See Part One for Disclaimers

Doctor Chambers was anxiously awaiting his arrival outside the docking area.  He had made it a condition of his stay that no one, for any reason, should enter his flyer.  His safety precautions were automatic, and he would hold no responsibility for any harm that befell a trespasser.  Even in this case he would not relax his rule.  So it was that Dureena entered the Excalibur in Galen's arms.  She would have been mortified at the looks thrown their way had she been aware of them.

Laying her carefully on the gurney, his attention fully focused on the reassuringly rhythmic rise and fall of her chest; he was unprepared for the doctor's sudden touch on his shoulder.

"Galen, you're hurt!  Stand still."

Her fingers deftly probed the back of his skull, coming away sticky with blood.  Strange, he hadn't felt the blow, had been unaware of the blood trickling down his back until this moment.  But now, with Dureena safely on board, the team on their way back his mind returned to concentrate on his own hurts and wounds.  His yelp of pain surprised them both.

The doctor insisted he join them in the Med Lab, not that he intended to leave his charge until he was sure of her well being.  A nurse patched him up as he watched Sarah Chambers work on the battered form; only leaving when she shooed him out, needing to undress her patient for a full examination.  Assured that her hurts consisted of nothing more than the broken ankle and deep but non threatening cuts and bruises he had left to find Eilerson and his team.  He needed to see those scripts.

Max, Gideon and his team were coming down the corridor as he left Med Lab, Eilerson still clutching the box in his battered hands.

"Ah, Galen, good.  I have teams down there working to remove the other boxes.  Yes, they are taking care, don't look at me like that.  Matheson has fixed the communications problem, they can be out of there at a moment's notice."  Max's defensive tone did little to relax the mage's stiffened body.

He held out his hand for the box.

"Are you sure you know what you are doing?  I want to be there when you open it.  I want to watch everything you do.  If you can preserve these papers . . . I need to know how you do it."

"Of course, I know what I am doing!  And no, you can't watch.  The less distraction I have the better."

"Galen!"

"No."  The utter finality in his tone stopped Eilerson's imminent tirade.  Leaving him with his mouth open in disbelief, Galen quickly returned to his flyer.

Only a few fragments had remained intact, they lay partially covered by the dusty remnants of other pages.  Galen set about his task, ignoring the headache that pounded within his skull.  So intent on his task that he did not bother to cut the pain receptors.

Hours later, the first piece lay sandwiched between impenetrable layers of crystalline polymers.  Now Eilerson could study it to his hearts content.  He picked it up, turning the shiny fragment between his sensitive fingers.  His order had never seen written records on Terea.  Murals, yes.  Similar to the hieroglyphs found in Egypt back on Earth.  But they had never been given the opportunity to study them.  The Terean's were hospitable, helpful but secretive.  He hoped Max was as good as everyone thought.  Walking back to the lab assigned to the team he hesitated outside the medical facility.  Foolish, he knew she was okay.  He firmly turned his thoughts back to the task in hand, and strode quickly down the corridor.

Max almost snatched the sealed fragments from him, his mind already engaged in trying to decode the small pieces of text.  Settling himself at his computer, he began inputting data, cursing and muttering to himself.

Galen's eyebrows shot up, and a wry smile touched his lips.  "You are welcome."

He got no reply.  "Hum.  I think this must be one of those "least wanted" moments."  Still no reply.  "Well, I'll just remove myself shall I?  Go and wander the ship for a while?"

A wave of the hand was the only acknowledgement he received for his troubles.  "Right."

***

Gideon was busy on the bridge, coordinating excavation operations on the planet's surface, the other officers were all intent on their duties so he wandered the ship, feeling a little left out, an unusual emotion for him.  The projects he was currently working on held no appeal at that moment, he was restless, ill at ease.  He found his mind returning again and again to Dureena's terrified face; the panic in her expression as his body lay on hers -- why?  He became aware of the looks he was receiving.  The crew had always been a little afraid of him, but over the past months that had seemed to pass, today however each one had given him a wide berth.  Catching his reflection in the panelled unit, his own face looked back with harsh austerity.  Brows hunkered down over darkly brooding eyes.  The light blue grey turned stormy by his internal musings.  His tightly clamped jaw accentuated the high cheekbones and fine angularity of his face; with that death's-head atop his dark clothing he was not surprised at their reaction.  He needed solitude, time to think.  A process he had been putting off since his return to the Excalibur.

For a while he had found refuge in the transport tubes, finding their endless journey soothing.  But time and again, he had his meditations interrupted; he required something more.  High in the ship he had found a haven of peace.  The room had a see-through ceiling and three walls that gave an unrestricted view of the vast space outside the ship.  Here, he could imagine himself lost in the huge expanse, a tiny speck of sand on the Universe" beach as it was washed by the tides of time.  Whatever happened to them, whatever the outcome of this mission, the Universe would continue - their struggles of no consequence in the broader spectrum of its existence.

He placed his hand on the cool wall, as if to touch the emptiness outside.  But his flesh betrayed him; instead, he could imagine her forehead against his palm; could almost hear her steady breathing so close to him, smell the earthy scent of her fear.  "Damn" he whispered into the night.

His relationship with Isabelle had been unique.  The ties that held him to her were beyond his power to describe.  He had loved her with every fibre of his being.  The meeting of minds and thoughts that blended so wonderfully.  He missed her intelligence, her warmth.  The physical side of their love had been sporadic; explosive in its intensity and totally unnecessary to the union they shared.  What he found himself feeling for Dureena was so different.  He felt protective; aching with the need to assuage her fears.  He wanted to hold her close to him as though that could eradicate her fears!

He hated it.

He would not allow himself to be vulnerable again.  If only he could guard his heart as easily as his ship.

Turning his mind resolutely away from Dureena, he gave thought to the immediate predicament.  The remaining Terean's should be sought out.  Hopefully their language, skills and knowledge had been preserved.  The order had lost touch with them as they integrated with the native populations.  Perhaps he should track them down, bring one back to the ship.  Who knew how they might help?

But his feet remained firmly planted on the deck, his eyes gazing sightlessly down at the derelict world turning slowly beneath them.

He stood there a long time.

***

For the next two days, he was kept busy within his flyer as each box was unearthed and transported to the ship.  On each brief trip to Eilerson's lab, he was very aware of Dureena's absence.  He had enquired after her and been told that she was resting in her quarters.  More than once he had been tempted to visit, to enter that small room and see for himself.  On the third day, his task was finished, and he spent some time in the lab, watching Max at work.  The archaeologist was frustrated to say the least.  The writing, cuneiform in its layout, was proving intransigent.  With no punctuation to guide him, no beginning and no end, it was his hardest challenge yet.

Galen left him to it, and headed for the bridge.  Matheson and Gideon held their posts, the captain in obvious bad humour.  Patience was not one of his redeeming virtues.

"How's it going?"

"Slowly, Matthew.  Max wants us to search further.  I would advise against it."

"Why?"

Galen pointed to the readings now flashing up on the screen.  A huge shift in one of the continental plates was even now occurring.  The area they had just searched was about to be swamped with a tidal wave of massive proportions.  Almost as if the planet had waited for the team to leave before going into its death throes.

"It could be weeks before Terea is stable enough for us to return, if at all.  I would suggest..."  he hesitated.  "I would suggest you move on, while Max is translating you could be at the next destination supplied by the rangers."

Gideon's attention was diverted for a moment as Dureena entered the bridge.  Before Galen could welcome her, she had made a hasty exit, almost fleeing from him.  He caught Matthew's eye, and made a conscious effort to wipe the frown from his face.

He was saved from answering the question hovering on the captain's lips by the timely arrival of Eilerson, tired but exhaulted.  "I've done it.  That last piece you brought me held the key to the whole damn thing.  Not that it makes much sense.  The references are so obscure.  Still . . .  What's up?"  He finally realised that he was not totally the centre of attention.

"Nothing.  Do you have a transcript yet?"  Galen was quick to deflect their attention back to the texts and away from Dureena's unusual behaviour.

Retiring to Gideon's office, Max called up the translations he had so far.  Vague references to herb lore; too fragmented to tell for what they were the cure.  Snippets of historical data, some reference to the visitors they had welcomed over the centuries.  Nothing that seemed of any use in their current dilemma.  "I still have a few sheets to go, but if they are the same as this . . ." he shrugged his shoulders, almost in defeat.

"Let Dr Chambers review the medical data, anything else I will look over tomorrow.  For now, let's decide on our next destination."

Continued

Email the author!
[email protected]

Main B5/Crusade Fanfic Index        Crusade Fanfiction Index

Back to Main Library Index         Back to Main Fanfiction Index

Adventures of Sinbad   ~~~     Andromeda   ~~~     Angel   ~~~     Babylon5   ~~~     BeastMaster: The Series   ~~~     Beauty & the Beast
Buffy the Vampire Slayer   ~~~     Charmed  ~~~     The Crow: Stairway to Heaven   ~~~     Crusade   ~~~     due South   ~~~     Farscape
Gundam Wing   ~~~     Highlander: The Series   ~~~     Miscellaneous Fiction   ~~~     Mortal Kombat   ~~~     Mortal Kombat: Conquest
Poltergeist the Legacy   ~~~     Raven   ~~~     TSAoJules Verne  ~~~     The Sentinel   ~~~     Stargate SG1   ~~~     Star Trek: Voyager

I can't fix it if I don't know it's broken, so if you see anything wrong,  please let me know.  Thank you and enjoy your stay!