Cameron turned to Magus where they stood partially behind the land rover. "What's the matter with that guy?" the burly Australian Cargo whispered about Morgan.

Magus just rolled her eyes. "You mean he's been with us for over a year and you haven't figured it out yet? Our pet station suit is a hypochondriac and the D-Word is his trigger phrase. He can't even eat his food without getting nauseated over the idea that it's no longer living AND not from Earth. You should see the lengths Bess goes through to hide its unnatural origins."

The Aussie Cargo snarled in a hiss. "He's never been fit to be one of us. How the h*ll did he ever get on board our ship?"

Magus shushed him with a gesture, mindful of the others a short distance away, ringing Zero. "He's married to our planetary surface agricultural specialist, remember? She's indispensable."

Cameron's glare at Morgan did not lessen, until Magus drew him away to a farther position from which to guard the group.

Next to John, Yale listened intently to the Terrian called the Balancer who was transmitting her voice through Zero. "Uly hears the Lost? Do you mean the dead? Or are you speaking of those who want to be." the cybertutor said gently, mindful of Uly's shivering and over stressed mother who was standing by his side.

"Those who are becoming Lost and who will be no more." said Balancer.

Devon leaped on that thought, quietly horrified. "Are you saying that my son is suicidal?!"

Balancer angled Zero's head backwards in puzzlement, but did not reply.

John bit his lip and sent out a helpless look towards Adair, but he found he couldn't deny her realization. It had been obvious to everyone else. He finally kept his own council as he met eyes with his daughter True in agreement about not making Devon's horrible discovery worse.

Julia came out of the med tent at her heart rending outburst. She moved over to Adair and held her supportively as the truth depth of Uly's sudden decline sank in to his mother.

Bess responded to her intuitively. "Devon, it may not be true. Terrians don't kill. So how can they understand the concept of killing themselves or even recognize that state in others? A word for it doesn't even exist."

"She's right." said Julia. "All of the ones we've ever seen in jeopardy in our experience, just bellied up and suffered whatever it was that was afflicting or injuring them. Remember when Mother-By-Choice's clan members were shot by the ZED and came to us to get the worm bullets out? They were totally helpless to help themselves because they did not comprehend that another lifeform had intentionally harmed them physically. Even the Grendlers took a long time to learn how to kill from Gaal. The Balancer may just be sensing depression, which in a way is a lack of interest in life; a kind of death."

"The Lost stop." echoed Balancer using Zero's body. "They do not return."

Spooked, Adair, barely pulling herself together, had had enough of the Balancer's benevolent alienness. "Everybody, l- John... I'm not Eden Project's leader any more. You are. I just want to stay with my son. I can't think straight. So it's probably best that I'm with Ulysses from here on out until whatever else happens runs its course. You handle our...our guest. I'm through." she said, turning her Mag Pro over to Baines.

"Adair.." John began. "I-"

But Bess and Julia both subtly shook their heads at him.

Danziger watched Devon begin to rush off to Uly's cotside.

Bess pursued and stopped her, spouting supportiveness. "Devon, it's only natural that Uly's depressed about our situation. The idea of extinction is not an easy concept for children. But he's never been a quitter. I, and the others, know that at times, he may think black thoughts, but he isn't one to act on them."

"He did accelerate fetal-birthing my horse." whispered True from her father's side. "Pegasus would have been fine if he hadn't of done what he did!"

"Shut your mouth, True.." warned John.

Adair glared at John's daughter. "He was sick then!"

True told it like it was, without an ounce of sting, braving her father's wrathful eyes. "Yes. And he's sick now." she said significantly to all adults listening. "Who knows what he might do? Certainly not our new disembodied friend over there."

Devon gulped air, stopping her tirade at True as she spiraled out of control. "I'm sorry, True. You're right. My son's scared, a-and probably feeling a million things we can't even imagine." she sobbed. "Now, please, Bess... I have to be there for him.." she sniffed, frightened.

Bess Martin let go of her arm, but not before she patted Adair's shoulder briefly in support.

The Balancer reached out timidly, as Devon rushed by, with an empathetic upturned palm, trying to Terrian coo a soothing warble through Zero's voice modulator, but what emerged rasped harsh and sharp, like a Tesla coil going sour.

The possessed android's awkward attempt at sympathy was not lost on the others. The Balancer was proving herself to be very empathetic. Yale guessed that it was probably a necessary trait for her to have in her unique solo role in Terrian society.

John Danziger shifted, discomforted, on his feet, and sighed wearily. "Julia, perhaps you'd better go back with her to help keep an eye on Uly or none of us are going to get any sleep tonight with her fussing over him."

Heller nodded, giving Zero/Balancer a wide berth.

Zero remained silent, as the Balancer held herself very still under the weak glow of the red eclipsing moons' shadow. "All of Sands are ill. They will end on this world before the next moon cross if the Lost continue to multiply. Will you help preserve what still is?"

Danziger and the group all looked at each other, and then down at their powerful, energy humming weapons of destruction which they all held. They immediately regretted their earlier reactions of paranoia and fear.

Even Morgan hid his Mag Pro behind his back self consciously.

John nodded in affirmation to Balancer. "Our species is flawed, Balancer. And violent. You'll probably encounter some dreams of ours on that. But now, it's more than d*mned well time for us to show you what the word human in humanitarian actually means."

Yale held out his cybernetic hand to Zero's. "Let's learn how to survive together, Balancer. All right?" Carefully, the tutor showed the remote Terrian what an Earth handshake was. "This means I am no longer carrying a weapon and I welcome you."

Zero's visual sensors flashed comprehension.