Nightmare's End
by Colleen Hillerup
"I think I saw her eyelids flutter."
"You've been saying that for months."
"She moved. I swear she moved."
"Darling, you see what you want to see."
Renee Palmer's eyelids were fluttering. She was waking up. With a gasp of air, she opened her eyes and shut them again, stung by the brightness of the room. Cautiously, she squinted, trying to adjust.
She opened them again, carefully, and saw two shadowy forms sitting beside her. She was stretched out, somewhere, sheets tucked around her. A bed. Something in her arm. IV drip. She was in a hospital.
The forms came into focus. A young woman, and... "Liam. Liam, you are alive. I wanted to believe it. How is it possible?" Tears filled Renee's eyes at the sight of her friend, and he repaid the tears in kind.
"Shh," said Liam, kissing her hand. "Don't try to talk. Your voice isn't used to it. Don't hurt your throat."
"Liam," she croaked, "What happened?"
"You have been in a coma, Miss Palmer," said the woman sitting closely to Liam, her head resting on his shoulder. "You have been asleep for five months."
Renee focused on the woman. She was exotic, not beautiful in the classic sense, but striking, with long dark hair, a long oval face, and large, deep green eyes. "I know you," Renee said. "How do I know you?"
"Renee," smiled Liam, "This is Diane. You knew her as Da'an."
Renee pulled back, unable to process this insanity. "This isn't possible. I'm dreaming," she said. "Da'an was a Taelon. They all died. The atavus...."
Liam was confused, "The atavus? Like when Da'an was separated from the collective? What are you talking about, Renee?"
"Liam, you have to help me stop them." Renee was panicked. "They are going to take over the earth. I don't know how you got out of the volcano, but you have to stop them. They're evil. They make hybrids from humans. Howlyn, he's evil."
"Who is Howlyn? Renee, I don't know what you're talking about. You've been out for five months, since we rescued you from the submarine." Liam turned to Diane. "Call a nurse," he said, "she's delirious."
"No," said Renee, "no, I'm fine." She took a deep breath. "What do you mean, rescued me? I was trying to rescue you. Street and I. Where is she?"
Liam's face fell, and he squeezed Renee's hand tighter. "Street didn't make it. No one else on the sub did. You only survived because of the residual Taelon core energy in your body. That's how we found you. Street is dead."
"No," said Renee. "No, that can't be. And the volcano."
"Miss Palmer, did you think that Ma'el would construct such a chamber without a means to escape? We were in no danger," the young woman with Liam said.
"We," replied Renee. "You honestly expect me to believe that you were a Taelon. That all this time I've been fighting the atavii in my dreams."
"You knew about the joining," said Liam. "None of us knew what to expect. Imagine how surprised I was when Da'an's regeneration chamber opened and Diane stepped out." He turned to look at the dark haired woman, and Renee could not help but notice the love in his eyes. The love that Diane obviously returned.
"The joining of Taelon and Jaridian produced humans," said Diane, "as a result of Liam's presence. He was the catalyst; he the bridge between our worlds."
Renee blinked her eyes, trying to process this information. "I don't understand."
"My DNA," said Liam. "I am human, and chimera. Human, Jaridian, Taelon, they're all part of who I am. The chambers were linked through me. That was the final sequence of the equation."
"And the Jaridians...." continued Renee.
"Are human too. All of us. We are all of the earth, now." Diane smiled, and Renee saw nothing but humanity in her smile. "We know what it feels to be human." She turned to Liam, and kissed him softly.
"There was a connection between Da'an and I," said Liam. "I didn't understand how deep until I saw Diane. I loved her, it was that simple."
"And I him," said the former Taelon.
There was a knock at the door. "Can I come in?" asked a soft voice.
"Come in, dad," said Liam.
Ronald Sandoval entered the room. Renee frowned with disgust. "What the hell is he doing here?" she growled.
Sandoval smiled. "Miss Palmer, you're awake. This is wonderful. We were starting to lose hope."
Renee tried to get up from her bed, ready to fight the FBI agent. Liam held her down for fear that she would rip the IV from her arm. She struggled against him. "Get him out of here. If you don't, I swear that I'll kill him."
"I'll come back later, son," said Sandoval.
"No, dad, no. I want Renee to hear the truth. Tell her what Zo'or did to you," Liam pleaded.
"What do you mean, what Zo'or did to him? He did all his damage on his own. The man is evil." Renee turned her head towards the wall, not wanting to see the traitor.
"You don't need to look at me, Miss Palmer," Sandoval said, "but please hear me out. I joined the Companion programme of my own free will, it's true, but I believed in the Taelons. I believed that they would help humanity. I let them implant me. I'll regret that until the day I die."
"Then Zo'or entered the picture. He saw me as a potential ally, someone he could control. That's just what he did. He controlled my CVI, bending me to his will. He had other methods too, things that didn't require hardware. The more he controlled my mind, the harder I fought, until finally I went mad. I saw myself as the saviour of mankind, but at the same time became a selfish bastard, and still, I worked for Zo'or. It was an ugly, ugly time." Sandoval looked to the floor. Liam rose and put his arm around his shoulder.
"Is this true, Liam?" asked Renee.
"It's true," he answered.
Sandoval continued. "When Zo'or died in Ma'el's chamber, I was freed. It took weeks, but finally my mind was my own again. That's when I discovered that I had a son."
"That's when I told Sandoval that Hegel had used his genetic makeup to create me. That for all intents and purposes, Ronald Sandoval is my father." Liam squeezed his shoulder. "And I'm proud that he is. A lesser man would have bent totally to Zo'or's will long ago."
"I don't feel proud," said Sandoval. "I have much to atone for."
"This is too much," said Renee. "I can't believe that the atavus, that Howlyn... Howlayn... Howard. Oh, my God. Howlyn is Howard, my first husband. Why couldn't I see that before? That female atavus, that's Judith, the woman he left me for. It's so clear now. Why did it seem so real?"
"That was the nature of your coma, Miss Palmer," said Diane. "It was a time to heal. This was obviously something painful that your mind needed to work through."
"But it seemed so real," replied Renee. She looked down at her weak, pale arms, remembering the toned arms she possessed only hours before. "But it wasn't real, was it?"
"No," said Liam, "it wasn't real. It sounds like it was hell."
"Except," Renee sighed, "except for Street. She was a friend to me, in the dream. A companion in the hard times. She can't be gone." She blinked away the tears. An image came to her of Street, lying on the deck of the submarine, a pool of red lying under her head. "I remember," she said.
A young blond woman looked into the room. "Are you ready, Ron?"
"Coming Dee Dee," he answered. "Miss Palmer, you remember my wife?"
"I remember her denouncing you at your trial." replied Renee.
Dee Dee Sandoval entered the room, and approached her husband. "Sorry to disturb you, Miss Palmer, but I'm so glad you woke up. Ron's been really worried."
Renee looked at Sandoval with questioning eyes. Nothing was making any sense.
"My wife did not willingly denounce me. Zo'or had implanted her. She had no control over the situation." He embraced his beloved. "I knew that I couldn't be wrong about her."
"No matter what," said Dee Dee, "I've never stopped loving Ron." She turned to Liam. "Dinner Sunday night?"
"I'll bring the salad," he replied. The happy couple left Renee's room.
"I feel like I've gone through the Twilight Zone and back again. Everything's changed. It's such a relief, you can't imagine." Renee lay her head on the pillow and relaxed. "What about Augur, and Lili, and Boone?"
"Boone's dead, Renee, you knew that," said Liam. "Lili and her husband live here on earth with their baby, thanks to Taelon technology which restored her back to humanity. Augur should be by in about an hour."
"You have been through quite an ordeal. We should leave you to rest," said Diane, rising and taking her lover's hand. "We'll be back later, Miss Palmer."
"Please," replied the patient, "Call me Renee."
Liam kissed her on the forehead and the pair exited. Before Renee could doze off, another old friend entered the room.
"Hey," said Hubble, "I see you're awake."
"My God, Hubble, you're alive too!" exclaimed Renee.
"My cholesterol is a little high," he replied, "but otherwise I feel fine. Why, what have you heard?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she smiled. "There's just so much to process. It seems like happy endings all around. Everyone is paired off except for me."
"I'd be quite willing to do something about that," he said.
Renee sighed. "In your dreams, Hubble."
THE END
by Colleen Hillerup
"I think I saw her eyelids flutter."
"You've been saying that for months."
"She moved. I swear she moved."
"Darling, you see what you want to see."
Renee Palmer's eyelids were fluttering. She was waking up. With a gasp of air, she opened her eyes and shut them again, stung by the brightness of the room. Cautiously, she squinted, trying to adjust.
She opened them again, carefully, and saw two shadowy forms sitting beside her. She was stretched out, somewhere, sheets tucked around her. A bed. Something in her arm. IV drip. She was in a hospital.
The forms came into focus. A young woman, and... "Liam. Liam, you are alive. I wanted to believe it. How is it possible?" Tears filled Renee's eyes at the sight of her friend, and he repaid the tears in kind.
"Shh," said Liam, kissing her hand. "Don't try to talk. Your voice isn't used to it. Don't hurt your throat."
"Liam," she croaked, "What happened?"
"You have been in a coma, Miss Palmer," said the woman sitting closely to Liam, her head resting on his shoulder. "You have been asleep for five months."
Renee focused on the woman. She was exotic, not beautiful in the classic sense, but striking, with long dark hair, a long oval face, and large, deep green eyes. "I know you," Renee said. "How do I know you?"
"Renee," smiled Liam, "This is Diane. You knew her as Da'an."
Renee pulled back, unable to process this insanity. "This isn't possible. I'm dreaming," she said. "Da'an was a Taelon. They all died. The atavus...."
Liam was confused, "The atavus? Like when Da'an was separated from the collective? What are you talking about, Renee?"
"Liam, you have to help me stop them." Renee was panicked. "They are going to take over the earth. I don't know how you got out of the volcano, but you have to stop them. They're evil. They make hybrids from humans. Howlyn, he's evil."
"Who is Howlyn? Renee, I don't know what you're talking about. You've been out for five months, since we rescued you from the submarine." Liam turned to Diane. "Call a nurse," he said, "she's delirious."
"No," said Renee, "no, I'm fine." She took a deep breath. "What do you mean, rescued me? I was trying to rescue you. Street and I. Where is she?"
Liam's face fell, and he squeezed Renee's hand tighter. "Street didn't make it. No one else on the sub did. You only survived because of the residual Taelon core energy in your body. That's how we found you. Street is dead."
"No," said Renee. "No, that can't be. And the volcano."
"Miss Palmer, did you think that Ma'el would construct such a chamber without a means to escape? We were in no danger," the young woman with Liam said.
"We," replied Renee. "You honestly expect me to believe that you were a Taelon. That all this time I've been fighting the atavii in my dreams."
"You knew about the joining," said Liam. "None of us knew what to expect. Imagine how surprised I was when Da'an's regeneration chamber opened and Diane stepped out." He turned to look at the dark haired woman, and Renee could not help but notice the love in his eyes. The love that Diane obviously returned.
"The joining of Taelon and Jaridian produced humans," said Diane, "as a result of Liam's presence. He was the catalyst; he the bridge between our worlds."
Renee blinked her eyes, trying to process this information. "I don't understand."
"My DNA," said Liam. "I am human, and chimera. Human, Jaridian, Taelon, they're all part of who I am. The chambers were linked through me. That was the final sequence of the equation."
"And the Jaridians...." continued Renee.
"Are human too. All of us. We are all of the earth, now." Diane smiled, and Renee saw nothing but humanity in her smile. "We know what it feels to be human." She turned to Liam, and kissed him softly.
"There was a connection between Da'an and I," said Liam. "I didn't understand how deep until I saw Diane. I loved her, it was that simple."
"And I him," said the former Taelon.
There was a knock at the door. "Can I come in?" asked a soft voice.
"Come in, dad," said Liam.
Ronald Sandoval entered the room. Renee frowned with disgust. "What the hell is he doing here?" she growled.
Sandoval smiled. "Miss Palmer, you're awake. This is wonderful. We were starting to lose hope."
Renee tried to get up from her bed, ready to fight the FBI agent. Liam held her down for fear that she would rip the IV from her arm. She struggled against him. "Get him out of here. If you don't, I swear that I'll kill him."
"I'll come back later, son," said Sandoval.
"No, dad, no. I want Renee to hear the truth. Tell her what Zo'or did to you," Liam pleaded.
"What do you mean, what Zo'or did to him? He did all his damage on his own. The man is evil." Renee turned her head towards the wall, not wanting to see the traitor.
"You don't need to look at me, Miss Palmer," Sandoval said, "but please hear me out. I joined the Companion programme of my own free will, it's true, but I believed in the Taelons. I believed that they would help humanity. I let them implant me. I'll regret that until the day I die."
"Then Zo'or entered the picture. He saw me as a potential ally, someone he could control. That's just what he did. He controlled my CVI, bending me to his will. He had other methods too, things that didn't require hardware. The more he controlled my mind, the harder I fought, until finally I went mad. I saw myself as the saviour of mankind, but at the same time became a selfish bastard, and still, I worked for Zo'or. It was an ugly, ugly time." Sandoval looked to the floor. Liam rose and put his arm around his shoulder.
"Is this true, Liam?" asked Renee.
"It's true," he answered.
Sandoval continued. "When Zo'or died in Ma'el's chamber, I was freed. It took weeks, but finally my mind was my own again. That's when I discovered that I had a son."
"That's when I told Sandoval that Hegel had used his genetic makeup to create me. That for all intents and purposes, Ronald Sandoval is my father." Liam squeezed his shoulder. "And I'm proud that he is. A lesser man would have bent totally to Zo'or's will long ago."
"I don't feel proud," said Sandoval. "I have much to atone for."
"This is too much," said Renee. "I can't believe that the atavus, that Howlyn... Howlayn... Howard. Oh, my God. Howlyn is Howard, my first husband. Why couldn't I see that before? That female atavus, that's Judith, the woman he left me for. It's so clear now. Why did it seem so real?"
"That was the nature of your coma, Miss Palmer," said Diane. "It was a time to heal. This was obviously something painful that your mind needed to work through."
"But it seemed so real," replied Renee. She looked down at her weak, pale arms, remembering the toned arms she possessed only hours before. "But it wasn't real, was it?"
"No," said Liam, "it wasn't real. It sounds like it was hell."
"Except," Renee sighed, "except for Street. She was a friend to me, in the dream. A companion in the hard times. She can't be gone." She blinked away the tears. An image came to her of Street, lying on the deck of the submarine, a pool of red lying under her head. "I remember," she said.
A young blond woman looked into the room. "Are you ready, Ron?"
"Coming Dee Dee," he answered. "Miss Palmer, you remember my wife?"
"I remember her denouncing you at your trial." replied Renee.
Dee Dee Sandoval entered the room, and approached her husband. "Sorry to disturb you, Miss Palmer, but I'm so glad you woke up. Ron's been really worried."
Renee looked at Sandoval with questioning eyes. Nothing was making any sense.
"My wife did not willingly denounce me. Zo'or had implanted her. She had no control over the situation." He embraced his beloved. "I knew that I couldn't be wrong about her."
"No matter what," said Dee Dee, "I've never stopped loving Ron." She turned to Liam. "Dinner Sunday night?"
"I'll bring the salad," he replied. The happy couple left Renee's room.
"I feel like I've gone through the Twilight Zone and back again. Everything's changed. It's such a relief, you can't imagine." Renee lay her head on the pillow and relaxed. "What about Augur, and Lili, and Boone?"
"Boone's dead, Renee, you knew that," said Liam. "Lili and her husband live here on earth with their baby, thanks to Taelon technology which restored her back to humanity. Augur should be by in about an hour."
"You have been through quite an ordeal. We should leave you to rest," said Diane, rising and taking her lover's hand. "We'll be back later, Miss Palmer."
"Please," replied the patient, "Call me Renee."
Liam kissed her on the forehead and the pair exited. Before Renee could doze off, another old friend entered the room.
"Hey," said Hubble, "I see you're awake."
"My God, Hubble, you're alive too!" exclaimed Renee.
"My cholesterol is a little high," he replied, "but otherwise I feel fine. Why, what have you heard?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she smiled. "There's just so much to process. It seems like happy endings all around. Everyone is paired off except for me."
"I'd be quite willing to do something about that," he said.
Renee sighed. "In your dreams, Hubble."
THE END