Stepping Stones
By Joan Powers
Chapter 12 Resurection Part 2
(Final chapter)
After several hours of driving, the scenery was just beginning to change, the terrain becoming more arid with sparser vegetation and fewer shade trees. It was a hot, humid day but the breeze created by the motion of the vehicle helped to cool the travelers.
Alonzo smiled as he turned to glance over his shoulder to the back seat of the Rail. Uly was fast asleep, with his head in Julia's lap. He chuckled, "Man, I thought he'd never conk out. He sure is wound up."
The boy had talked non-stop for hours about how happy he would be to see his mom and all that he was going to be sure to tell her.
With parental concern, Danziger added, "Maybe I better have a talk with him. There's no guarantee that this is going to work. I don't want him to get his hopes up for nothing."
The pilot chided him, "Come on Danziger, lighten up. You want to believe it's gonna work too. Otherwise you never would have consented to come." Alonzo grinned broadly as the mechanic averted his glance, suddenly becoming very interested in their surroundings.
He continued, "We have every reason to believe that this will work. The Stations had no cure for Uly. His case was hopeless. But the Terrians were able to cure him. Why shouldn't they be able to help Devon too? Just because we can't understand how something works doesn't mean we should shy away from it."
With some surprise Dr. Hellar found herself more drawn to Alonzo's argument than she had been in the past. As she brushed a stray strand of hair away from Uly's face, she had to admit to herself that she was ready to believe in another miracle.
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With her head against Alonzo's bare chest, Julia could sense that he had fallen asleep. She snuggled closer to him, despite the fact that the night was fairly warm and the air in their tent was a bit stuffy. After two long day of traveling, her body was tired but her mind refused to rest.
She had managed to suppress (or, let's be honest - postpone) her fears about Devon's recovery. When the four of them had completed their chores for the evening, she and Alonzo had retired to their tent to engage in some passionate lovemaking. Many times, the security of her lover's embrace and his tender attentions were all she needed to make her problem disappear.
Yet, thoughts she had managed to banish for the majority of their journey refused to be ignored any longer. As she listened to Alonzo's rhythmic breathing she wondered if there was a traitor among the Eden crew. She and Yale had agreed that they would keep the news of the Council's role in Devon's illness to themselves. If the poison had been planted at the Stations, this knowledge wouldn't serve any purpose - they couldn't alter the situation. However, if a spy was involved, she and Yale had agreed that they shouldn't tip their hand.
Julia hoped she might be able to detect the remnants of a release capsule in Devon's system to answer some of these questions, but Yale thought this was doubtful.
She hated what this knowledge was doing to her, she found herself reviewing her memory for suspicious behavior exhibited by any of the members of Eden Advance. She despised herself for subjecting these people to such intense scrutiny and also dreaded keeping this secret from Alonzo.
His trust in her after she had originally betrayed the group was the foundation of their relationship. She didn't want to jeopardize this in any way. Otherwise, she would truly be lost.
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During the morning of the third day of their trip, Uly recognized a rock formation which the Terrians had shown him on the Dream Plane, the land mark indicating the location of the spider tunnels. As soon as the Rail came to a halt, he anxiously climbed out to begin searching for the Terrians.
The adults lingered about the vehicle, assembling backpacks and the gear they would need to bring with them. Though none of the three had spoken out loud, some of the risks of their situation were beginning to settle in. Leaving the Rail was difficult for them, it emphasized how vulnerable they had become.
To attempt to lighten up their spirits, Alonzo began to tease Danziger, "It's all on foot from now on." He laughed uncomfortably.
Yet Uly's child-like faith held fast, "I found them - they're over here. Come on." The boy rushed back to grab Julia's hand and pulled her ahead with him.
"You okay?" Alonzo asked Danziger as he helped him adjust his backpack. He had noticed that the man seemed hesitant and he remembered that part of the mechanic's previous experience with these tunnels had not been pleasant.
John dismissed his concerns, "Yeah - of course. Let's go." He gave the pilot a friendly shove on the back and they proceeded towards the cave.
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As he poked at the embers of the dying camp fire with a stick, Danziger reflected upon the day. Traveling by foot had been challenging and exhausting, though not as bad as he had expected. The ground was fairly level so their only impediment had been the weight of their equipment, which was minimal. Since the weather had been so warm, they decided to leave their tents with the Rail and brought only a tarp to serve as cover from any rain.
Even though the Terrians had assisted them with their trip through the tunnels, Danziger hadn't relished the experience. He had insisted upon holding Uly securely, with both arms wrapped tightly about him, as they embarked on that venture. The boy had protested, not wanting to be treated as a baby, but his cries fell on deaf ears. Thankfully, it was an uneventful trip.
Danziger turned on a small flashlight to examine a map. According to his calculations, they should be reaching the ship any day, maybe even tomorrow. Excitement mingled with doubts inside of him.
He glanced over towards Uly, who was sitting up on his blanket.
The mechanic walked towards the boy. Crouching down beside him he asked, "Hey, what are you still doing up? Aren't you tired from all that walking?" He playfully ruffled the boy's hair.
"A little. Think we're going to get to my Mom soon?" His face lit up at the prospect.
Danziger took a breath; he wasn't sure how to deal with this. On the one hand, he was pleased that the boy had faith that this operation was going to be successful, but John Danziger had seen too many things in his own life go wrong, really wrong - for no apparent reason. He didn't want to see the boy get hurt.
Proceeding cautiously, he responded, "Yeah, Uly, I think so."
"I can't wait to see her. I've missed her so much."
Danziger answered thoughtfully, "I have too." He paused a moment to rub his temple with his hand, then grasped the boy's shoulder, "Uly, you know I want this to work. That I want your mother back just as much as you do.."
The boy interrupted, "And she's gonna come back to us - maybe even tomorrow." Noting the older man's serious expression he added, "Don't you believe in the Terrians?"
Danziger wasn't sure how to answer him, not wanting to crush his spirits or bias him with his own prejudices. Awkwardly, he continued, "It's not a matter of believing in the Terrians. It's just...Uly, things don't always go the way we want them to."
The boy was confused, "What do you mean?"
"Well, maybe the Terrians could have trouble reaching us. Or the group of Terrians by the ship might interfere with their plans. Or..." The glow in the boy's face was rapidly diminishing, so Danziger frantically employed damage control, "I'm not saying that's going to happen. Christ, I wish I could tell you that everything's gonna be fine, but I can't. Nobody knows what's going to happen until we get there.
All I want you to know is that, if by some chance we aren't able to help your mother, you'll always have a place in my family. I'll always be here for you - you won't be alone." He put his arms around the boy and hugged him tightly. "You okay, champ?"
Uly pulled back from him, giving the question thoughtful consideration, "Yeah." He gave the man another hug while softly mumbling into his chest, "Thanks."
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At last, the Venus class ship was in sight on the horizon. Uly became instantly re-energized - immediately springing forward and sprinting towards the ship at full speed with Alonzo following closely behind him. Danziger and Dr. Heller proceeded at a slower pace, laden down by their backpacks along with their thoughts.
Julia began to obsess, What if the Terrians don't honor their word? I have practically no medical supplies or equipment. What if it doesn't work? What kind of a doctor am I to consent to such a crazy treatment? She could only imagine the looks of disapproval that Dr. Vasquez would give her when he arrived on the colony ship.
A quiet voice within her reminded her, It's the only way. You must have faith.
With some embarrassment, Danziger tried to dismiss his sense of nausea which grew stronger with each of his steps closer to the ship. His dream or more aptly, his nightmare...he was finally confronting it. Would she be there waiting? Or would the ship's power system have failed and her body have decayed? Or had some Grendlers or convicts come by and cruelly stolen her body? He took a deep breath to steady himself as he and Julia walked slowly but steadily towards the craft.
Several minutes later, they reached the hatch. Alonzo and Uly had rushed to open it and had already eagerly clambered into its chamber. Danziger motioned for Julia to enter first, and then he cautiously followed.
Come on. This is silly. It's just a dream. She's gonna be there. She has to be there. You'll feel better when you see her. He took another deep breath as he climbed the last rung in the ladder and turned towards her crypt.
Julia had begun to press the control pad buttons to open her chamber. Devon appeared just as she had been; he heaved a sigh of relief. But the tension in his chest remained. He asked Julia, "Shouldn't we wait on the Terrians?"
His words struck the doctor heavily. It went against everything in her being not to wait. But they had to follow instructions exactly. Upon arriving at the ship, they were to release her from the crypt, bring her outdoors and administer the binding agent. Then wait.
As Devon's ice cold body stiffly tumbled out of the cold sleep crypt, Danziger rushed to grab her. Uly stayed close by, frowning with disappointment that his mother was not conscious.
With Alonzo's assistance, Danziger proceeded to carry Devon out of the ship then laid her body on top of a blanket on the ground. Then he positioned himself behind her head, resting it against his knees and he used his hands to support her neck. The coolness of her skin gave him an eerie sensation.
As Julia searched her bags for the drug and her syringe, Uly parked himself down right beside his mother. The three adults quickly exchanged terse looks.
After Uly had fallen asleep last night, they had debated if it was appropriate for him to be present. The drug Julia was giving his mother would alter the chemical that was poisoning her body, destroying its linkage to vital enzymes within her. And it would also have some nasty side effects, which would kill her - possibly within minutes. They had discussed what the impact of that event might be on such a young boy.
In the end, they decided that nothing in Uly's life would be ever be normal and he deserved to know the truth. Alonzo agreed to keep an eye on him during the procedure.
"Okay, here goes" Julia stated with a quiver in her voice as she administered the drug. After the hiss of the hypodermic, all was quite. She closed her eyes to try to relax, Where are the Terrians?
Alonzo attempted to clear his head to signal to the Terrains about their whereabouts.
Uly was becoming frightened. His mother seemed so pale and stiff, so...lifeless. He strove to maintain his faith in his new Terrian brothers. They would appear soon, he assured himself.
Danziger lacked Uly's confidence, as they waited he simply stared intensely at Devon as if attempting to transfer his strength to her by a matter of his will.
As minutes passed, the tension began to build. Beads of sweat became to collect on their foreheads.
Suddenly, Devon's body began to convulse violently. Julia rushed forward with her diaglove, "Her heart beat is fluctuating." The doctor was extremely frustrated - wanting to immediately stimulate her heart with the electrical unit on her diaglove, but she knew that it would prove useless. The drug she had administered to Devon was killing her.
Within a minute, the read out on Julia's diaglove became flat - Devon was dead.
Alonzo put his arm around Uly, whose terrified gaze was fixed upon his mom. The young doctor bit back a sob, looking anxiously over her shoulder for the Terrains but they were nowhere in sight.
No. Not all this way for this - please God. No, she thought. She struggled to maintain her composure and contain her growing panic. She couldn't bear to think that she had hastened her friend's death. She had to put on a brave face for Uly.
The four sat about Devon's rigid body, stunned - striving to control themselves. The Terrians would be here any second - right? They each told themselves. Danziger shot an accusing look towards Alonzo as if shouting 'where are they?' Uly closed his eyes and began to crouch down Terrian style to attempt to facilitate his contact with his friends.
Seconds became minutes.
Julia realized with some embarrassment that she had been holding her breath, so she strove to breathe normally. She and Alonzo exchanged looks of desperation. John Danziger continued to stare at Devon's body, his discomfort increasing exponentially as he felt her body grow colder. He still grasped her shoulder tightly, not willing to let her go yet.
Finally, as the doctor felt she could stand no more and tears began to trickle down her cheek, the earth began to rumble and several Terrians appeared from beneath the ground. The pinkish hue of their skin confirmed that they were the group from Independence settlement.
One approached Devon's body then gave Uly some fine dirt. The boy proceeded to place it upon her chest as instructed. The Terrian waved his staff over her lifeless body. Then the group waited impatiently.
Several minutes crept by.
What kind of witchcraft is this? Danziger wondered as the tightness in his stomach and chest only grew worse. Would he ever have the chance to be with Devon or Paul again? He closed his eyes and silently began to pray.
This is crazy, Julia thought. It's only dirt! But memories of a similar visit from another Terrian came back to her, where the same such dirt had managed to alleviate a young boy's fever.
As minutes continued to pass by, she remembered that somehow the healing in that situation hadn't seemed to have taken this long to manifest itself.
Had something gone wrong?
"Why isn't she moving?" Uly turned to his Terrian friends, tears beginning to fill his eyes. The Terrain gestured back to Devon's body. She began to cough - practically choking, and Danziger helped her to turn her head to vomit the poison within her.
Julia frantically waved her diaglove over her body. "Oh my God! She's alive! They did it!" A huge smile covered her face.
Uly moved closer to his mom, who was barely conscious. She began to moan weakly as the four friends surrounded her. Her eye lids fluttered and she faintly mumbled upon seeing the doctor, "Julia?"
Devon was dazed, having trouble focusing. But even in her disoriented state, she remembered her son, "Uly? Where's Uly?" She could vaguely make out his image, but she rapidly discovered that she didn't have the strength to sit up and hold him.
However, someone behind her was supporting her, with warm strong hands, lifting her so she could embrace Uly. She half recognized Alonzo's infectious grin and returned a weak semblance of a smile.
The pilot responded, "Devon, just lie back and rest - God it is great to have you back."
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Alonzo and Danziger attempted to rig some sort of stretcher to transport Devon back to the spider tunnels but they had difficulty keeping her body steady on the pallet, she tended to roll about.
Finally, Danziger refused to tie her down; instead he resolutely wrapped her in a blanket and insisted on carrying her.
Alonzo and Julia had shared a bemused look behind his back - smirking at his over protective attitude towards Devon, but resisted the urge to tease the poor man. The group began their arduous two day hike to the tunnels.
Although the poison had been removed from Devon's system, she would need to rest for quite some time for her body to fully recuperate. She was so exhausted that she slept during their entire first day and night of travel.
During the second day of the trip, she came to feeling disoriented but not quite as cold. She snuggled in closer to the warmth radiating from John's body. Without opening her eyes, she knew who was carrying her. She chuckled weakly to herself, wondering if he ever put her down to rest. Knowing Danziger's stubbornness, that was highly unlikely.
Suddenly she became concerned, "John, why are we walking? Did something happen to the vehicles?"
John laughed, Leave it to Devon to start trying to take charge as quickly as possible. His eyes twinkled as he gazed into her worried ones and he assured her, "Do you think I would let anything happen to them? It's a long story, but we're going to get you back to camp."
"How long is the trip?" with obvious concern in her voice.
John uncomfortably cleared his throat, "Umm, We're taking those spider tunnels"
Her eyes grew wide. "What? We can't - look what happened to you last time."
He drew her closer to his chest. "Devon, trust me. The Terrains helped us out and showed us exactly what we needed to do to get back. In fact, we wouldn't have you with us today if it hadn't been for them. Go to sleep" he replied firmly, yet with tenderness.
She realized that she was in good hands and she trusted this man implicitly, for he had taken care of her beloved son, so she closed her eyes.
Within a few hours, the sound of the vacuum began to fill Devon's ears but John's arms were wrapped securely about her so she drifted back to sleep, without even opening an eye.
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(Devon Adair)
Within two days we made it safely back to camp and were reunited with the rest of the Eden Advance crew. It was a joyful time of celebration. Unfortunately I was not in the best of health so I couldn't actively participate in the festivities, but I was mending. For the moment I was feeling chilled to the bone and congested but content just to be alive and have my son at my side.
I had been given a second chance at life by the Terrians who intervened on our behalf. It would not be until many years later that I would realize the exact extent to which both humans and Terrains had cooperated to orchestrate those events which ensured the survival of our group on this planet. Only then John would share with me the role of our son in our future, as he would hold my hand and comfort me while we anxiously awaited his return.
The Terrains, these creatures who claimed to have no understanding of human emotion, had deeper values of loyalty and honor than any human could ever profess. While we had learned so much about this planet and ourselves during our short time here, it was evident that we still had a lot of growing left.
The discovery of the empty settlement, the nightmares sent via altered Dream Plane, the mysterious young boy who lead Uly and True to the diseased Terrains, Marietta Anderson's private journal and Elizabeth's Anson turmoil - all of these events had been stepping stones which would continue to bridge the relationship between Terrains and humans.
I was overjoyed that there was a future for us on this planet after all. It wasn't exactly ours to do with as we pleased, but with some cooperation, all of the species of this world could learn to work together and get along.
THE END
I'd love to hear if you're enjoying this.
(This story is continued in Boundaries, followed by The Road Not Chosen)