The Balance of Life
Part One - Discovery
Chapter 2 - Part 3--- Marooned
Author's Note:
This is the last part of Chapter two.
4/5/2010: This is a repost because I forgot the Norm's avatar body was back at the Tree of Souls. Apparently so did a lot of readers as no one called me on it. Part 1 of Chapter 3 has also been reworked.
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All of the drivers were in their avatars. The easiest way to bring the human clone into the lab was to use the lab's outside airlock. Unfortunately that meant that they had to wheel then carry the amino tank with its passenger across an open stretch of the tarmac and then through the avatar training area. For about one hundred meters they would be exposed, prone to attack by aerial predators. For protection Andy and Buck were carrying MBS-9M Hydra's that were normally used as door guns on the Sampson and Scorpion VTOL's. Abby wielded a Bush Boss FD-11 flame-thrower. The idea being to scare off anything that attempted to attack the avatars while they were exposed. Killing was to be used only as a last resort.
"Are we ready?" Kyle asked the other avatars at the external door of the Sec-Op's storage warehouse. The amnio tank with its mostly human cargo rested on a trolley with six wheels. By human standards the tank and passenger weighed more than what six men could carry easily. Four of the avatars would be able to lift and carry it without straining.
"All set," Buck replied as he punched the button to open the motorized door. Andy took point while Abby walked a few meters behind him. As soon as Abby cleared the door, Kyle and Judy followed, pushing the trolley as they too scanned the skies for any sign of danger. Once the trolley was clear of the door's opening, Buck slapped the close button and took up position at the rear of the little procession.
All the avatars were wearing throat communicators to stay in touch with each other and those waiting inside the complex. From the control tower Gary and Norm keep a wary eye on the procession as they made their way across the tarmac. It was midday. The sun was hot even though the sky was mostly covered in clouds. The fact that the clouds were low worried Gary as he scanned the sky above the tarmac. He would have preferred a sunny day, even if it did mean higher temperatures. Thankfully, the avatars would take less than five minutes to reach the gate to the training yard. They would be a lot less exposed once they got clear of the tarmac.
"Did you see that?" Buck asked, sensing a dark shape in the clouds overhead. They had been in the open for less than a minute.
"Where?" Andy and Abby asked simultaneously, trying to glance in all directions at once.
"Off to the right, two hundred meters up," Buck replied, shielding his eyes with his hand in an attempt to see better.
At that instant a forest banshee dived from the clouds directly towards the avatars. By the time weapons were raised it had veered off and climbed back into the clouds while screeching loudly.
"We have more company," Judy called out, pointing off to the left as another banshee dipped below the clouds.
Buck felt his avatar senses whip into overdrive. He knew they were being stalked from the air. But there was something else, something he couldn't quite get a sense of. He turned around, walking backwards so that nothing could sneak up from behind. They were still twenty meters from the gate to the training area when piercing screams filled the air and two banshees dove directly for them, their talons outstretched ready for attack.
"Move!" Buck yelled out as he raised his weapon and let off a short burst of tracer rounds. The tracers missed the banshee's as intended but were close enough to cause them to swing wide and climb back into the clouds.
Andy had the gate to the training area open by the time Kyle and Judy arrived, pushing the trolley at a quick jog. Slinging their weapons over their shoulders Andy and Buck helped Kyle lift the trolley to carry it over the uneven ground to the lab's airlock. Judy quickly secured the gate and hurried after them, while Abby watched the skies for any sign of trouble.
Max had the outer door of the airlock open by the time the avatars reached it. Setting the trolley back on its wheels, Buck and Kyle rolled it inside.
"We'll take it from here," Max's voice announced through their comm-links. "Go get some food. You're avatars look like they could use some nourishment. Be careful kitties," Max concluded, doing a fair imitation of Grace.
"Up yours!" Buck replied without any real heat. "He's just jealous cause he's in there and not out here," Buck added to the others as they headed off to pick some ripe fruit and whatever else they could scrounge up.
When the outer door to the airlock sealed and the control light flashed green, Max opened the inner door. Even with Susan and Ron's help, wheeling the tank into the lab's staging area took everything they had.
"Why isn't this damn trolley motorized?" Susan asked obviously annoyed once the tank was hooked up to the lab's computer and umbilical plumbing.
"Maybe it was built on short notice." Ron answered. "It's different from the ones used for the avatars. Their motor units are too big to use on this one."
"It's in place now. Susan, start the diagnostics. Ron, see what the analyzer has to say about the content of the amniotic fluid," Max ordered as he studied the readouts on his PVC.
After several minutes Ron reported that the amniotic fluid was within tolerances for all chemical and biological agents. Several of the nitrates were on the high end of the scale but wouldn't be a problem. In preparation for draining the tank Ron connected the discharge hoses, double checking their seals.
"Hey, this is odd," Susan commented after she had run through the first set of tests.
"What's odd?" Max asked as he came over to stand behind her to peer over her shoulder at the display screen.
"This clone isn't sterile. I thought it was company policy that all inhabitants had to be sterile, or at least reversibly sterile as in our case."
"It is, or it was," Max answered frowning at the readout. Ron joined them to see the tests result himself.
"Hell, even the avatars are sterile. I wonder why this one isn't?" Ron looked closer at the test results, not quite believing them. "Either they didn't have time to sterilize it or maybe they plan on breeding these things."
"In that case genius, where is Eve-1?" Susan asked.
"How the hell should I know," Ron replied, more than a little irritated by the moral implications of the whole situation.
"It's nothing to worry about for now," Max said, shifting his attention back to the clone. "Let's get it out of the tank. Ron, start the timer."
From the time they started draining the tank, they had less than five minutes to get the body out and onto oxygen. Except in this case, it would be the normal mix of gases found in Pandora's air.
At the two minute mark the tank was almost fully drained. The gurney was positioned at the tank's end to receive its contents.
"Max, this is Buck." his voice came through the command console next to where Susan was standing watching the gauges monitoring the clone's vital signs.
"Go ahead Buck," Susan answered pushing the talk switch.
"We are headed back into the hanger bay. Once we have our avatars secure we will be coming out. Let Karen know, will you? How's the newest addition to our little lost paradise?"
"Fine so far. We are almost done draining the tank. Should have him out and on the gurney in another couple of minutes."
"Ok. See you in five," Buck added.
"Tanks empty, breaking seals," Ron called out.
There was a soft hiss as the end of the tank was taken away by the clamps used for that purpose. Ron and Max slid the clone's body onto the gurney in two quick movements. Susan placed the air mask over its face and adjusted the retaining strap. Ron detached the umbilical cord from the tank, clamping it off as he did so. After Max had given the clone's cheeks a couple of light slaps it started breathing rhythmically on its own.
"Susan, continue monitoring its vitals. Ron, draw some blood for a routine test battery."
Ron had the vials and needles in hand ready to draw the necessary samples when the floor beneath them quivered noticeably.
"What the hell was that?" Ron demanded, looking around the lab for some explanation.
"Damned if I know," Max replied. "Let me call Gary. See if he felt anything."
Max was halfway to the phone when the room lurched sideways so violently that all three of them were knocked off their feet without warning. Susan screamed when the gurney tipped, toppling directly towards her. Her screams were drowned out by the ear-piercing sound of klaxons filling the air as the power went out plunging them into total darkness.
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When Jake felt the rock he was sitting on vibrate his first though was a high-explosive detonation shockwave. Except there was no sound, no flash or heat. The rock had definitely vibrated beneath him. He was quite certain of that. As it seemed that every winged creature on the planet suddenly took to the air Jake's focus shifted from the ground to sky. Jake had never seen so many creatures airborne at one time. The horizon was almost black with them. Standing to get a better look, Jake found himself catapulted into the air as the rock shot up and to the side as if hit by a giant hammer.
Hitting the ground in a rolling summersault, Jake was on his feet bounding to where the children were sprawled at the water's edge. Two of the children were just starting to wail as Jake reached down to gather them to his side. He was just about to ask Ralu if she was ok when the water in the lake began to recede from the shoreline at rapid pace, gaining speed with each passing second. Hoisting the two most frightened children into his arms while the others wrapped their arms firmly around his legs Jake looked out to where Neytiri, Ateyo and Neynat had been fishing. When he didn't see them his heart immediately climbed into the back of his throat, his stomach muscles knotting painfully.
"Neytiri!" Jake bellowed as he scanned for any sign of her or the young hunters. Unable to move with five children hanging onto him all he could do was call out again. By now the water had receded to the very center of the lake leaving behind a surreal scene. After the third call he spotted her with Ateyo and Neynat coming out from behind the rocks they had been standing on to fish. His heart slowly settled as the three of them slogged their way across the lake bottom to shore and began running in his direction.
"Where's Tagola?" Jake asked just as soon as Neytiri was close enough to hear.
"He was sucked out into the lake when the water went away. I was barely able to hold onto Ateyo and Neynat."
Everyone turned to look at the now empty lake bottom. It was the strangest sight any of them had ever seen. Millions of cubic meters of water had vanished in just under two minutes. A large gaping hole was clearly visible in the center of the lakebed.
"He's gone," Jake said quietly as Neytiri took one of the children he was holding.
"Yes, I see," she answered trying to calm the child who was clinging to her neck. "We must return to the Tree of Souls immediately. Others may be injured."
"Neytiri, what is that?" Ateyo asked pointing to a dark black cloud forming on the far side of the lakebed just above the tree line.
For several seconds Neytiri stared as the dark cloud changed shape several times.
"Wasps! This is very bad. When nest is disturbed wasps become very aggressive. They attack anything that moves. We must go now!"
Jake didn't have to be told twice. He had seen the results of Hell-Fire wasp stings on a few of the mine workers just after he arrived at Hell's Gate. Nasty! One of the miners had actually died from the stings.
"Jake, you carry Silpey and Tanhi, they are the lightest. Ateyo, Tsulam is with you. Ninral, Neynat will carry you. Ralu, you are with me," Neytiri ordered at once. "If we keep to a fast jog we should be back at the Tree of Souls in about fifteen minutes."
"Where are Eu'ta'o and Tau'san?" Jake asked, suddenly remembering the warriors on direhorseback.
"They should have little trouble outrunning the wasps, which is more that we will be able to do if the catch up with us. We leave now!"
Neytiri was more frightened than he had ever seen her. Hometree had been devastating, but this was different. Whatever in the hell 'this' was? Figuring correctly that this was not the time to ask her why, Jake adjusted his two charges, one on his back and one in front, and headed off at a medium lope back along the route they followed to get to the lake.
Swinging Ralu up onto her back, Neytiri made sure Ateyo and Neynat with the other two children were ready to go. "Try to keep up with Jake," she instructed. "If you cannot, call out and he will slow his pace."
For five minutes they jogged in single file, Jake in the lead with Neytiri following the others. No one spoke a word. Bows ready, they were all scanning the forest for any signs of predators that might be waiting, ready to attack. The forest was eerily quiet which only heightened Neytiri's sense of unease. Wasps had always given her a bad time. She could handle just about anything with teeth, but not wasps. The sight of the swarm had almost brought her to her knees. Neytiri wasn't sure why she had such an irrational fear of them, she just did.
The sounds of hoofs thundering up behind them had everyone stopping to turn and face what was charging in their direction. In one fluid motion, Neytiri squatted so Ralu could drop from her back and nocked an arrow in her bow. Jake was by her side in seconds, an arrow nocked, ready to release if need be. Ten long seconds later, Eu'ta'o and Tau'san bounded into view, riding hard and fast.
Drawing up short the hunters brought their mounts to a sudden stop in from of Neytiri and Jake who had lowered their bows. From the looks on their faces it was obvious that the hunters were more than a little unnerved.
"The lake! Did you see…"
"Yes, we saw," Neytiri cut Eu'ta'o off. "Take four of the children back to the other clan members. Ralu will stay with us. We will make better time with only one child to carry. If you are not needed immediately, come back for Ateyo and Neynat."
Without argument two children were hoisted up to each hunter and they set off at a moderate gallop towards the Tree of Souls. Jake hoisted Ralu onto his back and began to trot after the direhorses. With the lighter load Jake was able to increase his speed, the others easily keeping pace with him.
"Neytiri, how often do you have earthquakes?" Jake asked, having given the matter considerable thought while jogging through the forest. A quake was the only thing he could think of that would explain what had just happened. From the force needed to move the rock he had been sitting on as it were a mere pebble, Jake figured that the quake was well up there on the Richter scale.
"Earth quack? What is earth quack?" Neytiri was looking at him totally puzzled.
"No quake, not quack. Quake means to shake, shift side to side, up and down. Something caused the earth…land…to shift violently. On Earth this is known as earthquake."
"In whole of my life, never have I seen or felt this thing you call earth quake."
"Obviously they don't happen all that often then. On Earth some places get them all the time, others hardly ever."
"I do not like this quaking. I hope I never see another."
"Jake, where did the water in the lake go?" Neytiri asked when her thoughts returned to Tagola.
"The quake must have shifted the ground beneath the lakebed allowing the water to run out. From the black hole in the middle of the lake my guess is that a cavern of some sort opened up and allowed the water to drain out."
Jake was trying to decide just how much geology he should try to explain when Eu'ta'o and Tau'san came riding full out directly at them. They brought their mounts to an abrupt stop, dismounting and breaking their bonds on the fly. The anguish and panic on their faces had Neytiri and Jake grasping for each other's hands.
"Many Omatikaya are dead…more are terribly injured," Tau'san choked out between gasps while trying to regain his wind. "Take our mounts. You must go quickly. We will follow on foot."
Without asking for any details Neytiri bonded with Tau'san's direhorse and leapt on to its back. Beckoning for Jake to pass Ralu up to her she settled the child in front of her as Jake mounted the other direhorse. Kicking the horse both mentally and physically Neytiri set off at a fast gallop.
"What happened," Jake asked Eu'ta'o as soon as he was astride his mount.
"Several of the large stone arches collapsed. Many were crushed to death. Others are still trapped beneath the stones."
Jake didn't wait for any further details but set off at as fast a gallop as he could manage to try and catch up with Neytiri. He was glad she had Ralu, as her riding skill was much better than his.
Jake caught site of Neytiri just as she broke into the opening near the Tree of Souls. By the time Jake reached the opening she had dismounted and was staring in shocked disbelief at the chaos surrounding her. By the time Jake dismounted Ralu was clinging to Neytiri, her face pressed tight against Neytiri's thigh.
Everywhere around them people were dead or dying. When the sounds of pain and despair registered in Jake's ears it was almost more than he could bear. As he turned his attention to Neytiri the ground began to shake, but less forcibly than before. Panicked, Ralu literally leapt up to wrap her arms around his neck, shaking uncontrollably.
"It's an aftershock," Jake told Neytiri as he pulled her tight against them. "We may get a few more. That is if quakes on Pandora are anything like they are on Earth."
Neytiri wanted to scream at the madness that was happening around her. Nothing in her whole life had prepared her for this. In less than two weeks she had witnessed her home being destroyed, hundreds upon hundreds of Na'vi dying fighting the Sky People, and now this. It seemed as if her world had suddenly turned against them. As if Eywa had deserted the Omatikaya.
"Here, take Ralu," Jake demanded, roughly shoving the child into her arms and bolting off towards the base of one of the stone arches that had collapsed.
Following Jake's direction she saw that he was running towards a young woman who sat holding her child at the base of the arch. Unnoticed above her head a large section of the arch was teetering back and forth ready to fall. As Jake neared the woman it seemed to Neytiri that everything started moving in slow motion. The loose section of arch tipped and began to fall just as Jake reached the woman. Bodily picking her, and the child she was holding, up into his arms. It seemed as if the large block of stone was right on top of them as Jake twisted and rolled out of its path. When the stone hit the ground sending out small shock waves Neytiri was jogged back to her normal senses. Standing there doing nothing, she suddenly realized that she needed to pull herself together and start helping her people.
"Ralu, we must be brave," Neytiri said in as calm a voice as she could manage. "Our people need us to be strong and help them."
Setting Ralu on her feet Neytiri quickly moved to the closest person. It was an older woman who was still alive. It appeared that her arm was broken as it was twisted at an unnatural angle. When Neytiri straightened the woman's arm she was prepared for the scream of pain. Broken arms and legs were not terribly common, but they did happen from time to time. Usually straightening and immobilizing the limb let it heal in time.
Moving on to the next person who was sitting up Neytiri quickly determined that it was his ankle. There being nothing she could do for him she moved on to the next person.
Minutes turned into an hour as she and Jake went about helping all those that they could. Mostly broken bones or bruised bodies from the falling, rolling stone fragments. Six were dead, apparently hit in the head by the rubble from the arch's collapse.
After several minutes of helping injured clan members Jake suddenly remembered that Norm's avatar body was somewhere nearby. Glancing around he didn't spot any sign of it. As there were so many injured right in front of him Jake didn't have time to go looking for it. It was safe or it wasn't. Nothing he could do about it at the moment.
With the help of a dozen other uninjured clan members Jake and Neytiri were able to help all of the victims that were not buried by rock and stone. He had seen several arms and legs sticking out from under large stones, their owners quite dead he was sure.
As he was looking for someone else in need of help Jake spotted Mo'at walking slowly into the clearing. Before he could shout to Neytiri she was up and running full out in her mother's direction. Walking toward mother and daughter, Jake could tell from their faces that something was terribly wrong.
"Jake…" When Neytiri reached out and grasped his hand Jake could only think that something had happed to Norm's avatar. "Come with me."
Neytiri led him back down the path that her mother had just climbed. As she turned towards a large section of stone that had been part of the tallest arch Jake noticed a young boy, or rather half of a young boy. His legs were completely buried beneath the stone, obviously crushed to pulp. Jake was sure the boy had to be dead but at the sound of their approach he turned his head and looked at him. The boy's eyes were glassy, as he was obviously in shock. Jake could see the fear on the boy's face but not a lot of pain. This he understood perfectly from when he had lost the use of his own legs.
"His name is Mayteo," Neytiri whispered softly to Jake as they approached.
Kneeling down beside the boy, Jake looked at what was left of the tops of the boy's legs, which wasn't much at all.
"Mayteo, can you talk?"
When the boy tried to speak only a gurgling sound passed his lips. That and some blood.
"All right, don't try," Jake added, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Blink your eyes once if you are in a lot of pain."
As Jake expected the boy didn't blink.
"He is in shock," Jake told Neytiri and Mo'at. "It's blocking most of the pain, at least for the moment. I'm not sure what if anything we can do for him."
"You can set his spirit free," Mo'at replied. "End his suffering before it begins."
"What! I can't do that," Jake yelped. "I just can't. He's only a boy."
"Jake, I know what is being asked of you is very hard," Neytiri began. "You are Olo'eyktan, even though you do not wish to be. You are all we have. Mayteo cannot survive this. It is only a matter of time before he dies. Make him one with Eywa before the pain, the agony begins. Do not let him die slowly."
In his gut Jake knew there was no way that the boy was going to live. This was not the same as when he had set Tsu'tey's spirit free. Tsu'tey had been full grown, a man, a warrior mortally wounded in battle. This was nothing like that.
When Jake turned to look at Neytiri there were tears in her eyes. He could feel the agony and despair she was feeling. The empathy for him, her life-mate, for what he needed to do.
"Can I bond with him?" Jake asked, looking at both Mo'at and Neytiri.
"Under normal conditions a parent can bond with their child," Mo'at began. "I'm not sure what state Mayteo's mind will be in, but you can try."
Shifting so that he was kneeling beside the boy, Jake reached for the boy's queue, gently joining it with his own. He was glad that he had prepared himself for an onslaught of feeling. The strongest emotions Jake felt was fear and bewilderment. The boy's mind was racing in every direction at once. Reaching out with his own mind he tried to connect, to calm.
It was like trying to catch fish with your bare hands. Finally after a dozen unsuccessful attempts Jake managed to make a connection. The panic he felt almost overpowered his own mind. Slowly, persistently he was able to meld the boy's mind with his own. Calming, soothing as he moved the boy's focus from his body to only his mind.
"Eywa is waiting for you. She will take you to our ancestors; make you one with her for all time. Let your spirit fly. Leave this damaged body. Trust in Eywa."
Jake had prepared himself for the moment when he felt Mayteo's mind let go of his body. Quickly with a single stroke he pierced the boy's heart with his knife. The connection flared on a quick, short burst of pain and then slowly faded away.
Gently breaking the bond, Jake laid the boy's queue beside his lifeless body. Rising to his feet Jake turned to Mo'at and Neytiri, his eyes wet with tears that hand not been shed.
"It is done," he said simply and walked away.
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Author's Note:
From the website's statistics I know there are about two hundred readers following this story. What I don't know is what you think about it. Are you enjoying it? Is it too slow, too boring? Would you like to have more 'Hard-Science' incorporated into the story? Reviews help author's gage reader's responses. Please help me make the story better for you. Your reviews and comments are always appreciated.