The Coveting of Eden
(Part II)
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 IV: The Price of Dreams
Uly awoke with a start, and everyone joined the tutor who was huddled protectively at his side. "Uly, are you alright?" Yale asked, helping the young boy sit up.
"Uly, did you see them? Did you contact Alonzo and Julia?" an anxious Danziger inquired. They spoke excitedly but in hushed whispers, not wanting to rouse the suspicions of the guards.
Morgan looked nervously over his shoulder. If the Government knew that Uly was accessing the Dream Plane, there would be consequences. Morgan cringed involuntarily, remembering what they had done to Alonzo. Relief soon washed over him when he noticed that the detention cell guards were at the far end of the foyer, and secure in the fact that they would not overhear their discussion, he turned his attention back to Uly.
Slowly, Uly rose, holding his head with one hand and rubbing his eyes with the other. Looking up, his eyes reached out toward the Advance group with a wisdom beyond his years. As the first of their kind to have bonded with the Terrians, Uly represented the link between the two species, and though he was still the rambunctious youngster, ever since Moon Cross when he was taken into the earth, Uly had exhibited a calm maturity, when dealing with the Terrians, that defied his young age. "The Dream Plane is . . . wounded. Everything is fuzzy. It's hard to see things clearly, but I did feel Alonzo. He's angry and very scared. I heard him yelling at the Terrians. Telling them to heal Julia." Uly paused, looking down at his shoes. He squeezed Yale's hand tightly and continued. "I felt Julia too." Uly's voice changed when he spoke of the young doctor. It shook with fear and confusion.
Danziger looked at him eagerly, his head having been filled with horrible images of Julia getting shot and then falling to the ground. Protective worry over Julia had plagued him ever since the Government had forced Alonzo to go underground with the Terrians. "Is she alright?" he asked anxiously, knowing he was unprepared to hear otherwise.
Uly looked solemn, as he raised his wide eyes to focus on Danziger. Fear was apparent on the youngster's face, and Danziger shifted uneasily where he knelt, attempting to prepare himself for the worst. "I could barely feel her . . . but what little I could was full of pain and fear and in the end, love."
"What do you mean, 'in the end?'" Danziger asked, worriedly.
Uly looked at him grimly, eyes wet with sorrow and fear. "I . . . I could feel her and suddenly she was . . . gone." At that last word, which everyone feared hearing, Yale took Uly gently into his arms, and the boy who shouldered the weight of being 'the link' to the Terrians crumpled and sobbed into his tutor's shoulder like a small child.
A deadly silence fell over the large cell. The group had come to trust Uly and Alonzo's interactions with the Terrians. Bess let out a whimper, but it was quickly muffled as Morgan pulled her into a loving hug. Eyes without words gazed down and at each other, none wanting to grasp the reality that Uly's words held.
"What does that mean?" True cried, unwilling to accept what it implied. Her eyes were wide, and they blazed with emotion. Danziger quickly swept his daughter into a protective embrace, receiving equal comfort from holding his daughter in his arms.
"Why didn't you wait for us, Julia?" Danziger thought grimly to himself.
Danziger looked over True's head with moist eyes. Staring at the tutor, both wordlessly confirmed in each other's eyes what they both feared.
* * *
"You tried to kill Julia!" Devon's voice echoed loudly with anger as her hand came pounding down unceremoniously upon the Government conference table, and she had lost the usual professionalism for which she was known.
Devon stood in the Government's large main conference room, and all of the thirteen officials were present, gathered together in a united front of power, but only one spoke for them all. "Calm down, Devon," Official Chorlain said, motioning for her to sit.
"I will not calm down," she retorted, her powerful stare unwavering. She was too upset to be intimidated by their robed stoicism, which seethed power. "You have no right to hold my people! And as for Julia. . . ." Feeling her throat constrict with sadness and pain, she paused to gather her composure, unwilling to let her guard down in front of the Government Officials. She swallowed hard and continued. "As for Julia, we don't even know if she is still alive . . . after you shot her!"
"Dr. Heller," Chorlain explained, "violated the laws of this colony." He saw Devon's mouth open, and he quickly continued before she could interject. "She was warned more than once, but she continued to blatantly disregard our authority. That kind of insolence cannot go unpunished."
Chorlain's calm demeanor and condescending tone infuriated Devon further. "And that warrants cold-blooded murder?" She spoke indignantly, challenging their authority.
Chorlain stared back at her, unblinking, unapologetic. "Traitors," he said bitterly, "will be dealt with accordingly. Heller stole something from us, something that she had no right to."
"You mean the boy?" Devon asked horrified. "He's a human being, not a thing! Who was he? What does he have to do with all this?"
"That boy is Government property!" Official Vulgate cried as he stood angrily.
Chorlain cast a stern look at Vulgate and motioned for him to sit. Devon noticed that he seemed displeased with the younger official's outburst of emotion. Vulgate, whose anger now ruled his features, cowered under Chorlain's reproach as he took his seat and stared at the troublesome leader of Eden Advance.
"Devon," Chorlain said with extreme calmness, evoking an air of peace, perhaps in an attempt to nullify the temporary loss of control on the Government's part, "we do understand your curiosity, but you must understand, that information is confidential." Devon opened her mouth to protest, but she was again prevented by Chorlain's quick tongue. "As for your Advance team, they, especially Mr. Danziger," Vulgate seemed exasperated at the mention of the man's name, "willfully attempted to aid the offender's escape. In fact, if it were not for Mr. Danziger, the boy would be in our custody instead of in the hands of those creatures."
A dark, sticky sensation that she could not name, ran through Devon's body. She shivered, feeling its filthy tendrils grasping at her. "The Government 'wanted' to kill Julia," she thought to herself, voicing in her mind what she didn't want to accept but what she knew in her heart was true.
Devon, forever an idealist, truly believed that the Advance team could convince the Government that their symbiotic relationship with the Terrians would be crucial and necessary to human survival on this planet. In her heart, she believed that they could work peacefully with the Government to create a better home for all of mankind, a second chance. It was the reason she had come to G889, twenty-two light years away from all she knew, and she didn't want to give up on her dream so easily. Her dream of a new and better world would save them all; it had to, but at what personal cost? Devon took a deep breath, unwilling to count Julia as a "price" that had to be paid. She shook her head slowly, attempting to hold back the tears of sadness and anger that welled within her at the thought of her friend's fate. "The Government would not get away with what they did to Julia," she determined to herself.
Devon's blood boiled as her outrage threatened to consume her, but she reminded herself that she was the leader of the Eden Advance Team, and she would not let them down. Though still angry and indignant, she placed her abundant emotions in check, deciding rationally that she needed the Government's support to free her people and help Julia, if she was still alive. "What about the members of my team?" she asked stoically, her face and demeanor matching the emotionless masks the officials wore.
Chorlain looked at her suspiciously but welcomed her change in temperament. "Right now, they are being locked up for their own protection. The colonists are outraged by Dr. Heller's disrespect for Government laws. Many of them think that your group is in an alliance with the aliens, and they fear the unnatural, alien changes that you will force them to accept."
"'Unnatural,' is he kidding?" she thought to herself. "The only thing that's 'unnatural' is the way they've set up this town, with its thick, artificial foundation, abundant zone alarms and powerful perimeter force field. They seem to reject anything truly natural. And the frightened colonists are so willing to accept anything the mighty Government proposes, comfort and security in exchange for their free will. Everyone seems to forget that it is a 'Station' Government that knows little about what is 'natural.'"
"Devon, I will not have rioting in my town," Chorlain said firmly. "If I release your team, you need to stay to your side of town until things quiet down, if they quiet down," he said with an air of doom that made her shiver with dread of what was to come.
* * *
"Damn it!" Alonzo yelled in frustration. He clung tightly to Julia's unconscious form, cradling her like a baby. "Do something . . . I can't lose her!" he demanded, but the confused Terrians just stared at him, their refusal to aid apparent in their firm stances. Desperately, Alonzo's eyes searched around them for a lifesaver, something that would pull him out of the merciless abyss that was quickly consuming him.
Then, suddenly, he lifted Julia and carried her into the connecting chamber. The Terrians followed silently. He stood Julia's limp body erect and held her in a protective embrace. Then glancing knowingly at the Terrians, he backed into the wall behind him, holding Julia's body as close to his as he could. The Terrians were startled by his action and moved to intervene, but it was too late.
Alonzo leaned purposefully into the Terrian bed, and as the warm glow overwhelmed them both, he held Julia's head to his own. His tiredness fled, and his emotions felt weightless as they drifted into dream, the Terrian dream. The world became dream and intuition became speech as his mind swirled into the enlightened realm he thought of as the Mind of the World. He did not need to speak, and he did not need to think. All else faded but for existence and emotion. His passion burned through the minds of the Terrians, opening their eyes to his world, his pain, his love.
"You feel it," he communicated to them wordlessly. "She and I are one. There is no separation that can stand between us, not even death. If she dies and is lost to this world then so shall I be. She is part of me. I will not lose her."
The cave trembled lightly as if in response to Alonzo's declaration, and the Terrians trilled in unison at the human who dared to enter the Mind of the World uninvited. Alonzo, emerged from the comforting abode of the magical niche and lifted Julia's vertical form into his arms. His stance was sure and steadfast. A single Terrian stepped within arm's length of him and trilled. "Emissary, you overstep your bounds. You tread where you have no power. You had no right. The land aches with your emotion, your pain." The Terrian paused and looked at Julia. Then, he trilled again. "The Mother can heal her, breathe life into her broken body, but there is a price."
Alonzo bowed his head and closed his eyes. "Do it. There is no price I would be unwilling to pay."
"It is not your debt, emissary, and it may be a price this one is unwilling to pay," the Terrian trilled, pointing to Julia's motionless form within Alonzo's arms.
Alonzo quickly opened his eyes in surprise, and shivered at the gravity the Terrian's words had injected into his body. He looked down at Julia's helpless face, her blue eyes, bright and deep, now closed to him. Bending slightly, he kissed her forehead gently, silently wishing he had the power to undo everything that had happened since the Government's arrival. They had suffered so much. When would it end? The Government was wrong, and they had to stop their malicious agenda, but Alonzo feared that he would not have the fight left in him. He was so tired.
Gazing at Julia, he realized what he was fighting for. He was fighting for their futures, together. A look of determination swept over him, and he raised his head. Clenching his jaw firmly, he said, "Do it!"
Chapter V: We Walk in Dreams
Devon ignored the stares and whispers of the colonists as she walked down the colony's main street toward the hospital. The events of the previous night weighed heavily on everyone this morning, and Devon realized that her influence with the colonists had lessened. She knew that the colonists would continue to blame her group for the "alien troubles," as they called it. They viewed the Advance team as traitors to the human race, sellouts to the aliens. Her frown deepened as she thought of Julia. Her young friend was probably dead, and there was nothing she could do to prevent that same government force from being used on the rest of them. She absently thought of leaving, taking the Advance group and starting another settlement that would be free of the Government, but that thought was quickly dispelled. Devon chided herself softly. Though the colonists were ignorant of the truth and easily swayed by the Government, they were innocent and just as victimized by the Government's dominion as the Advance team. This colony was the future of mankind's existence on this planet, and she would not give up on that future, even if it meant dealing with the Government.
As Devon entered the glass doors that led into the hospital, she was surprised to see the inside of the large building alive and jumping with commotion. After all the children had been healed, the hospital was usually empty, used for emergency care, check-ups and scientific research only. Now the building, swathed in pristine white, silver metal and transparent glass bustled as people in white, doctors, nurses and orderlies alike, scurried about, running through various long corridors carrying equipment and supplies in tote. Many voices yelling commands and instructions echoed through the building, which seemed to shake with nervousness and tension. Devon stared in dismay at the sight.
"What in the world is going on?" Devon thought worriedly as she narrowed her blue eyes in an attempt to find Dr. Quinlan amidst the chaotic commotion that played out before her. Ian Quinlan had called her to the hospital early this morning. He would not say why, but she had agreed, knowing that Julia considered the man a friend. Danziger had protested, arguing that it was dangerous and that he should accompany her, but she had refused, knowing that after last night, Eden Advance, save herself who had to go about Government business, had unceremoniously been confined to their section of town in order to keep the peace.
"Devon, there you are," a voice called from the hallway to her left. Ian was out of breath and a worried look was stretched across his face, making him appear older than his years. From his pale skin tone to the dark circles that seemed to envelope his eyes, Devon guessed that he had been up all night. "Listen, Devon, this is. . . ."
His explanation was interrupted by Joren Laplin bursting through the glass entrance to the hospital. He was carrying a small limp form in his arms. "Somebody, help my daughter!" he shouted. Fear and rage welled in his voice. In moments, a gurney was in front of him, and he gently placed his child onto the hospital transport. Dr. Quinlan had already left Devon's side to see to the child, his diaglove already beeping with diagnosis.
Devon was looking over his shoulder at the unconscious girl. She was no more than six or seven, and her fair features were fixed peacefully, as if she were asleep. Devon noticed that the young girl was still in her pink flannel pajamas.
"It's the same as the others," Ian announced grimly. "Take her to the ICU," he instructed the nurses.
"What the hell does that mean? What others?" Joren demanded as he made an attempt to follow his daughter.
"Mr. Lapin, you'll have to wait here," Ian said with a hand to the man's chest. "We will do all we can for Mirabella, but you must not hinder our aid."
Joren angrily slapped Ian's hand aside. "The hell you will! What is 'she' doing here?" he said pointing accusingly at Devon. "Those damned creatures did something to my baby, and she knows something about it!"
"Joren. . . ." Ian attempted to intercede for Devon, ready to defend her.
Devon touched Dr. Quinlan's arm gratefully and interrupted. "Mr. Lapin, I assure you, I know no more of this than you. If you would. . . ."
"Tell us what is wrong with our children, Ms. Adair." Devon turned to find Alaea Craegan standing behind her with her husband Meede and their four children, ranging in ages between three and fifteen. The eldest was holding the youngest, who was sleeping in his brother's arms. Alaea wore the same tired look as Dr. Quinlan, but those eyes of sadness were mixed with the anger she saw in Joren Laplin's face.
"Mrs. Craegan, I do not know, and that is the truth," she replied in an empathetic tone. She imagined that she had probably appeared the same way when Uly was ill with the syndrome.
"What is to be done? Wade and Katerina have been in a coma for over six hours," Meede interjected. Though his expression held less malice for Devon than Joren's, he was deeply troubled.
"This is the fifth child healed by the Terrians to have fallen into a coma since last night," Ian stated, more for Devon than anyone else. Devon threw him a surprised and worried look. "We do not know what is causing it. Though the effects are physical, there is no physical evidence to explain their state. Our readings show that their brain activity is off the charts, but we do not know why or how. We must. . . ."
"The Dream Plane," Devon muttered under her breath. "It must have something to do with the Dream Plane," she said more loudly.
"You tell your monsters to return our children, Adair!" Joren demanded. His glare was threatening, but Devon understood his anger.
"It's not that simple, Mr. Laplin. As we've told you before, the children are now bound to the land. There are things . . . places, like the Dream Plane, that are beyond our reach and well beyond our comprehension." She spoke gently, attempting to calm him.
Meede nodded grim understanding, and Devon was grateful that he broke the tension between her and Joren. "Alonzo Solace was the only one, untouched by the Terrians, who could enter the Dream Plane, and we all know how the Government treated him. Accessing the Dream Plane is forbidden by law," he said.
"Those monsters kidnapped our kids' minds and are holding them hostage on this Dream Plane!" Joren concluded angrily. He made a move toward Devon.
Before Devon could react, Ian was restraining Joren. "Calm down, Joren," he told the man. "We don't know what's going on. . . ."
"I do know that those monsters are behind Mirabella's coma, and once again Eden Advance knows more than they're saying," Joren accused, his seething eyes sending hot darts through Devon. "Eden Advance is trying to overthrow the Government," he stated staunchly. Other families whose children had fallen into a coma and colonists who had come to the hospital seeking the source of the commotion were beginning to gather in the spacious hospital lobby, and suddenly Devon felt trapped. She could feel their anger and their fear rising with every word Joren spoke. "They have their own agenda," he said. Ian pulled Devon close to him. "I say cast them out!" Joren yelled.
The crowd of about thirty roared with indignation. Devon had seen this reaction in the colonists too many times before. She had been the sole member of Eden Advance immune to the scrutiny, but now, her name and her position earned her no exception. The colonists were angry and afraid, and they no longer wanted to deal with the unknown factor that Eden Advance brought to their peaceful community. She silently wished Danziger were there as she began to fear for her safety.
"Two down and thirteen to go!" someone shouted from the edge of the circle the crowd had formed around Devon and Joren.
The surrounding crowd nodded in agreement, and Devon cringed at the threat. Anger and fear began to boil in her as well. They spoke too lightly of Alonzo's exile and Julia's death, and her anger quickly overwhelmed her fear. She craned her neck to respond, but before she could, Ian spoke.
"Who said that?" he asked angrily as he stepped up onto the admissions desk behind him and peered through the mob around him. Devon saw tears forming in his dark eyes. "Julia Heller gave her life for your children, and she died saving another child. That's the kind of person she was. So don't you dare speak of her death so trivially!" Though Ian's face was red and his voice roared with anger, his words trembled with sorrow at a loss he could not bear to speak of. Devon's eyes began to moisten as he spoke of Julia, a friend she knew she'd probably never see again.
The crowd was momentarily stunned by Ian's outburst, but the colonists' anger could not be contained. "She broke the law!" someone else shouted. "They're all traitors to the Government!"
"Take your people, Adair, and leave us in peace!" Joren spat.
Ian, already visibly upset, jumped down from his makeshift stage and met Joren's angry stare. Devon, fearing Ian's response, placed a firm but gentle hold on his arm, but before Ian could react, a Government unit burst through the glass entrance, magpros in hand.
"Break it up, people!" Admiral Dekkar shouted as his soldiers spread out, dispersing the mob. The colonists complied with the soldiers, offering no protest. Devon could not believe the power the Government had over these people. "Ms. Adair, I will escort you back to your cabin. Please come with me," he said firmly but diplomatically.
Though Devon silently welcomed the arrival of the soldiers and allowed relief to wash through her tense body, she did not like being ordered about. "I am not done here, Admiral. I need to find out. . . ."
"I apologize if I was unclear. This is not a request. It is an order," he said, irritation now penetrated his official demeanor. "Official Chorlain wants the peace upheld, and I was instructed to diffuse potential riots at all costs . . . unless you want to be arrested," he stated matter-of-factly.
Ian nodded to Devon. She knew he would find out what he could and get back to her. She squeezed his arm in acknowledgement and turned to face Admiral Dekkar. "Alright Admiral, lead the way," she said in a condescending tone.
* * *
All of the remaining Advancers sat in Devon's living room listening with grim expressions to the events that Devon described. "You were damned lucky, Adair!" Danziger scolded, but concern for her safety was written all over his rugged features.
"Now I am beginning to understand why the Government has been so 'lenient' with us," Yale said. "They show us mercy and grace while showcasing our disobedience and disruption. The colonists see them as the benevolent parent and view us as a threat to that protection and care." Everyone nodded understanding.
"I can't believe Julia's gone," Bess whimpered. She was curled up in a large chair, a tissue box upon her lap. Her eyes were swollen and red with tears, tears long spent, but her grief still etched lines of sadness across her face. Everyone quieted at the mention of Julia's name. Most were so shaken by recent events that they did not have time to mourn, but each one felt the loss deeply. Julia was one of their own, a sister, a daughter, a friend.
"I know. It's okay, honey," Morgan whispered gently to his wife. He put a loving arm around her and hugged her close to him, unconcerned with his public display of affection, which he usually reserved for private moments.
A heavy sadness hung silently over the room. "Mom," Uly broke in gently. Devon turned to see her son and True standing at the door to her office. They were supposed to be playing in VR. "You're right. It does have something to do with the Dream Plane. Last night I saw them."
"Ulysses Adair, what have I told you about using the Dream Plane?" Devon chided. "It's dangerous. . . ."
"Who, Uly, who did you see?" Yale interrupted. "Did you see the children?"
Uly looked to his mother, as if for permission to respond to a subject she forbade. She gave him a firm nod, and her familiar expression conveyed, "We'll talk about this later." Uly shifted his feet uneasily.
"Yes, but I've seen 'them' there before. . . ." He paused as Devon gave him a stern look. Apparently, Uly had been visiting the fractured Dream Plane regularly without her knowledge. "I saw two Government soldiers there," he said quickly. "'That' I never saw until last night," he finished, looking to his mom for her reaction.
"What?" Devon yelped. "Why . . . how did Government soldiers access the Dream Plane?"
"It must have something to do with what Julia found in the East Wing," Yale surmised. "We know that these plants were probably taken to the East Wing for purposes we can only guess at." He looked probingly at the plants that lay on the table in the center of the room amidst a jumble of scientific equipment. "We know that they are accelerants, but what were they used on?"
"Julia knew, and they killed her for it," Magus chimed in angrily. Looking at the woman more closely, Devon saw that her eyes were also puffy and red as were Walman's, Baines', even Danziger's. Devon knew it had not only been from lack of sleep. They had all cried for Julia, and they were willing to risk their lives to find out why she died.
"Uly," Devon said. "What were the soldiers doing on the Dream Plane?"
"I couldn't tell. The Dream Plane is fuzzy. Things are not clear there, and it seems to be getting worse each time I go back. But it felt like . . . it felt like they were looking for Terrians," he finished.
"Looking for Terrians or 'hunting' them?" Devon asked pensively. "If the Government has access to the Dream Plane. . . ."
A loud crash interrupted Devon's conjecture. A large stone came hurtling through her large front window, landing within arm's length of Danziger. "True, Uly, go into the hallway and stay there," Danziger yelled as he looked out toward shouting voices.
A mob of colonists had gathered outside Devon's cabin. Though they stood several meters from her porch, she could barely make out individual voices. She did hear, "Leave New Pacifica," and "You don't belong here."
"Walman, Baines, grab your magpros!" Danziger instructed as he moved to get his.
"Danziger," Devon said, grabbing his arm, halting his progression. She was shocked at his command and feared what it implied. "Those are innocent colonists. You can't. . . ."
"Devon, I won't sit here while they threaten us . . . or worse. I 'will' protect this group at all costs." His jaw was set firmly and his eyes blazed with determination. Devon knew that he had made up his mind, and there would be no changing it. They stared stubbornly at each other, willing the other to back down. The tension in the room thickened as the rest of the Advance team waited on the command of their two leaders.
A loud thump at the door broke the uneasy silence, causing many of the Advancers to jump. Devon moved to open the door, but Danziger stopped her, placing himself protectively in front of her. Devon tightened her lips with exasperation. "Who is it?" he yelled over the voices of the crowd.
"Devon? It's Ian," the voice called from the other side of the large door.
Danziger moved to open the door, but Devon beat him to it, shaking her head at his over protectiveness. Danziger just smirked and rolled his eyes, lowering his weapon. Ian closed the door angrily behind him. "I tried to stop them. They marched here from the hospital. Many more of the children who were healed by the Terrians have succumbed to this mysterious coma. The hospital is becoming full once again, like it was when we first arrived. The medical staff is baffled. We don't know how to proceed. And with Joren Laplin's accusations, most of the colonists believe that you helped the Terrians do this to their children."
"What? That's crazy! Let me talk sense into them," Danziger said. He moved toward the door only to have Devon place a gentle hand on his chest. She could feel Danziger soften beneath her touch. He regarded her with concern in his eyes.
"John, wait," she said calmly. "They won't listen to reason. They are frightened . . . frightened that they will lose their children after all they've been through. We need to. . . ."
Devon stopped, abruptly interrupted by loud blaring sirens. All the Advance members peered out the large fractured window. Red lights flashed against the saffron sky, which was only beginning to paint dusk across the Heavens. The colonists had quieted and were slowly moving toward the source of the commotion. Eden Advance followed them, their faces tight with concern and remembrance. They all grimly recalled the last time the alarms had gone off. They had arrived too late to save Julia.
"What could it be this time?" Devon thought to herself, holding Uly's hand tightly.
* * *
The colonists had gathered at the Southern Perimeter, and they stared at something just beyond the invisible perimeter wall. Devon gasped when she saw the regiment of armed soldiers training their weapons toward the wall. As she moved within sight of the wall, she nearly stumbled when she caught sight of their target. "Oh, no," she muttered, covering her mouth in horror.
Alonzo stood just outside the perimeter wall. A Terrian flanked him on both sides. Their towering forms held lightning staffs in front of their stoic faces.
Devon heard a familiar voice say, "De-activate the wall. I want a shot at that bastard." She turned and saw Dekkar aiming his sniper rifle eagerly at Alonzo. Devon searched for his father and prayed that he was not in charge.
"The Government has lied to you." Alonzo's voice was loud. It reverberated through the walls and resonated loudly in their ears. "They performed experiments on me against my will, used my mind to acquire information about the Dream Plane." The colonists began to rustle, murmuring to each other as Alonzo spoke. "They performed experiments on the orphan syndrome children who were healed, injecting them with accelerants so that they would produce fully evolved Terrian DNA." Everyone listened intently to each word that Alonzo spoke, spellbound by his revelations. Devon was not sure if the blank, wide-eyed expressions the colonists wore were surprised belief or shocked disbelief. The Advancers knew that he spoke the truth, and their jaws hung in horror at each new secret he unveiled. "The Government purposefully fractured the Dream Plane, and now they are accessing the Dream Plane using a Terrian that they've created from cloned DNA, which they extracted from one of the sick orphans."
Alonzo looked tired, but he spoke with great strength and determination. His stance was unwavering as he unleashed the truth. He did not falter, even through the murmurs and gasps that permeated the crowd. "We know this one unnatural Terrian exists because we felt his presence when he entered the Dream Plane."
Devon looked down at her son. He was nodding in understanding. "That's what it was . . . that weird feeling that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up," he said in realization. "That's why the soldiers were untouchable, because they emitted traces of that Terrian that the Government was using." Devon nodded. She knew that Terrians could not harm their own kind.
"Stop him, damn it!" Admiral Dekkar yelled at the guards in the tower. "Shut him the hell up! De-activate the wall if that's what you need to do!" In a blink of light that flickered before the colonists, the wall was down, and Alonzo was vulnerable.
"Back away from the perimeter," a guard announced over the loud speaker, and the colonists moved back, realizing that their defenses were down and nothing protected them from the monsters.
Devon saw Dekkar motion to his men. "No!" she yelled.
The ground rumbled furiously beneath their feet. Everything shook, even the sturdiest of structures, and the thunderous roar that emanated from the ground was deafening. In an instant, what Devon thought had to be hundreds of Terrians erupted out of the ground, encircling the entire town of New Pacifica. All held charged staffs in their hands. Fear stilled the murmuring crowd.
"There must be at least a dozen tribes here," Morgan mumbled aloud. Even the Advance Crew had never seen this many Terrians. Red lights began flashing again and sirens began to blare. Devon turned toward Alonzo. He was standing his ground.
"Raise the wall!" Admiral Dekkar commanded.
"No, I have a clear shot!" his son called out.
"Stand down, damn it! Do you want a full scale invasion?" he scolded his son angrily. "Raise the damn wall, now!" he ordered the tower guards.
Before they could comply, Devon watched helplessly as the younger Dekkar began to squeeze the trigger of his rifle. A shot rang out, and Devon's eyes eagerly sought Alonzo. He was unharmed.
"Damn you, boy! When will you learn restraint?" the Admiral yelled at his son, who was sprawled out beneath his imposing form. His lip was bleeding and the senior Dekkar now held the weapon. "Ayler, take him to the detention cell! You heard me, and make sure he stays there this time," he added when a confused Lieutenant Ayler hesitated. "Shut those damn alarms off. All of New Pacifica is out here. There is no one else to alert!"
Everyone was stunned into silence, and the entire town waited for the Terrians' next move. The two Terrians that stood immediately to Alonzo's left lowered their staffs and parted. Something stirred behind them, hidden by their immense forms. "Julia!" Devon cried out, excitement and shock lending volume to her voice. She heard her cry repeated amidst her group.
Julia held the hand of a little boy as she moved to step beside Alonzo. She was alive and moved about unaided, but she looked weak and pale. Stunned faces gazed at Julia, no doubt searching for the fatal wound that they saw her receive, and Devon noticed that the soldiers were also looking in amazement at the boy. She guessed that he must have been one of the sick orphans.
* * *
"I am not dead, though the Government did try to kill me." Though she looked weak and sickly, Julia spoke with confidence and strength. "Everything Alonzo told you was the truth. The Government has been feeding you lies and propaganda, and you are so willing to believe them in exchange for your security . . . at the cost of your freedom . . . and eventually your futures. This is Kiran," Julia said, presenting the young boy. "He was one of the twelve orphans that the Government brought here to be used as lab rats." A bitter taste formed in her mouth as she thought of the Council's merciless agenda. "When I found him, he was on the verge of death . . . the Terrians healed him as they did me." Julia paused, feeling raw emotion welling within her. Tears rimmed her blue eyes, which sparkled with pain.
"They've healed her, but she's still sick . . . just like your children." Official Chorlain stood on the main tower, his voice rumbling through the loud speakers. "We can trust them about as much as we can trust the monsters that live beneath the earth."
"Your children were completely healed," Julia assured. "It was the Government's tampering with the Dream Plane that put them in the state they are in. The wound that they've inflicted on the Dream Plane becomes worse with each passing moment. Soon, all your children will fall into the dreamless sleep."
"Lies and threats, have you nothing more for us, Heller?" Chorlain said.
"I was as good as dead when you last saw me, sentenced to death by a Council bullet!" Julia felt Alonzo pull her closer to him, shaken by the memory. The crowd gasped at the mention of the Council, and Julia could feel Chorlain's menacing stare, willing her death. "That's right, the mighty Council is here among us, controlling the 'benevolent' Government you all trust, but I promise you, their agenda is not ours. They seek to dominate the planet. Four Terrians are dead, murdered on the Dream Plane by soldiers sent by the Council. None of us are safe." Julia tightened her grip on the boy's hand and took a deep breath. Anger and sorrow both threatened to consume her and rob her of her strength.
"I was dying, but the planet saved me," she continued. She could feel her tears overflowing, and she struggled to steady her voice. "But there was a price . . . in restoring life to my broken body, the 'Mother' infused into me an essential part of the planet. I am now bonded to the land forever. What it feels, I feel. I am sick because the planet aches. It is dying. Each Terrian life that they claim weakens the Dream Plane, and I am afraid they will not stop until every last Terrian is dead. Then, it will be too late for us all. It is true that this planet now sustains me and offers me a life that I should have lost, but open your eyes! Look around you!"
Julia paused as the colonists took in their surroundings, gazing at the darkening sky, which glowed dully with dusk's last warm embrace. "It is not just 'my' second chance . . . it is all of our second chances! This planet is saving us all. It is this earth that offers us all new life and new hope. Do not let the Council take it away from you once again. Dominance, power and greed destroyed our last earthly home . . . do not let them do it again!"
"Lies! The traitor lies to you all!" Chorlain spoke with open disdain, displaying the emotion he usually hid within himself.
The crowd turned to Chorlain, apparently torn between Julia's revelations and trusting the Government which promised them protection. Julia grimaced. She knew they did not want to believe the hard truths she spoke; even she did not wish to believe them. She knew of the colonists' fickleness, and she feared their reaction.
"You seek, but you fail to see!" Alonzo announce abruptly, startling Julia. He began lowering his head, and all of the Terrians surrounding the colony followed suit.
* * *
Devon trembled involuntarily when the entire circle of Terrians bowed their heads. "What are they doing?" she thought. Her answer came swiftly as she fell into unconsciousness where she stood. For a moment that seemed to take an eternity to pass, everything washed white around her and all sound ceased. It was as if existence itself had stopped dead. She recognized the sensation. She had experienced it before. She was entering the Dream Plane. Suddenly, she stood still and her surroundings continued to swirl around her, swimming into focus. This time, unlike her previous encounters on the Plane, her surroundings colored sparsely with various hues but failed to focus completely. It was as if a hazy fog veiled her vision, preventing her presence from being fully accepted.
She looked around her, barely able to make out the presence of many others. Devon presumed they were the other colonists. The land rumbled angrily, causing her vision to blur even more. A sickly burning smell penetrated her senses, and she could feel a painful longing, as if she needed something desperately that was just beyond her reach. Cringing, Devon ached to satiate her "incompleteness," she had decided was the only way to describe it. However, with each passing moment, that strain and emptiness became greater. Clasping her hands about her head, she moaned, feeling as if she would die if she remained here much longer.
She fell to her knees, and the land began to rumble more fiercely. Through pained and frightened eyes, Devon stared into the perfect whiteness that was the sky. Soon that whiteness enveloped her and swept her away from her pain. Devon opened her eyes. Reality swam brutally into focus, and rich colors saturated her vision. The pain was gone, but the 'longing' remained. She looked around dazed. The colonists, the Advancers and the soldiers were holding their heads, obviously experiencing the sense of loss that she felt. Looking at Julia, Alonzo and the Terrians, Devon could see that their trip to the Dream Plane had cost them dearly. All were weakened and struggled to stand upright.
"Search yourselves," Julia said, wavering where she stood, looking paler than she had before. "Though we advance in technology and take pains to recreate the metal and glass stations that nearly killed our children, we are natural beings. Humankind is a natural species. If we kill what is natural, we too will die!" Devon flinched. Though there was breathless effort with each word Julia spoke, the fire and passion in her voice, in her stare, was palpable. The stunned crowd only stared back at her friend. Even Joren Lapin was speechless.
"She is right," a familiar voice echoed, out of Devon's field of vision. She strained to see who had spoken, and she was surprised when Dr. Vasquez stepped forward and faced Julia. Though he looked at Julia tenderly, his voice spoke to the crowd behind him. "The Council wishes to decimate the alien population and claim the land as their own, and I helped them do it." The usually brash and confident doctor spoke with angry regret. "I had no idea how deep the bond of the Terrians seeped into the land . . . they 'are' a part of it." Julia nodded at him, appreciation apparent on her pale features. "I'm sorry, Julia. I thought I was doing the right thing for mankind. I had no idea. . . ." Her smile and understanding eyes appeased him, and he turned to face the crowd. "We have all seen the Dream Plane now, and our duty is clear."
Devon saw Alonzo gather Julia and Kiran in his arms. His eyes scanned the large crowd, and when they found Eden Advance, he and Julia graced them with a knowing smile.
* * *
Reagent Chorlain angrily made his way down the last of the East Wing corridors. He briskly punched in the access code and entered a large vaulted room. Anger seethed his features as his mind played back the events he had just escaped. "Those ungrateful sheep," he muttered to himself. He knew the colonists' loyalties were swaying. "After all I've done for them. . . ."
He smiled menacingly when he came to the end of the dark room, faintly lit by various, multi-colored control panels. He stared at the lone Terrian that they had incubated and grown. The creature was smoother, paler and smaller than its namesake, but it could access the Dream Plane just the same. It was standing erect in a metal niche, hooked up to many wires, which flowed effortlessly into the various instruments and machinery that occupied the large room. A metal halo bound its head. Chorlain looked at the empty metal niches that stood to either side of the creature. He laughed heartily. "The doorway to their sacred Dream World," he thought to himself. "And I hold the key."
He stroked the creature, as he would a pet that he did not trust. "My child, you will preserve the Council's name here," he said to the suspended creature. Absently, Chorlain gazed at the large incubation pod that stood to his right. Made of metal and glass, it was filled with a green goop that enhanced the embryo's growth and accelerated its cell division. He smiled as he looked at it.
Abruptly, he turned toward the eastern wall of the dimly lit room and punched in an access code on the control panel that covered the wall. With a soft beep, the machinery that adorned the wall parted, revealing two huge, metal blast doors. Chorlain punched in another code on the new access panel, and doors opened with a quiet hiss.
"They have no idea," he said aloud as he looked into the enormous room, which was brighter than the previous but also dimly lit. The light was emanating from rows upon rows of circular green pods, incubation pods. They filled the immense room. "My army awaits birth," he said walking through one of the many rows, looking at the developing embryos, some further along in development than others. "Round one to Eden Advance, but the war . . . the war has just begun."
~An end or a beginning?
Raven Sedai, September 2000.
All comments welcome.