"There was no one left?" Lennier was sitting in his bed, having been ordered
there by Dr. Foster. It was now evening, and Dr. Carter had just come in to
check on him and tell him about the incident in the cave.
She shook her head, "no, just the equipment, a few clothes, but there was no
sign of my men, no bodies, no blood, nothing." She sighed, "we're having a
meeting in a few minutes to discuss options, you feel up to it?"
He nodded, and then indicated the book which he'd been reading all day. "I've
been reading further into this, and I think I may know what happened."
She raised her eyebrows, "Go on," she said.
"I believe that they're ship crashed onto this planet and they found whatever
it is in the cave. Whatever it is, they didn't want anyone else to find it, so
the built the door, locked it and then they," his voice caught in his throat
and it was several seconds before he could speak, "they killed themselves," he
whispered.
A mix of shock and horror passed over her face, "Goddess," she whispered, "I
didn't think Minbari did that kind thing."
Lennier hung his head down, "It has been known to happen, but it is very rare."
Carter frowned in pensive silence for a few minutes, "I don't
suppose," she asked haltingly, that you've found away to open that door, by
any chance."
Lennier was a little surprised that she could still be concerned about what
lay behind that door, even after the quake and the deaths of over a hundred
men and women. Certainly her realized that this was her living, her career, but
he would've thought that she may have given it up as too risky.
Then again, he thought, she was very concerned about the welfare of her workers.
During the quake, he'd had to save her because she was so preoccupied with getting
her people out of harm's way.
Perhaps it was about symbolism, maybe she wanted to prove that those people had
not died in vain.
It suddenely occured to him that he was trying very hard to rationalize her behavior,
that he had been trying not to think anything negative about her. At first he couldn't
think of why, but there was something about Dr. Carter that stirred something within him,
some half-forgotten emotion that he'd left behind with his old life on B5.
He decided to think no more about it and answer her question, "No, the last entry is
something about, 'following the stars home'"
She sighed, "Doesn't matter anyways," she said quickly, "the floor in there probably
collapsed during the quake, we figured it was probably hollow.." she trailed off.
An intense silence followed. Carter sat there chewing on her thumb nervously,
while Lennier didn't move at all, his thought's dark and brooding. The silence
hung in the air for several minutes, wondering which end it was going to be
broken from.
Finally, Carter could not stand it anymore, "You know," she said, "I never
thanked you for saving my ass earlier," she smiled, "It was very, ah," she
searched for the right word, "noble, brave, you know, that kind of thing."
He smiled back, "It was my pleasure, your welcome," he said with a slight bow
of his head.
"Or stupid, depending on who you ask."
He looked at her, confused, and she started laughing....
"So, has anyone seen Henry?" Carter asked the assembled crowd fo workers. They
were having a meeting in the mess tent. There was a wide variety of injuries,
ranging from cuts and bruises to broken limbs. The general consesus was that no
one knew where Henry Devone was.
"Bastard's probably buried under a ton of rock," Huntington snorted.
Carter ran her fingers through her hair, looking very tired. She sighed ang
asked Foster, "What's the deal right now?"
"We're up to 73 dead, 215 injured, and that's not including Eldrig's group."
She looked over to Huntington who said, "so far, nothin on that, but the guys
are afraid to go down to deep into the caves, and with good reason I think.
I've rigged up a few flame throwers, just in case."
"Good, we should get the worst cases out of here, can we contact the main
complex?"
Huntington shook his head, "No, the transmittor was damaged in the main
quake. It's beyond repair."
Carter sighed and looked at the ceiling, "The transport tube will have it's own
transmittor, right?"
He nodded.
"Fine, it should have far enough away to escape damage. I'll go up there send a
signal, and have them come up to get us out of here."
There was a slight murmering in the crowd. Kendle, who was holding ice to her
head, looked up and said, "You mean, we're all leaving? You're giving up the
dig?"
Carter looked pain for several seconds before saying, "yes."
The assembled workers all complained simultaneously, and it took Carter several
minutes to calm them down again. "Please," she said, "I don't want to do this,
but the fact is that too many people have died and the authorities are going to
be asking questions. They'll shut it down regardless of what my descision is."
An oppressive silence took hold as she appealed to them. Once she was sure they
aggreed, or at least were no longer disagreeing, she said, "Right, now while
I'm gone, start getting the wounded ready for transport, take the equiptment
offline and pack it up."
She picked up a flashlight and a tool kit, and was about to take off when
Lennier stood up, "Excuse me, but if you need assistance, I would be happy to
help."
She gazed at him in silent wonder for a few moments before nodding her
permission. She handed him the tool kit and a flashlight and they left the
camp...
there by Dr. Foster. It was now evening, and Dr. Carter had just come in to
check on him and tell him about the incident in the cave.
She shook her head, "no, just the equipment, a few clothes, but there was no
sign of my men, no bodies, no blood, nothing." She sighed, "we're having a
meeting in a few minutes to discuss options, you feel up to it?"
He nodded, and then indicated the book which he'd been reading all day. "I've
been reading further into this, and I think I may know what happened."
She raised her eyebrows, "Go on," she said.
"I believe that they're ship crashed onto this planet and they found whatever
it is in the cave. Whatever it is, they didn't want anyone else to find it, so
the built the door, locked it and then they," his voice caught in his throat
and it was several seconds before he could speak, "they killed themselves," he
whispered.
A mix of shock and horror passed over her face, "Goddess," she whispered, "I
didn't think Minbari did that kind thing."
Lennier hung his head down, "It has been known to happen, but it is very rare."
Carter frowned in pensive silence for a few minutes, "I don't
suppose," she asked haltingly, that you've found away to open that door, by
any chance."
Lennier was a little surprised that she could still be concerned about what
lay behind that door, even after the quake and the deaths of over a hundred
men and women. Certainly her realized that this was her living, her career, but
he would've thought that she may have given it up as too risky.
Then again, he thought, she was very concerned about the welfare of her workers.
During the quake, he'd had to save her because she was so preoccupied with getting
her people out of harm's way.
Perhaps it was about symbolism, maybe she wanted to prove that those people had
not died in vain.
It suddenely occured to him that he was trying very hard to rationalize her behavior,
that he had been trying not to think anything negative about her. At first he couldn't
think of why, but there was something about Dr. Carter that stirred something within him,
some half-forgotten emotion that he'd left behind with his old life on B5.
He decided to think no more about it and answer her question, "No, the last entry is
something about, 'following the stars home'"
She sighed, "Doesn't matter anyways," she said quickly, "the floor in there probably
collapsed during the quake, we figured it was probably hollow.." she trailed off.
An intense silence followed. Carter sat there chewing on her thumb nervously,
while Lennier didn't move at all, his thought's dark and brooding. The silence
hung in the air for several minutes, wondering which end it was going to be
broken from.
Finally, Carter could not stand it anymore, "You know," she said, "I never
thanked you for saving my ass earlier," she smiled, "It was very, ah," she
searched for the right word, "noble, brave, you know, that kind of thing."
He smiled back, "It was my pleasure, your welcome," he said with a slight bow
of his head.
"Or stupid, depending on who you ask."
He looked at her, confused, and she started laughing....
"So, has anyone seen Henry?" Carter asked the assembled crowd fo workers. They
were having a meeting in the mess tent. There was a wide variety of injuries,
ranging from cuts and bruises to broken limbs. The general consesus was that no
one knew where Henry Devone was.
"Bastard's probably buried under a ton of rock," Huntington snorted.
Carter ran her fingers through her hair, looking very tired. She sighed ang
asked Foster, "What's the deal right now?"
"We're up to 73 dead, 215 injured, and that's not including Eldrig's group."
She looked over to Huntington who said, "so far, nothin on that, but the guys
are afraid to go down to deep into the caves, and with good reason I think.
I've rigged up a few flame throwers, just in case."
"Good, we should get the worst cases out of here, can we contact the main
complex?"
Huntington shook his head, "No, the transmittor was damaged in the main
quake. It's beyond repair."
Carter sighed and looked at the ceiling, "The transport tube will have it's own
transmittor, right?"
He nodded.
"Fine, it should have far enough away to escape damage. I'll go up there send a
signal, and have them come up to get us out of here."
There was a slight murmering in the crowd. Kendle, who was holding ice to her
head, looked up and said, "You mean, we're all leaving? You're giving up the
dig?"
Carter looked pain for several seconds before saying, "yes."
The assembled workers all complained simultaneously, and it took Carter several
minutes to calm them down again. "Please," she said, "I don't want to do this,
but the fact is that too many people have died and the authorities are going to
be asking questions. They'll shut it down regardless of what my descision is."
An oppressive silence took hold as she appealed to them. Once she was sure they
aggreed, or at least were no longer disagreeing, she said, "Right, now while
I'm gone, start getting the wounded ready for transport, take the equiptment
offline and pack it up."
She picked up a flashlight and a tool kit, and was about to take off when
Lennier stood up, "Excuse me, but if you need assistance, I would be happy to
help."
She gazed at him in silent wonder for a few moments before nodding her
permission. She handed him the tool kit and a flashlight and they left the
camp...