Up at the shack in the Hallelujah Mountains, Jake and Dr. Augustine had been in their link units for a couple of hours while they mingled with the Omaticaya in their avatars. They'd be there for the rest of the day.
Trudy and Norm had been in his bunk for nearly as long, and didn't plan on leaving it any time soon either.
The scientist woke to a warm hand idly tracing circles on his shoulder; he smiled and hugged the pilot briefly in response.
Trudy had a lot on her mind and spoke thoughtfully, "Norm, do me a favor?"
He didn't hesitate, "Anything."
Her request surprised him. "Get off of Jake's back."
Norm's eyes popped open in surprise and he picked his head up to look at her. "Hey, wait a minute…"
Trudy turned her face towards him; her gaze was steely. "No, you listen." The tone of her voice matched the look in her eyes, and he went quiet. Norm was reminded that the passionate woman he was holding was also a ruthless killer when circumstances required it.
"I've been watching since the two of you got here. You know what I've seen? I've seen everyone in the biolab spit on Jake because he's not Tom, right from Augustine on down. Like its his fault that he's here. Like its his fault that Tom's dead. Like he's deliberately screwed all of you. Shit, Norm, has anyone on the Avatar team walked up to Jake and said 'I'm sorry you lost your brother'? Or are you all too busy feeling insulted?"
Norm had to look away in the face of that accusation because he knew Trudy was absolutely right.
The pilot sighed, "Christ, is it any wonder that he's Quaritch's man, when you guys treat him like crap?"
The scientist was shocked. And guilty.
Trudy looked at her lover with a haunted expression. "You know what a Marine sees when he looks in another marine's eyes? He sees someone who's gone to Hell, crawled through it lengthwise, and come out the other side. Just like he did. Just like I did. That creates a bond between you that nothing can ever break." Her voice got hard. "Jake's my brother, Norm, and you're treating my brother like shit because the Omaticaya bruised your ego by choosing him over you. Jake didn't do anything to you. Get over it."
Norman couldn't help himself; he got indignant, "Now wait a damned minute…."
Trudy cut his protest off viciously. "He's lost his fucking legs, Norm. How many people have the guts to volunteer for Pandora with no goddamned legs? Would you? Or would you sit around and whine and moan or just give up and die like almost anyone else in that position?"
His protest died in his throat.
She glared at her lover, "I've heard you bitch that he has no training."
He started to puff up self-righteously, but the pilot punctured his ego ruthlessly. "Look at it from the other side. He has no legs, no training," she stared at him meaningfully, "no one who's willing to help him at all, and he's doing it. He's succeeding. He's in Hometree, with the Omaticaya. Would you be able to do that, if you were in his position? Would you even try?"
She sighed and lay back down on the bunk, looking up at the ceiling. "I've been watching you throw a hissy fit for the past month like a spoiled brat. You're a better man than that, Norm. But honest to God, if you science guys give a damn about the Na'vi you'd better wake up fast, cause Quaritch sure as hell doesn't."
Norm was shocked – and diverted, "What do you mean? Quaritch wouldn't do anything stupid, would he?"
Trudy was uneasy, "I don't know, but I've got a bad feeling about that man. Reminds me of a pit viper – doesn't make a move for hours then bam, you never saw it coming. And Selfridge," she confessed, "Call it crazy, but I've seen indifference do a hell of a lot more damage than outright hate. I never trust a man who doesn't give a damn about anything. They'll turn on you as easily as on anyone else."
She looked at him with an odd expression. "Norm, you told me you have hundreds of hours in your Avatar. It's old hat to you now, but it wasn't always like that. Think back, remember the first time you ever linked. What did it feel like to have your spirit ripped out of your body?"
He shuddered. It'd been the most frightening – and exhilarating - moment of his life. Despite his eagerness, despite his training, he'd almost lost it. You were changed forever after your first Avatar link – if you survived it. You never looked at your physical body the same way ever again. The 'attitude,' the drivers called it. You could tell just by looking at someone whether they were a driver or not, because they had a body-awareness that no one else had.
Trudy nodded as if he'd answered her question. "They say almost half of potential Avatar drivers are lost in that first link. Their brains or their psyches can't handle it, or they just don't come back. Even with all the training they get put through beforehand." She looked at him with pain in her eyes. "Jake had what, a week to get used to the idea before they shoved him in cryo? Linked the day after he got here, with no training? With all of you breathing fire down his neck? Don't tell me that a bunch of you weren't hoping he'd be lost in that first link either."
She was right. Norman closed his eyes, admitting the truth in her accusation without a word.
"Norm, if the whole point of this project is to get in with the Omaticaya – which Jake has done – then you're throwing away the exact opportunity you'd hoped to create. If there's one thing that gets branded on a Marine's soul, it's that you achieve the mission. Are you going to throw the mission away just because you got your pride hurt? Cause if you are, then I'm in the wrong bunk."
He opened his eyes and looked at his lover with pain written all over his face.
Trudy continued, "Jake's a good man, Norm. He's trying to do what's right. But you haven't been helping him see what that is, and you sure as hell haven't been making it easy for him. If you can't bring yourself to help him, at least leave him alone. Hell, if you bothered to just talk to the man you might even find a friend."
He reached out contritely and took her upper arm in his hand. "You're right. I've been an absolute ass. I'm sorry. I promise, no more hissy fits."
She tilted her head sideways, "You'll stop harassing him? Help him out?"
The scientist promised, "Word of honor. You're right, the mission comes first. Who gets credit for it isn't important."
The brilliant white smile he loved to see broke out over her face, "Now that's what I'm talking about. Knew you were in there somewhere." She rolled over onto him, wrapped her arms around him and kissed him quite thoroughly.
Down the corridor, the link units kept humming quietly.