Legends II : LEGENDS OF LOVE. Part 2.
by Nicole Mayer (destiny@wwdg.com)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It was a journey of so many poignant memories. Years had
passed since the first trek across the planet, yet as the group
travelled through the terrain, it seemed only yesterday.
They could vividly remember the endless hiking from dawn until
dusk, their hopes pinned on a dream. A dream that was now reality
for most of them.
Sadly, they recalled the friends they had lost along the way;
then smiled at thoughts of first encounters. Everything was so
different now, but somehow, the raw essence of the wild, unexplored
planet had not changed.
"Do you remember that mountain, Uly?" asked True. She and Uly
were perched on the high back seat of the smaller scout vehicle
that Walman was driving. Ahead, she could see the dust cloud
produced by the larger vehicle containing the medical equipment in
which Julia and Danziger were seated.
They would be travelling thousands of miles, and unfortunately,
there were no stable transport tunnels near the downed spacecraft
where Devon was buried. People still used the tunnels but had
strict medical check-ups afterward.
So two vehicles had been essential to the expedition, mostly as
insurance against problems, but it also provided the small group
the chance to spread out.
Uly stared hard at the mountain True was pointing at. "Was
that the one where you accidentally threw my..."
"...hat over the edge!" continued True, laughing at the memory.
"You were furious, so you grabbed my scarf and threw it down too!"
"And then you hurled my shoes over, so I was trying to wrench your
shoes off your feet," snickered Uly.
True was laughing loudly now. "And then Dad came along and
threatened to throw us both off! Oooh, he was mad."
"We never found your scarf, did we?" reminisced Uly. True brushed
her long hair back, and it fluttered in Uly's face.
"No, I don't think we did. I just remember how Dad made us
search for hours for your shoes. And we were told we weren't ever
allowed to go on another mountain scout."
"It was the last one, anyway," commented Uly. True's hair
blew in his face again, and he wondered if she would ever cut it.
Not that it wasn't beautiful, of course.
"This is just so incredible," said True wistfully. "It's as
if we've stepped back in time." She closed her eyes, and imagined
Uly as he was back then, a cheeky young boy who loved to tease her.
Ghosts of the past danced before her eyes. Everyone had been
so full of dreams of their future at New Pacifica, and somehow, the
weariness was now forgotten. Only the laughter and the tears they
had shared on that amazing journey remained in True's heart.
"We were the first," said Uly proudly. "We made this place
happen."
True nodded, and squeezed her almost-brother's hand. "I'm so glad
we were part of it." And that was true. She wouldn't have traded
anything for the memories that she shared with her friends, the
original Eden Advance.
But as the months passed and they travelled closer to the
place of death, the memories were no longer so happy. Julia looked
upon the landscape with new eyes. The last time they had been
there, everything had appeared in shades of black and grey. A pall
had hung over the group as they struggled to survive after the
terrible loss.
Julia had almost driven herself to the point of collapse, searching
for clues that weren't there. Danziger had been numb and
withdrawn; it had taken him a few weeks to inspire hope both within
himself and for the group. And Uly had cried himself to sleep for
days.
But they had survived. More than that, they had conquered defeat
and succeeded.
"Brings back the memories, hey, Julia," Danziger said solemnly.
She looked into his haunted eyes and nodded. Their second journey
had begun so joyfully, but the darkness of this place seemed to
overcome all.
Nervously playing with the compass, Julia asked, "How much
further?"
Danziger knew. He would never forget the landscape here, for his
eyes had been drawn backwards with every waking moment. A
harrowing battle had raged within his soul as whether to stay with
Devon, or go forward and push the hurt away.
However, time had showed that the right decisions were made.
To go on, and to survive. But now, Danziger's heart was in his
throat as he strained to make out the images on the edge of the
horizon as the afternoon wore on.
There. A tiny flash of sunlight, a glint in the distance.
That was it. They knew it. The two vehicles, by some mutual
understanding, ground to a halt and the five weary travellers
gathered.
Quietly, they stared into the distance. They were so near to
their destination now, and each wondered what the next day would
bring. So much hope was pinned on them, and their actions, and no
one knew what would happen if they failed a second time. They were
afraid.
Somehow, the derelict ship ahead of them flashed at regular
intervals, as if it were homing beacon. In a way, it was, the only
sanctuary in the thousands of miles of desert that held a living,
human being.
Or so they believed.
The sun was setting and darkness appeared to creep over the
landscape and swallow the ship whole. Danziger shuddered. How
long had Devon suffered like this, alone in the dark? And it was
his fault. He felt a fear grip his heart and suddenly did not
want tomorrow to come. He was afraid of the future and what it
might bring.
The five watchers looked out across the shadowy landscape.
The air was quiet, not even the gentlest of breezes disturbed
the sparse clumps of ragged grass. It was still a place of
sadness, destined to be that way for all time.
"Do we go on, or make camp here?" asked Walman suddenly, his
voice ringing through the stillness of dusk.
"Stay here," said the other four voices in unison. It seemed they
were all a little afraid to go meet their goal. It was safer here
on the edge, where dreams were still possibilities and truth would
not destroy all hope.
***
"Devon, no!" moaned Danziger. He could see her, just on the
edge of his vision, a wraith in the moonlight that danced away from
him constantly. She was nothing more than a spirit that could
never be caught. He reached out to her...
Shaking his head, Danziger refocussed his attention on the
cryo-chamber. With trembling fingers, he pushed the release
buttons and heard the slow hiss of the pod beginning to open.
Crossing the room quickly, he prepared to gather her in his arms
and let her live.
She wasn't there. The crib was empty, for she had truly
vanished to the spirit world.
"No!" cried Danziger. "We came back for you! You have to be
here!"
A musical laugh sounded behind him. He whirled around, and
was rewarded to see a flash of dark hair. But all too soon, it was
gone.
Stumbling outside into the night air, Danziger's eyes
desperately searched the horizon. She was gone.
"Devon!" he roared into the night. "I can't lose you again! I
can't live without you!"
Danziger's gaze returned to the ship as he fell to his knees in
defeat. He heard the seductive calling of destiny...
...and someone was shaking his arm. "Dad, wake up!" hissed True.
She didn't want to embarrass him any further by having everyone
else awake and aware of Danziger's nightmares. She'd had enough
trouble so far on this trip keeping him quiet, but tonight's
nightmares were by far the worst.
"True!" Danziger gasped as the world slowly came into focus.
His heart pounding furiously, Danziger realised that again, Devon
had been tormenting his dreams. Telling him over and over that he
should not have left her, and could not let her die. It was his
duty to let her live again.
He stared up at the stars, his face bathed in their soft
luminescence. The night was warm, and the small group had slept
under the stars again. Uneasily, though.
True realised that her father was finally awake enough to
understand what she was saying. "Dad, I'm worried about you.
You're always calling out for Devon in your sleep."
"So what if I am?" Danziger snapped irritably. Didn't True
realise how important she was to him?
True jumped, visibly surprised at his reaction. "I just want to
know that you're okay." The young woman's voice was sorrowful, as
if she knew Danziger was slipping into a realm from which there was
no escape.
Danziger saw the pain flicker across his daughter's face, and
was instantly sorry. "Come here, True-girl," he said softly, using
the nickname he hadn't used for years. "I'm sorry," he apologised.
"I'm just a little tense, you know?"
"I guess we all are," replied True wisely. She gave her
father a hug, and prayed that he would be alright. Then she
slipped off back to her bed, and soon fell into a troubled sleep.
But Danziger could not sleep. With his arms behind his head,
he gazed at the stars and moons until the light of day finally
broke.
***
Slowly, they approached the derelict ship. Everyone was
visibly relieved to see that the outside, at least, appeared
intact. The hatch was still sealed as tightly as it was the day
Danziger and Alonzo had sorrowfully closed it. Or literally fused
it shut, Julia realised wryly as a laser torch was produced to cut
it open.
Inside, the air was stale and musty. True carefully sniffed at it,
remembering a time half-forgotten. There were bad memories here,
bad feelings. She could almost see Elizabeth again, and feel
the intense pain from feedback to the biostat implants, remember
collapsing to the ground and screaming in agony while clutching
desperately at her head....
The single, impersonal light of the ancient computer system
blinked incessantly, casting random shadows across the room. There
was a thin layer of dust over everything, although Julia could not
fathom how it had got there with the ship having been sealed so
tightly. Yet all things died, eventually, so perhaps the ship
itself was turning to dust.
She trod over to the control panel, her heart in her throat.
What if the equipment had failed? However, the lights showed Julia
that Devon was still sleeping peacefully, or as peacefully as was
possible with such primitive equipment.
Calling up a quick diagnostic, Julia suddenly wished that
Alonzo was there with them. He had a lot more experience with the
old-style ships than she did, and Julia was worried that she
wouldn't remember how to operate all of the controls.
But then she recalled that it was Morgan who brought out
Franklin and Elizabeth from cold sleep in the first place, so it
couldn't be too hard to figure the workings. And she could always
call Yale via the satellite relay if she was desperate.
Her fingers dancing, Julia called to Walman to start bringing
the medical equipment inside. Everything looked good.
"Danziger?" began Julia, turning to see what he was doing. He was
situated in front of Devon's cryo-chamber, his fingers delicately
tracing the blurred outline of her face.
Danziger felt a sense of fulfilment come over his soul.
Finally, they had come back. Finally, they could save her.
Finally, he could love her, and she him. The glass was misted
before him, but Danziger could imagine every detail of Devon's
serene face perfectly. Not long now, and she would be in his arms.
"John!" Julia's voice broke his reverie. "Are you ready?"
Was he ready? He had been waiting for this moment forever, or so
it seemed. Taking a deep breath, he turned to face Julia with hope
in his eyes. "Yes."
Perfectly, the mechanical procedure began. Julia was ecstatic
to see that the ship did not fail Devon, as it had failed the other
doomed people eight years earlier. Any second now, the door would
be opening and Devon would be free.
She fell into Danziger's waiting arms like a fragile baby bird
breaking free from its nest.
Danziger held the small form in his arms. He could smell her
hair, the beautiful sweet scent that was missing from his life for
so many years, feel her soft skin, and all the physical sensations
that were just *her*.
Devon shuddered, and a small moan escaped her lips.
"Devon, I'm here. We came back for you. You're going to be
alright," Danziger whispered over and over as he held her close,
revelling in the momentary sensation before reluctantly placing her
on the medical bench.
Devon opened her eyes in confusion. "John!" she managed,
seeing his blue eyes gaze - lovingly? - she wondered, down at her.
Suddenly, Devon realised that he did love her, and she, she - loved
him. It was something wonderful that being so close to death had
shown her.
~They say that your life flashes before your eyes before death,~
thought Devon, ~but no one ever mentions the revelations that it
brings...~
Her body shuddered, and Devon moaned. The pain hadn't
lessened at all, even though she knew she had been asleep for some
time.
"It's alright, Dev, Julia's here," soothed Danziger, stroking
her hair. Julia's face swam above her. As Devon struggled to
focus, she realised how much older the doctor looked. She shifted
her eyes to Danziger, and he, too, had aged.
"Where's Uly?" Devon managed. Frighteningly, she could still
feel herself dying, feel her heart shuddering and threatening to
give out at any moment.
"Right here, Mom," came a deep voice and a strange face appeared.
"Uly?" she gasped, then broke into another fit of spasmodic
coughing.
"It's okay, really," he replied. "We'll talk later. You have to
get well first-" and a look of horror overtook his face as he broke
off.
"Julia!" he said frantically. "I can't hear the singing!"
Julia's face was just as troubled. "I know," she whispered in a
hushed voice. "I'm not detecting any of it on my scanners.
"How could we be wrong?" Julia suddenly burst out as Devon's body
arched in pain yet again. "I don't get it! All the symptoms are
the same..."
"Do something!" raged Danziger, grabbing Devon's hand as her
desperate eyes searched his for understanding.
"John," Devon gasped. Her voice was little more than a frail
whisper.
"She's suffering a complete system failure!" Julia's words
had been repeated many times before but this time, they had a
sense of finality. "I can't do anything," she choked in horror.
She saw the disbelief whirl across Danziger's face, and offered
mute apologies with her eyes.
"Mom, I love you," said Uly. "You did everything for me. You
brought us here...."
"New Pacifica?" she managed. Danziger leaned close to hear Devon's
words, and tell her that her dream had become reality.
"We made it, Adair. The colonists arrived, all the Syndrome kids
are fine. You did it."
A small smile crossed Devon's face through the pain. "Thank
you, John."
"Devon," he said, his voice deadly serious. "You have to make it
through this. I can't live without you. I can't lose you again."
Devon felt the world swimming about her, and she was fading in
and out. Dimly, she was aware of someone caressing her cheeks,
telling her to breathe, damn it!, but suddenly she could no longer
feel her heart beating. It was all over. "Not yet!" her mind
screamed. She prayed desperately for one more moment in the living
world, to tell John Danziger that she loved him.
But it was not to be. "She's gone," said Julia in a flat voice as
every reading went dead.
"No!" roared Danziger. "I didn't tell her, she doesn't know, she
can't be gone yet!" Wildly, he pushed on her chest, willing her
heart to start again.
"Stop it, John!" shrieked Julia through her tears. "She's
gone, okay? We can't bring her back to life!"
Danziger stared at the still form, his heart breaking. There was
only one thing to do.
"We have to put her back."
"No."
"Yes, damn it! I *will not* bury her in the ground! She deserves
more than that!" Danziger raged. For him, burying Devon would
mean the final acceptance of her death, and he wasn't ready to deal
with that. He didn't suspect he ever would be. As long as her
body remained, surely there was some sort of hope?
Julia saw Danziger's pain through her own, and realised he
could not be reasoned with.
"Okay, then," said Julia, her face weary with defeat. "We'll
put her back."
True led Uly outside as Danziger gathered Devon in his arms for the
last time. He and Julia despondently approached Devon's final
resting place.
Neither of them heard the tiny gasp as the chamber sealed
shut. Didn't realise that, against all odds, Devon Adair's heart
would still beat one last time. She would not give up so easily.
If only she had the chance to live, or die.
***
"Uly?" asked True, tears in her eyes.
"I'll be alright," he said sadly. "I guess I said goodbye to her
a long time ago." Only now could Uly appreciate that fact. That
was why he had forgotten her at New Pacifica, that was why his
future had seemed so bright. He *had* accepted the loss of his
mother and could live on.
They sat quietly on a log, sunshine playing down over their
faces. It didn't seem right that such a beautiful day held such
tragedy. The gentle wind caused leaves to dance across the ground,
in spiralling patterns that were eerily reminiscent of another
time.
Because it was almost exactly like the last time, when True
and Uly had sat on this very same log, two young hearts touched by
the tragedy of loss.
"True," he said suddenly.
"What?" she asked. Her eyes were looking into the distance, but
her hand sought his.
"If I'm ever like that, well, you know," he broke off awkwardly.
True turned to face him.
He took a deep breath, and started again. "If I'm dying, let
me go into the earth," he said. "I belong there."
This was more than an ancient Earth belief, it was his connection
to the Terrians and the planet. Uly belonged with them too, and
True understood perfectly.
"What about, uh, your mother?" She couldn't bring herself to
say Devon's name.
Smiling sadly, Uly said, "She doesn't belong in the ground. She
was a dreamer, and the stars were hers. If John wants to let her
rest in the chamber, then it's okay with me."
His words were wise for someone still so young. True gently
took Uly's hand, looking at him with a new understanding. His eyes
were shining, not only with tears, but with hope as well because it
was finally over.
Uly gently brushed the tears from True's cheeks, and said,
"I'm glad you're here."
She could only smile sadly and whisper, "I'm glad I'm here too."
***
Julia was feeling terribly alone. Every moment she turned
around, she expected to see Alonzo, or Yale, someone from the
original group who would be there for comfort and counsel, to help
them get through the pain. But this time, they were all on their
own.
She could see True and Uly sitting close together, but did not
want to intrude. Walman had taken a lonely walk to Eben's
gravesite, to honour her memory and now that of Devon as well. And
Danziger, Julia feared, was still inside the ship, his hands
pushing against the glass that separated him from Devon.
His state was terribly unstable, Julia knew. But right now,
she didn't have the strength to go talk to him and talk him through
his pain. She was feeling enough pain herself.
She had failed. Oh, her diagnosis had been correct. But cold
sleep had destroyed the resonances throughout Devon's body long
ago and the damage had already been too great.
Julia tried to imagine what the vibrations would do to a
person. Feeling a constant, discordant drumming throughout the
body, fighting desperately against the unnatural rhythm until, at
last, the person could fight no longer.
Shivering suddenly, Julia felt the tears again well in her
eyes. This day, this moment, was one she had dreaded for eight
years, the time when finally, nothing more could be done to save
her friend's life. Julia could not forgive herself.
It was her fault that Danziger was so broken now. Her fault
for suggesting cold sleep in the first place and just prolonging
the inevitable. Her fault that she had been unable to do more for
Devon.
Miserably, Julia kicked a stray rock and glanced at the
waiting vehicles. They would be leaving very soon. There was
nothing left for them here now, nothing but terrible, tragic
memories. She didn't want to return to the ship to collect her
things. They could stay. She didn't ever want to come back here
again.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Gillian's head was swimming. She had not been reading the
words anymore, she had been *there*, out in the desert with
Danziger, Julia and the others. More than that, she had been
inside Devon's mind.
But how was that possible? Why did she know things that even
Bess had not written? Gillian was searching for the answers, yet
even more questions were being raised all the time. Someday,
perhaps, she would understand.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Yale walked along the path to the Martins' house with a quiet
dignity. He didn't like the job he had to do, yet realised that he
alone was the only one to deliver such news. Then, he could be
alone with his own sorrow.
Ariel was playing in the front garden, her innocent face
turned to the sun in an expression of pure joy. Pain constricted
Yale's heart as he saw, in a sudden flash of memory, another little
girl so many years ago. A tiny, yet strong-willed little girl with
the flashing, defiant eyes and the arrogant toss of her determined
dark head as she demanded to know why he was there.
A faint smile touched Yale's lips as he recalled his first
meeting with Devon. In the confused world of the rich and
powerful, she had been alone and without a true friend. Some said
that was true of Devon Adair throughout her whole life. But Yale
had been more than her teacher, he had been her friend and counsel,
and eventually, friend to her son as well. Yale's destiny had
become intertwined with the Adair family, and ultimately they had
become his own family too.
And now, Yale was grieving as a father who had lost his
beloved daughter. He had tried to be there for her over the years,
but in the final, cataclysmic moments of her life, she had been on
her own, the way it was meant to be. Devon Adair, the loner.
Yale wished that Devon'd had the chance to fall in love and be
free of the demons of her past. He remembered comforting her after
the incident with Uly's father, when she had sworn away from love
for the rest of her life. Yale had always hoped that someday, her
wounds would heal and she could learn to trust again.
He had watched her deal with men since then, always so cool
and aloof. Until coming to this planet, and discovering the true
meaning of friendship and trust.
Quietly, Yale had watched her become especially close to John
Danziger, and hoped in his heart that Devon could find the
happiness that she didn't know she was searching for. But fate had
taken that opportunity from her, so now Yale could only think of
what might-have-been, and pray that Devon had died in peace with
the knowledge that she had made a difference.
Yale stepped up onto the front veranda, and gently tapped on
the door.
Bess called out, "Coming!" in her musical voice and, with baby John
on her hip, opened the door and invited Yale in.
He stood formally in the living room, observing that although
Bess looked tired as all mothers do, she still had a radiance
within her that Yale suspected would never die.
Bess saw the solemn expression on his face, and suddenly knew
that he was not paying a social visit.
"Is Morgan home?" Yale asked.
"No, he's over at the office," she replied nervously. "Yale, what
is it?"
"She didn't make it," he said with the quiet dignity of one in
much pain.
Bess' clear blue eyes clouded over as she comprehended Yale's
words.
"They couldn't help Devon?" she asked, her voice quavering.
The look on Yale's face was all the confirmation she needed.
Bess sat down suddenly. Shock registered across her features
as the implications of Yale's news set in.
"I guess I was really lucky then," Bess said slowly. Time seemed
to have slowed down for a moment, and all the colours were harsh
and bright. Her mind was whirling with confusion.
"Yale, I'm so sorry." There wasn't much Bess could say to
him. She felt as if she should cry, or at least express her
sadness in some way. But Bess was strangely detached, as if this
had been expected for a long time and all her tears were already
shed.
Instead of picturing Devon as she last saw her, Bess could
recall their first meeting, the forceful leader of the Eden
Project. Morgan hadn't liked her much back then, and neither, come
to think of it, had Bess.
But that had changed on one magical journey. Devon, the one
to look to for strength when life seemed grim. Devon, who had
inspired their hearts to conquer the vast, unknown land. Devon,
the friend who had been there for them all. Suddenly, Bess
realised that she hadn't considered their first journey over yet.
That is, until just now, when the final part of their mission was
ultimately closed. Forever.
As Yale began to move back towards the door, Bess suddenly
offered, "Yale, stay for a while. Morgan will be home soon. You
can have dinner with us."
"Thank you, Bess," he replied. "But I really must get going.
I have work to do, to prepare for tomorrow's classes."
Bess recognised his need to be alone.
"Well, if you ever need anything, feel free to drop by," she
offered weakly.
Yale smiled in gratitude, then walked slowly away. He still had
one more sad message to deliver, to a pilot beginning his new
career in the stars. Then both Bess and Yale were alone, grieving
for a friend whose death had been cruelly twisted by time.
***
"Danziger! We're leaving now!" snapped Walman. He had been
attempting to reason with the man for the last five minutes, but
Danziger refused to move from inside the old spaceship.
"Go," he grunted. "Leave me here. There's nothing for me
back there anyway."
"Are you crazy, man? You've got the whole town," Walman tactfully
did not mention the town's name, "to look after. And what about
your kids?"
"The city'll survive without me. There's lots of qualified
people back there. And as for True and Uly, they're practically
grown up. Don't need a useless father hanging around in the way."
Danziger was pacing inside the ship, but he could not tear his
eyes from Devon's coffin. She looked so beautiful through the
glass, an ethereal spirit just out of his reach. He remembered the
dream and now knew it had been a premonition of things to come.
"Dad!" True's voice was frightened. She stepped slowly to
the hatch, blocking the sunlight that was streaming in. She was
terribly worried and scared. In all her eighteen years, she had
never seen her father behave in this manner.
She stepped inside. "Dad?" she repeated, more softly this
time. "I know you're sad, but we still need you."
Danziger stared down into his daughter's face. "I failed her,
True."
"No, you didn't! You did the best you could, but now, it's
time to let go." Tentatively, True took Danziger's hand and gently
pulled him towards her.
"*I* need you, Dad."
Indecision flickered across Danziger's face as his heart was pulled
in two directions by two very different kinds of love. "Please?"
She didn't see the silent vow in his eyes as he turned to Devon's
coffin one last time. Then he let True lead him outside, and away.
Quickly, the vehicles were repacked. They hadn't taken much
down, anyway. Climbing on board, Walman couldn't help but feel
shocked at how much everything had changed in less than half a day.
He gave a half-salute to the towering ship, and turned to face the
future.
Uly and True, too, took last looks at the place where they "began
to die". Julia never looked back. And Danziger could not tear his
eyes away, even when the shimmering of the craft had long become
lost in the distance.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"People die, sometimes," Bess foreshadowed. "Not by choice, not
deliberately, not even because they deserve to. It just happens,
whether accidentally or not. You never expect death. Even
when I was staring Death in the face, I still felt a sense of my
own immortality, and believed I would go on no matter what.
"Yet sometimes, Death sneaks up on us in ways we never suspect,
in ways we cannot imagine. One little mistake, one of hundreds you
can make in your life, can lead to lethal consequences and there's
no turning back. You don't get a second chance.
"My friend made a mistake. Bad judgement, perhaps, or maybe
she too believed in immortality. Whatever it was, death came, and
we couldn't stop it. We were powerless against the terrible force
that had taken our loved one, and that scared us all and helped
destroy others. Because nothing can stop destiny."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
They were still one week out from the city of Devon when the
larger vehicle died. The engine gave out for no apparent reason -
it just ground to a halt during the middle of another endless,
silent day. For no one was really speaking to each other, as each
was too lost in memories and grief.
"Well, this is just great," groaned Walman. "What do we do
now? We can't all fit on the scout vehicle, and it wouldn't be
able to carry enough supplies anyway."
"Besides," chimed in Julia, "the city can't afford to lose
even one vehicle." Uly wandered over to the scout vehicle to tell
Danziger and True the news.
"So who's going to go back?" asked Walman, his tone low.
Julia stared at him, worried. "Danziger needs to get back to town
as soon as possible. I don't think he's said one word since Devon
died. He won't listen to me at all and he only listens to you
when he wants to."
Julia took a deep breath, and went on, "I think he needs to
be surrounded by his work and friends again, to get back into
everyday life. Hopefully, that will snap him out of his
depression."
"And if it doesn't?"
"I don't even want to consider that possibility," stated Julia
darkly. She remembered case studies from her medical training of
people who went crazy with grief or guilt, and Danziger was
definitely suffering from both of those. She didn't want to lose
her friend to the dark paths of the inner mind and soul.
"So Danziger goes back. Who stays? You, or me?"
"I'll stay," offered Julia. "I don't mind. It'll give me a while
to clear my head on my own."
Walman asked, "Are you sure?" but then saw the determination
in her eyes.
"I need you to get Danziger back safely. You and True are his best
hope for the moment."
"Okay," conceded Walman. "But you're not staying out here
alone. I'll ask Uly to stay with you."
Uly was more than happy to volunteer. He sensed that True would be
alright once she got back to the city and saw her friends again,
especially Bess and Ari. But for Uly, one of his best friends was
out here now and he would not abandon Julia. For anything.
"Good luck," wished True, hugging Uly and Julia goodbye.
"We'll be back with a repair crew as soon as possible."
"Or at least a bigger vehicle to take you back!" laughed Walman
wryly. "Come on, Danziger. Let's get going!"
"My life is awfully full of goodbyes lately," remarked Uly
as he stood waving to True.
"Well, hopefully, that should be the last one for quite some time,"
Julia replied absently, rummaging in her backpack for something to
eat. Finding a couple of ration bars, she held one out to Uly and
asked, "Hungry?"
He took the bar and casually tossed it into the air. Catching it
perfectly in one hand, he asked, "So what do we do for the next
week or so?"
"We rest," declared Julia, allowing a smile to almost reach her
eyes. "It's just been so depressing lately and I know that we all
have a good reason to be upset, but the stress of racing such huge
distances in so little time... and then there's Danziger to worry
about as well...."
Julia's eyes clouded over, until she realised that Uly was
patting her arm.
"Don't worry about it, Julia. We'll do what you said, rest for a
while. We can try and put this behind us." A sudden idea came to
Uly, and he wondered if Julia would go for it. Well, there was no
harm in trying.
"What if we, like, pretend this is a camping trip? Like a
holiday, for just the two of us."
That caught Julia's attention. "You want to pretend we're camping
out here? In this desolate wilderness?"
"Hey, it's not so bad," reassured Uly. Pointing to the north,
he said, "See those ridges up there? I bet there'd be some great
views from the tops of those mountains. I haven't *really* climbed
a mountain in ages!" Uly's tone was a little wistful, and Julia's
eyes sparkled with memory.
"So you're allowed to climb mountains again, are you? I didn't
think that day would ever come after that morning. You and
True, throwing things off a cliff like that...." Julia found
herself giggling, and was surprised. Laughter was a rarity in her
life lately.
Uly pretended to be indignant. "Of course I can climb mountains.
I don't know what you're talking about!" Then the laughter
infected him as well.
"We have a lot of good memories," said Julia, her face
becoming serious again. "And you're right, we need to have some
fun. Okay, Uly, do you think we can hike to the top of those
mountains and back again in two weeks?"
"Easily," he scoffed. "We could do it in ten days."
"Okay, so that means we set out, say, the day after tomorrow?"
Uly nodded, and the pact was made. They would have fun while
stranded in the desert. And more importantly, they would conquer
the ghosts of the past once and for all.
***
The vehicle rumbled into Devon, pulling to a stop outside the
Danziger home. Instead of the joyous reunion they had all
envisioned, only Bess, Morgan, Yale and Walman's girlfriend Donna
had come to welcome the travellers home.
Bess was frightened when she saw the look on Danziger's face.
His eyes were empty, his features carved in stone, and he looked
straight past her even as she called out, "John!" in the hope that
he would hear her.
But instead, Danziger walked straight past the gathered group,
not even pausing to acknowledge the fact that they, too, were
hurting.
True jumped down from the vehicle a little more slowly, and
straight into Bess' waiting arms while Morgan and Yale looked on
and smiled. Walman swept Donna off her feet and swung her around.
Watching their happiness out of the corner of her eye, Bess
suddenly suspected that there could be wedding bells in the future
for that couple.
But she could not think of that now. "It's good to see you
again, True," she said, hugging the girl who was like a sister to
her.
"It's good to be back," replied True, her eyes a little misty
with tears. She had grown taller than Bess, but still felt
comforted by the older woman's embrace. Finally pulling away, True
turned to greet Morgan, and Yale.
Yale took her hands in his. "And how is my prize student?" he
asked, not knowing what else to say.
"I'm okay," she replied. Not great, but she would survive. She
knew it.
"We cooked you dinner," said Morgan suddenly. Bess glared at
him. "Well, that is, Bess and Yale cooked the dinner. I sort of,
uh, helped a little," he quickly amended.
True allowed herself to smile. Life was getting back to the
way she remembered it.
"Yale, Morgan, Bess, good to see you again," interrupted Walman,
having finally detached himself from Donna although they still
held hands.
"Likewise," offered Morgan graciously. He and Walman had
never got along too well, but over the years had developed a
tolerance for each other.
Yale shook the man's hand, and thanked him for making the
journey.
"I was happy to," replied Walman. "It gave me a chance to sort out
a lot of old feelings, and realise some things about the life I
have now." He looked to Donna and she smiled back radiantly.
"Well, I guess I should get going. I'll get in touch with
Alonzo. He should be ready to leave tomorrow morning. Have you
decided if you're coming out again, True?"
"I'm going to stay here," she replied. "Dad needs me. But thank
you for doing all this. I know that you weren't as personally
involved as the rest of us...."
"Hey, you're my friends," cut in Walman, grinning. "And friendship
is what's important, right?"
"Right," replied True as she hugged him. "I'll come see you off in
the morning."
"See you then," said Walman, and he and Donna left.
"Well," said Morgan. "Shall we go inside?"
"Sure," replied True. "Where are Ari and John tonight?"
"With Mary." Mary, Morgan's personal assistant, had been more
than happy to babysit that evening. She loved Ari and John almost
as much as her own children, although she complained that she
didn't get to see the Martins nearly enough.
"She's been a great help lately," continued Bess. "And now
that you're back, I'll feel like I don't have to care for my own
children at all! That is, if you feel up to playing with Ari."
"Of course I will," declared True. "Life goes on," she stated
with conviction. She didn't yet realise that sometimes, the past
could trap a person and there was nothing anyone could do to help
them escape.
***
"How much further?" groaned Julia wearily. She felt as if she
had been climbing her whole life, although in reality it was only
the past day or two that the actual ascent had begun. Uly was
ahead of her, scaling the rocks as if he had been born with the
skills.
Or perhaps the planet was helping him. Julia was a fairly fit
person, but when it came to comparing herself to Uly, she had her
suspicions.
"Not far now!" Uly called over his shoulder as he grasped a
particularly large rock with his left hand. Pushing off with one
foot, he swung himself up and around the boulder until he was
standing upon another ledge.
Julia sighed again. He made it look so easy! But perhaps she
was just grumpy. She prepared to mimic his movements when Uly's
shout interrupted her thoughts.
"Hey, I can see the top!"
"Really?" asked Julia, her voice full of disbelief.
"Really!" A miniature shower of rocks cascaded past Julia as Uly
scrambled up the last few feet. Then she heard a hushed, "Wow...."
Gritting her teeth, Julia hauled herself up. Two more ledges, then
one, and then she let out her own whistle of appreciation.
The view was more incredible than they had imagined. To the
north lay a fertile valley, kept green by a sparkling river that
lazily traced its way by the foot of the mountain range.
"So, was it worth it?" smiled Uly.
"It was worth it," Julia conceded. "This is amazing! Just think,
we had no idea that anything beyond desert existed out here!"
Uly was grinning and jumping about from foot to foot. "So what do
you say? Do we camp up here for a night, or head straight down for
the valley?"
Julia thought for a moment. The rescue team would be arriving
in six days. That gave them four more days before they had to head
back, and more time if they convinced the team to drive to the
mountains to pick them up. Which was entirely possible, decided
Julia. She and Uly could always use the excuse that they were
studying an entirely different ecosystem!
Her weariness forgotten, Julia declared, "Let's go down. I'm
dying for a swim in that river." Hoisting her pack with renewed
energy, Julia followed Uly down across the ridge until they found
a safe, relatively easy path for descent. Thankfully, Julia
noticed that this path was a lot easier to follow than the trail
they had come up.
Ahead, the green valley awaited its travellers with some small
sense of delight. The planet was sentient, after all.
***
"You wouldn't believe this place, Alonzo. It's incredible!"
Julia was communicating with her husband via gear, but the
electronic device couldn't transmit even half of her excitement.
Alonzo just smiled distantly in response.
He had been looking forward to Julia's homecoming for what
seemed months when he heard that she wasn't going to be back for at
least another two weeks. And now, to find out that she and Uly had
gone on some crazy trek to the mountains which meant he wouldn't
see her for another day at the minimum...it was enough to make
Alonzo extremely frustrated.
The mission to G885 had been an unequivocal success. The
planet contained more resources than initially suspected, providing
a huge boost to the economy of G889. And Alonzo's personal
mission, to face flying again, had also triumphed. He had
conquered his lingering fears and now allowed himself to call the
stars a second home.
Yet he also appreciated that his true home was here, on this
planet, with his family and friends, including the memory of those
departed.
Sadly, he remembered Devon, but it was Julia who he missed most at
the moment.
She was still so far away.
For some reason, Alonzo felt a sense of fear connected to
Julia and her presence. It was crazy, but he kept thinking that he
wouldn't see her again. His skin had crawled as he waved to the
leaving expedition, although he had tried to push the dark thoughts
from his head. But every time it seemed he was in reach of her,
Julia was pulled even further away.
Sensing Alonzo's disinterest, Julia said sharply, "So how far
away are you, anyway?"
"Three days to the vehicle, and another to you. Why'd you have to
go out further, Julia?"
"Why did *you* personally have to come out to rescue me? Some sort
of misguided machoism? I can take care of myself," she flared in
response, inwardly cringing because somehow, they were fighting
again. "I'm sure Bess didn't appreciate you dumping the twins on
her for the thousandth time!"
"She offered!" countered Alonzo. "Look, Julia, I don't know what's
gone wrong between us, but I came out here to see if I could make
things right. Remember how we said we'd go on a vacation
together?"
As Alonzo's voice took on a tender tone, Julia found that her
anger was gradually fading away. She loved Alonzo and wanted
desperately to recapture the magic that had first drawn them
together.
"You're right, Alonzo. We've been apart for too long."
"I love you, doc," he offered, his expression softening. Bravely
meeting his eyes, Julia whispered, "I love you too." Yet she
couldn't help but wonder if love was enough.
***
"I don't know about you, Uly, but I'm really looking forward
to rejoining civilisation," Julia commented as she began the
ascent. Not that she ever really wanted to leave the valley, but
now that the final stage of the journey was approaching, Julia was
beginning to appreciate the comforts of a home.
Julia and Uly had spent four magical days in the Valley of Dreams,
which was what they had named it. The title seemed a perfect fit,
for the place with its rushing turquoise river, long, green
grasses, billions of beautiful flowers and friendly wildlife was an
idyllic world in which to escape the traumas of reality.
Julia and Uly had indulged in swimming; or sprawling on the
soft grass watching the clouds pass overhead as they talked and
dreamed of the future. There were so many amazing possibilities
ahead of them, and one lifetime was too short to explore them all.
But in the Valley of Dreams, they had shared their secret hopes and
ambitions while letting the ghosts of the past and present fade
from memory.
"Julia," Uly had said casually, "What do you wish for?"
The question had surprised the doctor. So often in her life, she
had been focussed on the present. It was a necessary facet of her
occupation. But to be given the chance to dream...
"I see myself...making a difference. Somehow," Julia
revealed. "I help people now, but that never seems enough,
especially when friends die." She paused for a moment as both of
their thoughts returned to Devon.
"But you've done so much already!" protested Uly. Julia had
smiled serenely. "It seems that way, yet so far, my work has only
been physical. I want to help to heal sick minds and souls as
well. I know we have psychiatrists and counsellors, but still, no
one has fully managed to analyse the human psyche. To help people,
really help people in this way, would be a dream come true."
Uly was surprised by the vehemence of her words, but silently
wished her the best of luck. "And what about your personal life?"
he asked, feeling delighted that they were sharing so much.
Julia's face took on a mischievous smile. "What would you say,
if I told you that I see myself with fourteen children?"
Uly's jaw dropped in surprise. "But..." he began as Julia cut in.
"I know what you're thinking, I hardly spend time with Lissa and
Ethan as it is. These last few months, getting away from my
everyday life and having time to reflect, I've realised that my
family is as important as my work. Perhaps even more so.
"Even though Alonzo and I haven't really been getting along,
I want to work things out with him. Uly, listen to me," Julia said
seriously. "Keep your friends, no matter what. And when you find
that special person to share the rest of your life, don't push them
away. Don't make the mistakes I have."
"Alonzo loves you anyway," reassured Uly. Julia smiled a
little sadly.
"I know. Love is a mysterious thing, something that stories and
legends are made of. Your mother loved you so much she organised
the entire Eden Project just to save you. Bess and Morgan share a
different kind of love, but one just as powerful. We love our
friends and our families. And our soulmates."
"Is Alonzo your soulmate?" asked Uly quietly.
Julia considered his words, recalling the last strained
conversations between herself and her husband. Yet through all of
this, they still loved each other more than anything.
"Yes," whispered Julia.
They lay quietly in the warm afternoon sun, each contemplating
the future.
"I hope I find my soulmate one day," revealed Uly. He placed his
arms behind his head as he concentrated on one particular cloud
that looked like a girl's head. Strangely, that girl looked almost
like True.
"You may have already met her," Julia said, interrupting his
reverie. "What about you, Uly? Do you dream of a family?"
"I never really thought about it," he replied. "Growing up, there
was just me and Mom, and Yale was around a lot. But mostly,
I remember the doctors and hospitals. And then when we came here,
it was like I gained a whole new family. You, John and True,
Alonzo, even the Martins."
"Well, if you ever have children, promise that you'll bring
them to visit me."
"Of course!" laughed Uly. "As if I'd ever stop visiting you."
Making a pact, they shook hands and promised to never, ever lose
touch no matter where life took them from that magical time in the
Valley of Dreams.
Lost in the memories, Julia barely noticed the difficult
ascent and before she knew it, they were at the top. The hours of
climbing had just flown by. She scrambled over the final ridge and
felt a tremor of fear. The dream was over, and it was time to face
reality again.
Uly was standing by the edge of the eastern cliff, staring off
into the distance. Or at the beautiful, azure sky, it was
difficult to tell.
A faint trail of dust could be seen on the southern horizon,
and Julia suspected it was their rescue team. They were still half
a day away from the stranded vehicle, so Julia and Uly would camp
on top of the mountain that night, their last alone together in the
wilderness. Tomorrow would bring more reunions, the end of an era
and a new beginning.
"It's so beautiful," said Julia wistfully, looking back over the
valley. She vowed to return to it one day, and bring not only her
children, but perhaps her grandchildren as well. And of course,
her husband.
A sudden flash to the west caught Julia's eye, and she whirled
around. Ominous dark clouds lurked on the skyline, threatening to
consume all that dared come near. Lightning lit up the clouds
again, and Julia wondered how safe it would be to stay on the
mountain for the night.
A low rumbling reached her ears, and the distant storm
appeared to be raging with full fury over the western plains.
Fascinated, Julia watched the storm move gradually closer, until
she realised that to be safe, she and Uly should head down.
"Uly!" she called, turning to see what he was doing. He was
still standing by the edge, having turned to watch the stormfront
approach. A chill advance breeze whipped across the exposed
summit.
"I think we should leave!" Another rumble sounded, escorted by a
stronger wind. Uly stepped forward...and his world collapsed from
beneath him.
"Uly!" screamed Julia as his features twisted in expressions
flicking from disbelief to pure terror. His arms clawed wildly,
desperately searching for something to hold onto but his fingers
remained empty and he disappeared from view. "ULY!"
"Nonononono," murmured Julia over and over. Her heart was
pounding with a terrible fear as she heard his frightened shout
becoming faint all too quickly.
Julia raced as near as she dared to the edge, then gingerly
made her way across the dry ground. Why hadn't they noticed how
unstable the edge of the cliff was? Why hadn't *she* realised?
"Uly!" she shouted again, hearing the terrible rumble of a rock-
slide compounded with the approaching reverberations of the
thunderstorm.
"Julia!" came Uly's frightened thin voice, accompanied by the
sound of falling rocks and gravel. Lying flat on her stomach,
Julia was just in time to see Uly crash through a dying tree and
land precariously on a thin ledge. "Thank God," whispered Julia
as she saw that he had stopped. Beyond the ledge was an endless
drop into a void. If he had fallen further, there would have been
no way to save him.
Uly's leg was twisted beneath him at an inhuman angle, and
his face was grey with shock. Blood trickled from the back of his
head, slowly creating a deep red pool. "Uly?" Julia called his
name for the thousandth time. But on this occasion, there was a
new terror within her voice.
Uly did not respond. His eyes wavered crazily as the world
spun around him. He could barely recall his own name....
"Uly! Hold tight! I'll rescue you, somehow!"
Julia was terribly frightened. From what she could see, his
condition was deteriorating fast. And with the storm coming, she
didn't know if the ledge he was sprawled on would make it through
the violent winds battering it.
Grabbing her gear from her backpack, Julia cried in a panicked
voice, "Alonzo!"
He instantly replied, shocked at her tearstained face.
"Julia! What's wrong? Where are you?"
"The top of the mountain, Uly fell over the edge of the
cliff, he's hurt bad, the storm's coming," she garbled almost
incoherently. But Alonzo understood.
"Okay, we'll get there as soon as we can. Hang tight."
"But there's not enough time!" Julia wailed. "I have to help Uly
right away." Rubbing at her eyes, Julia knew she was the only one
who could save him now. She quickly explained the situation and
gave Alonzo a POV scan.
"I have to go down to him."
"How?" asked Alonzo. "It's a straight drop!"
"I have a rope," she countered stubbornly. "I can tie it around
something, somehow bring him up...."
"How?" shouted Alonzo again, now scared that Julia would get
herself hurt. She didn't have any rope climbing experience
whatsoever. "Just wait for us, Julia! We'll be there soon...."
"No!" screamed Julia over her headset. "I will NOT have
another Adair's death on my conscience!" She ripped the gear off,
and with trembling hands, pulled the rope from her pack. She would
do anything to help Ulysses Adair survive. Selecting a stable
looking rock, she ignored the frantic shouts coming from her gear
and concentrated on the task at hand. Julia wrapped the rope
around the rock pulley-style, and prayed that her plan would work.
She tied both free ends around her waist.
"Julia! Please listen to me!" pleaded Alonzo. He was scared
by her last words. Was she blaming herself for Devon's death? Did
she think that risking her own life would atone for her mistakes?
"Julia, Devon's death wasn't your fault! You don't have to prove
anything! I'm sure Uly will be okay."
"No, he won't!" she flared, suddenly pulling her gear back on
and responding. "I have to get to him before the storm does."
Tugging on the rope to test its security, Julia took a deep
breath and dropped over the edge. Swinging wildly, she placed all
of her strength into her hands, the only things keeping her from
plummeting into the void. Ever so carefully, she gradually began
shuffling down as the howling wind gained more fury. Hand over
hand, legs wrapping around the rope, ignoring the periodic slams
into rocks as she was buffeted around, down, down, until her goal
was finally within her reach.
Feeling a sense of triumph, Julia gingerly stepped onto the
fragile ledge that had been Uly's salvation. Whipping the diaglove
from her pack, she scanned Uly's body while stroking his head with
her other free hand.
"I'm here Uly, you're going to be okay," she promised. "I'll
help you. I couldn't save Devon, but I will save you."
His injuries were a lot less than she had feared. Quickly, she
bandaged his head with an emergency dermaplast and was gratified to
see the bleeding slow and then stop. She applied a pain
suppressant to his neck, to ease the shock, but only a minimum
dosage. That just left his leg.
Sighing, Julia said to Uly, "You're leg's broken. It
shouldn't take too long to heal, but you're going to be in a lot of
pain for a while. I'd give you something more but I need you
awake to help me get you to the top."
Uly groggily nodded his head. Pushing with his arms, he
struggled to sit up as Julia helped. A crash reverberated through
the mountains, again reminding them just how fast the storm was
approaching.
Untying one end of the rope from her waist, Julia quickly
hooked it around Uly. "I'm going to try and get you up. I know
I'm not that much heavier than you, but hopefully, that rock is
smooth enough for this to work as a pulley system," she explained.
When she was sure the rope was secure around Uly, she helped him
up.
"Alonzo!" she called. The channel between them was still
open and Alonzo had been the silent witness to her descent. Now,
she could see the countryside whipping past him, and wondered
fleetingly if the excess speed would overheat the rescue vehicle.
But she was glad he was coming.
"I'm going to try and get Uly back up to the top. If I can
get him off this cliff, maybe we can find some shelter on the less
steep side until the storm passes."
"Be careful, Julia," he replied, his eyes full of fear. She
smiled bravely. "Don't worry. I always am." Julia still didn't
close the channel, but pushed the eyepiece away and returned her
attention to Uly.
"This is going to hurt," she warned. Uly gritted his teeth,
but suddenly placed his arms around Julia. "Thank you for coming
to save me," he managed, leaning heavily on the doctor, his friend.
"I love you, Uly," replied Julia. "Of course I had to help.
Now, are you ready?"
Uly nodded solemnly.
"Okay, here we go." Julia took a deep breath, and stepped over the
edge.
The rope jerked immediately, and Julia was pleased to see
Uly being lifted into the air by her own weight. She took a
hesitant, small jump downwards and he was pulled even higher.
Clinging to the rockface by what little handholds there were, Julia
slowly used her downward momentum to pull Uly higher and higher,
until finally, he reached the top.
"Made it!" he gasped, his arms scrabbling for a safe grip.
His leg trailed uselessly behind him, but Uly found a superhuman
strength in his arms as he realised that both his, and Julia's,
lives depended on his actions of the next few moments.
Uly crawled cautiously across the plateau towards the rock
which the rope was wrapped around. This was the most dangerous
part of the operation, because if he wasn't careful, he could
suddenly be pulled around the rock and over the edge and then
everything would be lost.
Gale force winds were approaching and Uly was suddenly glad
he wasn't standing up. Not that he had much of a choice, but he
feared that he would be blown over the edge if he attempted any
kind of upright activity, especially walking.
Feeling Julia slide lower with every movement, Uly finally
reached the rock and began belly-crawling around it, his injured
leg dragging behind. He would not release the rope from his waist
until it was tied securely, and then he could only hope that Julia
had the strength to pull herself up. Around twice, then three
times, then Uly tied the strongest knot ever of his seventeen
years.
"It's secure!" he managed to shout between gasps. Now that
the most difficult part of his mission was over, he again realised
how terrible the pain was. He began shivering uncontrollably, the
loss of blood making him dizzy. He wanted to help Julia back up,
but for the moment he could barely keep himself upright.
Everything gradually faded to black.
Julia had heard Uly's distant words telling her the rope was
secure, and smiled. He'd made it. Uly was safe. She had saved an
Adair. And now, it was time to save herself.
Dangling precariously over the void, Julia looked up at the
tremendous climb above. The rope was digging into her ribcage, and
she had to fight for every breath. How would she ever find the
strength to get back up? Slowly, she raised her arms and began to
haul her body along. Each lift seemed to sap her strength even
more.
"You can do it," came Alonzo's encouraging voice. Julia wanted
to believe his words more than anything else, but suddenly she felt
her grip slipping, and then she fell back down, jerking to a stop
as the rope wrenched about her waist.
Wheezing heavily, Julia managed to gasp, more to herself than
anyone else, "Maybe I can tie knots in this...." For there were
few footholds here, as the cliff face was impossibly smooth, so
anything to support her feet would help greatly. Firstly, though,
she needed to get rid of the constricting rope around her middle.
Julia carefully grasped the end between her fingers, and made
a hook for her foot to slip in. Clinging to the rope for dear
life, she then undid the turns around her waist and placed her foot
into the new loop. It held.
Sighing with relief, Julia began to straighten her body. Now
she had something to work with. As the wind swung her wildly
again, Julia pressed her body along the length of the rope in an
effort to keep stable. Her heart was pounding furiously as she
rested her cheek against the cool, rigid stone that felt so solid
and safe. She could do this.
When she had regained her breath, and her nerve, Julia once
again began her ascent. Focussed purely on the rock, she only
dimly realised that it had begun to rain. She mechanically wrapped
the growing coils of excess rope around her waist while keeping her
foot secured in the initial loop. Her handholds were sparse, but
along with the rope, there was enough to get her up. Until she
came across a great void, a cave that curved inwards at such a
steep angle that it was impossible to climb any higher.
Groaning, Julia examined her nearby surroundings. There, just
up a little and far to the right, was another pitted surface.
What if she could swing herself across to the protruding
rockface to the left? Then she would have something to hold onto,
instead of the grim hanging in empty space. Julia decided she
could just make it in one giant swing. But she would only get a
single shot.
Feeling panic rise within her body once again, Julia was
suddenly aware of the storm that had almost arrived. The shrieks
of lightning were almost continuous, and the rain had become a
torrential downpour.
"Where's Uly?" she gasped to Alonzo.
"He's safe, he found a small cave to shelter in," he reassured her,
lying, and Julia could see the distress in his eyes. "Julia, you
have to get to the top! I need you," Alonzo whispered.
"I'm about halfway." Her voice was quavering. "I just need to
get past this last cave, and then I'm all right."
"Please be careful," Alonzo implored, wishing there was something,
anything he could do besides racing through the desert to get to
her. He was deathly scared.
"Okay," gasped Julia, rain streaming down her face. "I'm
going to do it on three. One. Two," she coached herself, "three!"
Pushing hard with her legs, Julia launched herself outwards with
frightening speed. She was holding on to nothing, no attachments
save the rope she clung to and in which her foot was secured. She
swung, and the cliff face approached her at a horrifying rate. All
she had to do was catch that one, jutting rock....
Her fingers began to close around it, but suddenly, Julia
realised she had far too much momentum and her hands slipped right
past. The water pouring down the cliffside destroyed any chances
she had of regaining her hold, and suddenly, Julia had nothing to
grab onto.
She screamed. Her arms flailed, searching frantically for
something, anything, but nothing was there. Her body tipped over
and the rope around her waist unravelled until she was dangling by
only one foot, a doll suspended by a rope swinging out at an
enormous speed, and then in again...crack.
Julia's frail body was smashed against the cold, unyielding
rock. She saw the darkness rushing towards her, and realised that
there was no escape. She felt her head crash against the rock,
felt her whole body being broken in a thousand places at once....
"Julia!" Dimly, beneath the red haze rushing through her
mind, Julia recognised her name. She swung again, almost enjoying
the floating sensation until the rock came up to meet her for
another round.
"Hold on, Julia! I'm coming!" Alonzo was screaming now, with
fury at his own inability to help her, and horror, because he
realised that her life was literally hanging by a thread.
The noise and lights were annoying, decided Julia. She heard
the disturbing voice shout her name over and over as the wind and
rain sliced through her body. But somehow, she didn't notice.
"Julia!" the voice screamed again. "I love you!"
Those words broke through the pain, and she remembered.
"Alonzo..." It was barely a whisper, but he heard her.
"Julia, my love, pull yourself up. Use your hands. You can
survive, you will survive! Pull yourself up!" Alonzo implored.
Shakily, Julia looked for her hands. They were hanging above
her head, or was that below? Where was she? She returned to the
only form of security she knew, the tiny voice coming over the gear
on her head.
" 'Lonzo?" she slurred.
"Yes, it's me! Please, Julia, try! For Lissa and Ethan, for me.
I love you!"
"Love you, too," she managed. By the power of his love, she
reached upwards. Almost grabbing that slippery rope, if only the
annoying swinging would stop. She was moving up, up...
And the gale blew ferociously as a huge crack of lighting lit
up the sky. Julia was thrown against the rock again just as her
fingers grazed the rope and her foot slipped free. She fell. Into
that empty void, where all hope was gone.
The world spun crazily, and all she was aware of was one voice
screaming over and over, "Julia, no! NO..." But she could not
scream, she could not cry, she could only embrace the total
blackness that was rushing to meet her and say goodbye, forever
more, to her love.
***
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