Earth2: Robin-a-Tumble Story: FISHER OF MEN

"Those people have no sense whatsoever. They have no idea of the possibilities this planet offers. And they never listen to sound advice. I told them we should check out that cavern at the top of the hill. But no, that Adair woman wants to move, move, move. She's always pushing us so hard. And then that Danziger character. That man is as stubborn as a... as a..." He couldn't think of a proper comparison for the mechanic.

Well, forget about them. He was going to make sure that he and Bess would be better off once they would return to the stations. No more groveling in the face of Level 5 bureaucrats. No more tiny cubicles to live in. No, all that would be different when they got back. And his father -- too bad the man would be long death. It would have been worth all the trouble this planet could throw at him just to see his father's face upon discovering his son had it made!

He wasn't really watching where he was going and unexpectedly found himself caught in a dense bush, large thorns tearing at his clothes and skin. Ouch, that hurt! Suddenly he stopped trying to break free. What was that? He heard noises twigs creaking, a branch snapped. Someone or something was with him here in the bush.

"Oh God," Morgan thought to himself. "I sure hope it's not one of those creepy Grendlers again..."

[Part 1]

By: Emily Foster

Morgan stood perfectly still in the thicket, holding his breath for fear of being caught by whatever monster was out there. He strained to listen for signs of his unwelcome companion.

There it was again! A light groan accompanied the rustling leaves. Morgan was torn between trying to stay unobtrusive and wanting to run faster than he'd ever run before back to the safety of the camp. He had decided on the latter and was about to take flight when another sound stopped him cold. It was a coo. Then a gurgle, followed by a shriek.

Morgan hesitantly tracked the sound to a bush about ten feet from him. It was moving. Cautiously, he peeked underneath. There, lying in a bed of brush, was a crying baby about six months old. This was not the beast he had expected. Still, a child could be a terrifying thing. He remembered the time, not too long ago, when they thought Bess was pregnant. The thought both elated and horrified him.

A piercing scream broke him from his retrospection. He desperately looked around for the baby's family but saw no one. It didn't get here on its own; maybe it's a trap, Morgan thought. Panic rose up in him again. But the pathetic cries of the helpless baby demanded his attention once again. He had only held a baby once before. It was the child of one of Bess’ Earth friends that had just moved to the Stations. That incident ended with Morgan covered in foul-smelling goo that the child had somehow hurled from its mouth. Who knew a baby could contain that much disgusting ooze?

Fearing a repeat episode, he carefully lifted the infant into the air, holding it a safe distance. However, the crying continued. Morgan inched it closer to him and noticed that the cries lessened a bit. "Shhh. Don't worry. We'll find your family. It's okay."

He brought the baby still closer to him, until finally the child was fully in his arms, resting against his chest. Much to his amazement, the crying stopped completely. "Okay, now stay like that until we reach the camp. Alright?"

The infant responded by reaching up and grabbing a fistful of Morgan's hair. Gingerly, he negotiated himself and his small cargo out of the shrubbery. Once free, he was still afraid to walk too quickly for fear of upsetting the now sleeping tot.

As he approached the camp, he could see a commotion. Entering the encampment, he received a different welcome than what he was expecting.

"Where the hell have you been?" Danziger shouted. "We've been looking everywhere for..."

"What the hell is that?" Baines interrupted as he suddenly recognized the lump Morgan was carrying as a baby.

"I found it in some bushes. I couldn't find his family. I don't know how it got there or anything."

A crowd gathered around to ooh and ahh at his sleeping parcel. Julia retrieved her diaglove from her backpack. "Hand it to me. He needs to be checked out thoroughly."

Morgan attempted to comply, but the movement awakened the infant, who began screaming again.

"Okay, you just hold him, Morgan, while I do a scan." He did as he was told, and the baby quieted down once again.

"I think he likes you," Bess whispered softly as she stroked her husband's hair. Morgan could already see the wheels turning in her head. "Well, maybe a baby wouldn't be THAT bad," he thought. "This is kind of a neat feeling."

"Were you anywhere near the cavern when you found it?" Devon asked with a concerned look on her face.

[Part 2]

By: Sue Sadler

"There's a floating city under the ground!" interrupted True excitedly. "Me and Uly found it when we were exploring."

"We're not sure what it is." Danziger said, quelling the children's enthusiastic explanation. "But there is a narrow, sloping passageway leading down from the cavern we found. It's well hidden but True and Uly managed to come across it."

"When they should have been studying." interjected Yale, causing both children to don their most innocent expressions.

"Anyway, this passageway opens onto a sheer drop. A cave so deep you can't see the bottom. But there is something about two miles down that does look like a city. There's a mist shrouding the area that lights up and thins out erratically. And that's when whatever is down there becomes visible."

"What's the matter, Julia?" Devon asked, seeing the perplexed look on the Doctor's face.

"The baby isn't human. It looks human. But its internal structure is like nothing I've ever seen. There is no evidence of Terrian DNA either."

"Because technically it is an hermaphrodite. It has both male and female organs."

Morgan stared at the bundle in his arms. *Great. An it. Morgan Martin strikes again.* The infant, sensing his unease started to squall again. "There, there baby. Auntie Bess wants to hold you," he said, thrusting the baby at Bess.

She glared at him, but had no choice but to take the baby. Within seconds, the baby worked its way from upset squalling noises, to an ear piercing frenzied scream, its fists waving frantically in Morgan's direction, trying to return to him. Nothing Bess did comforted the child.

"Oh for crying out loud!" Danziger snapped, taking the child from Bess and depositing it in Morgan's arms again. "You've bonded. Live with it."

Before Morgan, or anyone else, could come up with a response, Uly stepped forward and pointed. In the area just behind them a figure rose from the earth. Stepping forward, the Terrian pointed the staff it carried at the child, trilling to Uly.

Devon suppressed a shiver as her son's eyes went blank while he tuned in to the Terrian. His link to the Terrians was becoming more obvious. Grateful as she was to them for healing him, she could not help fearing this connection.

Danziger's voice could be heard muttering, "No matter how many times I see that, it still sends a shiver down my spine."

Uly's eyes focused on his mother. He looked scared. She immediately stepped toward him, taking him in her arms expecting him to push her away and tell her he wasn't a baby. Instead he returned the hug. Her apprehension rose another notch.

[Part 3]

By: Lahaylia St. James

"The sacrifice?" Devon questioned her son over the rising noise level of the crowd. "What do you mean?"

Before Uly could say anything else, Julia interrupted. "I'm taking the baby to my med tent for a while. I want to run a few tests." At Devon's rather nasty look, the doctor added, "Non-invasive tests," and grabbed Morgan's arm, pulling him toward her tent, where all their medical supplies and equipment boxes were stored. Bess trailed behind them.

Danziger asked the obvious question. "Think he - it - whatever - meant the baby?"

"I don't know." Devon stood up and looked around. "I do know that I don't want to stay here any longer. Forget about that cave, and the city. As fun as it would be to explore, we have a schedule to keep, and the faster we get to New Pacifica, the better."

She noted the disappointed look on many a face, and spoke in a firmer tone than that she had used a moment before. "Come on, finish the packing. I want to leave in half an hour."

A few looked after her, surprised, but then they all began to disperse, and got back to work.

It took an hour for them to finish the packing, taking turns watching the baby when Julia had finished taking samples and begun the tests. The baby was temperamental. It was quiet if Morgan held it, but screamed when Bess came near. It was reasonably well behaved with Julia and Alonzo, but disliked Devon, Danziger, and True. Strangely, it was most peaceful if Uly was near.

When Eden Advance began moving again, the baby slept in a makeshift carryall on Julia's back. Morgan and Bess walked with her. It seemed like any other afternoon, if the presence of the baby could be ignored. It wasn't easy to ignore an infant that made so much noise.

Many of the crew had wanted to leave the baby behind when they moved, where they had found it, but even Devon, who wanted no part in whatever this baby represented to the Terrians, was forced to admit that abandoning a baby was inhumane and morally wrong. Since Morgan, as well, had not been too keen on the idea of babysitting for aliens, Julia was appointed guardian of the child until they figured out what to do about it. Their logic was that Julia had championed the baby's cause most forcefully, and as a doctor she should know how to handle a fussy toddler. Julia was unhappy with the arrangement.

Alonzo was thrilled. He liked this baby. He named it Paige, saying it could be a girl's name or a boy's name. Julia was sure he had fantasies about a family of his own, and was trying to play them out for a little while with Paige.

They didn't get far. The group had traveled for about two hours when the DuneRail stopped dead. Danziger pronounced it broken and told everyone that they may as well make camp for the night.

Devon didn't take the news well, and avoided the others uncharacteristically for the rest of the afternoon. A few tried to approach her, but she was rude and made no secret of her desire to be alone.

She had been asleep for hours when something startled Devon awake. A weird sound was coming from outside her tent, but the rest of the camp was oddly silent. She wondered briefly who was on sentry duty, and then the sound came again - a hollow thumping. Easing her way out of bed, carefully, as not to wake Uly, she pulled back the flap that served as door to her tent.

[Part 4]

By: Melanie McManama

A red glow lit the rocky interior of the cave she had just stepped into. Blinking in surprise and confusion, Devon stepped backwards, hoping to retreat into her tent. Unyielding stone met her back, and she realized the tent was no longer there. She turned her head, momentarily disoriented by the strobe-like fragmenting of her vision.

Even as she realized this, the ground churned and boiled at her feet, and a Terrian rose before her. It let out a mournful sounding trill and cocked its head at her in a gesture that was all-too familiar: *What now?*

"Why have you brought me here?" Devon demanded, determined not to let fear color her voice. "What do you want?"

The Terrian trilled again, and this time its tone had a strident, impatient quality to it. It lifted a hand toward Devon -- another familiar pose: *Follow.*

She hesitated. As curious as she was to see what business the Terrians had with the colonists, it was almost never good news. They weren't the sort of neighbors who dropped by simply for friendly chats. There were always warnings, or death threats, or dire predictions, or promises to be extracted. And almost always, Terrian dealings had to do with Devon's son.

On the other hand, there was no use pretending she didn't understand this summons. One way or another, the Terrians would get their message across, Devon thought wryly; once they got in your mind, how could you run away from them? Trying to conceal her growing unease, Devon laid her hand in the otherworldly being's outstretched palm.

She felt no movement, but perceived a sudden shift. She blinked, and suddenly found herself moving down a long, sloping ramp. The lights of some huge metropolis loomed ahead, and she realized she was heading toward the subterranean city True and Uly had discovered earlier.

Lights strobed again, and when her vision cleared she found herself in a long, dimly lit corridor. The light sources seemed to be large chunks of Morganite placed at regular intervals on the walls. There was a low, pervasive hum echoing through Devon's head. It was like nothing she had heard before, and though she would be hard-pressed to explain how she knew this, she got the impression that the stones were singing. A stronger light filtered from the end of the corridor, and Devon let her curiosity take her there. The stones sang louder as she approached. When she reached the end, she saw that the corridor opened into a cavernous room literally filled with Morganite.

Blinking her eyes to adjust to the sudden light, Devon made out a collection of figures that seemed somehow familiar. A cadre of Terrians stood in a semicircle around a large dais of carved granite. Steam rose from a deep pit in front of the dais. On the dais were several humans, Uly among them, and when Devon looked closer she was surprised to see that one of them was her!

She suddenly became aware that the Terrian who had led her here was beside her. She whirled on him, fear and anger making her voice sharper than it needed to be.

"What's going on?" she demanded. "Are you showing me the future? What do you want with my son?"

The Terrian didn't deign to answer, but instead gestured back to the scene unfolding on the dais. Frustrated by the taciturn response, Devon had no choice but to watch and wonder what was going on.

All heads turned toward Morgan Martin, who still held the baby he'd found. He looked uncomfortable, and a little scared. That fear was echoed by Bess, who stood resolutely beside him. A stone-faced Danziger flanked Morgan's other side. He had a hold of Morgan's arm in a gesture that seemed more supportive than restrictive.

Uly stepped in front of the pony-tailed bureaucrat and the baby. "I'll be with you for part of the way, but I can't follow you through the end. Be strong, Morgan."

Watching below, Devon couldn't tell whether or not her son was speaking to Morgan or to the baby. But when Morgan handed the baby to Uly and together they stepped toward the edge of the dais, Devon thought she was beginning to understand.

Bess began to weep quietly, and Danziger moved to comfort her. Morgan cast a miserable look at his wife but did not go to her.

One of the Terrians trilled, and Devon found she was able to understand what they were saying. *The choice has been made. The Mother must be satisfied.*

On the dais, Devon's counterpart spoke. "Go on, Morgan." Her voice was cold and brittle. "If you don't do it, we'll all die."

Morgan nodded, looking sick. He cast one last look at Bess, then stepped off the end of the dais, plummeting through the blanket of steam rising from the pit, and vanishing from sight.

From below, Devon gasped in shock. Had the other her really ordered Morgan to his death? Above the sound of Bess' wail rose the sound of the singing stones. They were growing louder. Feeling an awful mix of guilt and betrayal, Devon spun accusingly toward the Terrian who had accompanied her to the Dreamplane --

-- and fell from her cot to the floor of her tent. Caught between dreaming and waking, she struggled briefly with the blankets tangled about her hips before she realized where she was. She cast a glance at Uly's cot and found him still asleep. It was very early morning, judging from the dim light. The rest of the camp had apparently not yet awakened.

Moving gingerly, Devon picked herself off of the floor and sat back down on her cot. She dropped her head in her hands and began rubbing her temples. It was impossible to ignore the Terrians' intentions. When the camp awoke, she would have to tell them.

Devon waited until the murmur of voices died down before she began. "The Terrians contacted me last night," she said without preamble. She saw surprised looks on many faces. The colonists were used to hearing such news from Uly and Alonzo; those two had become the burning bushes through which the Terrians communicated. Devon was an unlikely emissary, and she could see that this new development had disturbed the colonists.

Alonzo was instantly concerned. "Are you sure it was a Terrian dream?" he asked delicately. Devon knew why he was worried: he had been unsuccessfully trying to communicate with the subterranean dwellers for some time now. It might be significant that they had chosen a new mouthpiece.

"I think they were trying to tell me something about the baby. And a sacrifice," Devon spoke reluctantly. She glanced at Uly and saw a worried look flash across his face as he looked at the baby. He seemed to sense what was coming. "They want us to go back to the city. I think something terrible will happen to us all if we don't listen to them."

"We can't let them kill this baby!" Bess blurted out. Despite the strange child's dislike of her, she harbored an almost maternal streak of protectiveness toward it.

"I don't think the baby is the sacrifice, Bess," Devon began. Before Bess could relax, Devon added, "I think the sacrifice is supposed to be Morgan."

[Part 5]

By: Leontien Bosch

"We can't just offer Morgan to these diggers, no matter how much I dislike him, I don't want to see Morgan dead," Danziger said.

"Why don't we just go back to that cave where we found that kid and tell those diggers that they can have the kid, but no Morgan. Otherwise we'll just blow 'em up. I mean we still have the Geolock, right? Walman said, looking at the others for backup. People started mumbling.

"I think it is a good idea," Julia suddenly said. Everybody looked at her in disbelief.

"You think this will solve if we'll kill the Terrians? I thought you were against killing any living being?" Alonzo said.

Julia shook her head. "No I didn't mean that part of his idea, I mean the part of going back to the cave. Maybe you can ask the Terrians there what is going on." She looked at Alonzo, while saying the last part.

"I agree with Julia," Devon said. She had thought about it, after she woke up from the dream and had come to the same conclusion. "All in favor for going back, raise your hands."

After a while, everybody stood there with his or her hand raised in the air. "Ok, so we go back then. Let's pack up and go back again then." Devon moved away from the small group, to start packing.

"Devon, wait a second here, the DuneRail is still broken, and I can't get it fixed this fast," Danziger said, when he caught up with her. Devon didn't stop until she was in her tent.

Danziger shrugged. "It'll take a few hours, at least two. Why do you want to get there so fast anyway?"

Devon sighed and sat down on her cot. "It's just this feeling, like we're running out of time. John, what am I going to do?"

Danziger sat down next to her and held her. "Shhh, first, it's we. We're all in this together. And we'll find a way, we always do. We got Morgan out of those diggers' hands before, we'll do it again."

Bess stood near her tent, watching the others packing up and loading the TransRover. She looked at Morgan, who was striking their tent. "I can't believe this, Adair is just going to give you to them. And you just go along with it?"

"Bess, honey. What can we do otherwise? You know what the Terrians can do when they get angry, I'm sure we'll find a way. We'll give them the baby back and say we're sorry."

"Morgan, you know that it won't make any difference." She picked up a bag and walked away to the TransRover. Morgan looked after her. "We'll find a way, I assure you Bess, I won't leave you this soon. Morgan Martin won't go without a fight," he thought.

"What do you think is going to happen to Paige?" Alonzo said, as he sat watching the baby sleep on Julia's cot. She had had to give her cot up to the baby, but she didn't mind that she had to sleep on the same cot as Alonzo.

"I honestly don't know, 'Lonzo, but if you don't mind, could you help me with this box? It's kinda heavy and Walman gave up on me, he preferred guard duty."

He turned around and saw her trying to move a heavy looking crate with medical supplies. "Sure no problem," he said as he lifted the crate and moved to the TransRover, to come back a minute later.

"Need more help?" he said, teasingly. Julia moved over to the other side of the tent, to pack some other things. "Show-off," she muttered. He knew how much she hated it when he did his exercises first thing in the morning, especially when she was still half-asleep, but she had to admit to herself that he looked good when he did it.

"I have." Sometimes Julia thought that Alonzo was actually annoying, like right now.

Devon looked at the terrain they left just a day ago. Danziger had managed to get the Rail fixed sooner than he had first thought and they made good progress. They had arrived at their old campsite almost an hour ago and the camp had already been set up. Now she was waiting for the scout team to report back in. She was thinking of the problem they were facing. What had caused this mess they were in - was it the baby? Alonzo still hadn't been able to make contact with the Terrians and her son was having problems with it too. The sounds of the DuneRail returning pulled her from her thoughts.

She walked over to the forming group around the Rail. "What did you guys find? Any Terrians?"

Walman was the first to respond. "We didn't find anything Devon, nothing was there. We're not even sure if this is the right place. The maps say so, but we drove in a circle around the camp and there was no sign of a cave or even a small resemblance to the terrain. Everything has changed around here."

[Part 6]

By: Nicole Mayer

"What?" Devon automatically asked, unable to accept what she'd just heard. Walman repeated his earlier words almost verbatim. Devon was shaking her head as he finished.

"I won't accept that," she stated. She looked around, seeing the evidence of their camp from two days before: a ring of logs to sit on surrounding a blackened fireplace. The trees, the whole feeling of the place, all of it indicated that they'd been there before. So how could the cave be gone?

"Get me Morgan," Devon instructed. He quickly arrived, holding Paige in his arms.

"Morgan, exactly where did you find Paige?" she asked. A worried look appeared on Morgan's face.

"Try, Morgan," Devon insisted. "The only thing I can think of to do is to return the baby to where it was found. I'm hoping the Terrians will come for Paige. They said that we shouldn't have taken the sacrifice, so maybe if we return it, nothing bad will happen." Taking a deep breath, Devon hoped that what she was saying was true. Nothing terrible had happened to the group yet but with the dreams she'd had, and the cautioning of Uly, she believed that disaster lay just around the corner.

"Julia?" Morgan called and the doctor soon joined the growing group. Morgan passed her the baby. "Devon and I are going scouting. Can you take care of Paige for me?" There was an undercurrent of tension in his words, almost as if he knew it was one of the last times he would say goodbye to the baby. He gave the child a quick kiss on the forehead before looking at Devon and saying, "Let's go."

"You won't get far," warned Walman darkly. "I told you, once you get beyond the local camp perimeter, everything's different."

"Walman, we have to try," Devon said determinedly. "We've come this far back and I'm not going to give up now."

Walman shrugged as if to say 'your loss', and then watched them leave the campsite.

As Devon and Morgan soldiered forward, Devon found herself wondering what she was in for. None of the terrain looked familiar and the outcropping of rocks that had hidden the cavern was nowhere to be seen.

However, the forest in which Morgan had found Paige was still there, just in a different form. Devon took a deep breath as they approached the first tree, telling herself that a tree was a tree and a forest was a forest and it couldn't possibly be different.

She purposely didn't look back after they entered the green world because she didn't want to see the trees move and swallow up their exit. Not that it would happen, it was just if it did, well, Devon didn't want to see it.

Morgan, whilst harboring similar fears, had no such qualms about looking back to their only escape route. A flutter of movement caught his eye and he grabbed Devon's arm. "Did you see that?"

"No, Morgan, and you didn't either," she replied, still striding on. "I need you to focus. Where did you find Paige?"

"Well, I know that we're walking in the right direction," Morgan said, still sounding nervous. "The sun was to my west last time when I came out of the trees, and we entered the forest with the sun on our east. I don't think we've changed directions since then." He kept scouting their surroundings as he talked, searching for anything that looked familiar. Nothing did.

A vine snaked down from a tree, yet neither saw it until it had neatly wrapped itself around Morgan's arm. He yelped and Devon hurried to free him. She fought with the wiry entanglement but it refused to budge. If anything, it seemed to be wrapping itself even tighter around Morgan.

"I think I've got a knife in my pack," Devon said, taking a step back and realizing that the vine, or its bigger brother, was now wrapped around her own foot. Devon fought the impulse to curse as she yanked viciously to free her ankle and lost her footing, landing in a pile of even more vines.

Now Devon was seriously concerned. The vines hadn't been there before, and even as she watched in horror, she could see them wrapping around Morgan, sinuous and snake-like, until he was almost covered.

"Help!" Morgan managed a half-strangled scream and Devon scrambled for her pack before the vines overtook her. She had just managed to wrench free the knife when her arm was wrapped in greenery, and then her torso, her face...

The wriggling mass that had been Morgan was the last thing Devon saw before she faded into unconsciousness.

Danziger was pacing back and forwards, mumbling to himself and trying to drown out the sound of Paige wailing. The baby had begun to cry about half an hour ago and despite Julia's best efforts, showed no signs of calming down any time soon. The child was clearly distressed over something.

Walman approached Danziger and the bigger man looked up and growled. "You shouldn't have let them go off alone, not when we don't know what the hell is going on around here!"

Holding up his hands in a gesture of peace, Walman said, "Relax, Danziger, I'm sure she and Morgan are fine. Devon's a tough lady and she can take care of herself."

Danziger grunted, accepting that Walman was probably right and Devon wouldn't have let him, or anyone else, tag along as protection. But all this knowledge didn't stop Danziger being worried.

He paced for a few more moments, almost in time with the baby's crying, before he burst out, "That's it, I'm calling Devon on her gear. She's been out of contact too long."

Danziger ignored all the glances that clearly told him Devon wouldn't appreciate him checking up on her. He had to search through his things for quite a while before he found his own gear and was finally able to initiate a call.

By now a small group had gathered around Danziger, as they all seemed to sense that something was quite wrong. "Adair and Martin are missing," he announced.

A clamor of voices was heard, the worst of which was Paige's incessant shrieking. "Dammit, Julia, can't you do something about that kid!" shouted Danziger in frustration. Alonzo moved protectively next to his love as everyone else quieted.

Uly pushed his way forward to Julia. "Let me see if I can help," he said bravely, obviously worried about his mom. He laid one hand on Paige and the baby paused in its wails long enough to take a breath. Uly closed his eyes.

Two seconds later they snapped open in panic. "Paige is worried. It can't go home ever again because Morgan is the new sacrifice!"

Uly shook his head. Then he nodded. Then he shook it again. "I don't know. Paige just feels so lost..."

"We have to find Morgan," Bess said desperately. "We can't let the Terrians kill him!"

"They won't," Danziger said darkly. He looked around the group, seeing the fear in everyone's eyes. "I'm taking the Geolock and I'm going after Devon and Morgan."

Danziger hated to fight with a kid so he wisely didn't say anything. Uly found support in Julia.

"He's right, John," she said as gently as possible, but there was a steely edge in her voice. "We've been through this before. Look, our main priority is to find Devon and Morgan. We don't know what's happened to them - maybe they just decided to stop and have a swim or something."

Considering the doctor's words, Danziger finally nodded. "Okay, we won't hurt them unless we have to. But let's get going - I don't want to wait one more moment longer than necessary."

"I'm with you," Alonzo quickly said and his voice was joined by that of Walman's.

"I'm coming too," Julia announced. Danziger sighed and surveyed the growing band of would-be rescuers. He knew no one would back down. "True, you stay with Yale, okay, and don't leave the camp," he instructed.

Everyone quickly grabbed their gear and soon assembled at the edge of the campsite, near where the forest began. The small band of travelers set out, and no one realized that they were the exact combination of people Devon had seen in her dream...

Despite the confusing configuration of trees that seemed to change when no one was looking, it was relatively easy to hone in on the locations of Devon's and Morgan's gear. They lay on the ground mere meters from each other, still transmitting their weak locator signals. Danziger warily approached the sets, looking around for signs of anything unusual. Apart from a few bent branches and crushed leaves, there was little to see.

Bess gasped, and it was obvious she was trying to conceal the tears of worry that threatened to fall.

"Devon?" Danziger called half-heartedly, as if he'd already accepted that she was lost to him forever. "Morgan?"

There was no response. In desperation, Danziger looked to Uly who was by Julia and Paige. He didn't even know what he wanted to ask, was it the Terrians, was it Paige, was it just this forest? Uly, however, seemed to understand what was required of him.

"The path has closed for the sacrifice is gone," he intoned. Danziger suddenly found himself very glad that Devon wasn't around to see her kid going weird again.

Uly stepped forward to between the stranded sets of gear and held the baby up. Almost instantly, he began to sink into the ground.

"Uly!" shouted Bess in fear, not wanting to see another person taken from them. She raced to grab his arm and then her ankles were swallowed by the earth. A look of fear crossed her face and then Uly twisted to smile at her. "This is the only way," he said. "Paige wants to go home."

The three, slowly sinking into the ground, were about waist-deep in dirt when Danziger muttered, "Ah hell," and joined them. Alonzo, Walman and Julia followed soon after, all linking arms as they descended into the earth.

Devon awoke suddenly, frightened. A low moaning had awoken her, no, not a moaning. The rocks around her were keening and suddenly Devon *knew* she was in the place of her dream. "Hello?" she called tentatively, trying to make out anything in the dark.

"Devon, is that you?" That was Morgan's voice and he sounded very, very scared. "Where are we?"

"I don't know," she answered truthfully. There was a growing light from pulsing veins of Morganite in the walls and now Devon could see Morgan sprawled on the ground beside her, and a Terrian before them. It beckoned and Devon could see no choice but to follow.

Devon and Morgan linked arms, more for emotional support than a physical need to help each other along, and made their way along the path. It began to slope downwards and as the Morganite lights dimmed, the glow of the city ahead began to filter up the passage.

Morgan gasped in wonderment as the city, floating far below them, came into view. "Is this...?" he asked, not able to finish the question but he didn't need to.

"It's beautiful." Morgan was spellbound and the Terrian allowed the pair to gaze at the magnificence below them for a while. "Can we go there?" Morgan asked, more to the Terrian than Devon. "I have to go there." His words were low and full of conviction and Devon had the terrible impression of destiny being fulfilled.

*You are not ready* came the eerie Terrian reply, trilled but transmitted mentally at the same time.

Devon glanced at Morgan, worried at the translation. For the Terrians, going into the earth meant death.

"What if he doesn't want to go?" Devon asked desperately, wondering how Morgan could just accept all of this.

"Morgan!" Devon grabbed his arm and pulled him back from the edge. "What about Bess?" She didn't want Morgan to just accept his fate as if he didn't care about anything, no matter how alluring the city was.

"I don't understand," Devon pleaded with the Terrian. "Why is he the sacrifice? Why does there even have to be a sacrifice?"

*He became the sacrifice when he took the other. Without the sacrifice, the Mother will end.*

Devon shook her head, wondering if her interpretation was correct. The Terrian was telling her that G889 would die without Morgan's death. And as much as she wanted to resist the knowledge, she knew it was true.

Before he could finish his sentence, the Terrian again beckoned and they had no choice but to follow, descending in a direction opposite to the city, back in the direction they had come but to a lower level.

"Don't worry, Morgan," Devon softly whispered. She was attempting to bolster her own spirits as she said this. "In my dream, the one where you died, you weren't alone. The others were with us. But they're not here, it's only you and me, so you have to believe that something different will happen!"

Shooting Devon a grateful look, Morgan said, "I will." But he couldn't hide the tremble in his voice.

And neither of them could hide their simultaneous gasps of horror when they rounded a corner to see the chamber with the dais, and their friends and Paige already assembled like a funeral procession.

That was when the wave of despair, and grim acceptance, hit Devon. She had seen it all before and knew it wouldn't change. All of this had been destined the moment Morgan picked up the baby, the moment he traded his own soul for that of G889. Such a fatal decision, one borne from an act of kindness. Devon resolutely swallowed the lump in her throat. She had to be strong. For all of them.

Grimly, she again took Morgan's arm and propelled him forwards. Morgan had begun to quiver. "I don't want to do this," he trembled.

"Morgan!" Bess had seen him and her voice was torn between happiness and despair. Paige gurgled happily when it caught sight of Morgan and the singing stones seemed to increase their pitch just a fraction.

Together, Morgan and Devon ascended onto the dais. Steam hissed and billowed from the pit before it. The vanguard of Terrians moaned in unison.

Devon met every person's eyes, one by one, but no words were exchanged. There was nothing more to be said. Bess desperately hugged Morgan before he took his leave of her and faced his fate. Julia, who was holding Paige, approached the bureaucrat and passed the baby to him.

Morgan gratefully took the child, happy for some small comfort. Despite all the trouble Paige had brought, he still felt a bond with the baby. And with Bess at his side, with her love and that of his friends surrounding him, he didn't feel quite so scared.

Danziger took Morgan's arm in a supportive gesture as Uly stepped forward. "I'll be with you for part of the way, but I can't follow you through the end. Be strong, Morgan."

Uly took Paige and together, they stepped toward the edge of the dais. Bess's quiet sobs soon merged with the singing of the rocks and Morgan cast a heartfelt look at her, tragedy in his eyes as he tried to communicate his love and his sorrow. A Terrian trilled.

"Go on, Morgan," Devon said, deadening her heart to emotion. "If you don't do it, we'll all die."

Slowly, Morgan nodded. He could feel the warm steam beneath him and he was so very, very scared. He shot one last glance at Bess and then stepped off the dais, into the swirling mists of color below. All too soon he was gone.

Bess crumpled. "No," was the only word that escaped her lips. Quickly, Danziger wrapped his arms around her but he could not provide any comfort.

Uly, once again a little boy, tried to calm the squirming infant. "Mom?" he asked, looking for help.

"Uly," Devon replied emotionlessly. She didn't care about the baby any more. She didn't care about anything.

"Mom," and now his voice was more than a little desperate, "Paige wants to go..." Uly's words trailed off in horror as Paige kicked him squarely in the jaw and writhed out of his arms. And fell, into the waiting pit below.

It was dark and it was quiet and Morgan had never felt so alone. He could feel the mist surrounding him as he still fell, but slowly, almost like a feather wafting on the breeze. A terrible sleepiness threatened to overcome him and he fought it, desperately, wanting to hold on to his life as long as possible.

A chuckle sounded above. The sound warmed Morgan's heart. *Paige?* He could not speak the words, only think them. The baby gurgled again and suddenly it was in Morgan's arms.

Morgan felt a hundred times better. He wasn't so scared now because he was no longer alone. The child was his only light here in the unending darkness, the unending descent into something he couldn't begin to imagine.

Morgan clutched Paige close to him, feeling the calming thoughts emanating from the child who was going home. Further through the smoky vapors he traveled, the mists flowing down, down, down - and then up. As he came into the lights of the magical underground city, Morgan finally understood.

[Part 7]

By: Emily Foster

At last he and Paige landed lightly on the ground. Morgan was relieved that he was still alive. At least, he still felt like he was alive.

Assembled before them was a group of people with similar features to the infant. Must be Paige’s relatives, he thought. They were of varying ages and heights, but the most striking characteristic was their neutrality. They were all androgynous.

The one in the middle with the flowing robes spoke to him telepathically. *Welcome, Morgan Martin. We are happy you have come to us. Thank you for bringing Inglis home.* It gestured toward the baby, who held its arms out toward the robed figure. Morgan reluctantly gave up the child to the other. Paige, rather Inglis, seemed happy to go, and the group smiled appreciatively to have the baby back.

"I'm glad I could help. I guess you won't be needing me anymore, so I'll be going now," he said nervously as he backed up.

*You cannot leave now, Morgan Martin. You have a sacrifice to make,* intoned the leader.

*You came willingly to save the others in your group. You have already begun your sacrifice. Now you must sacrifice your soul, not for Us, not for your group, but for yourself.*

"I don't understand. Am I dead? I don't feel dead. Who are you people? What are you?" Morgan felt uncharacteristically calm. He knew he should have been panic stricken, yet he wasn't. He waited patiently for an answer.

*The old Morgan Martin is now dead. He died when you willingly stepped off the dais in order to spare your friends. You sacrificed him for the good of the group. Now you must let us help you with your soul. It has been damaged for a very long time. You have never allowed it to heal. You must sacrifice it to us so that we can repair it.*

"I don't know what... damaged? But nobody knows... how do you...?" He was at a loss for words. Something inside him broke loose, and he began to weep. "How did you know? How did you know?" he wailed as he cried uncontrollably.

The beings gathered around him for comfort and led him to the center of the chamber where they sat him on a large stone. They allowed him to cry until there were no more tears. He sat exhaustedly and awaited whatever came next. He was beyond caring anymore what happened to him. He was so tired of carrying around his burden.

*Tell us what happened to you when you were young, Morgan Martin,* he heard in his head.

Too tired to speak, he thought his answer, knowing they would understand as easily as if he'd spoken aloud.

*My mother left us when I was five. Father said that she had died, but I found out years later that she had simply had enough and had walked out.* It pained him still to think that his mother, who supposedly loved him unconditionally, could leave him in the monstrous care of his father.

*He used to call her names and criticize her all the time. Nothing she did was good enough. He beat her, too. She tried to protect me from knowing, but I could hear them after I went to bed at night. I was so afraid for her.* Tears once again threatened to fall, but Morgan held them back.

*One day I came home from a friend's quarters, and she was gone. Father said that she had been killed by a rogue yale, and that I was all alone now. He never mentioned her again.*

*What a great sense of loss you must have felt. You loved her, Morgan Martin?* the beings quizzed.

*Oh, yes. Very much. I felt so safe with her. I don't think I've felt as safe since.* He was startled to realize he felt this way. Not even Bess could make him feel safe. He went through life afraid of everything, and those feelings intensified tenfold after landing on this planet.

*I don't know. I guess. I'm not really sure. He never told me,* he thought to them. He wondered if his father ever had loved him. Morgan never assumed anything where he was concerned.

Morgan paused. He had kept these memories buried for so long. He didn't want to dredge them up again. It hurt too much. But he felt compelled to share his recollections.

*He was very strict. He expected a lot, and I never met his expectations,* he relayed as he hung his head. *No one could have lived up to his expectations.*

Unshed tears welled up in his eyes once again. "You already know, don't you? Why do you want me to tell you about it? It was painful enough to have to live through it once. I don't want to go through it again. Just leave it alone!" he shouted.

"Then I guess I won't heal," he said as he rose from the stone. He began pacing, trying to delay the inevitable. Long minutes passed.

Finally, he heard the baby Inglis speak. *Please let us help you, Morgan Martin. You are worth saving.*

Morgan stopped dead in his tracks. He was worthy? How many times had he longed to hear his father say that, instead of telling him how worthless he was?

He sighed heavily and returned to his place on the stone. *He never hit me. He drew back his fist in anger several times, but he never actually hit me. I guess he was afraid bruises would attract too much attention. Instead he beat me verbally. I was never smart enough, or fast enough, or brave enough, or enough of anything to suit him. He berated and belittled me from the time I woke up until I went to bed. And the threats...* He shuddered at the thought. *He used to threaten to put me in the trash lock and purge me into space. Sometimes he would lock me in the closet for hours. He'd tell me that I needed to get used to the confinement of the trash lock. Then he would let me out and tell me that if I screwed up one more time, he would get rid of me for good.*

Morgan felt the wetness on his face and wondered at what point he had begun to cry. "I was so scared all the time. I'm still scared."

The beings gave him time to pull himself together before asking, *What happened as you got older?*

Drying his face on his sleeve, he answered in his head. *I discovered music. The drums became my passion. And I was good at them. I thought I'd finally found something my dad could be proud of.* He smiled a little at the memory, but the smile quickly faded.

*But he wasn't. He said that only those too stupid to get a real job became musicians and that no son of his would humiliate him like that. He forbade me to ever play again, but I would get up in the middle of the night to play in VR. It was the only time I was happy. I needed to play. Why couldn't he understand?* He sighed. After all this time, Morgan still longed for his father's understanding.

*He arranged for me to go to college despite the fact that my profile suggested that I go into the service field. I did well there although my grades were never good enough to please him. After graduation, he had my government job already lined up for me. I protested, but he didn't hear me. He never did. So I took the job even though I hated it. I still do,* he thought wistfully.

*Even now, long after his death, you work to show your father you are a success,* the beings told him. *You feel that material things are an indication of that success. That is why you are greedy. You also know that things cannot hurt you like people can.*

*I'm still trying to please him. Just once, I wanted him to tell me that he was proud of me, that he liked me. Why can't I shake these feelings of fear and disappointment? I know in my head that he can't hurt me, but I find myself looking over my shoulder all the time to make sure he isn't watching me. I think to myself, 'what would Father think if I do this?' I'm pathetic. I am such a loser.* He stood up angrily and placed his hands on his hips as he stared at the ground.

*You are not the one who is wrong, Morgan Martin. Your father was wrong to have treated you that way. He behaved like that because his father expected so little of him and ignored him. Your father wanted more for you. He did love you. He just did not know how to express it, and hurting you was his way of showing you he cared. That is the reason you are often selfish. You believe that no one cares about you, even your wife, so you become obsessed with caring about yourself. But your perception is wrong. Others do care about you. Your friends are heartbroken at the thought of losing you to us. You are loved, Morgan Martin. It is time to let go of all the anger and bitterness inside you that has tainted the way you view things. You must now sacrifice your feelings of self-loathing and replace them with feelings of self-worth. You must give up your fear of things that can no longer hurt you.*

"I can't. It's too hard. I've tried for years, but I can't do it," he complained.

He shook his head in doubt. "I don't know. Why do you think I'm worth anything?"

He scoffed at that statement. "Trust? I can't trust anyone. Not even Bess. Everyone lets me down eventually."

A look of pain crossed his face as he recalled that horrible day. *I ran into her on my way home from a conference during my first month at work for the government. I was stunned to see her alive. And so overjoyed. She looked young and happy. She was with another man and a child about ten years old. She didn't recognize me at first, but when she did, she introduced me as an acquaintance. Can you believe it? An acquaintance! Apparently, she had never told her new family that she'd been married before and had another child. She shook my hand and said goodbye and never looked back. It was like losing her all over again.* He felt that deep loss from the pit of his stomach.

*So you never allowed people to get too close to you for fear that they would leave you like you mother did.* It wasn't a question, but a statement. *You can let go of that fear now. Bess loves you and will not leave you. She has proven her devotion to you numerous times. Her love for you is deep and pure. You can trust in it.*

*You do. You have the potential to be a good person, too, Morgan Martin. Unburden yourself now, and let your integrity out into the open. Become what you should be. What you were meant to be.*

Morgan stared at them for a long while as he decided whether or not to trust them. It required a tremendous leap of faith on his part. He vacillated many times before finally making his decision. He had nothing to lose by putting his faith in these people. He nodded once.

Suddenly, he felt lighter as though his encumbrance had simply fallen away. No longer weighed down by his father's disapproval or his mother's abandonment, he felt something he had only snatched in tiny, brief increments before -- joy. And relief accompanied his bliss. Relief that his father no longer had any hold on him. Relief in the knowledge that he was worthy of Bess' love. He felt whole for the first time in his life. A broad smile crossed his face, then faded quickly.

*You are no longer dead, Morgan Martin, now that your soul is healed. You are free to re-join your wife and live the life you were meant to live,* they told him. *The pain you have suffered in the past will remain just a memory. It cannot hurt you now, nor color the way you live your life. Go and start your new life. Allow yourself to experience happiness and sorrow without trepidation.*

*The sacrifice of your burden is the only payment we required of you. We thrive on easing the pain of those in need.*

They gestured toward an opening at the back of the chamber that had previously gone unnoticed. Morgan turned to leave but hesitated.

*You will see us again when your time in this form has come to an end. We will take you to a better place.*

He paused while he contemplated their answer. Realization hit him, and he thought to them, *You're the Mother, aren't you? All of you are the Mother, right?*

The beings smiled proudly at his understanding. Morgan smiled back and turned to exit the chamber. He felt good about himself for the first time in his life.

He sat up abruptly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He looked around and was perplexed to find himself in the woods in a small clearing surrounded by brambles. He was disoriented; the dream he was having seemed so real.

He stood up and shook off the last remnants of sleep. He couldn't understand why he'd fallen asleep out in the middle of nowhere so far from camp. Orienting himself, he chose the most likely direction of the camp.

Suddenly, he realized he felt different. Instead of panicking and being afraid, he felt confident and calm. And at peace. He pondered this change as he continued his trek back to his wife and the people who had become an extended family to him. In the back of his mind, he could hear the gentle laughter of a baby.

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Disclaimer: the E2 Robin-a-Tumble stories are based on the Amblin Entertainment/Universal Television series Earth2. All characters are owned by the original creators. The Tumble is only for fan purposes and does not have the intention to infringe on any copyrights.

Child of Darkness / Child of Light

[Teaser]

[Part 1]

By: Emily Foster

[Part 2]

By: Sue Sadler

[Part 3]

By: Lahaylia St. James

[Part 4]

By: Melanie McManama

[Part 5]

By: Leontien Bosch

[Part 6]

By: Nicole Mayer

[Part 7]

By: Emily Foster