Lost on Planet G889 Chapter 6
Julia and Yale have a theory about the Robinsons.
Background info and photos for both shows are posted on my LJ (Earth 2: Background information http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/1122.html
Photos: http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/4272.html (Complete)
Lost in Space: Background information http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/3051.html
Photos: http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/3145.html)
Previous chapters: Chapter 1 http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/1639.html
Chapter 2 http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/2561.html
Chapter 3 http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/3563.html
Chapter 4 http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/3999.html
Chapter 5 http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/4589.html
Chapter 6
(Devon Adair)
When it came to the Robinsons, the members of our group had mixed feelings. Many were intrigued by the marooned family and their mysterious origins. Others had already decided that they weren’t a threat to us so it was time to move on. New Pacifica wasn’t getting any closer and no one wanted to stagnate in yet another winter camp if we couldn’t negotiate the approaching mountains in a timely fashion.
I had reservations that I kept to myself. Personally, I agreed that the Robinsons weren’t dangerous. Yet something Uly said the other night kept nagging me. He claimed the Terrians told him that they couldn’t speak with Alonzo because the Dream Plane near the Robinsons’ camp was damaged. Of course, I was fully aware this most likely was a product of an over active imagination. A little boy wanting to feel more grown up and important, trying to impress his mother.
As much as I wanted to believe this, I couldn’t dismiss the other possibility- that the Robinsons could be unintentionally damaging the Dream Plane with their drilling or waste products from their space ship. If we continued to associate with the Robinsons, would it damage our relationship with the Terrians?
Although I felt sympathy for them due to their circumstances, I couldn’t jeopardize the future of two hundred fifty Syndrome children and their families who were determined to make a home on this planet.
While Danziger could easily scoff at my concerns, I couldn’t brush them aside as readily.
Day 255
“I don’t understand why we’re wasting time with these people. The girl’s gonna be fine if she was stung by a Koba. And if not, well…Julia examining her won’t make a difference. New Pacifica isn’t getting any closer and we need to make serious time if we want to reach it before the colony ship arrives,” Baines complained.
Several members of Eden Advance were gathered about their communal camp fire that evening, airing their opinions on the matter. Baines, Cameron, Morgan and Bess were seated on rocks, while Devon, Uly and Julia were perched on overturned packing crates. Danziger stood back from the group, studying the fire.
“They’re not a danger to us. They’re certainly not Council spies. They’re barely mentally balanced,” Morgan agreed. “You should’ve heard them talking about alien beauty contests and Celestial department stores. It was creepy.”
“Really? You didn’t seem to mind that night while you were stuffing your face with their food,” Danziger astutely pointed out as Morgan’s shoulders stiffened. “You even tried to weasel your way into spending the night on their space ship.”
Morgan squirmed uncomfortably. “Yeah, well…uh…it looked a lot more comfortable than sleeping outside in a tent.” Despite Danziger’s glare, he managed to finish his point. “I’m with Baines on this, I…I don’t see why we need to waste more time.”
“Oh, so you know all about the Robinsons and where they came from?” Julia Heller, the young blonde doctor, stood as she spoke.
Baines took up her challenge with one of his own. “No…but does it really matter? Everything’s always some big scientific mystery with you. Have you forgotten about all the trouble we got into when you insisted on excavating that frozen Terrian?”
Lugging the huge frozen block back to camp had been a trying chore. They’d nearly burned out the winch on the TransRover. Yet Julia had been convinced it was worth the effort, that she could learn more about the Terrians by studying that ancient preserved member. Once the frozen carcass had thawed, the malevolent spirit that had been released escaped into their camp, possessing Danziger. Under those conditions, he’d nearly killed Alonzo. Baines had been so frightened that he’d locked himself in the TransRover.
Baines reminded her, “Have you forgotten that the finer aspects of science or even civilization on the whole, don’t matter out here. It’s all about survival. Our survival.”
Out of habit, Baines searched for his buddy Walman for support but upon hearing the news about Judy, he’d firmly planted himself in the Dune Rail, waiting to roll.
Julia countered, “Aren’t you the least bit curious Baines? Why is their technology so different from ours? Why have they had such different experiences in space? Experiences that differ from any others in recorded history.”
“Group hypnosis?” Baines shrugged.
“And if that was the case, wouldn’t you want to know who did it and why? If it was the Council, most likely we’d be in line to be the next victims,” Julia sharply replied.
“You’re making a lot of assumptions Julia. Their situation could have nothing to do with ours,” Morgan meekly pointed out.
Aghast, the young doctor replied, “How can you say that after all we’ve been through? You know that G889 is the best viable candidate for human settlement in the known universe. Look at the trouble the Council’s gone to, interfering with our efforts.”
Endless red tape had delayed their take off by over a year. Only Devon Adair’s desperation to depart before her son turned nine had kept their mission on track. And even then, the Council had tried to interfere, planting a bomb on the Advance ship, sabotaging the cargo release circuit on the Advance ship, and even infiltrating the mission with one of their agents.
“I don’t see how this relates to us.” Baines insisted.
“Doesn’t matter.” All heads turned towards Danziger, who stepped towards the camp fire. “We’re stopping by their campsite tomorrow.” It was not phrased as a request but rather, a statement, a note of finality in his voice.
Devon’s mouth opened slightly. Since when did Danziger lead the group? Fortunately, she agreed with him.
She took advantage of the moment, “That’s right. We need to know what’s going on. Yale and Julia have some promising theories but they want to meet with the Robinsons face to face in order to verify them.”
Her voice rose over their objections. “We were already planning on recharging at the pond anyway.” Trying to defuse Baines and Morgan’s angry looks, she added, “We’ll send out an advance scouting party with the Dune Rail while the remainder restock supplies and investigate.”
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
“C’mon Morgan, don’t you feel the least bit sorry for them? It felt like the end of the world when you were stung by that Koba. I honestly thought my heart had stopped too. It was only minutes before Gaal assured us that you’d be fine but that was long enough for me.” Bess shuddered. “And those poor people….Morgan they’ve spent almost ten hours thinking their daughter had died.”
Morgan focused on unrolling his bedroll onto a cot as he and his wife prepared for bed. He rarely discussed that unpleasant incident. During his time in mortal limbo, he’d been convinced that he was in hell.
“Remember when it happened to Commander O’Neill?” Bess’ voice intruded.
The incident had occurred within days of their crash landing onto the planet - a cruel introduction to the harsh realities of Planet G889. Unaware that he wasn’t really dead, the members of Eden Advance had buried him. Later when they’d learned that the Koba’s sting wasn’t fatal, consumed by guilt and fear, they’d rushed back to the site only to discover some Grendlers had rescued him from his shallow grave. But the Commander’s second chance at life hadn’t lasted long.
She studied her husband who was still seemingly engrossed in arranging his blanket. “Danziger seems to think the Robinsons are okay. He’s a pretty good judge of character.”
Offended, he claimed, “And I’m not?”
“I didn’t mean that.“
As much as she loved her husband, Bess was a practical woman and fully aware of her husband’s shortcomings. On the Stations, he’d been embarrassed by her origins and did his best to conceal the fact that she’d grown up on Earth. With his political aspirations, associating with the wrong sort wouldn’t do. Wanting him to succeed, she’d reluctantly played along. At Station functions, he’d routinely whisked her past certain people, murmuring, “NOCD” his shorthand for - “Not our class dear”.
Morgan perched on the edge of his cot. “Bess, these people are strange. Their weird stories and bizarre clothing. They treat their robot like it’s some sort of person. And what’s even creepier is that in some ways it acts like one. They honestly believed those wild tales they told us.”
“I know,” she assured him. Not that she didn’t believe him, she was just curious. These people claimed to have originated from an Earth that was entirely different from the one she grew up on. She’d love to ask them about it.
“And what I’ve seen up to this point is that we’ve been the ones doing stuff for them. Helping them repair their ship…”
Bess almost pointed out that it might be useful to have access to a functional space craft, but then she thought better of it. That type of suggestion could send Morgan off half cocked, destined for trouble.
Instead, she replied, “True, but Danziger said it helped him to get information about them. And wasn’t Walman able to squeeze in a little scouting?”
“Yeah, but he didn’t find anything. He spent most of his time mooning over that girl. How does all this help us? When’s it gonna stop? What’s stopping by now gonna prove?”
“That we’re good neighbors.”
She’d hoped that Morgan of all people understood the importance of allies.
“Besides, I’d love to dive in that pond and really wash my hair.” The shoulder length curly auburn ringlets had been tied up and piled on her head for far too long. She was anxious to liberate the hot, heavy mass.
“Let’s just hope bleeding heart Devon doesn’t do the unthinkable and invite them to join us. All we need are more mouths to feed,” he groaned.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Day 256
Maureen’s intent gaze bore into Dr. Heller. “You’re sure she’ll be all right?”
Engrossed in her exam, the young doctor didn’t answer. Julia was concentrating on the readings from her diaglove. The instrument covered most of her left forearm. She slowly moved the diagnostic tool over Judy’s rigid form. Occasionally the screen glowed or the instrument emitted soft tones while Julia manipulated various switches.
The older woman hovered impatiently.
Finally, Julia looked up. “She’ll be fine. It’s strange for us too. My instruments register no signs of life. But our commander and Morgan both revived after a few days.”
Gaal had been the first to alert them to the effects of the Koba’s sting. A clever convict, he’d masqueraded as a former astronaut and expertly manipulated True in an attempt to steal Eden Advance’s supplies. Fortunately, he hadn’t been successful.
Exam completed, Julia studied her surroundings. The Jupiter 2 cabin was spartan as most space vehicles tended to be. Unlike the Eden Advance module which had been predominately constructed with dark metal beams that created a gloomy atmosphere, this ship featured lighter colored materials. Julia wasn’t entirely sure what it was constructed from. Fold out bunks were on both sides of the room. Star charts hung on one wall. She was surprised to discover a bookshelf with several paper bound volumes. Those would be considered antiques in her world. Another instrument - a box with spools in it, was foreign in purpose to her.
Despite the room’s utilitarian appearance, Julia understood why Morgan would’ve wanted to sleep here. In addition to the luxury of a climate controlled environment, being in a solid structure provided a sense of security that a tent never would.
She broke out of her reverie, realizing Maureen’s eyes were still fixed upon her.
“I don’t understand.” Her features remained tense.
“It will take a day or so.”
She wasn’t going to believe it until she’d seen her daughter revive. Julia understood that. She’d done all she could in that respect.
Her mind shifted to questions about the Robinsons. As Alonzo had mentioned, everything about this ship felt strange. Considering that they’d crashed onto this planet, their ship was in remarkably good condition. Meeting the Robinsons hadn’t answered any of Julia’s questions. It had only increased her curiosity to account for inconsistencies.
She turned to face the woman. “May I examine you?”
Maureen hesitated. “Why?’
“I’m a fully qualified physician. My diaglove is finely calibrated and it might detect anomalies that your technology might have missed. I can make sure that you’re healthy. I’ll need a blood and bone marrow sample too.”
“Isn’t that a bit involved? Marrow samples require surgery which can be difficult and painful. Considering that I feel fine, I doubt that’s necessary.”
“It’s a simple procedure with my diaglove,” Julia assured her. “You’ll barely notice.”
Tests on Maureen’s blood could help her determine if there were any hallucinogens or psychotropic drugs which could account for their odd stories. Though, after having met the family, Julia was inclined to rule out that hypothesis.
Unfortunately experience had shown that her diaglove couldn’t detect small chips or implants that might alter or control behavior. It hadn’t detected the small chip implanted in Alex Wentworth’s head that had caused her to unknowingly sabotage the Advance module. Later that same chip created a virus which killed her and most of the occupants of the third evacuation pod.
Julia’s diaglove hadn’t detected the biostat implants either, thin fibers secretly injected into all members of Eden Advance by the Council. Those implants had nearly killed their entire party a few months before when they’d started to malfunction. Poor Ebon Singh had been their first fatality, dying before they’d figured out how to rectify the situation.
Reluctantly, the older woman agreed. She lay on a bunk on the opposite side of the cabin while Julia prepared to draw blood. Once the sample was collected and labeled, the young doctor proceeded to move the instrument over Maureen’s midsection.
“Is Dr. Smith your physician?”
She laughed. “I’m afraid not.”
“How do you handle medical emergencies?” Julia was intently examining the screen of her diaglove.
“The best we can. My doctorate is in biology. So far we’ve only had to deal with minor cuts, sprained ankles, minor concussions and Doctor Smith’s aching back.” Despite herself, she laughed.
How primitive, the thought of such limited resources disturbed Julia. And to think that she’d been complaining that her own supplies were so limited. If one of the Robinsons had fallen ill as Devon had several months before, they would’ve been helpless.
“There. I’ve taken the marrow sample,” Julia relayed.
“My goodness! I didn’t feel a thing. That is an amazing instrument you have. You seem awfully young to be a doctor.”
Somewhat defensively, Julia replied, “My parents had my chromosomes skewed to the medical arts.”
Julia had been ‘created’ by her parents, who were members of The Council. It was considered an honor to be part of the elite governing body of the Stations. Her parents had gladly offered her up as a willing sacrifice to the Council - for the good of the many.
Julia had bought into that party line for years. It had brought her on this mission, acting as a covert agent of the Council to monitor the activity of Eden Advance. Only her time on G889 had opened her eyes to the fact that she had a right to live her life as she chose. Since then she had renounced all ties with the Council.
Amazed, Maureen responded, “Our world doesn’t have that type of technology - yet.”
XXXXX
Day 257
“Hello. Oh, I wish you’d stopped by earlier, you could’ve joined us for dinner,” Maureen Robinson warmly greeted Devon, Danziger, Julia, Alonzo and Yale who were approaching their outdoor dinning table. Most of the family members were still seated about the table, having just finished their meal.
“Thank you. That’s very generous,” Devon replied. “Actually, we’d like to talk with you.”
“Certainly,” John Robinson added as he rose from his seat. “I can’t tell you how relieved we are to hear that Judy will be all right. I also can’t thank you enough for all your help with the ship.” He motioned towards Devon, offering his seat to her.
Not used to such gestures, Devon hesitated. “We haven’t done much.”
Julia reassured them, “Judy ought to revive some time soon.”
“Will, run inside to get some extra camp stools for our guests,” his mother instructed.
As Will and Penny helped everyone find seats about the table, Danziger asked, “Where’s Don?”
“He’s sitting by Judy. We’ve been taking turns,” John Robinson answered. “So now that your group has reunited, what are your plans?” he asked Danziger.
Getting irritated, Devon explained, “We’re restocking supplies and using the time to scout a path to get our vehicles safely over the mountains. Cameron and Mazatl set out in the Dune Rail this morning.”
Baines had been itching to go on that trip, but he couldn’t convince Walman to leave camp for that long. Instead he managed to persuade his buddy to take a day trip in the ATV to scout for food. Even that had been a challenge. If Walman had stayed around, he would’ve made excuses to linger about the Jupiter 2 until Judy woke. Before leaving he’d insisted upon seeing her motionless form. He extracted staunch promises that they’d contact him the moment she revived.
“You’re the leader?” John Robinson asked.
Losing patience, Devon Adair assured him a bit too firmly. “Yes. I organized this mission. I commissioned scientists to develop technology to help us adapt to life on this planet. I interviewed and hired everyone associated with this project.” Coughing muffled her last words.
Danziger had mentioned that the Robinsons had rather antiquated notions about the roles of men and women in society. It irked her that John Robinson gave the mechanic more respect than her.
As the spasm subsided, she explained, “We need to get to New Pacifica as soon as possible to set up a hospital for two hundred fifty families with Syndrome children that will be arriving within a year. About fifteen years ago, a new disease arose on the Stations. Some children were failing to thrive. Their immune systems were severely weakened. The best explanation our scientist could come up with was that the absence of Earth caused this.”
Danziger interrupted, “They know all about that Adair. And about the Terrians healing Uly. And that the hospital construction material might not even be there once we arrive at New Pacifica.”
Devon’s eyes widened. After she’d carefully instructed him not to give detailed information about Eden Advance to this family? What else had he told them?
“We need to tell you about where we came from,” Danziger stated.
Her irritation triggered another coughing spell. That man never ceased to annoy her. Devon had never baulked at being the messenger of unsettling news. As the former head of a multi orbit firm, it had been part of the job. She’d planned on addressing the issue. She’d only stalled because she was concerned about the timing and wanted to test the waters first. The Robinson’s daughter was still lying prone on her bunk. How much could they handle within a forty-eight hour period? Leave it to Danziger to thoughtlessly blunder ahead.
“Can I offer you a drink?” Grabbing a pitcher, Maureen Robinson poured water into a cup then offered it to her. Devon gratefully accepted. When the coughing died down, she stood.
“Danziger, Walman and Alonzo have told you a little about where we came from. That we’ve lived on the Space Stations since our planet became so polluted. You’ve commented on our technology such as Julia’s diaglove and our gear. What we haven’t mentioned…” She looked towards Yale, the tall bearded black man, her former tutor and close friend. He nodded, encouraging her. “is that….we’re from Earth too.”
“What?” John Robinson was having trouble believing what he was hearing.
“And that our departure date was….May 2192.”
Penny gasped.
Smith cried, “No, it’s not possible.”
Devon continued, “It’s true. People still live on Earth. But…it’s not like you remembered.”
“We’ve traveled more than two hundred years into the future!” gasped Smith.
“I’m afraid so.”
Continuing to address Danziger, John Robinson insisted, “There should be records of our voyage. Alpha Control invested countless hours and millions of tax dollars into our mission. Other nations even tried to sabotage our efforts.”
Devon explained, “We’ve looked. Yale is a cybernetically enhanced tutor. He has an implant along with library functions that allow him to mentally scan hundreds of data files. There are limited records from that long ago on Earth. None of them contained any references to the Jupiter 2, Alpha Control, or even a space program in general. Most likely this is due to the occurrence of several disasters over that era - wide spread flooding due to global warming, the Faith wars, along with the resurgence of the Black Plague. These nearly wiped out humanity.”
John Robinson mused, “I suppose it makes sense. When we went into a hyper drive once before, we were sent back fifty years in time. The records could’ve been damaged or lost, as you say.”
Devon cleared her throat. “There’s more.” She looked to Julia, the young blonde doctor who nodded. “I’m…not sure how to put this. This planet that our scientists call G889 is twenty two light years away from Earth. It is the most favorable habitable world in the known universe.” She paused, hoping that they were understanding.
Julia added. “There are no records of the worlds or alien races you’ve encountered.”
“With so many disasters, perhaps humanity was preoccupied with other matters than proper record keeping. Just because the records aren’t there doesn’t mean that it didn’t happen,” John Robinson logically suggested.
“You don’t understand.” Devon insisted. “Our society has sent out hundreds of probes, exploring distant universes. Our children are starting to die from The Syndrome. We’re desperate to find a new planet to call home. Living on overcrowded space stations is far from ideal. We have to go else where for minerals and raw materials. About fifty different mining colonies have been established on various planets. None can sustain life without artificial habitats.”
Maureen was catching on. “Then how…”
“How have you managed to survive on so many planets without artificial means? How have you met so many aliens from different advanced societies when the only ones we’ve encountered have been rather primitive and only on this planet?” Devon voiced all of their thoughts.
“Have you ever heard of a worm hole?” Yale asked.
“Isn’t that a distortion in black matter where time and space can be altered? Kinda like a short cut across the universe,” Will said.
“Exactly. Though in this case, we think both time and space were altered for you. You could’ve encountered one of these worm holes or perhaps the hyper drive alone caused both. You’re in an alternative universe,” Julia explained.
“Preposterous! How can that be?” Dr. Smith protested.
“Yale and I did some tests on Maureen’s blood and marrow samples. Originally I was hoping to establish a timeline - to substantiate our theory that you’d traveled forward in time. However the results were ambiguous so I tried something else.
“The levels of certain isotopes in blood or tissue can indicate which planets you’ve spent time on. Historically most of the standard assays were developed with the idea of determining exposure to environmental hazards or pollutants encountered at mining sites or damaged ecosystems such as Earth. With Yale’s vast cybernetic library, we have plenty of standard references.”
Due to the deterioration of the ozone layer, most Earth dwellers have higher levels of certain isotopes naturally incorporated into their bodies than Station dwellers. Bess has lived on Earth for most of her life so her levels are significantly higher than Danziger who only spent a brief time during military service. Station dwellers, like myself or Alonzo, that have never set foot on Earth completely lack this isotope,” Julia attempted to explain. “We found none in Maureen or Judy’s system.”
“That doesn’t necessarily mean anything. We lived on Earth over two hundred years ago, the amounts of those isotopes in the environment were most likely different then,” Will pointed out. “Overcrowding was a bigger issue than pollution.”
Yale smiled, pleased the boy had been following the conversation so closely. “Excellent point. We used environmental data to extrapolate backward due to our spotty records from that time period.”
“Wouldn’t that produce a rather broad margin of error? You yourself just said that your records from that era were lacking. That could account for the absence of those substances in our bodies,” John Robinson reasoned.
“That’s right. The results are surprising but they’re also inconclusive.” Julia agreed. “But there’s more.”
Eyes remained fixed upon her.
“When I analyzed Maureen’s samples, for the most part, things appeared normal. But additional tests detected a certain substance in your bodies. I compared Judy and Maureen’s samples, just to be sure. Our bodies typically break this substance down and then it’s excreted as waste. It never builds up. In fact, if this substance were to accumulate in our bodies, it would indicate the onset of disease. Somehow, your bodies aren’t metabolizing this substance in the same fashion. Rather than treating it as waste, your bodies are incorporating it in your tissues at a level that would kill one of us. Yet you remain healthy.”
Yale added, “There are also similar ‘glitches’ when we compare technologies. Yesterday I examined your cold sleep chambers and discussed the details of the process with Professor Robinson. In many ways, it’s very similar to our process. Yet when I scan my data files on the history of this technology, I find that variations of your system that were developed on the Stations were unsuccessful. In a test run, the procedure you underwent was fatal for subjects originating from the Stations.”
“I’ve seen it with your astrogator too. John, I’ve worked on lots of ships and I’ve never seen anything like this unit,” Danziger explained.
“What does all this mean, in plain English? Enough of this scientific mumbo jumbo!” Smith demanded, growing paler as the conversation continued.
“Your Earth was similar to our Earth but they were never the same,” Yale explained.
John Robinson caught on. “And Alpha Centauri? Does it exist in this universe?” He looked to Danziger, naked hope evident in his eyes.
“No. It doesn’t.”
“Dad!” Penny gasped.
“Why can’t we go back the way we came?” Will insisted. “Can’t we simulate the conditions that brought about the hyper drive in the first place? We pulled it off before when we landed on Earth in the past. Remember Dad?”
“That involved time travel only, Will. It wouldn’t account for this alternative universe business. We’d have no guarantee. We could end up back in our universe or in one far worse. We might even be killed in the attempt,” John Robinson stated. “It’s far too risky.”
“I agree,” Yale added, regretfully. “I have no data that suggest a way around this.”
“But what about these changes? Can we survive in this universe with these biological differences?” Maureen pointedly asked Julia.
“I don’t know. They seem relatively minor. So far, you appear to be thriving. It doesn’t seem likely that it will be an issue,” Julia said.
“If we’re able to repair the Jupiter 2, can’t we just fly back to Earth?” Dr. Smith demanded, eyes gleaming.
“Twenty two light years is a long trip,” John Robinson answered.
“We could undergo suspended animation again, Dad, couldn’t we? That’s what we did when we originally left Earth,” Penny suggested.
John rolled his eyes, “And look how well that worked for us. Within eight hours we were thrown off course and almost died in a meteor shower. Besides, your mother had a bad reaction to the process, remember?”
Yale advised Dr. Smith, “Earth is not how you remember it. It does not resemble this planet. It’s almost impossible to grow food due to the scorching heat or extreme cold. For the most part, it’s a mining community. Many people live in self sufficient domes or underground. Supplies are limited. Most who had any funds left Earth decades ago.”
The reality finally hit him. “Earth…glorious Earth…” Dr. Smith droned, in shock. “Never to return… oh the pain.” He covered his face with his hands.
“Dad, what are we going to do?” Penny’s eyes were brimming with tears.
“Why don’t you join us?” Danziger offered.
“What?” Devon was stunned.
“Even if you can repair your ship, there’s no place else to go. Trust me, there’s no future for you on Earth. We’re setting up a colony here, just like you were. You’d be fulfilling your mission - just colonizing a different planet. We could use more good workers,” Danziger explained.
“Danziger,” Devon sternly warned as she rose.
He continued, “It’s not safe for your family alone here. There are penal colonists all over. Our government used this planet as a dumping ground for them. We didn’t even tell you about the Z.E.D. units - Zero Emotional Defects. Humans with cyborg implants designed by the Council to capture and torture people for information about this planet. They nearly killed us.”
She was going to strangle him if he said one more word. She stepped towards him. Reaching him, she grabbed his arm tightly. “Excuse us a moment.”
Devon nearly dragged him away from the group.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Once out of sight and ear shot of the Jupiter 2 camp Devon tore into Danziger.
“What are you doing? I told you to be discrete. Then you tell them about penal colonists and Z.E.D.s? What is wrong with you!”
Equally indignant, he responded, “Do you want these people to be picked off? Look at them - they’re not criminals. If they’d buried their daughter, she would’ve been gone for good. This is a hostile planet. They need to know what they’re facing.
“Besides, they’re good people Adair. Look how trusting they are. They insisted on sharing every meal with us while we stayed with them. Can you imagine if Gaal had tried to infiltrate their camp? He would’ve had a field day. They wouldn’t have stood a chance. And there are potentially dozens of versions of him wandering about this place.
“I don’t know if it’s their nature or the fact that they’re most likely from an alternative universe, but they’re practically sitting ducks. You’re the one that keeps saying that we need to stick together. That there’s safety in numbers.”
Her temples were throbbing. It irritated her that he was throwing her words back at her.
“How dare you undermine me. Make such a decision without consulting the group!”
Her disparaging tone alone would’ve caused others to crumble. Devon Adair had finely honed that technique in board rooms on the Stations - the tone paired with the frosty intimidating glance. High powered executives had folded to her will. But not John Danziger, drone mechanic in the middle of nowhere.
“Funny, I don’t recall you having the group vote on the invitation that you extended to Sheppard, your penal colonist chum,” was his cool response.
Leave it to Danziger to bring that up.
“And unlike your buddy Sheppard, the Robinsons actually have useful qualities.”
“That was different,” she snapped, muffling a cough.
She and Sheppard had shared a bond that was difficult to explain. He had dreamed to her on the Stations via the Terrians. He’d heard her cry. He was the one that planted the idea in her head that Planet G889 could heal Uly. Although he was a penal colonist, he’d reformed. Acting as leader, he’d formed a safe haven for other such men, with the caveat that violence wasn’t to be tolerated within the confines of their community. John Danziger could never see that he’d changed for the better. Unfortunately, Sheppard had been murdered by his sister before he could join Eden Advance.
“How? You think your judgment is that much better than mine?” he challenged.
Before she could respond, he continued.
“You really think that’s what this is about? That I want to be the boss? That I want to take over as leader of this group? That I like power? Let me tell you Adair, who do you think led this sorry bunch when you were to all intents and purposes on ice?
“Who do you think had to make the decision after three weeks had passed to move on? To leave you in cold storage in that ship for god only knows how long. You think that was easy? You think that it was a popular decision? How do you think I felt telling that to your kid? You think I enjoyed that? “
Towards the middle of this diatribe his voice changed. She couldn’t ignore the strain creeping into it when he spoke of leaving her in the cryo chamber on the deserted ship.
“We got lucky. After a week or two on the road, Julia figured out a way to cure you so we headed back. And it worked.
“Don’t kid yourself Adair, you’re not the only one who knows what the weight of responsibility feels like.”
She didn’t like to think about her illness. As a woman who liked to be in control, it frightened her. She wanted to say something but her throat was so irritated it brought on more coughing.
More tenderly, he added, “I don’t give a damn about being leader of this group but I will be if you keep this up. Listen to yourself. Let Julia synthesize some meds. You gotta rest up and get this under control. I can’t go through this again. Cold sleep syndrome is not something to be taken lightly. Elizabeth and Franklin died from it.”
Danziger was being overly dramatic. She was not suffering from Cold Sleep Syndrome. Catching a brief glance of the concern in his eyes, she averted her gaze.
“It’s getting worse, you know. You used to only cough in the mornings and evenings. Now it happens whenever you walk and when you’re upset. If you won’t do it for you, do it for Uly. You ever watch his face when you’re having these coughing attacks? Poor kid is scared half to death. Cut him a break.”
Maybe he had a point there. Instead of feeling energized each day, her energy level had been steadily declining. She’d thought she could ignore it, simply overcome her symptoms by the force of her will. Danziger was right, it wasn’t working.
“Warning, Warning! Aliens approaching!” the robot’s voice blared.
TBC
Background info and photos for both shows are posted on my LJ (Earth 2: Background information http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/1122.html
Photos: http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/4272.html (Complete)
Lost in Space: Background information http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/3051.html
Photos: http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/3145.html)
Previous chapters: Chapter 1 http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/1639.html
Chapter 2 http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/2561.html
Chapter 3 http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/3563.html
Chapter 4 http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/3999.html
Chapter 5 http://scifijoan.livejournal.com/4589.html
Chapter 6
(Devon Adair)
When it came to the Robinsons, the members of our group had mixed feelings. Many were intrigued by the marooned family and their mysterious origins. Others had already decided that they weren’t a threat to us so it was time to move on. New Pacifica wasn’t getting any closer and no one wanted to stagnate in yet another winter camp if we couldn’t negotiate the approaching mountains in a timely fashion.
I had reservations that I kept to myself. Personally, I agreed that the Robinsons weren’t dangerous. Yet something Uly said the other night kept nagging me. He claimed the Terrians told him that they couldn’t speak with Alonzo because the Dream Plane near the Robinsons’ camp was damaged. Of course, I was fully aware this most likely was a product of an over active imagination. A little boy wanting to feel more grown up and important, trying to impress his mother.
As much as I wanted to believe this, I couldn’t dismiss the other possibility- that the Robinsons could be unintentionally damaging the Dream Plane with their drilling or waste products from their space ship. If we continued to associate with the Robinsons, would it damage our relationship with the Terrians?
Although I felt sympathy for them due to their circumstances, I couldn’t jeopardize the future of two hundred fifty Syndrome children and their families who were determined to make a home on this planet.
While Danziger could easily scoff at my concerns, I couldn’t brush them aside as readily.
Day 255
“I don’t understand why we’re wasting time with these people. The girl’s gonna be fine if she was stung by a Koba. And if not, well…Julia examining her won’t make a difference. New Pacifica isn’t getting any closer and we need to make serious time if we want to reach it before the colony ship arrives,” Baines complained.
Several members of Eden Advance were gathered about their communal camp fire that evening, airing their opinions on the matter. Baines, Cameron, Morgan and Bess were seated on rocks, while Devon, Uly and Julia were perched on overturned packing crates. Danziger stood back from the group, studying the fire.
“They’re not a danger to us. They’re certainly not Council spies. They’re barely mentally balanced,” Morgan agreed. “You should’ve heard them talking about alien beauty contests and Celestial department stores. It was creepy.”
“Really? You didn’t seem to mind that night while you were stuffing your face with their food,” Danziger astutely pointed out as Morgan’s shoulders stiffened. “You even tried to weasel your way into spending the night on their space ship.”
Morgan squirmed uncomfortably. “Yeah, well…uh…it looked a lot more comfortable than sleeping outside in a tent.” Despite Danziger’s glare, he managed to finish his point. “I’m with Baines on this, I…I don’t see why we need to waste more time.”
“Oh, so you know all about the Robinsons and where they came from?” Julia Heller, the young blonde doctor, stood as she spoke.
Baines took up her challenge with one of his own. “No…but does it really matter? Everything’s always some big scientific mystery with you. Have you forgotten about all the trouble we got into when you insisted on excavating that frozen Terrian?”
Lugging the huge frozen block back to camp had been a trying chore. They’d nearly burned out the winch on the TransRover. Yet Julia had been convinced it was worth the effort, that she could learn more about the Terrians by studying that ancient preserved member. Once the frozen carcass had thawed, the malevolent spirit that had been released escaped into their camp, possessing Danziger. Under those conditions, he’d nearly killed Alonzo. Baines had been so frightened that he’d locked himself in the TransRover.
Baines reminded her, “Have you forgotten that the finer aspects of science or even civilization on the whole, don’t matter out here. It’s all about survival. Our survival.”
Out of habit, Baines searched for his buddy Walman for support but upon hearing the news about Judy, he’d firmly planted himself in the Dune Rail, waiting to roll.
Julia countered, “Aren’t you the least bit curious Baines? Why is their technology so different from ours? Why have they had such different experiences in space? Experiences that differ from any others in recorded history.”
“Group hypnosis?” Baines shrugged.
“And if that was the case, wouldn’t you want to know who did it and why? If it was the Council, most likely we’d be in line to be the next victims,” Julia sharply replied.
“You’re making a lot of assumptions Julia. Their situation could have nothing to do with ours,” Morgan meekly pointed out.
Aghast, the young doctor replied, “How can you say that after all we’ve been through? You know that G889 is the best viable candidate for human settlement in the known universe. Look at the trouble the Council’s gone to, interfering with our efforts.”
Endless red tape had delayed their take off by over a year. Only Devon Adair’s desperation to depart before her son turned nine had kept their mission on track. And even then, the Council had tried to interfere, planting a bomb on the Advance ship, sabotaging the cargo release circuit on the Advance ship, and even infiltrating the mission with one of their agents.
“I don’t see how this relates to us.” Baines insisted.
“Doesn’t matter.” All heads turned towards Danziger, who stepped towards the camp fire. “We’re stopping by their campsite tomorrow.” It was not phrased as a request but rather, a statement, a note of finality in his voice.
Devon’s mouth opened slightly. Since when did Danziger lead the group? Fortunately, she agreed with him.
She took advantage of the moment, “That’s right. We need to know what’s going on. Yale and Julia have some promising theories but they want to meet with the Robinsons face to face in order to verify them.”
Her voice rose over their objections. “We were already planning on recharging at the pond anyway.” Trying to defuse Baines and Morgan’s angry looks, she added, “We’ll send out an advance scouting party with the Dune Rail while the remainder restock supplies and investigate.”
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
“C’mon Morgan, don’t you feel the least bit sorry for them? It felt like the end of the world when you were stung by that Koba. I honestly thought my heart had stopped too. It was only minutes before Gaal assured us that you’d be fine but that was long enough for me.” Bess shuddered. “And those poor people….Morgan they’ve spent almost ten hours thinking their daughter had died.”
Morgan focused on unrolling his bedroll onto a cot as he and his wife prepared for bed. He rarely discussed that unpleasant incident. During his time in mortal limbo, he’d been convinced that he was in hell.
“Remember when it happened to Commander O’Neill?” Bess’ voice intruded.
The incident had occurred within days of their crash landing onto the planet - a cruel introduction to the harsh realities of Planet G889. Unaware that he wasn’t really dead, the members of Eden Advance had buried him. Later when they’d learned that the Koba’s sting wasn’t fatal, consumed by guilt and fear, they’d rushed back to the site only to discover some Grendlers had rescued him from his shallow grave. But the Commander’s second chance at life hadn’t lasted long.
She studied her husband who was still seemingly engrossed in arranging his blanket. “Danziger seems to think the Robinsons are okay. He’s a pretty good judge of character.”
Offended, he claimed, “And I’m not?”
“I didn’t mean that.“
As much as she loved her husband, Bess was a practical woman and fully aware of her husband’s shortcomings. On the Stations, he’d been embarrassed by her origins and did his best to conceal the fact that she’d grown up on Earth. With his political aspirations, associating with the wrong sort wouldn’t do. Wanting him to succeed, she’d reluctantly played along. At Station functions, he’d routinely whisked her past certain people, murmuring, “NOCD” his shorthand for - “Not our class dear”.
Morgan perched on the edge of his cot. “Bess, these people are strange. Their weird stories and bizarre clothing. They treat their robot like it’s some sort of person. And what’s even creepier is that in some ways it acts like one. They honestly believed those wild tales they told us.”
“I know,” she assured him. Not that she didn’t believe him, she was just curious. These people claimed to have originated from an Earth that was entirely different from the one she grew up on. She’d love to ask them about it.
“And what I’ve seen up to this point is that we’ve been the ones doing stuff for them. Helping them repair their ship…”
Bess almost pointed out that it might be useful to have access to a functional space craft, but then she thought better of it. That type of suggestion could send Morgan off half cocked, destined for trouble.
Instead, she replied, “True, but Danziger said it helped him to get information about them. And wasn’t Walman able to squeeze in a little scouting?”
“Yeah, but he didn’t find anything. He spent most of his time mooning over that girl. How does all this help us? When’s it gonna stop? What’s stopping by now gonna prove?”
“That we’re good neighbors.”
She’d hoped that Morgan of all people understood the importance of allies.
“Besides, I’d love to dive in that pond and really wash my hair.” The shoulder length curly auburn ringlets had been tied up and piled on her head for far too long. She was anxious to liberate the hot, heavy mass.
“Let’s just hope bleeding heart Devon doesn’t do the unthinkable and invite them to join us. All we need are more mouths to feed,” he groaned.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Day 256
Maureen’s intent gaze bore into Dr. Heller. “You’re sure she’ll be all right?”
Engrossed in her exam, the young doctor didn’t answer. Julia was concentrating on the readings from her diaglove. The instrument covered most of her left forearm. She slowly moved the diagnostic tool over Judy’s rigid form. Occasionally the screen glowed or the instrument emitted soft tones while Julia manipulated various switches.
The older woman hovered impatiently.
Finally, Julia looked up. “She’ll be fine. It’s strange for us too. My instruments register no signs of life. But our commander and Morgan both revived after a few days.”
Gaal had been the first to alert them to the effects of the Koba’s sting. A clever convict, he’d masqueraded as a former astronaut and expertly manipulated True in an attempt to steal Eden Advance’s supplies. Fortunately, he hadn’t been successful.
Exam completed, Julia studied her surroundings. The Jupiter 2 cabin was spartan as most space vehicles tended to be. Unlike the Eden Advance module which had been predominately constructed with dark metal beams that created a gloomy atmosphere, this ship featured lighter colored materials. Julia wasn’t entirely sure what it was constructed from. Fold out bunks were on both sides of the room. Star charts hung on one wall. She was surprised to discover a bookshelf with several paper bound volumes. Those would be considered antiques in her world. Another instrument - a box with spools in it, was foreign in purpose to her.
Despite the room’s utilitarian appearance, Julia understood why Morgan would’ve wanted to sleep here. In addition to the luxury of a climate controlled environment, being in a solid structure provided a sense of security that a tent never would.
She broke out of her reverie, realizing Maureen’s eyes were still fixed upon her.
“I don’t understand.” Her features remained tense.
“It will take a day or so.”
She wasn’t going to believe it until she’d seen her daughter revive. Julia understood that. She’d done all she could in that respect.
Her mind shifted to questions about the Robinsons. As Alonzo had mentioned, everything about this ship felt strange. Considering that they’d crashed onto this planet, their ship was in remarkably good condition. Meeting the Robinsons hadn’t answered any of Julia’s questions. It had only increased her curiosity to account for inconsistencies.
She turned to face the woman. “May I examine you?”
Maureen hesitated. “Why?’
“I’m a fully qualified physician. My diaglove is finely calibrated and it might detect anomalies that your technology might have missed. I can make sure that you’re healthy. I’ll need a blood and bone marrow sample too.”
“Isn’t that a bit involved? Marrow samples require surgery which can be difficult and painful. Considering that I feel fine, I doubt that’s necessary.”
“It’s a simple procedure with my diaglove,” Julia assured her. “You’ll barely notice.”
Tests on Maureen’s blood could help her determine if there were any hallucinogens or psychotropic drugs which could account for their odd stories. Though, after having met the family, Julia was inclined to rule out that hypothesis.
Unfortunately experience had shown that her diaglove couldn’t detect small chips or implants that might alter or control behavior. It hadn’t detected the small chip implanted in Alex Wentworth’s head that had caused her to unknowingly sabotage the Advance module. Later that same chip created a virus which killed her and most of the occupants of the third evacuation pod.
Julia’s diaglove hadn’t detected the biostat implants either, thin fibers secretly injected into all members of Eden Advance by the Council. Those implants had nearly killed their entire party a few months before when they’d started to malfunction. Poor Ebon Singh had been their first fatality, dying before they’d figured out how to rectify the situation.
Reluctantly, the older woman agreed. She lay on a bunk on the opposite side of the cabin while Julia prepared to draw blood. Once the sample was collected and labeled, the young doctor proceeded to move the instrument over Maureen’s midsection.
“Is Dr. Smith your physician?”
She laughed. “I’m afraid not.”
“How do you handle medical emergencies?” Julia was intently examining the screen of her diaglove.
“The best we can. My doctorate is in biology. So far we’ve only had to deal with minor cuts, sprained ankles, minor concussions and Doctor Smith’s aching back.” Despite herself, she laughed.
How primitive, the thought of such limited resources disturbed Julia. And to think that she’d been complaining that her own supplies were so limited. If one of the Robinsons had fallen ill as Devon had several months before, they would’ve been helpless.
“There. I’ve taken the marrow sample,” Julia relayed.
“My goodness! I didn’t feel a thing. That is an amazing instrument you have. You seem awfully young to be a doctor.”
Somewhat defensively, Julia replied, “My parents had my chromosomes skewed to the medical arts.”
Julia had been ‘created’ by her parents, who were members of The Council. It was considered an honor to be part of the elite governing body of the Stations. Her parents had gladly offered her up as a willing sacrifice to the Council - for the good of the many.
Julia had bought into that party line for years. It had brought her on this mission, acting as a covert agent of the Council to monitor the activity of Eden Advance. Only her time on G889 had opened her eyes to the fact that she had a right to live her life as she chose. Since then she had renounced all ties with the Council.
Amazed, Maureen responded, “Our world doesn’t have that type of technology - yet.”
XXXXX
Day 257
“Hello. Oh, I wish you’d stopped by earlier, you could’ve joined us for dinner,” Maureen Robinson warmly greeted Devon, Danziger, Julia, Alonzo and Yale who were approaching their outdoor dinning table. Most of the family members were still seated about the table, having just finished their meal.
“Thank you. That’s very generous,” Devon replied. “Actually, we’d like to talk with you.”
“Certainly,” John Robinson added as he rose from his seat. “I can’t tell you how relieved we are to hear that Judy will be all right. I also can’t thank you enough for all your help with the ship.” He motioned towards Devon, offering his seat to her.
Not used to such gestures, Devon hesitated. “We haven’t done much.”
Julia reassured them, “Judy ought to revive some time soon.”
“Will, run inside to get some extra camp stools for our guests,” his mother instructed.
As Will and Penny helped everyone find seats about the table, Danziger asked, “Where’s Don?”
“He’s sitting by Judy. We’ve been taking turns,” John Robinson answered. “So now that your group has reunited, what are your plans?” he asked Danziger.
Getting irritated, Devon explained, “We’re restocking supplies and using the time to scout a path to get our vehicles safely over the mountains. Cameron and Mazatl set out in the Dune Rail this morning.”
Baines had been itching to go on that trip, but he couldn’t convince Walman to leave camp for that long. Instead he managed to persuade his buddy to take a day trip in the ATV to scout for food. Even that had been a challenge. If Walman had stayed around, he would’ve made excuses to linger about the Jupiter 2 until Judy woke. Before leaving he’d insisted upon seeing her motionless form. He extracted staunch promises that they’d contact him the moment she revived.
“You’re the leader?” John Robinson asked.
Losing patience, Devon Adair assured him a bit too firmly. “Yes. I organized this mission. I commissioned scientists to develop technology to help us adapt to life on this planet. I interviewed and hired everyone associated with this project.” Coughing muffled her last words.
Danziger had mentioned that the Robinsons had rather antiquated notions about the roles of men and women in society. It irked her that John Robinson gave the mechanic more respect than her.
As the spasm subsided, she explained, “We need to get to New Pacifica as soon as possible to set up a hospital for two hundred fifty families with Syndrome children that will be arriving within a year. About fifteen years ago, a new disease arose on the Stations. Some children were failing to thrive. Their immune systems were severely weakened. The best explanation our scientist could come up with was that the absence of Earth caused this.”
Danziger interrupted, “They know all about that Adair. And about the Terrians healing Uly. And that the hospital construction material might not even be there once we arrive at New Pacifica.”
Devon’s eyes widened. After she’d carefully instructed him not to give detailed information about Eden Advance to this family? What else had he told them?
“We need to tell you about where we came from,” Danziger stated.
Her irritation triggered another coughing spell. That man never ceased to annoy her. Devon had never baulked at being the messenger of unsettling news. As the former head of a multi orbit firm, it had been part of the job. She’d planned on addressing the issue. She’d only stalled because she was concerned about the timing and wanted to test the waters first. The Robinson’s daughter was still lying prone on her bunk. How much could they handle within a forty-eight hour period? Leave it to Danziger to thoughtlessly blunder ahead.
“Can I offer you a drink?” Grabbing a pitcher, Maureen Robinson poured water into a cup then offered it to her. Devon gratefully accepted. When the coughing died down, she stood.
“Danziger, Walman and Alonzo have told you a little about where we came from. That we’ve lived on the Space Stations since our planet became so polluted. You’ve commented on our technology such as Julia’s diaglove and our gear. What we haven’t mentioned…” She looked towards Yale, the tall bearded black man, her former tutor and close friend. He nodded, encouraging her. “is that….we’re from Earth too.”
“What?” John Robinson was having trouble believing what he was hearing.
“And that our departure date was….May 2192.”
Penny gasped.
Smith cried, “No, it’s not possible.”
Devon continued, “It’s true. People still live on Earth. But…it’s not like you remembered.”
“We’ve traveled more than two hundred years into the future!” gasped Smith.
“I’m afraid so.”
Continuing to address Danziger, John Robinson insisted, “There should be records of our voyage. Alpha Control invested countless hours and millions of tax dollars into our mission. Other nations even tried to sabotage our efforts.”
Devon explained, “We’ve looked. Yale is a cybernetically enhanced tutor. He has an implant along with library functions that allow him to mentally scan hundreds of data files. There are limited records from that long ago on Earth. None of them contained any references to the Jupiter 2, Alpha Control, or even a space program in general. Most likely this is due to the occurrence of several disasters over that era - wide spread flooding due to global warming, the Faith wars, along with the resurgence of the Black Plague. These nearly wiped out humanity.”
John Robinson mused, “I suppose it makes sense. When we went into a hyper drive once before, we were sent back fifty years in time. The records could’ve been damaged or lost, as you say.”
Devon cleared her throat. “There’s more.” She looked to Julia, the young blonde doctor who nodded. “I’m…not sure how to put this. This planet that our scientists call G889 is twenty two light years away from Earth. It is the most favorable habitable world in the known universe.” She paused, hoping that they were understanding.
Julia added. “There are no records of the worlds or alien races you’ve encountered.”
“With so many disasters, perhaps humanity was preoccupied with other matters than proper record keeping. Just because the records aren’t there doesn’t mean that it didn’t happen,” John Robinson logically suggested.
“You don’t understand.” Devon insisted. “Our society has sent out hundreds of probes, exploring distant universes. Our children are starting to die from The Syndrome. We’re desperate to find a new planet to call home. Living on overcrowded space stations is far from ideal. We have to go else where for minerals and raw materials. About fifty different mining colonies have been established on various planets. None can sustain life without artificial habitats.”
Maureen was catching on. “Then how…”
“How have you managed to survive on so many planets without artificial means? How have you met so many aliens from different advanced societies when the only ones we’ve encountered have been rather primitive and only on this planet?” Devon voiced all of their thoughts.
“Have you ever heard of a worm hole?” Yale asked.
“Isn’t that a distortion in black matter where time and space can be altered? Kinda like a short cut across the universe,” Will said.
“Exactly. Though in this case, we think both time and space were altered for you. You could’ve encountered one of these worm holes or perhaps the hyper drive alone caused both. You’re in an alternative universe,” Julia explained.
“Preposterous! How can that be?” Dr. Smith protested.
“Yale and I did some tests on Maureen’s blood and marrow samples. Originally I was hoping to establish a timeline - to substantiate our theory that you’d traveled forward in time. However the results were ambiguous so I tried something else.
“The levels of certain isotopes in blood or tissue can indicate which planets you’ve spent time on. Historically most of the standard assays were developed with the idea of determining exposure to environmental hazards or pollutants encountered at mining sites or damaged ecosystems such as Earth. With Yale’s vast cybernetic library, we have plenty of standard references.”
Due to the deterioration of the ozone layer, most Earth dwellers have higher levels of certain isotopes naturally incorporated into their bodies than Station dwellers. Bess has lived on Earth for most of her life so her levels are significantly higher than Danziger who only spent a brief time during military service. Station dwellers, like myself or Alonzo, that have never set foot on Earth completely lack this isotope,” Julia attempted to explain. “We found none in Maureen or Judy’s system.”
“That doesn’t necessarily mean anything. We lived on Earth over two hundred years ago, the amounts of those isotopes in the environment were most likely different then,” Will pointed out. “Overcrowding was a bigger issue than pollution.”
Yale smiled, pleased the boy had been following the conversation so closely. “Excellent point. We used environmental data to extrapolate backward due to our spotty records from that time period.”
“Wouldn’t that produce a rather broad margin of error? You yourself just said that your records from that era were lacking. That could account for the absence of those substances in our bodies,” John Robinson reasoned.
“That’s right. The results are surprising but they’re also inconclusive.” Julia agreed. “But there’s more.”
Eyes remained fixed upon her.
“When I analyzed Maureen’s samples, for the most part, things appeared normal. But additional tests detected a certain substance in your bodies. I compared Judy and Maureen’s samples, just to be sure. Our bodies typically break this substance down and then it’s excreted as waste. It never builds up. In fact, if this substance were to accumulate in our bodies, it would indicate the onset of disease. Somehow, your bodies aren’t metabolizing this substance in the same fashion. Rather than treating it as waste, your bodies are incorporating it in your tissues at a level that would kill one of us. Yet you remain healthy.”
Yale added, “There are also similar ‘glitches’ when we compare technologies. Yesterday I examined your cold sleep chambers and discussed the details of the process with Professor Robinson. In many ways, it’s very similar to our process. Yet when I scan my data files on the history of this technology, I find that variations of your system that were developed on the Stations were unsuccessful. In a test run, the procedure you underwent was fatal for subjects originating from the Stations.”
“I’ve seen it with your astrogator too. John, I’ve worked on lots of ships and I’ve never seen anything like this unit,” Danziger explained.
“What does all this mean, in plain English? Enough of this scientific mumbo jumbo!” Smith demanded, growing paler as the conversation continued.
“Your Earth was similar to our Earth but they were never the same,” Yale explained.
John Robinson caught on. “And Alpha Centauri? Does it exist in this universe?” He looked to Danziger, naked hope evident in his eyes.
“No. It doesn’t.”
“Dad!” Penny gasped.
“Why can’t we go back the way we came?” Will insisted. “Can’t we simulate the conditions that brought about the hyper drive in the first place? We pulled it off before when we landed on Earth in the past. Remember Dad?”
“That involved time travel only, Will. It wouldn’t account for this alternative universe business. We’d have no guarantee. We could end up back in our universe or in one far worse. We might even be killed in the attempt,” John Robinson stated. “It’s far too risky.”
“I agree,” Yale added, regretfully. “I have no data that suggest a way around this.”
“But what about these changes? Can we survive in this universe with these biological differences?” Maureen pointedly asked Julia.
“I don’t know. They seem relatively minor. So far, you appear to be thriving. It doesn’t seem likely that it will be an issue,” Julia said.
“If we’re able to repair the Jupiter 2, can’t we just fly back to Earth?” Dr. Smith demanded, eyes gleaming.
“Twenty two light years is a long trip,” John Robinson answered.
“We could undergo suspended animation again, Dad, couldn’t we? That’s what we did when we originally left Earth,” Penny suggested.
John rolled his eyes, “And look how well that worked for us. Within eight hours we were thrown off course and almost died in a meteor shower. Besides, your mother had a bad reaction to the process, remember?”
Yale advised Dr. Smith, “Earth is not how you remember it. It does not resemble this planet. It’s almost impossible to grow food due to the scorching heat or extreme cold. For the most part, it’s a mining community. Many people live in self sufficient domes or underground. Supplies are limited. Most who had any funds left Earth decades ago.”
The reality finally hit him. “Earth…glorious Earth…” Dr. Smith droned, in shock. “Never to return… oh the pain.” He covered his face with his hands.
“Dad, what are we going to do?” Penny’s eyes were brimming with tears.
“Why don’t you join us?” Danziger offered.
“What?” Devon was stunned.
“Even if you can repair your ship, there’s no place else to go. Trust me, there’s no future for you on Earth. We’re setting up a colony here, just like you were. You’d be fulfilling your mission - just colonizing a different planet. We could use more good workers,” Danziger explained.
“Danziger,” Devon sternly warned as she rose.
He continued, “It’s not safe for your family alone here. There are penal colonists all over. Our government used this planet as a dumping ground for them. We didn’t even tell you about the Z.E.D. units - Zero Emotional Defects. Humans with cyborg implants designed by the Council to capture and torture people for information about this planet. They nearly killed us.”
She was going to strangle him if he said one more word. She stepped towards him. Reaching him, she grabbed his arm tightly. “Excuse us a moment.”
Devon nearly dragged him away from the group.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Once out of sight and ear shot of the Jupiter 2 camp Devon tore into Danziger.
“What are you doing? I told you to be discrete. Then you tell them about penal colonists and Z.E.D.s? What is wrong with you!”
Equally indignant, he responded, “Do you want these people to be picked off? Look at them - they’re not criminals. If they’d buried their daughter, she would’ve been gone for good. This is a hostile planet. They need to know what they’re facing.
“Besides, they’re good people Adair. Look how trusting they are. They insisted on sharing every meal with us while we stayed with them. Can you imagine if Gaal had tried to infiltrate their camp? He would’ve had a field day. They wouldn’t have stood a chance. And there are potentially dozens of versions of him wandering about this place.
“I don’t know if it’s their nature or the fact that they’re most likely from an alternative universe, but they’re practically sitting ducks. You’re the one that keeps saying that we need to stick together. That there’s safety in numbers.”
Her temples were throbbing. It irritated her that he was throwing her words back at her.
“How dare you undermine me. Make such a decision without consulting the group!”
Her disparaging tone alone would’ve caused others to crumble. Devon Adair had finely honed that technique in board rooms on the Stations - the tone paired with the frosty intimidating glance. High powered executives had folded to her will. But not John Danziger, drone mechanic in the middle of nowhere.
“Funny, I don’t recall you having the group vote on the invitation that you extended to Sheppard, your penal colonist chum,” was his cool response.
Leave it to Danziger to bring that up.
“And unlike your buddy Sheppard, the Robinsons actually have useful qualities.”
“That was different,” she snapped, muffling a cough.
She and Sheppard had shared a bond that was difficult to explain. He had dreamed to her on the Stations via the Terrians. He’d heard her cry. He was the one that planted the idea in her head that Planet G889 could heal Uly. Although he was a penal colonist, he’d reformed. Acting as leader, he’d formed a safe haven for other such men, with the caveat that violence wasn’t to be tolerated within the confines of their community. John Danziger could never see that he’d changed for the better. Unfortunately, Sheppard had been murdered by his sister before he could join Eden Advance.
“How? You think your judgment is that much better than mine?” he challenged.
Before she could respond, he continued.
“You really think that’s what this is about? That I want to be the boss? That I want to take over as leader of this group? That I like power? Let me tell you Adair, who do you think led this sorry bunch when you were to all intents and purposes on ice?
“Who do you think had to make the decision after three weeks had passed to move on? To leave you in cold storage in that ship for god only knows how long. You think that was easy? You think that it was a popular decision? How do you think I felt telling that to your kid? You think I enjoyed that? “
Towards the middle of this diatribe his voice changed. She couldn’t ignore the strain creeping into it when he spoke of leaving her in the cryo chamber on the deserted ship.
“We got lucky. After a week or two on the road, Julia figured out a way to cure you so we headed back. And it worked.
“Don’t kid yourself Adair, you’re not the only one who knows what the weight of responsibility feels like.”
She didn’t like to think about her illness. As a woman who liked to be in control, it frightened her. She wanted to say something but her throat was so irritated it brought on more coughing.
More tenderly, he added, “I don’t give a damn about being leader of this group but I will be if you keep this up. Listen to yourself. Let Julia synthesize some meds. You gotta rest up and get this under control. I can’t go through this again. Cold sleep syndrome is not something to be taken lightly. Elizabeth and Franklin died from it.”
Danziger was being overly dramatic. She was not suffering from Cold Sleep Syndrome. Catching a brief glance of the concern in his eyes, she averted her gaze.
“It’s getting worse, you know. You used to only cough in the mornings and evenings. Now it happens whenever you walk and when you’re upset. If you won’t do it for you, do it for Uly. You ever watch his face when you’re having these coughing attacks? Poor kid is scared half to death. Cut him a break.”
Maybe he had a point there. Instead of feeling energized each day, her energy level had been steadily declining. She’d thought she could ignore it, simply overcome her symptoms by the force of her will. Danziger was right, it wasn’t working.
“Warning, Warning! Aliens approaching!” the robot’s voice blared.
TBC