered as she pulled out a small pistol. The soldier looked at her gravely. Julia knew that a Council trained soldier would not hesitate to kill her, but she had crossed the line. And she knew there was no turning back now. "Do you have a death wish?" she asked rhetorically, pocketing the mini-gun. Hastily, she searched the rest of his pockets until she found the detonator. Then she looked at him intently as she pulled the pins from each of the four remotely detonated grenades that hung on his belt. The soldier's eyes widened. "The lab, now!" she said, pushing him forward.

As Julia had suspected, a small regiment of guards were posted outside the main lab. She shut the large blast doors behind her as they entered the foyer of the main lab. Six guards turned and drew their weapons. Holding the detonator up, she announced boldly, "Even if you all fire at once, I don't think you can drop me before I press this button." They looked at the bound guard's belt, all jaws dropped as they focused upon the four armed grenades.

"You're bluffing," one guard called out.

"Oh, yeah? Maybe you wanna hold the explosives," she said, quickly grabbing one of the grenades and tossing it to the guard.

Stunned, he dropped his magpro and stumbled forward, gingerly catching the grenade before it hit the ground. "You're insane!" He gently placed the grenade on the table beside him.

"You could've killed us all. Even remote grenades can explode on impact," another guard informed angrily, but nervousness trembled his voice.

"Drop your weapons . . . and your vests and belts," she said calmly, unwilling to think of what might have happened if the guard hadn't caught the explosive.

Reluctantly, all six complied, and she herded them toward the lab. As the party made their way into the large laboratory, they were greeted by six more guards, who, at the command from the lead soldier, stood down. The lab was dark and shadows hid distorted forms. Indirect lighting insufficiently illuminated the far walls of the lab, while the main lighting came from the large glass enclosure that stood against the eastern wall. It appeared to be a sterile environment. "Open it," she ordered the guard closest to the glass chamber.

As the door hissed open, she waved the remote in front of her, instructing all thirteen guards to enter the chamber and sit on the floor against the far wall. Julia followed them in. "Oh Lord," she cried as she looked at the disfigured form that lay on the table next to the boy she presumed was Kiran. Both children were hooked up to a series of wires and tubes. Kiran looked deathly pale, and he looked at her with his large brown eyes, which spoke fear and pain. The other child's eyes were wide open, but he was not breathing. She fought back the tears that she felt surging forth in relentless waves. The boy was dead, his eyes frozen forever in anguish, and his body, swollen and distorted, bore gruesome testament to the painful, torturous manner in which he had died. Julia had seen a lot of horrible things in her medical training but nothing compared to this. His head barely even looked human. His skull had warped, allowing the adult Terrian DNA to manifest its presence physically. Julia winced involuntarily. She could barely make out his sex. The boy looked more like a monster than a child, a human and a Terrian fused into one being. Compassion filled Julia as she closed his yellowed eyes, and she covered her mouth to hold back the scream she was holding in and the repulsion that was welling within her. She wanted to throw up, to expel the horror of it all.

"Those savages," she said, biting down on her lip, unable to comprehend how anyone could have stood idly by and allowed this.

She gently pulled a silver sheet over the other boy and began unplugging Kiran.

"You don't know what you're doing!" the lead guard called from his position on the floor at the far end of the chamber.

She glared at him. "I know exactly what I'm doing," she stated firmly. Then, looking at Kiran, she spoke softly. "Kiran, I'm Julia. I'm gonna take you away from here. Okay?" At his weak nod, she wrapped a blanket around him and took him into her arms. The eight year old boy was thin and sickly, and Julia was amazed at how light he was.

"Don't do this! Where are you taking him?" the guard yelled.

Julia ignored him and sealed the door behind her, blocking their escape. All thirteen ran to the glass door and pounded futilely. Their cries were muted by the thick glass, and Julia waved the detonator in front of her for the last time before placing it on the medical cart that stood next to the door.

Holding Kiran in her arms like a toddler, Julia ran through the maze of corridors. She ran desperately toward the Southern Perimeter.

* * *

"Calm down, John," Devon said, gently placing a hand on his arm.

He grimaced, hearing her call him by his first name. The woman could read him like a book, and he didn't know why but that made him nervous. "Devon," he began, without realizing that he had responded with her first name as well, "she should've been back already. Something's wrong. Don't ask me how, but I can feel it."

The leader of Eden Advance studied the man before her, the man she had deemed in her mind her co-leader, but she would never admit that to him. Danziger was looking intently out the large front window of Devon's cabin, searching for any sign of Julia. Frowning, she saw that he was very serious, and she had come to trust, even rely on, his instincts. "Maybe, we should go look for her," she relented. "Baines. Cameron," she called, re-entering her living area where the rest of Eden Advance was gathered, studying the plant samples and reviewing data.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up. They were familiar with the tone Devon was using. It was a tone that implied something serious. "We've got to. . . ."

Devon was cut off by a blaring sound that began softly in the distance and whirled to a thunderous roar as it approached them. Rushing to the door, they saw that the entire town was ablaze with red flashing lights. "Julia!" Danziger cried as he ran toward the commotion. Everyone quickly followed suit.

* * *

"Dr. Heller," a loudspeaker roared over the sound of the alarms, "you are in direct violation of Government law." A small crowd had gathered against the large building that bordered the Southern Perimeter. An army of soldiers lined the wall and watched carefully as Julia ran toward the metal control pillar that stood at the edge of the concrete and metal platform. "You have stolen Government property. Halt!" the authoritative voice continued.

"Oh my Lord, what's she doing?" Devon asked in horror, as she watched Julia flee.

"Why aren't they advancing?" Walman asked, confused.

"Look," Bess called out, pointing to the land beyond the energy field. About twenty Terrians had erupted from the earth, charged staffs in hand.

Seeing the Terrians, relief washed over Julia as she began punching in the access codes. The panel flashed angrily at her; they were overriding her attempts. Frustrated, she gently put the now unconscious Kiran on the ground, and opened the panel. She hoped she could remember what Danziger had taught her. Stripping the necessary wires, she proceeded to touch them together, hoping to cut off the Council's override commands.

In the tension of a moment that seemed to pass in slow motion, a soldier with a sniper's rifle took aim at Julia's head and began to squeeze the trigger. "Nooo!" Danziger yelled as he dove for the soldier's gun. He tackled the man to the ground as a single shot rang through the air. Pinning the soldier roughly to the ground, he yelled, "Are you crazy? That's Dr. Heller!"

Julia punched in the code again, and this time the field blinked, signaling its deactivation. As she turned to pick up Kiran, she felt a burning pain sear through her back, and she fell forward.

"Julia," Devon yelled in shock. Government soldiers were now restraining each member of the Eden Advance, and three soldiers pinned a struggling Danziger to the ground.

Turning over slowly, Julia grabbed at the wound in her abdomen that was now bleeding profusely. The bullet had gone straight through. Julia looked up weakly at the Terrians, her eyes pleading with them to take the boy, but they would not venture onto the unnatural ground. It was clear what she had to do. Even the slightest movement caused Julia's body to convulse with pain, but she grabbed the edge of the blanket that held Kiran and pulled with all her might. Groaning in agony, she struggled toward the soil that supported the army of Terrians. It was such a short distance, but to Julia, it seemed a light year away. Clenching her teeth, she closed her eyes tightly, staving off the darkness that threatened to take her into its painless abode. Her eyes were glazed with hot tears of anguish, but she focused on the dirt before her. Blood pooled in large volumes beneath her as she propelled them slowly over the line, half synthetic metal and half natural soil, that represented the barrier between the Government and the Terrians.

"Just a little . . . fur-ther," she told herself as waves of unimaginable pain racked her body. After crossing the border entirely, she looked up at the Terrians, who seemed even larger from her position on the ground, and said, "Take him . . . please." As if understanding her, the Terrian closest to the boy picked him up, and satisfaction washed over Julia's anguished face. Merciful blackness followed as Julia's eyes closed and her tense body fell limp.

The Terrian in front of Julia put his hand to his head oddly, then put his hand on Julia's crumpled form, and all, including Kiran and Julia disappeared into the ground.

* * *

Julia slowly opened her eyes, and pain overwhelmed her, causing her body to tense. She was amazed to find herself in an underground Terrian cave. She felt a gentle hand upon her cheek. "Easy, doc," a familiar voice said.

"Alonzo?" she said as she looked at his angelic face, his dark eyes filled with concern. "Is it . . . really you?" She spoke softly and with great effort.

"Shhh, don't talk," he cooed, tightening his grip on her hand. It had been too long, and he never wanted to let go again.

"Kiran?" she asked worriedly, struggling to search their surroundings for him. She was punished for her movement by a sharp pain that echoed mercilessly through her gut.

"Julia, please don't move," he said, his face grim with concern. The boy is fine . . . thanks to you." Alonzo looked lovingly at her, but she could tell that rage boiled beneath his tender touch. He pressed her wound with his other hand, a meager attempt to stop the blood. "Those bastards," he muttered under his breath as he looked at Julia's bloody stomach. "I should never have left you. . . ."

"They gave you no choice," she said, gazing into his dark eyes, which now brimmed with tears. "I knew I'd see you again."

"Not one day went by without my wanting to go to you, but the Terrians forbade my surfacing. You see, the experiments the Government performed on me tore a rip in the weave of the Dream Plane and. . . ." Alonzo was cut off by Julia's anguished scream. "Julia, what can I do?" he asked, feeling all too helpless. "The Terrians said they won't heal you . . . I have to make them understand," he said rising.

"'Lonzo, don't leave me," she pleaded, her hand firmly gripping his.

"How bad is it?" he asked cautiously.

"Bad," she told him grimly. Her eyes were now beyond the pain, and they began to fill with fear. "I'm . . . not gonna make it, 'Lonzo," she said, tears welling in her own eyes.

"Don't say that, Julia," he pleaded. "We've come so far, and I finally have you back in my arms. I won't let you go now! I can't!" His words were strong and bold, but fear gripped his heart, threatening to destroy him.

"Just hold me," she asked.

Julia groaned in pain as Alonzo gently lifted her, taking her fully into his arms. Letting his tears fall freely onto her face, he looked into her blue eyes, which sparkled with fear. "I love you . . . flyboy," she said softly.

"I love you too, doc," he replied passionately, willing her to live. His eyes blazed with anger and pain, a deep pain that he imagined was unrivaled by any physical pain that could ever exist. "No! Don't leave me, Julia!" Alonzo cried as her eyes began to flicker; the light that usually beamed within them now dimmed. He held her tightly, attempting to hold on to her life force, unwilling to surrender her.

Continued in Part II.

Raven Sedai, September 2000.

All comments welcome.