Whee
In place of no real title
(Although I do refer to this story as Upon Her Blindness)
Disclaimer: I obviously don't own anybody in this fanfiction.
Notes: It's better if you read the dialogue the way the Planeteers would say it. This is the first fan fiction I have ever actually taken the time to sit down and write up in a very long time (though I have thought of many) Also, this story IS mostly focusing on Linka, though it doesn't show at the very beginning, so don't give up.
Also, if you've read the spoof RP and that Diana and I did once, it may sound familiar.
NOTE (Dec 2005): This story was also written quite some time ago. I don't particularly have plans to finish it, but anything is possible. I hope that it is still worth a read.
Wheeler sharpened the tip of his cue stick as he taunted Kwame. "You gotta learn how to just jab the ball, my man," he said. Wheeler 'jabbed' the white ball into the yellow ball and caused the green ball to go into the left hole. "Now that's how you play pool," Wheeler jeered. Kwame ignored it with a smile on his face. He scored two more balls and won the game. "Aww man," Wheeler said, putting his hand on the back of his neck.
"Best out of 10!" Wheeler pleaded.
Wheeler, that is what you said 4 games ago. Enough! I beat you fair and square every time," Kwame explained as he put his pool cue up and began to rearrange the balls for next time.
"C'mon, man! One more game! Pleeeease?" Wheeler begged. Kwame laughed heartily. Suddenly Gaia was omnipresent. "Planeteers, we have an extremely serious problem… Report to the Crystal Chamber immediately!"
Linka walked along the beach, lost in thought. She scoured the sand high and low in search of the perfect shell to complete her necklace. She often made a habit of wandering the beach aimlessly when she had free time, which was very rare lately. She picked up a small conch and turned it over in her hand. It was pink, tiny, and oh so perfect. She threaded it through the string and fastened the knot securely. She slid the shells down until the pink conch was in the center, surrounded by the pearly side of many muscle shells. She was just about to adorn it when Gaia appeared…
Gi and Ma-Ti polished the Geocruiser to a glowing finish. Gi wiped the sweat from her forehead and said "whew!" She and Ma-Ti looked at each other and then back at the beautiful, newly-shined Geocruiser. "Great work, Ma-Ti," she giggled. The two began to laugh, very proud of their fine accomplishment. Their merriment was short-lived, however, due to an interruption by a startled image of Gaia summoning them to the Crystal Chamber.
Once all the Planeteers had assembled, Gaia showed them a vast forest with many caverns and rivers. "Oh, it's so beautiful!" cried Linka. She paused. "But what is wrong, Gaia?" she asked, confused.
"That's what I wanted to discuss. Planeteers, there's something extremely strange going on in that vicinity of South America. It's a feeling I have never felt before… I can't begin to explain it. I have to send you out there to search for me, and I will gather as much information here as I can."
"You can count on us, Gaia!" said Kwame.
"So much for relaxation," groaned Wheeler a little bitterly. Vacation time was extremely sparse lately. The Planeteers began to scuttle off, but Gaia stopped them.
"Planeteers, please be careful. This is very different and you will need to pool your resources," Gaia said with a concerned look on her face. They nodded and ran off to fulfill their latest mission. When the Planeteers had left, Gaia turned her back. "Zarm."
The Planeteers got situated in their proper seats. Ma-Ti was in back with Suchi, eagerly waiting to see his homeland again, but nervous in case it was as bad as Gaia made it sound. Linka and wheeler sat one seat up from Ma-Ti, adjacent. Gi and Kwame sat in the front, Gi piloting. Gi entered the appropriate coordinates and began to follow the map displayed. "Okay, guys. We'll be there in roughly an hour," Gi announced as she took off. The Geocruiser jerked slightly in turbulence at first, but then settled down.
"Roughly is right," said Wheeler, twisting and turning to stay upright in the air pockets.
"I wonder what could be wrong… That place looked so beautiful, I can't imagine…" Linka trailed off.
"Trust me babe, beauty always has a vicious side to it. You're living proof!" Wheeler joked. "Oh, spare me!" Linka snapped back. She crossed her arms and turned her head to look out her window.
"Come on, guys. I know we have not had a lot of time to relax lately, but we are still a team, and are still friends. So let us act like it," reminded Ma-Ti.
"Whatever," said Linka, slipping on her headphones and pulling out the MP3 player she had stowed in the pocket of the seatback in front of her. She cued up her favorite singer, Tat'yana Bulanova, and began to listen to her personal collection of songs. It wasn't long before Tanya's soothing voice nade Linka forget all about her irritation at Wheeler. When she opened her eyes again, she was considerably farther down her playlist. I must have fallen asleep, she thought.
"We're almost there, guys," said Gi. Suddenly the Geocruiser's console lights went out and it began to plummet towards the earth. The Planeteers screamed as they tried to hold onto their lunches.
"What's goin' on?" asked Wheeler, panic starting to rise in his voice.
"I think we've suddenly lost power!" Gi's voice unsteadily answered.
"Do you need my help?" asked Linka, jolting upright in her seat and snatching her headphones off.
"No, we'll be fine. But it's going to be a rough landing," shouted Gi, her voice wavering with the bouncing of the Geocruiser. She jerked the handle up and managed to land them roughly but unharmed. "Jeeze!" cried Wheeler. "That was a close one," Kwame interjected. Gi sounded slightly panicked. "I-I don't know what happened!" They all piled out of the Geocruiser when they had regained their balance to inspect any damage and discover the problem with the Geiocruiser. They had landed in a huge, marshy puddle of mud. They surveyed their surroundings closely. There was a large river running southwards and dense trees everywhere. It appeared they had landed in a large clearing.
"I guess our polishing was not timed very well," Ma-Ti said to Gi lightheartedly, hoping to ease the tension everyone seemed to be radiating. Kwame looked around, not seeing any evident problems or damage on the Geocruiser.
"We must find out what caused the Geocruiser to fail on us like that," said Kwame.
"Yes, but we must also find out what Gaia was so urgent about," said Gi. Kwame thought a moment.
"Alright... Gi, I think you should stay here and work on the Geocruiser while we go look around a bit. You have the most knowledge about what the Geocruiser needs and uses." Gi agreed. "Wheeler, Linka, you two will take that area over there," said Kwame, pointing north. "Ma-Ti and I will follow this river. Make sure you don't get lost. If you end up in any trouble, just remember to aim your ring towards the sun and one of us will come running as soon as we see it. Gi, follow this river down until you meet up with Ma-Ti and me if you get finished with the Geocruiser before we all return. If we find nothing, we will all reassemble here in two hours." The Planeteers nodded amongst each other and split up to the places they were designated. Gi waved goodbye and wished them luck. She opened the control panel to the Geocruiser and began searching for the problem.
Linka and Wheeler trudged through the dense forest. After what seemed like eons, they came to another very small clearing and found the mouth to a cavern. "Look at this cave, Wheeler!" cried Linka. "Does this not hit you as odd?"
"I think you mean strike, not hit. And yeah, it does seem a little more than out of place here, huh?"
"I think we should go inside, just to see if it leads anywhere," said Linka, preparing to go in.
"Sorry, babe, but that's not the best idea you've had. Why would we want to go into a cave that is probably crawling with trouble?"
"Wheeler, this is no ordinary cave. Caves do not just crop up in clearings. It's not the right place! It has to be of some significance. After all, we were sent here to see what trouble we can find!"
"Yeah, you're right. Still, you seem a little eager to enter, don't you?"
"If you are too scared, Wheeler," said Linka in her most teasing and belittling voice, "I will go on alone and you can wait out here. I know how afraid of the dark you can be." Wheeler's eyes narrowed and his lips thinned in a slight frown.
"I'll go first," he said, moving in front of her. Linka grinned.
Feeling your masculinity in check, Wheeler? she asked him inside her head.
"Hold on tight, babe. Wouldn't want you getting lost," he grinned. He moved in front of her. She made an exasperated face and rolled her eyes, but clutched onto the back of his jacket anyway.
Fine, I will play along so your fragile little ego is not damaged, she thought. She had to admit, she certainly enjoyed the control she had over him. Any time he felt his ego in check, she could get him to do whatever she wanted. Fortunately for Wheeler, she did not abuse this power. He made his way through the damp, cold, and mossy cavern. They plunged into darkness; their eyes never adjusted. They had to crouch slightly to make their way through the cave, and Wheeler had to walk very slowly, feeling his way carefully in case of a drop off, a trap, a slippery spot, a stalagmite... His mind could come up with a million possible things that could be just steps in front of them. He could feel Linka's hand grabbing tighter as they went in further. She stayed close behind him; so close he could feel her warm breath in the cold cave. There was a scuffle and suddenly something scratched furiously at Linka's face. It stung her cheeks and made her eyes water. She heard rustling and something scampered off. She gave a cry of pain and held on to Wheeler tighter.
"What happened? Are you okay?" asked Wheeler, turning abruptly as he heard her cry out.
"Gah! I... I think so. Something is burning my face and eyes. I do not know what happened. It felt like someone threw sand in my eyes. Did you hear that scuttle?" she asked.
"No, I only heard you scream."
"My cheeks feel like they have been scratched." Linka raised her hand up to feel her cheeks. The cave was so utterly dark she couldn't even see her hand in front of her face. She touched gently on her left cheek with her free hand where she felt the pain and felt a warm wet substance. "I am bleeding," she announced.
"I bet you spooked a bat and it kicked some dirt in your eyes. It must have scratched you up pretty good though," said Wheeler, consoling her with a hand on her shoulder, and trying to believe his own words. Still, he was very uneasy. "Just stick close to me and I won't let anything else happen. Besides, I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel up here. We'll wash you off in the river up ahead."
Linka could see no light, but she assumed Wheeler was blocking it, so she didn't bother saying so. She couldn't see anything but darkness since she entered this cave. She kept her stinging eyes shut the rest of the way out.
"Okay," said Wheeler. She could feel him grab both of her hands and lead her onwards. He let go. They were outside in another small clearing and the river was ready to wash off the dirt from Linka's cuts. Wheeler walked over to the river and knelt down beside it. "Okay, come over here, babe," he called. He looked back and was amazed at what he saw. Linka was still fumbling, blindly groping around and timidly stepping forward as if she thought the ground would crumble under the slightest touch. "Linka, over here," he said.
"Where!" she said, a bit angry. "You just left me, and I have no idea where you are!"
"Linka, we're out of the cave now… Can't you see anything?"
"Nyet, I can't see anything…" she said sadly.
Wheeler got up and walked over to her. He could see her cheeks were badly scratched indeed. He looked at her eyes and saw them, watery and blue. They were sort of red. "Well, come over here and we'll wash your eyes out. The dirt is probably just blocking your your vision," he said, holding her hand and guiding her over to the river. He wanted to believe he was right, but his gut told him he was far from the truth. He directed her to kneel when they were at the river. He took off his jacket and removed his shirt. He dipped it in the water, and dabbed at her cheeks, blotting away the congealing blood streaks. Linka winced and inhaled sharply at the stinging sensation of the water on her cheeks. When the wounds were cleaned, he could see how deeply gashed they were. He cupped her cheek lovingly but apologetically. "Sorry, I don't have anything to boil this water in... It might be pretty dirty. But we'll get some ointment on your cheeks soon and that will take care of any bacteria... Okay, bring your face down here and I'll wash out the sand from your eyes. Don't worry, you'll be seeing again in no time."
She bent forward until she could smell the water as much as she could hear it. She felt the water hit her eyes and it burned. "It stings!" she said. She blinked a few times, trying to flush them. More water hit her eyes and her cheeks, and again she blinked. The pain was so strong that it made her own eyes tear up and her natural moisture began to flush her eyes again.
"All better now?" he asked.
"Nyet! I still cannot see!" she said frantically. She groped around until she felt his forearm and grabbed hold of it in a pleading manner. She was starting to panic.
Wheeler helped her to her feet. He stared into her eyes but she did not return the stare. Instead, she stared just over his shoulder, behind him. She never met his eyes or returned his gaze. It was like he wasn't even there. Tears blended with the river water still damp on her cheeks. Worry and fret caused a furrowed brow and a frown to appear on Linka's face. Wheeler knew that stare. That vacant hollow look that always seemed to peer just past him. Linka was blind.
"I am scared, Wheeler! What if I never can see again?" she asked, sinking all the way down to her knees. If Wheeler was going to be honest with himself, he was pretty scared too, and he felt the horrible snake of guilt coiling in his stomach. He was supposed to protect her. That's why he went first! He had failed. And because of him, Linka may permanently lose her sight. He sank to his knees with her and held her close to him while she sobbed.
Gi fiddled with the connections and checked the solar panels to make sure they were still collecting the sun's energy. She found the problem pretty quickly. A wire had jerked itself loose, probably in the turbulence. The solar panels were still collecting the sun's energy, but the wire that had come loose was the wire that fed the energy into the Geocruiser where it could be used. Instead, when the wire jerked loose, the energy that was trapped in the solar panels had nowhere to go. Once Gi adjusted everything and made sure the Geocruiser worked properly once again, she heeded Kwame's instructions and followed the river southwards.
She ran on down, trying to catch up with Kwame and Ma-Ti. She had fixed the problem quickly enough for them to not have gotten too far off yet. Finally, in the distance, she saw the two silhouetted in the setting sun's light. She was out of breath by the time she caught up with them. She paused for a moment to catch her air when she met up with them. When she had regained her wind, she laughed, "The Geocruiser's good as new." Then, winking at Ma-Ti, she added, "but it's still all muddy." Ma-Ti chuckled and they walked on, making conversation.
"We've not found anything suspicious so far. I wonder how Wheeler and Linka are doing," Kwame wondered aloud.
"I wonder what Gaia sensed," said Ma-Ti.
"Yeah. I wish she had told us more about this place. It's hard because we don't know exactly what we're looking for," said Gi.
"Yes, or even where to begin," replied Ma-Ti.
"Yes, that is true. She was very vague, but we must be alert and on the lookout. Gaia said herself that something strange is going on here. We must be cautious. We have never handled anything like this before, when even Gaia is not sure," said Kwame.
"I guess Linka and Wheeler haven't found anything either. At least they're not in trouble. I have not seen any rings pointed towards the sun," noted Ma-Ti.
Gi stopped and gasped. "The sun!" The other two turned to look at the sun as well. "It's setting! They may not be able to call for help!"
"We may not be able to call for help," said Ma-Ti, a little worried.
Wheeler looked at Linka's face and felt as sad as she looked. "Don't worry. We'll get you some help." Wheeler pointed his ring up to the sky, but stopped when he noticed the sun was not where he predicted. He looked around. There the sun was, setting. He pointed his ring towards the almost gone sun and a stream of red burst from it. The red blended in with the sky, but he hoped the others would see it anyway. He waited for awhile but nobody came. That's okay, he thought. We didn't go too far. We'll just go back through the cave and follow the river back down. "Umm, Linka? I'm sorry to say this, but it looks like we're going to have to go back through that cave again," he said gently.
"Oh nyet," she said sarcastically, "it's too dark in there." Though she didn't quite meet his eyes, always through him, it seemed, she forced a slight grin. Wheeler sighed, a little relieved. At least she seemed to be feeling a little better, now that the sobs had left her body.
"Alright. Gimme your hand and we'll get back through there." She reached out and felt his hand touch hers. Butterflies upset her stomach at his touch. It seemed that her recent blindness had caused her other senses to flare and his touch seemed that much more intimate. Wheeler led them safely back out of the cavern to the side from where they first entered, taking extra care not to endanger Linka any more, or become blind himself. Wheeler followed the river, making sure Linka was never more than two steps behind him. Slowly, the sun began to sink further and further beyond the horizon until there was no more sun altogether. He almost commented on how dark it was getting, but caught himself. They followed the river for what seemed like forever, and finally they reached the clearing. Wait a minute! Was this the clearing? It had to be! But… Where was the Geocruiser! Linka heard Wheeler gasp and tensed up, panic-stricken.
"What!" she pleaded, scared.
"Linka, the Geocruiser is gone!"
"Nyet, that is impossible!"
"Believe me, I know, but it's gone!" I can see it with my own eyes, he thought remorsefully.
As if on cue to their conversation, a faint beam of red shone in the sky. Gi was the only one who noticed the small laser-like light in the beauty of the setting sun. "Look!" she cried. "It's Wheeler's ring!"
"Where?" asked Kwame, looking where Gi pointed.
"Trust me! We need to get back to the Geocruiser and find them from there!"
They all turned and headed back up the river to the north, running as fast as their Planeteer legs could carry them.
Linka sat down, her legs drawn up against her chest. She looked so pitiful, defeated. She just stared vaguely off into space, that blank look haunting her face. Would it haunt her face forever? She shut her eyes, but it made no difference. Wheeler looked around the clearing, scratching his head in wonder and bewilderment. He looked for a familiar landmark to see if this was in fact the clearing, though he knew it had to be. It was the only other clearing they had been in since they landed. Then he spotted the puddle of mud they had first landed in. This was definitely the clearing. And what was this? The imprint of the Geocruiser was still embedded in the mud like a fossil of something that had long since died. But where was the Geocruiser? There were no signs of anything else, no dragging marks, no tire marks, nothing.
"Gaia wasn't kidding," Wheeler said. "Something is bad wrong here." He looked back where he had left Linka and saw her hunched up and sad, sitting like a spanked puppy. He sighed and walked somberly over to her, taking a seat himself. He put an arm around her and said, "I'm sorry, babe. You'll be okay, though." She leaned her head on his shoulder and inhaled his scent. It was much stronger than usual, but it was definitely Wheeler's. She reveled in the sensation of her newly acquired senses. Then, as though to deliberately spoil her moment, she felt a knot in her throat like her trachea had suddenly come alive and turned into a large and poisonous snake. It twisted and contorted in her throat. It hurt to swallow. It hurt to breathe. Wheeler heard a soft sound come from his side and looked down to see Linka clutching at his jacket, quietly sobbing into it. He held her closer to him and cradled her until he could figure out what was going on, or at least what to do next.
The Planeteers were out of breath by the time they reached the clearing. Gi was huffing heavily and night had long since set in. "Whew!" said Gi. They began looking around for the Geocruiser. It was very difficult to see anything now that the sun had gone down. They searched and searched, but to their dismay, the Geocruiser could not be found anywhere. Gi, Kwame, and Ma-Ti began to get extremely worried about their friends. It had already been around 25 minutes since Gi had seen Wheeler's dim beam of light shoot through the sky.
"Gi, where is the Geocruiser?" asked Kwame, shocked.
"It's right... It was right here! I left it right here. I locked it up and everything!" Gi said to her defense. They found the puddle of mud they had first landed in, along with the imprint of the Geocruiser where it had once been. They stared dumbfounded at the spot. They began to scour the clearing for their Geocruiser when Ma-Ti stumbled over something towards the edge of the woods. He heard a groan and a rustle and saw a silhouette sit up in the dark.
"Wheeler, is that you?" whispered Ma-Ti.
"Ughh…" The silhouette rubbed its head and yawned. "Ma-Ti?"
Wheeler fumbled beside him and felt Linka's slender figure still there. She was still asleep. I suppose we dozed, thought Wheeler. How could I have let myself fall asleep at a time like this? Suddenly he remembered something.
"Ma-Ti, did you find the Geocruiser?" he asked his friend, hoping it had all been a dream. 'The Geocruiser? What are you talking about, Wheeler? The Geocruiser is fine!' Ma-Ti would say. Except that is not what Ma-Ti said at all.
"No, my friend. We were looking for it and that is how I found you."
Gi ran across the clearing after hearing the discussion. She had been rather close and darted over to see what the matter was. "Wheeler?" she asked.
"The one and only," he replied sleepily.
"Wheeler! We saw your ring glowing and we tried to come back as fast as we could!" cried Gi. "Is everything alright?"
"Mmmm," said a voice. Linka's figure rolled over. "Wheeler, what is going on? Who is here?" she asked sleepily. She rubbed her eyes.
"Gi, Ma-Ti, and Kwame are here, babe," he said softly. He turned back to Gi and chuckled nervously. "Ahh hehe... It's funny you should ask. Linka's… She's kind of, uhh..". Wheeler's sentence tapered off as he tried to work out his explanation in his mind.
"I'm blind," said Linka simply. Had anyone been able to see Gi's face, they would have seen a shocked and puzzled expression.
"Blind?" asked Gi, unbelieving. "How?"
"We're not exactly sure," said Wheeler. He explained what had happened. "Fire!" He even lit a small blaze so they could see the gashes on Linka's cheeks.
Kwame had walked over to them sometime during their conversation and reached into a small bag he had been carrying on his belt and withdrew a tiny vial. He opened the lid and smeared some of the topical cream on Linka's cheeks. He smiled, "This will help keep bacteria at bay." He smeared the cream into her wounds until it had been absorbed and replaced the vial in its pouch. On the down side of her new sensory power, the cream made Linka's cheeks sting ten times worse.