Part II: The Rude Awakening

The next night's dreams are just as relentless as the previous night's. The memories he thought were pushed back the farthest in his mind were now the only things he could see. This time, they are a lot more vivid; images moving at a lightning fast pace, revealing more and more lost details.

Around the same time Tyr is reliving his own personal downfall, Trance Gemini is experiencing her own personal triumph. She excitedly drags Beka Valentine into Hydroponics to show her what she's been working on.

"What is it that you just HAD to show me, Trance?" said a slightly annoyed Beka.

Trance giggles with delight as she points to a somewhat large in diameter, prickly green and yellow bush with large prickly, football-shaped pods hanging off of it. Trance carefully pulls one of them off to give Beka a closer look at it.

"Okay, I give up... what is it?" questioned Beka.

"Well, it's an ancient plant that use to grow on Earth that many people thought was extinct." remarked Trance. "It's called... a pineapple, although I think that's kinda a weird name for it since it doesn't look anything like a pine or an apple and..."

"Umm... yea, that's nice, Trance." interruped Beka, quickly cutting her off before she got on a roll. "Does it do anything in particular?"

Trance reaches for a plate with the mutilated remains of pineapple she tried to cut herself without much success.

"Here, try one...sorry about the mess."

"You've never had the stomach to hurt your own plants."

"I know, but I try to think that he's in a better place now."

Beka takes a chunk of the yellow fleshly part and places it in her mouth. A look of instant pleasure shows on her face.

"Yea, my stomach... this stuff is great. You did a really good job, Trance."

"Thanks, Beka. I want to give one to everyone as a present... especially Tyr."

Beka had continued to gobble on more and more pineapple chunks and almost choked on Trance's suggestion.

"Tyr?!"

"Yea, why not? I think it would be a really nice gesture. He's the only one on this ship that I'm not very close to. I get along with you and Dylan and Harper and Rev and even Rommie. I think Tyr just tolerates me, but I really want him to like me. I just want him to know that I want to be his friend too. "

Beka wraps her arm around Trance's shoulder, comforting her.

"Trance... I had no idea you felt that way. A word of advice...don't sweat how he is. His attitude isn't just limited to you. He has a wall around him 3 feet thick and I doubt a pineapple plant is going to break through that."

"But you don't know that for sure."

Beka sits Trance down and takes a seat next to her.

"Tyr isn't one for 'nice gestures' and besides, what would be the point... you two have very little in common and I think he wants to keep it that way. So, word to the wise... you might wanna try 86ing that 'being buddies with Tyr' idea."

Then, Beka points to the plate of pineapple chunks.

"Oh... can I finish the rest of this?"

"Umm...sure, go ahead."

"Thanks, Trance."

Beka continues devouring pineapple chunks, murmuring to herself as she turns to leave Hydroponics. Once Beka is out of sight, Trance goes over what she said many times in her head, but manages to come back to her own original decision. Carefully, she plucks a fresh pineapple off the plant and heads for Tyr's quarters.

As she is heading his way with her little peace offering, Tyr's brain is being mercilessly bombarded with the painful scenes of his past.

This nightmare continues his visions of him at the age of 13, having just witnessed the execution of his mother, Victoria. The blood rushes heavily from the slit in her neck as her body goes limp. The Dragon ringleader wipes his blade on his forearm covering and replaces it in its sheath. He then proceeds looting the dead woman of her jewelry and other personal items of value, including her double helix armband. The others smile in approval of his cruel actions. Young Tyr's fear for his mother's life turns instantly into a unadulterated rage. He tightly grips his knife in his hand, trembling with anger, he is determined to kill anyone that comes toward the tree he's concealed behind. He hears the footsteps of someone approaching and prepares to attack.

The footsteps in his dream overlap those of Trance's as she is walking toward him, pineapple in tow. She sees he is asleep and doesn't want to disturb him. As she is turning to walk out, she hears him groaning heavily and tossing and turning in his sleep. She becomes concerned and begins approaching him again to see if she could maybe snap him out of it.

"Tyr... are you alright?" she says softly. "You don't sound too good."

Still deeply engrossed in his dream state, Tyr has also prepared himself for an attack. In his conscious world, underneath his pillow, he is holding a sharp dagger waiting to strike.

In the dream, young Tyr hears the footsteps and voice coming in his direction also waiting to strike.

Both Tyrs are breathing heavily gripping their weapons tightly in their hands.

Then... at precisely the same time, they feel someone grab them on their shoulders. Tyr grabs what he thinks is his assailant, flips them onto the bed and puts the blade to their neck. The scream is not that of the Dragon-Kazov he murdered some 20 years ago, but the high-pitched squeals of a scared Trance pleading for her life.

"Tyr... wake up! It's me... Trance! Please...wake up!"