CHAPTER 4
"HE'S GONE!"
Jason returned to his human form just outside the Delta Vega settlement. He went straight to the first people he saw, who in turn took him to the colony's leader, Gordon Taylor. Upon hearing the boy's story, he sent for the only person qualified to deal with the situation—Dr. Lilith Jordan.
"I can't just drop everything and go charging off into the forest, Graham," Lilith protested to the settlement's Second-in-command. They were just inside the main entrance of the Research Center. For reasons that did not occur to Graham Remington to even wonder about until much later, no one in the colony ever went any further than the lobby of the building. If Lilith or one of her team were needed, they always came out to meet them.
"I know you're not the settlement's doctor, Lilith, but you are still a doctor," the tanned, fair-haired young man pointed out firmly. "And you know more about this planet's plant and animal life than anyone."
She conceded this point with a heavy sigh. "Oh, very well. Let me get my supplies. But if this turns out to be someone with a scraped knee, Taylor will have hell to pay for interrupting my work!" she called back as she went through the interior doors.
Lilith went to the main lab, instructing Higgins, her Head Technician, to hold off on drawing the Terrellians' blood until she returned, ordering a second paralyzing injection administered. She then collected a small case of medical supplies.
"What's going on?" Jacoby asked as Lilith headed back to the main entrance.
"It's those bothersome colonists," she replied wearily. "Someone's gotten themselves hurt in the woods and needs a bandage or something. I'll be back as soon as I can."
The Terrellian village was comprised of domed huts resembling large mounds of earth rather than dwellings. However, when one passed through the door, instead of entering a burrow, one found themselves in a spacious well lit main room. Further within the dwelling was a short hall leading to the other rooms. Once inside, one would never know that they were underground.
The Doctor was carried to Marjora's hut and taken into one of the bedrooms. He was placed a large piece of rectangular webbing that looked more like a hammock than a bed. It was stretched out between stakes that had been driven into the dirt floor. It was to these the Doctor's hands and feet were securely tied.
Marjora was no more in favor of binding the unconscious man than she had been in bringing him to the village. She would have preferred to remain in the forest until his treatments were completed rather than endangering the whole village. As before, however, she was outnumbered by the others who were not as convinced of their captive's incapacity as she was.
"We must notify Olyeon at once," Marjora announced. She had been pushed around one time too many and felt it was time she exerted some of her own authority. This was her home and he was her patient, so to speak. And, after all, she was Physician of the Village. "Willa can look after the human while we're gone," she said firmly.
Willa was aghast. "No, Mother! Please, don't leave me here alone—with him!" She took hold of her mother and buried her face in her side. Willa was smaller than her brother, Laurel, but resembled him in color and markings.
"Don't worry, my darling," Marjora soothed, "he can't harm you like that."
The terrified child clung to her mother, whimpering. It had only been a week since the humans had taken her to that terrible room in the Research Center.
"I'll stay with her, Marjora," volunteered Dahlia, who had been visiting with Willa when the Doctor was brought in.
Marjora thanked her and then kissed her frightened daughter. They had all experienced the horrors of that terrible room at the hands of Dr. Jordan and her staff. There wasn't one of them who didn't bear the identification number that she'd had burned into their flesh.
For a fleeting instant, Marjora felt a murderous rage well up inside her and she glared hatefully at the helpless figure on the bed. The rage passed as quickly as it appeared and she was herself again. Turning, she set off to report to Chief Elder Olyeon.
"He's gone!" Jason was clasping the handkerchief he had given to the Doctor and looking around in bewilderment.
Lilith sighed heavily. Another wild goose chase. "Well, apparently your friend wasn't as bad off as you'd assumed," she said condescendingly.
"Don't be absurd!" Jason snapped. "He was practically cyanotic. He'd aspirated enough spores to cover nearly seventy-five percent of his lung tissue. He was diaphoretic and his pulse rates—" He broke off when he realized Dr. Jordan was staring at him with her mouth open. "I'm a Healer—a physician," he said quickly in way of explanation.
Lilith blinked, looking the young man up and down. "I see," she said at last. "Well, if he was too weak to move under his own power, there's only one explanation."
"Someone took him," Jason completed, staring into the forest in horrified disbelief.
"Or some-thing," Ellis injected pointedly.
Jason spun around. "What did you say?" he gasped.
Taylor quickly intervened. "You must excuse Ellis," he said gently, glaring angrily over at the hunter. "He tends to be…abrupt."
The Alterran returned his attention to the woods, gazing mournfully in to the trees. "Oh, Doctor, what've I done?" He tried to collect himself, but still didn't trust himself to face the others. Swallowing hard, he asked, "What kind of animal could carry off a grown man without a trace?"
"Several. Especially if the grown man happens to be incapacitated," Ellis replied pointed. "There's a creature native to this region called a gaav that killed a technician a few weeks ago. It could easily—"
"I think we get the gist of it, thank-you, Ellis," Taylor broke in. He put a consoling arm around the young man's shoulder. "I'm so dreadfully sorry, Jason. Please, come and stay with me tonight. You really shouldn't be alone."
Large tears were already beginning to well up in Jason's eyes. He shook his head and stammered, "Nn…no, thank-you. I…I must…I must try…to find the Doctor."
"You won't find him in the dark," Ellis observed bluntly. "And that's exactly what you'll be in in about half an hour."
The Colony Leader shot him a withering look. The hunter was unimpressed. "As much as I hate to agree with him," Taylor said slowly, "I'm afraid he's right."
Reluctantly, Jason returned to the Delta Vega settlement, not really aware of the return journey. He felt numb and was blaming himself for having left his helpless friend alone. In his mind he knew there was nothing else he could have done, but it still didn't make it any easier.
Hoping to take his mind off of the fact that he could do nothing until first light, Jason eventually went for a walk though the settlement. He could see lighted windows of the Research Center in the distance and vaguely remembered Dr. Jordan telling him about it and inviting him to come see it for himself. Jason set off in its direction, resolving to keep himself occupied until morning.
In the Terrellian village, the Doctor slowly returned to consciousness and opened his eyes. His mind was cloudy and every breath was a struggle, but at least he was alive. Then he discovered he was bound and wondered how long he would stay alive. There was some movement in the room and he focused with difficulty on Willa, who was preparing another moss pack. The moss, of course! He remembered now and wondered if he had been tied down simply to prevent him from thrashing when the pack was applied while he was unconscious. It certainly made breathing easier and he surmised that it was destroying the spores that had coated his lungs.
Willa turned to face the Doctor and gasped when she saw him watching her. She let out a terrified shriek, dropping the moss pack and bolting from the room.
"How very curious," the Doctor thought. He tried to call out, but started to cough, and blacked out again.
"What do you want?" Jacoby asked accusingly as Jason entered the Research Center.
"I came to see Dr. Jordan."
"She's busy. Go away."
"Jacoby! That's no way to treat a guest," Lilith admonished as she came through the door. She glared at her assistant before turning to Jason, all smiles. "I see you decided to accept my invitation. I'm very pleased."
"I'm glad someone is."
Lilith waved a hand dismissively. "You must forgive my assistant. He's a good scientist, but seriously lacking in the social graces."
"He must spend a lot of time with Ellis," Jason snorted.
Jacoby took this perfectly innocent remark the wrong way, but was prevented from making a fool of himself by Dr. Jordan. "This young man says he's a physician, Mr. Jacoby, isn't that interesting?" she said conversationally.
Jacoby grunted noncommittally and gathered up some papers. "If you'll excuse me," he said curtly, "I've a number of reports to complete." With that, he strode from the room.
"I'm sorry," the Alterran began, "if I'm interrupting…" He motioned towards the door as though to leave.
"Nonsense," Lilith said happily. With her work finally done, she had some free time. As far as she was concerned, Jason was just a boy claiming to be a doctor. Granted his knowledge was exceptional, but what harm could it do to show him around? If nothing else, it would expose him as a fraud.
Lilith smiled to herself, deciding she rather liked this idea and held out a hand, inviting the Alterran Healer in. "I really am glad you decided to come, Jason. I so rarely get the chance to show off my work."