PART THREE
"She seems to be just fine Galen." Doctor Chambers studied the readings before her. "A bit dehydrated, but other than that, from what I can tell, very healthy."
"Thank you Doctor. May I see her now?" Galen looked through the window at the woman pacing the floor. "I am sure she is very afraid at the moment."
"Of course." She smiled as Galen started around the console. "Galen? Captain Gideon would like to speak with you as soon as you can." Galen nodded then continued into the room where Isadora had been put.
"Well," Isadora looked up relieved as Galen entered, "Doctor Chambers gave you a clean bill of health."
"Doctor? Oh you mean the female who prodded me." Impatience rushed from her lips. "I gathered from her concern that she is a Healer?"
"Yes, that is a Doctor's main vocation. The well-being and care of those on the ship." Galen motioned to the bed for Isadora to sit.
"Well, they are a primitive race. Such invasive procedures." She crossed her arms as she sat and stared at Chambers through the window. "It makes me uncomfortable to be watched all the time. Is it really necessary?"
"I will see what I can do for you." Galen found himself smiling at the woman despite himself. "She really is good at what she does you know."
"I guess." She lowered her eyes. "Galen, do you think that we could contact my home world and see if anyone has survived?" She chewed her lower lip as she gaze slowly up at the man.
'Why wouldn't there be any survivors?" His curiosity peeked.
"That is why we left. Our sun was about to collapse and…and we were one of several ships sent off to see if an inhabitable planet could be found in time." She paused before continuing. "I just need to know if I am the only one left. Do you understand that?"
Before Galen could answer, the door opened suddenly and Dureen burst in with Doctor Chambers following closely behind.
"Dureen, you can't just barge in like…"
"Chambers get out of my way! I have to see. They said she had my eyes!" Dureen stopped and stared first at Galen, then at Isadora. As the women looked intensely at each other Dureen suddenly took a step back. "Blue!"
"Dureen, allow me to introduce you to our guest. Her name is Isadora." Galen sounded annoyed.
"I'm sorry Galen." Dureen lowered her head and shook it. "I was just hoping that…" She looked back at Isadora. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you. I just had to see." Slowly Isadora raised one hand and stroked Dureen's face, wiping a single tear from the corner of her eye.
"Wet?" Isadora looked questioningly at Galen. "Her tears remain wet?"
"Of course they do." Dureen looked astonished at the woman sitting in front of her. "What else would they be?"
'Hold out your hand." Isadora instructed as Galen nodded. Slowly and with care, Isadora pulled a broach from her clothing and pricked her finger. As the blood welled into a drop she placed it in Dureen's open palm. "Now watch." Seconds passed as the drop began to crystallize. Dureen and Doctor Chambers watched amazed. "That is what happens to my tears." She smiled at the confused faces. "That is the way of my race."
"I have never seen anything like this before." Chambers looked back at the small crystal nestled in Dureen's hand.
"Healer, I mean Doctor, I think I would like to rest now." Isadora lay slowly on the bed.
"Of course." Chambers looked at Dureen. "We should leave."
"Galen? Would you come back a bit later? I don't want to be alone." Isadora pleaded with the man.
"Of course I will come back to you." He touched her hand softly. "I must see the Captain first and speak with him. When you awaken, you will find me next to your bed."
"Captain?" She questioned and thought. "Ah, we called them the Primary Harmonizer. Yes, I understand."
"Come." Galen commanded the women. "She will rest now. There will be time enough to ask and answer questions." He waited until they left then turned back to Isadora. "I will return soon." She nodded and closed her eyes as she curled her body and relaxed.
"Galen, are you all right now?" Gideon looked concerned. "The last time I saw you, you looked like death warmed over."
"I am quite well now Matthew. I just needed to listen." Galen sat across from Gideon. "I am sorry I worried you." He grinned mischievously.
"Yeah, well," Gideon cleared his voice. "I have been looking at the information you fed into our computers and frankly, I don't think I have ever seen anything like it before."
"Nor have I or any of the Order that I am aware of." Galen brushed at his cloak. "Isadora would like to try to contact her home world Matthew. Would that be possible?"
"Where is it?"
"You know, I haven't the foggiest idea." Galen looked at Gideon surprised. "With all that has gone on, I don't believe I took time to find out where she is from. Once she wakes up, I will surely ask."
"One of the images disturbs me a great deal Galen." He brought up the image of Tobias against the wall, covered with crystals. "What happened to this man?"
"I can't be sure, but I believe he merged with the ship in order to keep Isadora alive until someone found her." Galen looked away. "Once I had her safe, he simply…vanished with the ship."
"More like exploded with the ship." Gideon shook his head. "I would like to speak with Isadora before we try contacting anyone."
"Of course Matthew." He waited for a moment then added. "If there is nothing more, I did promise to be by her side when she woke."
"I don't have anything else at the moment." Galen rose. "Just let me know when I can talk to her." Galen nodded then turned to leave. "Galen, does she really cry tears of crystal?"
"Word does spread quickly around this ship." Galen paused. "Yes Matthew, she really does cry tears of crystal. Why do you ask?"
"Just wondering if maybe her people had ever visited Earth before."
"And just why would you wonder that?" Galen turned and stared at Gideon.
"Just old legends. You know the stories of Atlantis, the city of Crystals." Gideon shrugged. "Some legends say that the whole city was a crystal island. Before it disappeared, the people dispersed throughout the world, bringing their various crafts and arts with them."
"Yes, just legends." Galen's voice took on the singsong tone Gideon had come to recognize as the Mage in deep thought. "Probably just a bunch of stories to encourage children to work harder. Good Day Matthew." He left quickly as Gideon continued to stare at the now dead man on the small screen.
"She seems to be just fine Galen." Doctor Chambers studied the readings before her. "A bit dehydrated, but other than that, from what I can tell, very healthy."
"Thank you Doctor. May I see her now?" Galen looked through the window at the woman pacing the floor. "I am sure she is very afraid at the moment."
"Of course." She smiled as Galen started around the console. "Galen? Captain Gideon would like to speak with you as soon as you can." Galen nodded then continued into the room where Isadora had been put.
"Well," Isadora looked up relieved as Galen entered, "Doctor Chambers gave you a clean bill of health."
"Doctor? Oh you mean the female who prodded me." Impatience rushed from her lips. "I gathered from her concern that she is a Healer?"
"Yes, that is a Doctor's main vocation. The well-being and care of those on the ship." Galen motioned to the bed for Isadora to sit.
"Well, they are a primitive race. Such invasive procedures." She crossed her arms as she sat and stared at Chambers through the window. "It makes me uncomfortable to be watched all the time. Is it really necessary?"
"I will see what I can do for you." Galen found himself smiling at the woman despite himself. "She really is good at what she does you know."
"I guess." She lowered her eyes. "Galen, do you think that we could contact my home world and see if anyone has survived?" She chewed her lower lip as she gaze slowly up at the man.
'Why wouldn't there be any survivors?" His curiosity peeked.
"That is why we left. Our sun was about to collapse and…and we were one of several ships sent off to see if an inhabitable planet could be found in time." She paused before continuing. "I just need to know if I am the only one left. Do you understand that?"
Before Galen could answer, the door opened suddenly and Dureen burst in with Doctor Chambers following closely behind.
"Dureen, you can't just barge in like…"
"Chambers get out of my way! I have to see. They said she had my eyes!" Dureen stopped and stared first at Galen, then at Isadora. As the women looked intensely at each other Dureen suddenly took a step back. "Blue!"
"Dureen, allow me to introduce you to our guest. Her name is Isadora." Galen sounded annoyed.
"I'm sorry Galen." Dureen lowered her head and shook it. "I was just hoping that…" She looked back at Isadora. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you. I just had to see." Slowly Isadora raised one hand and stroked Dureen's face, wiping a single tear from the corner of her eye.
"Wet?" Isadora looked questioningly at Galen. "Her tears remain wet?"
"Of course they do." Dureen looked astonished at the woman sitting in front of her. "What else would they be?"
'Hold out your hand." Isadora instructed as Galen nodded. Slowly and with care, Isadora pulled a broach from her clothing and pricked her finger. As the blood welled into a drop she placed it in Dureen's open palm. "Now watch." Seconds passed as the drop began to crystallize. Dureen and Doctor Chambers watched amazed. "That is what happens to my tears." She smiled at the confused faces. "That is the way of my race."
"I have never seen anything like this before." Chambers looked back at the small crystal nestled in Dureen's hand.
"Healer, I mean Doctor, I think I would like to rest now." Isadora lay slowly on the bed.
"Of course." Chambers looked at Dureen. "We should leave."
"Galen? Would you come back a bit later? I don't want to be alone." Isadora pleaded with the man.
"Of course I will come back to you." He touched her hand softly. "I must see the Captain first and speak with him. When you awaken, you will find me next to your bed."
"Captain?" She questioned and thought. "Ah, we called them the Primary Harmonizer. Yes, I understand."
"Come." Galen commanded the women. "She will rest now. There will be time enough to ask and answer questions." He waited until they left then turned back to Isadora. "I will return soon." She nodded and closed her eyes as she curled her body and relaxed.
"Galen, are you all right now?" Gideon looked concerned. "The last time I saw you, you looked like death warmed over."
"I am quite well now Matthew. I just needed to listen." Galen sat across from Gideon. "I am sorry I worried you." He grinned mischievously.
"Yeah, well," Gideon cleared his voice. "I have been looking at the information you fed into our computers and frankly, I don't think I have ever seen anything like it before."
"Nor have I or any of the Order that I am aware of." Galen brushed at his cloak. "Isadora would like to try to contact her home world Matthew. Would that be possible?"
"Where is it?"
"You know, I haven't the foggiest idea." Galen looked at Gideon surprised. "With all that has gone on, I don't believe I took time to find out where she is from. Once she wakes up, I will surely ask."
"One of the images disturbs me a great deal Galen." He brought up the image of Tobias against the wall, covered with crystals. "What happened to this man?"
"I can't be sure, but I believe he merged with the ship in order to keep Isadora alive until someone found her." Galen looked away. "Once I had her safe, he simply…vanished with the ship."
"More like exploded with the ship." Gideon shook his head. "I would like to speak with Isadora before we try contacting anyone."
"Of course Matthew." He waited for a moment then added. "If there is nothing more, I did promise to be by her side when she woke."
"I don't have anything else at the moment." Galen rose. "Just let me know when I can talk to her." Galen nodded then turned to leave. "Galen, does she really cry tears of crystal?"
"Word does spread quickly around this ship." Galen paused. "Yes Matthew, she really does cry tears of crystal. Why do you ask?"
"Just wondering if maybe her people had ever visited Earth before."
"And just why would you wonder that?" Galen turned and stared at Gideon.
"Just old legends. You know the stories of Atlantis, the city of Crystals." Gideon shrugged. "Some legends say that the whole city was a crystal island. Before it disappeared, the people dispersed throughout the world, bringing their various crafts and arts with them."
"Yes, just legends." Galen's voice took on the singsong tone Gideon had come to recognize as the Mage in deep thought. "Probably just a bunch of stories to encourage children to work harder. Good Day Matthew." He left quickly as Gideon continued to stare at the now dead man on the small screen.