The Lotus Eaters
Disclaimer: I don't own Earth 2. I'm just borrowing it to write additional episodes. This is the third episode of my version of Season 2. Read "Blast from the Past," then "Bess's Adventures in Wonderland" before this one. If you're out there and love Earth 2, let me know you're reading. I'm going to write these regardless just for my own enjoyment, but it sure is nice to know you care.
Chapter One
Previously on Earth 2—Elizabeth tells Devon the planet will reject them. They will all die.
Dawn had broken less than an hour earlier and Cameron had ridden through the narrow rocky valley in the early morning dew to reach the spot he'd found the day before.
Riding out on scouts was fairly new to him. He still didn't feel comfortable carrying a weapon or driving the vehicles. When it came down to it, he often felt a bit on the useless side in the camp.
Danziger, Walman, and Magus had all seen military service—Yale too, technically. Alonzo and Baines were seasoned flyboys. Even Mazatyl and Danner had some previous experience in setting up settlements on mining outposts.
But he'd always lived on the stations. Eben had understood, but she was gone now. Morgan would understand, but Cameron was a reserved person and had never found the opportunity to try to warm up to the prickly government liaison. Bess was certainly nice enough, but she was definitely more in her element than any of the others seeing as how she was the only member of the group to actually live dirtside for any length of time.
When he'd discovered the settlement the day before, it was too close to nightfall to do any real reconnaissance. Several of the others offered to go back in the morning for the advance scout, but Cameron turned them down. He wanted to do it. After all, it was his discovery and his chance to contribute something. So he'd risen before daybreak, packed his gear, and set out on the ATV.
He rounded the bend in the valley and the plain he'd seen the day before opened to him. Cameron stood in the seat of the ATV and raised the jumpers to his eyes.
It was a human settlement all right. He could see a large central complex with a number of smaller buildings surrounding it. The prairie plain had grown up around it and tall grass obscured his view in places, but the buildings themselves seemed quiet and empty and in good shape. Stands of trees grew at a short distance.
His gear chirped in his ear and he heard Alonzo's voice. "What have you got there, Cameron?"
"Just look," he answered, turning his eyepiece out for POV.
Back in the camp, Alonzo, Julia, Yale, and Danziger stood gathered around the monitor set up under the central canopy to see what he'd found.
"The first colony?" Yale asked quietly as the images of the buildings and surrounding grounds appeared on the screen.
The four stood there quietly, taking in the images of the human settlement. Finally Danziger stepped back purposefully and broke the silence. "Let's go find out."
Roll opening credits.
Out in the camp, Walman, Baines, and Magus busily loaded the tents and equipment onto the back of the transrover. Behind them, Mazatyl and Danner loaded the back of the dunerail. Everyone, however, kept their distance from the rectangular power generator that hummed in the center of the camp, powered by a sunstone and now providing an unpredictable bridge between the human group and the planet itself.
Baines shot the thing a sidelong look. "I miss the Terrians," he murmured almost to himself.
Walman knew exactly what he meant. "At least they showed up in person. That thing just grabs you whenever it wants you," he grumbled.
Magus gave Walman a light clout on the shoulder. "Relax, guys," she said. "I don't think any of us have to worry about it. Just Danz and the Martins, and they all seem fine now."
"Yeah, but the last time Danz had something alien in his head, he turned into one scary bastard," Baines replied with a shiver.
"The cab of the rover is empty, Baines," Walman teased.
Mazatyl and Danner walked over to join the conversation, each keeping a wide berth around the power generator.
"I think Baines had the right idea," Mazatyl said, giving them a long look. "If it happens again,save me a seat in there, will ya?"
The group laughed, but it was a nervous laughter. They looked up to see Danziger exiting the central canopy, Julia, Alonzo, and Yale behind him. The leaders split up to finish their respective packing, and Danziger headed toward their little conversation group.
All five were staring at him just a bit too intensely and only realized it when the big man asked, "What are you guys staring at?"
"Nothing, Danz," Walman quickly covered. "Just wondering where you want to put that thing." He pointed at the power generator.
"Back of the rover, same as always," came the response. Danziger bent down to take hold of one end of the generator. He waited for one of the group to step forward to help him lift the bulky piece of equipment, but no one volunteered. He looked around, his blue eyes flashing accusingly at them. "Can somebody give me a hand or do I have to call Zero?" he asked, forcing patience into his voice.
Mazatyl stepped forward, then took a breath before touching the hand holds. Together, the two men carried the generator to the rover and lifted it into its customary spot. "See, that wasn't so bad," Danziger chided them. "It's perfectly safe. She won't hurt us."
He gave them another long chastising look, then walked away calling for True.
"She?" Baines whispered in disbelief. "She? He's going around the bend, guys."
Danner watched the tall mechanic walk away, then added, "Maybe, maybe not. There's a lot about this place we don't know."
"I don't want to know," Walman interjected. "I mean the three of us," he motioned to include himself, Baines, and Magus, "were never supposed to even touch the ground. I've seen way more than I wanted to already."
Mazatyl nodded agreement and added, "We've all gotten way more than we signed up for." He looked up into the sky. "And we've got another thousand people coming to join us." He looked up again with a sigh.
"Well, I vote we keep a close eye on Danz and the Martins. Who knows what could happen next?" Walman added and the group nodded in agreement.
Back in their tent, Bess and Morgan finished the last of their packing, then proceeded to take down the lightweight tent canopy. They worked in silence for a while, then Morgan found himself asking, "So, how did you sleep?"
"Fine, I guess," Bess replied absently. "How about you?"
"Fine." They continued to work a bit, rolling the tent up to stow it in its carry bag. Over the rustle of fabric, Morgan commented, "You seemed a little restless."
"Did I?" Bess answered.
"Yeah, just a little," he responded gently. He didn't want to worry her, but she'd been a lot restless, tossing and turning all night.
They gathered the rest of the tent pieces, then carried their bundles of luggage out to where Baines stood on top of the rover, packing up the last of the gear. Morgan passed the tent up to him, noting that Baines hesitated just briefly before taking it from his hands.
"You guys all right this morning?" Baines asked carefully, his dark eyes showing concern beneath the makeshift turban he wore.
"Fine," Morgan answered passing up the rest of their luggage. He knew what Baines meant. Everybody had been walking on eggshells for the past two days—ever since Danziger had installed that godforsaken sunstone into the power generator. Maybe it was just his imagination, but each time he walked past it, he could feel the sunstone staring at him—accusingly.
Baines watched as Morgan rounded the back of the rover. He was a bit disturbed to hear Morgan whisper to the generator, " I said I was sorry. I am very sorry!"
Bess held up the last duffel bag to him, and with a deep breath, he reached down to take it. Bess just smiled at him with that open friendliness he'd come to know and love.
Across the compound, Julia and Alonzo stood next to the dunerail. "Feel like riding a bit?" Alonzo asked. Julia nodded and they climbed in. With a chirp, he heard Danziger's voice on gear.
"Alonzo's riding point in the rail. Magus drives the rover. Let's have Walman, Baines, and Mazatyl flanking with magpros. Which one of you guys wants to bring up the rear?" Danziger's voice called out.
Walman waved his hand and shouted an affirmative. "Fine then, Walman's watching our backs. Gear on everybody, and let's move out," Danziger concluded, then looked out around over the procession.
Uly and Yale followed the rail, Yale busily conducting some type of lesson. Where was True? She ought to be listening in.
He looked around to see her approaching him where he stood off to the side. "Hey, Truegirl," he called to her as she joined him. "Why aren't you in school with Yale and Uly?"
"I just wanted to walk with you for a little while, Dad," she responded. "Yale said I could be excused." She walked along next to him as they turned their path to intersect the train of pedestrians and vehicles.
"Did you sleep okay?" she asked out of the blue.
"Sure I did," he replied suspiciously. "Why?"
"You talked in your sleep," she answered, far too nonchalantly for his comfort.
"What did I say?"
"I couldn't make it out," True replied. "It's probably nothing. Julia said I shouldn't worry." Her step faltered a bit as she realized that she'd said too much.
"You've been talking to Julia about me?" he asked gently. "What about?"
True just kept walking, looking off intently as if paying careful attention to the landscape around them. "She just asked me to keep an eye on you. You know, be sure you were feeling okay," she answered idly. Her acting skills had always been excellent and she was certainly working them today.
"Tell Julia that I'm fine," Danziger answered, just the tiniest bit of gruffness creeping into his deep voice. They walked along quietly, paralleling the group from a distance. Deep inside though, Danziger had to wonder. Was he fine?
The group passed through the narrow valley, rocky walls climbing beside them as a smooth field of grass stretched out on the valley floor. Travel was fairly easy. However, the entire way, Walman and Baines scouted the tops of the rocky ridges, always alert. If ever there was a spot for an ambush, this was it. Walman was relieved to see that Danziger was just as alert as they were, constantly scanning the horizon around them with the handscope.
"See anything, Lonz?" Danziger called over gear as the dunerail turned a corner and left their field of view.
"You are not going to believe this," Alonzo's astonished response came. "I don't believe it."
Within moments, the rest of the party turned out of the valley to see a beautiful panorama unfold below them. Cameron sat on the ATV just a hundred or so yards down the way, scanning the scene with the jumpers.
The rocky valley parted ahead of them, revealing a wide grassy plain dotted with a few stands of trees. The sky stretched overhead, blue and unbroken by clouds. But the amazing sight was the settlement below them. The sun glimmered off the beige walls of the buildings, sparkling against an occasional windowpane.
A large building dominated the center of the town, for lack of a better word, and several smaller building surrounded it. They rolled closer to Cameron.
"Any sign of habitation?" Danziger asked as they drew even with him.
"None," Cameron replied. "I haven't seen a thing move except a few grazing animals far out into the plain."
The group continued to move closer, then Danziger called a halt. "Walman, Mazatyl, get in the rail with Alonzo and Julia. You guys scout ahead, check things out a bit. Stay in contact. Baines, you take right flank, I'll take left. Everybody else stays close to the rover."
With one hand on True's shoulder to guide her back to Yale, Danziger walked to the cab of the rover. He opened the driver's side door and stepped up level with Magus. "Pass me the pistol, will you?" he asked. Danner retrieved it from its storage space and handed it over to Magus.
"What's wrong, Danz?" Magus asked, still holding the pistol in her hand.
"Just a precaution," Danziger answered. "Something about this place gives me the creeps." Apparently satisfied with his reply, Magus passed the pistol over to him.
As Danziger walked past Bess and Morgan, she reached out to take his arm, stopping him. "John, be careful," she said softly, looking up at him. "Something about all this feels wrong." Morgan watched as they both unconsciously glanced toward the power generator humming in the back of the rover.
"I'll be careful," Danziger responded, just as softly. Before Morgan could say anything, Danziger's long strides had taken him away from them, his attention focused on the lay of the land.
Bess drew closer. "Morgan, I don't like this," she began, as she gazed out over the settlement below them. He put a protective arm around her shoulder.
"Neither do I," he answered. "Neither do I."