John Danziger's return to the realm of the living was a gradual process. His sense of hearing was the first to awaken, picking up the routine sounds of camp: the flap of canvas in the wind, the distant cry of birds.

For a time he was content to listen to the sounds of life around him. Then, awareness began to dawn like the sun, slowing beating back the darkness that engulfed him. He tested his body with a stretch and, after days of lying motionless, he found it was stiff and unforgiving, like the fit of a bad suit. His throat was dry.

A familiar face appeared above him. "John, how are you feeling?"

He stared back, puzzled. What was Bess Martin doing in his tent? His mind searched frantically for some concept of time or reason. "Wha....?" was all he managed to croak out.

"We've been worried about you. It's been four days. Morgan was only out two, but then he was only stung by one claw. Now, you rest while I get Julia. She wanted to know the moment you opened your eyes. At least, she can stop worrying about you now."

He closed his eyes, gathering strength as he waited. Clipped versions of memory flashed behind closed lids.

"John?"

Danziger opened his eyes. Julia's tired face peered down at him. He was taken aback by the toll the last few days had taken on the young woman. Her face had a sunken hollow look of intense weariness. Her pale blue eyes, normally clear and sharp, seemed dull and clouded.

He came straight to the point. "Alonzo? Did it work?"

"We were able to free him. The poison in the claws was sufficient to stun the plant."

"And..." he prompted her.

"He suffered first and second degree burns over most of his body. His back must have been pressed against the bark since there were no burns there. A hair-line skull fracture--"

"Julia, can I just have the bottom line? I'm still kinda fuzzy. Is he all right or not?"

The focus of her eyes changed. She looked away, avoiding his. "I'm not sure. It's too soon to tell yet."

Danziger looked from Julia to Bess. Morgan wife's answered the question in his eyes while she looked toward the doctor with concern.

"Except to check on you, Julia's hasn't moved from his side. She's hardly eaten or slept since you returned. She needs a break but she won't listen to us," Bess complained as if Julia wasn't there.

The other woman sighed. "Bess, we've been over this before. I'm fine." To Danziger, she added, "I want you to rest and drink as much as possible. Eat as much as you'd like, but don't set foot out of bed for another four to six hours. I'll be back to check on you before that." She began to move away and, in an afterthought, turned back to the mechanic. "I want to thank you for what you did, John. If Alonzo has any chance, it's due to what you did for him."

He nodded to her and she ducked back under the heavy canvas.

"Okay, Bess. What the hell happened?"

"Well, Julia already told you that the koba venom allowed them to free Alonzo. After that she called in to Morgan saying they needed to find a large amount of water fast. He gave her directions and, before he could offer to help, she cut him off. Walman later told us that she was in a hurry to wash the acid from Alonzo's skin before it did any more damage.'

'They found the stream Morgan directed them to. Walman said, as he held Alonzo in the water so Julia could work on him, he couldn't help but notice that Alonzo looked terrible. Walman said right after that Julia touched Alonzo's face and he went crazy. After he broke Walman's nose, he got hold of Julia. He was apparently confused about who she was and tried to drown her. Luckily, Walman was able to stop him before he hurt her.'

'The next time we heard from Julia was when they were on the way back. She asked for an isolation tent to be set up. That is where we put Alonzo when you got back. She wouldn't let anyone in after that, saying she had to guard against infection."

Danziger remained quiet, taking it all in, as Bess went on.

"The first night was terrible. True and I watched over you until we both fell asleep. Some time during the night, Alonzo began to scream like he was in terrible pain. He woke everyone up until Julia sedated him. Again, we could only ask questions from out here. She wouldn't let anyone in, not even Yale, who thought he might be able to help.'

'The next day she asked us to set up a separate tent for you and move the rest of the camp a distance away so Alonzo wouldn't disturb anyone's rest. Well, we were all against that. Walman and Baines had gone back to get the ATV. After looking around, they were pretty sure the attack on Alonzo was planned. The two men that attacked him must have been watching our camp. Baines worried that they might be part of a larger group so we added extra guards at night and no one left camp for scouting trips. Everyone's nerves are shot. We've been arguing about what we should do.'

'Julia kept insisting that she needed to be more isolated if Alonzo was going to have a chance. She said she would take a Mag-Pro for protection. We finally agreed to move camp about 35 meters away. Julia would be the only one to enter and exit the isolation zone. We have communicated on gear otherwise. We've seen little of Julia and nothing of Alonzo since then."

"I need to get out of this bed." The mechanic groaned as he tried to sit up. He fell back on the cot, too weak to sit up. "Man, what a hangover."

"John, I think you should listen to Julia. Besides, we're not going anywhere with Alonzo in such bad shape and Walman sick."

"Walman? Walman's sick?"

"The burns he and Julia got from the plant are infected. Julia's aren't too bad but Walman's in bed with a fever."

Danziger looked at his hands and arms. "I'm burnt, too. It hasn't healed, but it doesn't seem to be infected."

"I've been putting an antiseptic cream on your hands as a preventative measure. Julia thinks the venom may have delayed your body's ability to heal itself. By the way, True has been here for the last four days. She fell asleep pretty late last night. I had Cameron carry her back to sleep in her own bed for a change. If you don't need me for anything, I think I'll go wake her with the good news. She's going to have my head since she wasn't here to see you wake up."

Danziger smiled. "Yea, she can be a bear in the morning, too. Thanks, Bess. I appreciate all that you've done."

"You're welcome. Now remember, John, you're to stay in bed until Julia gives you the okay." With the mechanic's nod, Bess went to wake his daughter.

On the way, she passed Julia, who was in deep conversation with Yale outside Walman's tent.

"Yale, have you been able to find anything about plant biology that might explain the reaction we are experiencing?"

"There is documentation that certain plants produce chemicals which they use for defensive purposes when they are threatened."

"The lower pH of the acid?"

"That might be part of it."

"You think we may have be exposed to something more?"

"I'm not sure Julia, but your wounds and Walman's are not healing as they should. What about Alonzo's injuries?"

"His injuries are so much more extensive then ours," The doctor admitted, "Despite my best efforts to keep the area sterile, his wounds are infected, also. He has a remittent fever. Last night it was so high, I was afraid...."

"Julia, why didn't you ask for help?'

"Yale, right after Baines brought the water, I found a Terrian had entered the tent. He wasn't in the area where I have Alonzo, but he may have been. He touched me. I think, somehow, he made me sleep. When I woke up, it was morning. Alonzo's fever was down."

"You think the Terrians have intervened?"

"I have no way of knowing. I just remember how they brought Uly's temperature down with a handful of dirt. Do you know how frustrated that makes me feel, Yale? They have the knowledge I need to cure and I have no way to communicate with them."

"Perhaps Alonzo...?" the tutor began.

"Not in his present condition. I'm sorry, Yale, I really must get back. I'm afraid to leave him for long."

"Of course. I will get to work on putting together the compounds you need."

"Thank you."

"Julia, I'm sure I don't have to remind you that Alonzo's survival may depend on how well you take care of yourself."

"His survival depends on a great deal more than that, I'm afraid."

For the rest of the morning and well into the afternoon, Julia worked on isolating the chemical that was suppressing their immune systems. She suffered with chills, for the fever that raged in Alonzo and Walman was gaining on her own genetically enhanced physiology. Between studies, she tried to make Alonzo comfortable. His fever was back and he tossed in a restless delirium. Walman was little better. Despite the liberal use of medications, both men's lives seemed to be slipping away. The hour-glass of time and hope was beginning to run low.

Julia called Yale on gear. "Yale, I'm taking you up on your offer to help. Meet me outside the isolation tent." Then she placed another call before meeting the tutor with a sterile plastic outer covering. "I want you to watch over Alonzo while I'm gone."

"Gone? Where are you going?"

"Baines and I are going back to the spot where Alonzo was attacked. I need to get a pure sample of the plant digestive enzyme. The substance that is affecting our bodies has been changed. Its composition has been altered by our immune systems."

"Julia isn't this dangerous? How do you plan to get a sample?

"Hopefully, I can get it to attach itself to me. If I'm right, just the feel of a potential meal should set off salivary glands and I should be able to penetrate the tough outer layer with a hypodermic needle to get my sample. With Baines along to help, I'll be able to pull free before it has me firmly in its grasp."

"But we don't even know if there are more penal colonist in the area. What you're suggesting is extremely risky."

"Yale, Alonzo and Walman are running out of time. I have no choice."

The tutor looked into eyes bright with fever. The doctor was a desperate woman, who knew her own time was running short.

"Take one of the other men - Cameron or Mazatl - with you."

"But.."

"That's not a request," the tutor said firmly.

The young woman decided not to push her luck. Julia left Yale with instructions about Alonzo's care then ran off to enlist Cameron. The three took off in the DuneRail shortly thereafter.

ooo

Julia was quiet on the ride out to the site. The bouncing Rail made her half sick, so she closed her eyes against the swaying scenery and tried to plan a strategy. Concentration waned against overpowering feelings of fatigue and strain. She nodded, half asleep.

"Oh Shit!"

Julia woke with a start at Baines' exclamation. The Rail was stopped. Both men climbed out, leaving her to stumble after them. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she caught up to them as they stopped and turned toward her. Slowly, they separated and allowed her to see past them.

The vines lay on the ground just as she had left them. The once bright green and brown coils had dried to a lifeless ash. Julia fell to her knees and lifted the withered tentacles, now harmless in death.

"Oh, no!" She looked up hopelessly at the men.

"Looks like too much koba venom can be a bad thing." Baines remarked, glancing around uneasily.

The doctor approached the tree, and to the other's dismay, reached into the dark holes. She pulled out more vines, all dead. Nothing appeared to have survived. Eventually she gave up and slumped against the bark.

Baines and Cameron looked at each other. Finally, the technician said, "Look, Julia, maybe we can find another one." When he got no response from the doctor, he went on, "It wasn't your fault. If you hadn't killed it, it would have killed Alonzo, right?"

The young woman sighed heavily. Rousing herself, she walked dejectedly past them, back to the Rail. "I didn't intend to kill it, only stun it until we could release him." She didn't add that any hope of neutralizing the toxin was as dead as the vines beneath her feet. "We might as well go back to camp. I'm afraid it's back to square one."

The men followed her. She climbed into the back seat and rolled into a fetal position. Without a word, they took their positions in the front. Cameron drove as Baines rode shotgun. The Rail abruptly turned and, with a spray of dust from the over-sized wheels, headed back to camp.

ooo

Bess had given up on Danziger who decided he didn't need Julia to tell him when he was well enough to get out of bed. Although he was still unsteady, once he was up, washed, and shaved, he felt almost normal again. He was anxious to check on the situation in camp and started with Walman.

The blond crewman lay on his cot, his forearm draped across his eyes. His hands were wrapped in gauze. Circles of yellow discharge seeped through the porous layers, staining the cotton dressing.

"Walman? You awake?"

"Yea, John. Glad to see you're up."

"Bess told me you were sick."

"I'm burnin' up, man. My hands are infected from that shankin' plant. How about you?"

"I feel all right. A little shaky but otherwise okay."

"Your hands aren't infected?"

"Not yet."

"Maybe I wasn't so lucky after all; should have taken that koba's sleep-derm instead."

"Yea, maybe. But, Julia said my reaction might only be delayed. I may be in the same boat with you soon. Anything I can get for you before I check on Alonzo?"

"Just some water."

Danziger held the cup while his crewman drank thirstily.

When he finished, Walman lay back. "Thanks, John. Just a word of warning about Alonzo."

"What?'

"He looked real bad to me, John. I know Julia thought she could save him but I hope we didn't make a mistake We might have just prolonged his misery from the inevitable."

Danziger frowned. "You don't think he'll make it?"

"I don't know. All I know is, we're coming across stuff that no one could have even imagined back home. It's all alien. Besides, Julia is almost out of medicine. Even if she knew how to fight something this strange, she doesn't have anything to do it with."

"Come on, Walman. Things aren't that bleak. We've gotten this far. I'm betting Julia will pull him though."

"I hope you're right, 'cause I'm next in line after Alonzo."

"Noted. Rest easy, pal. I'm going to check with Yale. Maybe he can come up with something from his medical files on alternative medicines that Julia may have missed."

"You'll have to call him on gear. He's in the isolation tent. Julia left him to watch over Alonzo while she's gone."

"Gone? Gone where?"

"Baines told me he was taking her back to the spot where Alonzo was attacked. She wanted to get some kind of sample from the plant." Walman could see the mechanic flush.

"Is she out of her mind?!"

"That's what Baines told me. Maybe you'd better check with Yale."

Pulling his gear from his pocket, Danziger stormed off. "I intend to."

Yale barely made it outside in time to prevent the big man from entering the tent. "John, Julia asked me to safeguard the area while she was gone."

Danziger fought to keep his temper in check. Glancing uneasily toward the tent, he lowered his voice to a muffled roar. "Then it's true, she went back to that thing." When the tutor nodded, Danziger was incredulous. "I can't believe you let them go back there. Didn't anyone fill you in on what happened out there?"

"I believe I heard Walman's version. Are you suggesting I should have physically restrained Dr. Heller?"

"I think we all should have discussed it first instead of allowing the three of them to risk their necks on what may be a wild goose chase."

"It would seem the chase is over and their necks are still in place." The older man gestured toward the vehicle that was just entering camp.

Danziger looked from the Rail to Yale. The tutor's expression was more of relief then smug satisfaction.

"Come, John. I'm just as interested in the results of this 'wild goose chase' as you are."

Together, they went to meet the Rail.

--end Part 6--