Author: Milady Dragon
Disclaimer: nothing having to do with Earth 2 belongs to me
Author's notes: I got a little distracted, but hopefully I'm going to be with this now til the end. It's gotten somewhat longer than I thought it would, but hopefully it hasn't been too boring. I just love writing these characters!
Chapter Thirty-Three
John Danziger fretted.
Not that he'd ever admit it, though. After all, he had a reputation to maintain…which was a really stupid reason for not showing just how worried he was about Uly Adair going off with N'Merra. It wasn't that he didn't trust the girl; he did, he just didn't think he could rely that much on her ability to fix this mess. N'Merra wouldn't let anything happen to the kid, Danziger was certain.
Of course, if he were wrong…then it would be him who had to face the wrath of Devon Adair. That thought was the stuff of nightmares, and he really didn't want to go there.
Even though he couldn't see her, Danziger knew she was thinking dirty thoughts in his direction…and they weren't the pleasurable kind of dirty thoughts Danziger himself sometimes had when he was on his own, either during a solo scout or on guard duty. Damn it, Adair had to let the boy grow up! He had skills they could use in this situation. After all, True could field-strip the Trans Rover's solar converter array, and he'd never dream of telling her she couldn't do it when it was needed! Danziger didn't let the fact that tracking a bunch of evil ghosts was quite a bit different from standard maintenance procedures…
And he'd never admit to anyone that letting Uly go off on his own – despite having someone looking out after him – was bothering him greatly.
He glanced past Alonzo to look at the sleeping boy. He was curled up in the seat, a slight smile on his face. So far, so good…
D'Lorrak was keeping pace with them, and it felt odd that N'Merra wasn't there. The cat-man radiated anger like the sun radiated heat and light. Would Danziger feel that way if his own daughter betrayed him? He really didn't want to go there, either.
Do not fear for the boy, John Danziger, came D'Lorrak's spectral voice. Nor for your own child. We will let nothing happen to either. I do understand your need for action, and I cannot fault you for it. I would be doing the same thing, in your place.
Danziger didn't answer. D'Lorrak had acted, by sabotaging their own ship and making certain the Changed hadn't escaped. It wasn't his fault that he hadn't realized that killing the Changed wouldn't stop their rampage.
"Hey, John."
He turned to look at Alonzo. The pilot had his eyes on the trail, but Danziger knew nothing much got past him. He had to know the mood Danziger was in. "What?"
"Have you actually given any thought to some sort of plan?"
Danziger sighed. "Not really."
The other man snorted lightly. "Why doesn't that surprise me?"
"Hey, I've always been a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kinda guy."
"No lie there. And I thought I was bad."
"You are. Don't let anyone tell you any different."
"Is it my imagination, or am I feeling a distinctly warm sensation between my shoulder blades?"
Danziger stifled his grin. "That would be the high-temp Adair laser causing those burns, buddy."
"You'd know, of course."
"Oh yeah. Been on the receiving end of that particular weapon more than my fair share of times."
Alonzo paused. "What happens if Uly doesn't bring back any useful information?"
Danziger went serious. "Let's just hope we don't have to find out."
"From your mouth…"
The pilot didn't have to finish the sentence. Danziger really didn't want to face the wrath of Adair if she thought they'd just risked her son for no reason.
She just had to understand that they really didn't have much choice. Besides, it had been the kid's idea. John trusted Uly; the boy was actually far more mature than most of the adults in their group. He really didn't attribute much of that maturity to Adair; from what Danziger had seen, Uly's mother had pretty much babied him, too afraid that the slightest bump or fever would escalate out of control. The problem was, Uly wasn't sick any more, but sometimes Devon just didn't seem to get that. It wasn't her fault though. She'd had to deal with a lot of shit where her only child was concerned. It hadn't been easy for her, and – truth be known – Danziger admired her for what she'd been able to do.
But it was time for her to let go, just a little bit. Let the kid run free, scrape his knee… explore the world his mother had brought him to, in the hope that he'd get better. And he had healed, with a lot of help from the diggers.
Then Danziger snorted to himself. Just who was he to be giving parenting advice? True had gotten into more than her fair share of trouble since they'd arrived here. He didn't even want to think about what she'd been up to.
But he wasn't about to lose her to a dead cat-alien. Wasn't going to happen.
Your Uly is an amazing person.
N'Merra's sad voice dragged him away from his self-imposed mental exile. Danziger turned; the girl was now back beside him, looking distinctly awed.
"You can say that again," he agreed.
Her brows drew down. Did you not hear me the first time? She was obviously puzzled.
Danziger waved her comment aside, looking at Uly instead. The kid was awake, stretching in the Dune Rail's seat. "I like Maire, Mr. Danziger," he replied, smiling.
Maire? He glanced at both children. "What did you find out?" he asked, instead of indulging his curiosity and demanding to know how both of them had gotten on such intimate terms in such a short time.
While it is not what you ask, I have discovered that not all change is a bad thing. N'Merra actually smiled at Uly, even though the boy wouldn't be able to see her, now that they were away from the dreamplane. I truly wish I had known Uly in life, because I think we might have been best friends.
Danziger didn't doubt that in the least. He had hopes that N'Merra and True could have been friends, too.
"I'm pretty sure we can get the bad cats back into their cage," Uly answered. He was chewing his lip in thought. "But we're heading in the wrong direction."
"Excuse me?" John was flummoxed by the boy's response.
"The cage is anchored to the dreamplane at the exact place where their ship crashed," he explained.
That is true, N'Merra confirmed.
"So we need to go to the crash site," Uly continued.
It is something we honestly did not think of.
"Think what?" Danziger demanded. "What the hell are you two talking about?"
"If we take them back to the crash, where their cage is anchored," the youngster said slowly, with the patience an adult would envy, "We can force them back into the cage."
If we attempt to deal with them anywhere else, the cat-girl continued, all we shall succeed in doing is setting them loose on other, unsuspecting people.
"If we don't get them back into the cage," Uly replied, " they'll just be loose to do to others what they're doing to us."
Danziger looked from one to the other. "So, what you're saying is, getting them back to the cage is our first priority?"
Indeed.
"Sure, Mr. Danziger. The closer we get, the better able Maire's people will be able to deal with them."
I feel like a complete idiot, D'Lorrak chimed in. He looked angrier than ever.
"How could you've known?" John answered. "This isn't something that's happened before."
We made this cage, with the aid of the Dreamers, N'Merra said. And we inadvertently anchored their prison to our own home, albeit on the dreamplane. This is something we should have realized.
"I think you're being way too hard on yourselves."
Thank you, John Danziger, for your words. But our ignorance of our own works might very well have doomed your people, and possibly others.
"I'm not gonna argue with either of you." Danziger waved a hand, ending the recrimination session. "Stop blaming yourselves for something you had no control over."
"There's something else." Uly brought their attention back to him. "The Changed are trapped in this cage, on the dreamplane. When they escaped, they could only get to our people through their dreams. I'm not so sure Maire and the others can handle putting them back by themselves, because they now work on different planes, if you know what I mean."
Danziger considered. "I think I get you, kiddo."
"Please," Alonzo interjected, "keep talking around me like I'm not here, okay?"
"Sorry, 'Lonz," the mechanic apologized. "We might have another problem, that's all."
"And you expected this to be easy?"
"Not hardly."
"What we mean," Uly answered, "is because N'Merra and her people exist on a different plane, they might have a problem getting their people back into their cage."
"But they can access the dreamplane, right?" Alonzo asked.
"Sure," the boy said. "And they're even affected by it. But it's not their home."
Judging by Alonzo's expression, comprehension dawned. "Kinda like us. We can go there, but we can't really exist there. N'Merra's people can go there, but it's not natural to them. So it might be harder for them to affect someone who does exist there."
"But once the Changed are back in the cage," Danziger replied, "They should stay there, right?"
Uly nodded. "Unless they escape again. I got a really good look at the cage, and I think I can make it so they can't."
"So now we have to somehow get ourselves to the crash, without the Changed knowing, and somehow get them back inside?" Danziger ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "Just how are we gonna do that?"
There is something else.
"Of course there is! Let me have it, N'Merra."
We do not know what the Changed have planned. Nor do we know if they have a timetable.
"We could be running out of time."
Yes. I am sorry, John Danziger.
John sighed. Why couldn't something go right for once?
