Part 39
Solimus sat up and looked around. His eyes grew large and fearful when he saw Trance. He tried to scoot backwards to get away from her. Trance watched him quietly. She knew in her heart that he could not be expected to overlook an entire lifetime of hate and distrust but it saddened her to see his fear of her people. Still she now held hope that one day this would change. Dylan placed his hand on the boy's arm. At his touch, Solimus looked up at him.
"I don't understand. What happened? I thought I was going to die. Why am I not dead?"
"You have been deemed worthy of a second chance young Solimus." The mist spirit said, floating into view of the boy.
"Who…what are you?" he asked stunned.
"I am the spirit of this world, captured and enslaved by those who sought power they did not deserve. Since the beginning of time, those like me have been the guardians of life. We protect the many worlds and their people. We nourish them, shelter them, and keep them alive. Once your people were our kindred, caretakers of those who could not care for themselves. But they were seduced by the power they wielded, corrupted, and twisted until they became the very thing they once protected others from. Now it is up to you to show them what they were and are capable of once again becoming."
"But I can't do that!" Solimus said. "I don't have my father's magic or my mother's healing powers. I could never be a leader like my grandmother. I am just ordinary."
"You sacrificed yourself for Beka. That is not ordinary, that is truly the mark of a great man." Trance said coming forward.
"You are a demon, aren't you?" he asked.
"That is what your people have named those like me but it is not what I am." Trance said with a gentle smile.
"Then what are you?" he asked in childlike innocence.
"A friend." She said. " We are very much alike. Once our races were friends as well. Perhaps some day we can be again."
"A very typical Trance Gemini answer, vague and useless." Tyr said. "I believe the boy, as well as the rest of us, deserves a more…complete answer than that."
Tyr's accusation was forgotten when Harper suddenly cried out. Everyone turned to see him gently lowering Beka to the ground. Dylan ran forward and cushioned her head on his lap. He was dismayed at seeing her condition. Her breathing was erratic. Her skin was ashen. Sweat beaded on her forehead. She lay there with her eyes closed and her arms wrapped around her waist. She was obviously in great pain.
"Trance! Rommie," Dylan cried, "what is wrong with her?"
The two women came forward and knelt beside their friend. Rommie quickly ran some scans of Beka. The results both astounded and scared her.
"She's pregnant!" she said in amazement. "But her body is rejecting the baby and it is killing her."
Only Dylan and Trance seemed unfazed by Rommie's first statement. However the second statement sent Dylan into a panic.
"Well do something!" he yelled.
"There is nothing I can do." Rommie said sadly.
"Trance?" Dylan pleaded.
"Dylan, we are in the middle of nowhere. I have no equipment, no technology. I can't do anything here. And by the time we get back to Andromeda it will be too late." She said sadly.
"There is one who can save her." The spirit said. "If he is willing." She turned toward Solimus. The boy was still sitting where he had been before Beka collapsed.
"Me?" he squeaked. "I can't help her. I don't know how."
"Then she will die." The spirit said simply.
Solimus stared at the mist figure for a few moments. Then he looked at Beka. Finally he looked up at Dylan. He saw the silent plea in the man's eyes.
"Tell me what to do." He said looking toward the spirit once more. "I will try."
"The answer is within you, simply do as your heart tells you." The spirit said before disappearing back into the pit.
Solimus stood and walked over to the group huddled around Beka. For a moment he hesitated. Then he knelt beside Beka.
"I don't even know where to start." He said timidly.
"Well, that amulet healed you." Trance said, pointing to the chain around his neck. "Maybe you can use it to help Beka."
Nodding his head, Solimus grasped the stone in one hand. He laid his other hand on Beka's arms, which were still crossed around her stomach. For a moment nothing happened. Then they all noticed a faint blue light escaping from between the boy's fingers. The light grew in intensity until it was almost blinding. It surrounded Beka. Slowly the pained look left her face. Her breathing grew less labored and she opened her eyes. Looking up at the concerned faces of her friends, she offered a weak smile.
It was several minutes before any one spoke. Finally Dylan turned toward Solimus.
"That is the second time you have saved her life. I am forever grateful to you." He said sincerely.
"I am the grateful one. I understand so much now that I did not before. My people can be saved now. And it won't be done by hurting others."
"It won't be easy to convince them of that." Trance said.
"No, it won't. But I have this." He said holding up the amulet. " They fear its power so they will not openly oppose me."
"Well, if the last hour is any indication of your determination and will, I have no doubt you will succeed." Tyr said. The others were surprised by his compliment to the boy. Solimus, however, smiled and accepted the praise graciously.
Beka moaned and tried to sit up but Dylan gently held her back.
"Relax Beka." Trance said. "Wait until Rommie has checked you out."
Rommie closed her eyes and ran scans of all Beka's bio-signs. It was several minutes before she opened her eyes and both Beka and Dylan were becoming increasingly worried. When she did open them she looked down at Beka sadly.
"Rommie?" Dylan asked with more than a little trepidation in his voice.
"Beka is fine. There are no signs of any distress on any of her organs." Rommie said quietly.
"I am sensing a but here." Harper said.
"There are also no other life signs present; Beka's pregnancy is no longer viable."
Solimus sat up and looked around. His eyes grew large and fearful when he saw Trance. He tried to scoot backwards to get away from her. Trance watched him quietly. She knew in her heart that he could not be expected to overlook an entire lifetime of hate and distrust but it saddened her to see his fear of her people. Still she now held hope that one day this would change. Dylan placed his hand on the boy's arm. At his touch, Solimus looked up at him.
"I don't understand. What happened? I thought I was going to die. Why am I not dead?"
"You have been deemed worthy of a second chance young Solimus." The mist spirit said, floating into view of the boy.
"Who…what are you?" he asked stunned.
"I am the spirit of this world, captured and enslaved by those who sought power they did not deserve. Since the beginning of time, those like me have been the guardians of life. We protect the many worlds and their people. We nourish them, shelter them, and keep them alive. Once your people were our kindred, caretakers of those who could not care for themselves. But they were seduced by the power they wielded, corrupted, and twisted until they became the very thing they once protected others from. Now it is up to you to show them what they were and are capable of once again becoming."
"But I can't do that!" Solimus said. "I don't have my father's magic or my mother's healing powers. I could never be a leader like my grandmother. I am just ordinary."
"You sacrificed yourself for Beka. That is not ordinary, that is truly the mark of a great man." Trance said coming forward.
"You are a demon, aren't you?" he asked.
"That is what your people have named those like me but it is not what I am." Trance said with a gentle smile.
"Then what are you?" he asked in childlike innocence.
"A friend." She said. " We are very much alike. Once our races were friends as well. Perhaps some day we can be again."
"A very typical Trance Gemini answer, vague and useless." Tyr said. "I believe the boy, as well as the rest of us, deserves a more…complete answer than that."
Tyr's accusation was forgotten when Harper suddenly cried out. Everyone turned to see him gently lowering Beka to the ground. Dylan ran forward and cushioned her head on his lap. He was dismayed at seeing her condition. Her breathing was erratic. Her skin was ashen. Sweat beaded on her forehead. She lay there with her eyes closed and her arms wrapped around her waist. She was obviously in great pain.
"Trance! Rommie," Dylan cried, "what is wrong with her?"
The two women came forward and knelt beside their friend. Rommie quickly ran some scans of Beka. The results both astounded and scared her.
"She's pregnant!" she said in amazement. "But her body is rejecting the baby and it is killing her."
Only Dylan and Trance seemed unfazed by Rommie's first statement. However the second statement sent Dylan into a panic.
"Well do something!" he yelled.
"There is nothing I can do." Rommie said sadly.
"Trance?" Dylan pleaded.
"Dylan, we are in the middle of nowhere. I have no equipment, no technology. I can't do anything here. And by the time we get back to Andromeda it will be too late." She said sadly.
"There is one who can save her." The spirit said. "If he is willing." She turned toward Solimus. The boy was still sitting where he had been before Beka collapsed.
"Me?" he squeaked. "I can't help her. I don't know how."
"Then she will die." The spirit said simply.
Solimus stared at the mist figure for a few moments. Then he looked at Beka. Finally he looked up at Dylan. He saw the silent plea in the man's eyes.
"Tell me what to do." He said looking toward the spirit once more. "I will try."
"The answer is within you, simply do as your heart tells you." The spirit said before disappearing back into the pit.
Solimus stood and walked over to the group huddled around Beka. For a moment he hesitated. Then he knelt beside Beka.
"I don't even know where to start." He said timidly.
"Well, that amulet healed you." Trance said, pointing to the chain around his neck. "Maybe you can use it to help Beka."
Nodding his head, Solimus grasped the stone in one hand. He laid his other hand on Beka's arms, which were still crossed around her stomach. For a moment nothing happened. Then they all noticed a faint blue light escaping from between the boy's fingers. The light grew in intensity until it was almost blinding. It surrounded Beka. Slowly the pained look left her face. Her breathing grew less labored and she opened her eyes. Looking up at the concerned faces of her friends, she offered a weak smile.
It was several minutes before any one spoke. Finally Dylan turned toward Solimus.
"That is the second time you have saved her life. I am forever grateful to you." He said sincerely.
"I am the grateful one. I understand so much now that I did not before. My people can be saved now. And it won't be done by hurting others."
"It won't be easy to convince them of that." Trance said.
"No, it won't. But I have this." He said holding up the amulet. " They fear its power so they will not openly oppose me."
"Well, if the last hour is any indication of your determination and will, I have no doubt you will succeed." Tyr said. The others were surprised by his compliment to the boy. Solimus, however, smiled and accepted the praise graciously.
Beka moaned and tried to sit up but Dylan gently held her back.
"Relax Beka." Trance said. "Wait until Rommie has checked you out."
Rommie closed her eyes and ran scans of all Beka's bio-signs. It was several minutes before she opened her eyes and both Beka and Dylan were becoming increasingly worried. When she did open them she looked down at Beka sadly.
"Rommie?" Dylan asked with more than a little trepidation in his voice.
"Beka is fine. There are no signs of any distress on any of her organs." Rommie said quietly.
"I am sensing a but here." Harper said.
"There are also no other life signs present; Beka's pregnancy is no longer viable."