EARTH 2 : THE AWAKENING

A short story based on the Earth 2 TV series

All 4 stories I wrote of Earth 2 are a 2009 Copyright of The Guiding Light Ministry Publications. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on this original work.

AMAZING GRACE, HOW SWEET THE SOUND THAT SAVED A RETCH LIKE ME, EVEN I, THE MOST RETCHED!

Gaal was pulled into the dark underworld of the Terrians. What they would do to him shortly, he could only imagine. The merciless cruelty he had shown toward their kind. He knew it would be a death without mercy that awaited him.

All his past sins were about to catch up with him. The reckless think they have all the time in the world, and that they are somehow made of a invincible power of some sort which automatically protects them, but Gaal was just about to meet up with his eternity.

" Listen to me, this planet's influences got a hold of me. I do not expect for you to understand. Have mercy! Oh please, don't kill me! " He ranted on and on as they now surrounded him. But he was among an audience that didn't know the concept of love. The leader of the Terrians then struck Gaal harshly shattering his collarbone. Another then grabbed hold of Gaal from behind, and begun to crush the very life from him. Gaal felt several ribs break, and a lung collapsed before the terrible pain sent him into unconsciousness.

All of a sudden a vortex opened up. The Terrians shielded their eyes from the sudden invading light. Into the cavern stepped several people now. Doctor Lance Banner, Velemy Sprocket, who was his assistant. She was studying to become a nurse. She was only 17 years old. Also was with the team, Alonzo Solance, but this expedition was of the future, not this present day. They were on a transportation breakthrough, in the future. This breakthrough would enable them to go to any destination on the planet without any travel. In the future they just stepped into the vortex machine and appeared at their desired destination. Only this was a trial expedition, it not only didn't landed them at their destination, but not the right time zone either.

In the future Earth 2 was fully colonized and lots of improvements were available for easy lifestyles. It was 20 years later in the future to be exact. Ulysses Adair was fully grown now and an explorer. And now out into the portable light from the lanterns, stepped True Danziger. She was an adult now. A doctor, and married to a preacher man.

The Terrians all scattered away and now Alonzo noticed Gall laying on the cavern floor. " Doctor, your portal transporter has sent us back into the past, I think, inside a cave, " he said. Was that Gaal? He went closer for a better look. Sure enough it was. Where and when was this exactly? Blood trickled from Gaal's nose and mouth. " Uless, wasn't this when the Terrians pulled Gaal down underground, right after he attacked us? " Alonzo now said. True came over then hearing commotion. She then saw him. Gaal. Memories came flooding back to her. " Is that? " She honked. Velemy bent down to Gaal then and felt his neck for a pulse. " I've got a pulse but it's very faint, " she said. True was filled with emotion. The fate of Gaal had haunted her, to this day. Alonzo tapped Velemy on the shoulder. " Best to just leave him there. It's his just desserts. He was a wanted criminal when he came to our camp 20 years ago. We hadn't been on the planet for very long and he studied us like lab rats. Killed our commanding officer. He was a cold blooded killer. Murdered all the inmates after landing here, " he told her. Velemy just looked at him. " We leave no one behind in which we find alive. Criminal or not. This man needs medical attention right now, " Velemy boomed very upset. True was at a loss for words. Lance now bent down to check Gaal with his med -scanner. " His collarbone is fractured. So are 3 ribs, and his left lung has collapsed. He is bleeding into his chest. If we do not act fast he will die, " Lance reported. " Gaal was sentenced by the Terrians. He did unspeakably cruel things to them. We should not interfere. We are on thin ice enough as it is concerning them, " Alonzo said. True spoke up now. " We are not leaving him to die like this, " she made clear. It still bothered her that it was because she had removed his necklace of Terrian bones, thus taken away his protection against them, that they grabbed hold in the first place. She never felt good about that day. God must be granting her a way to fix it. As awful as Gaal had been, he had treated her half way decent. But in the end he had tried to blow up her father, and she in haste and anger, pulled from him the only thing protecting him from certain death. God was giving her a second chance to undo the wrong that she had done to him.

" Gaal, hang on, please, " she said as Lance and Ulysses picked him up. She took his hand then. " I hope we can get back to our time, " Alonzo spoke. Lance looked at his readout, as Alonzo now stepped in helping to support Gaal. " Hurry, he's not breathing well, " True said. " The stream leading back to our time is still stable, " Lance reported. True knew that her father was still alive in this time zone, 20 years ago, on Earth 2. He

had died over a year ago. " True, do you really think this guy deserves another chance? Your own father didn't get one, why should Gaal? You of all people saw his ruthless side, " Alonzo told her. But she said nothing as the portal was reactivated and they all stepped through. Then the machine blew. They could not recreate the stream. It was a fluke, Alonzo said but True knew it was God. To this day they could never get the transporter to transport anyone back into the past.

Back at the lab Lance called for a medevac to take them straight to Hope City's big hospital. Gaal was soon loaded up. Velemy placed a mask over Gaal's nose and mouth. It was connected to a spiral tubing attached to an oxygen machine to help Gaal breathe. He would require immediate surgery as soon as they arrived. " Should not of interfered with the past, " Alonzo was saying as he watched them work to keep that terrible man alive. " Besides, the man doesn't deserve it, " he added further. " Alonzo, he is still a human being that God created so shut up! please, " True told him flat. She stroked back Gaal's hair from off his forehead. True had seen a side to Gaal the others had neglected to see. A gentler side despite all his faults. She remembered thinking how handsome she had thought he was, and it was easy for her to forgive his acts. She felt he was just misunderstood. Little girls could be so impressionable. Especially naive ones. He showed her a world full of magic and wonder. He had cared for her. She refused to believe he had been using her the whole time. Alonzo felt True was just too gullible. Gaal's smile and big blue eyes got to True's heart despite the deception. She had hoped a little of herself had rubbed off on him. That she could change him. Don't all girls that have a crush on a bad guy think that way? Fate had brought them back together when otherwise he'd of been just plain dead. She knew it was from God. His second chance. Her husband had taught her to believe in God's Plan. Even Gaal had told her once that he believed there was a God out there. She had never believed until she met her wonderful husband. Gaal had told her that there had to be a God. Her father had never believed in God. Gaal had said that a charming Missy as she was just wasn't here by chance. Something had to have made her. He had such a welcoming laugh. This was God's Plan, plain and simple. She didn't believe in coincidences. If He was giving Gaal a second chance who were they to say no. " True, his oxygen Sat's are dropping too low. I don't think he's going to make it before we can get him to the hospital, " Velemy told her then. " We are not going to lose him so get him intubated at once, and start hyperventilating to make sure he's getting proper oxygen, " True ordered. Velemy then removed the mask and soon got an airway inserted. She now hooked up an ambu bag to Gaal's airway and she began to squeeze on it in big full oxygenated breaths. Ulysses felt for True. He knew this was awfully hard on her, seeing Gaal again. Alonzo only just shook his head. The forced breathing managed to keep Gaal alive the rest of the way, and soon they were at the hospital, and he was rushed into surgery. A surgeon had been called. Gaal was in the operating room for 5 hours. True watched from a balcony above. But she was so tired that before the surgery was over she went to go get a bite to eat at the cafeteria, then waited the rest of the time in a lobby area. She prayed for Gaal to pull through. But felt so strong that if this was God's Will, He wouldn't bring Gaal this far just to have him die on the table.

Gaal indeed pulled through. He was critical but alive. He was taken to an intensive care unit.

When she entered in to see him he looked so vulnerable. He didn't have the face of a rough, hard criminal. He was kept on a ventilator. Gaal remained critical for 24 hours after his operation. But he seemed to start improving after that.

When Gaal stirred awake he was in a lot of pain. He was afraid. He wasn't even dead yet! He must of merely blacked out. What would these awful demon ugly creatures do next? He moaned not able to bear it. " Gaal, easy, " True said taking his hand. He tried to focus his eyes but he just could not see well. Whoever she was must be an Angel. But he was confused. He sure knew he did not deserve any kind of Heaven so why had she come for him? He knew he did not deserve to see any Angels. Not where he was going, if such a place as Hell existed, he was going straight to it. He had done some really bad things. He couldn't talk cause he noticed something was down his throat and inside his mouth. " I know your in pain. Your stabilized so it is safe for me to medicate you with some medicine, " True told him. Such a nice voice she had whoever she was. He could not recognize it. He felt himself drift away, and wondered as he did, if the party of Danziger had decided to rescue him from the Terrians? Yes, that had to be it! Little True had talked her father into it until she was blue in the face. Despite all he'd done he had been nice enough for her to persist in finding him. His eyes closed and he was out cold.

True was finished up for the night seeing patients so she slipped in to check on how Gaal was doing. He was still more unconscious than sleeping because of pain medication she now had him on, but his vitals were looking stronger. The only sounds in the room were the steady artificial breathing coming from the respirator, and the constant beeping of Gaal's heart rate that shown on a scanner device. Memories of that awful day flooded back into True's mind and she was swept back. She was a child. " No! Daddy! " She had cried out as Gaal aimed his powerful weapon. But Gaal had not succeeded in hurting them. That was when her disbelief in Gaal, mixed with anger had caused her to tear off his necklace of Terrian bones. " My bones! " Gaal had blared, and as he tried to pick them all back up, was when the Terrians grabbed his legs and began to pull him underground. He had called out to her then. " Poppet, help me! " That was the last she ever saw of him, until now. True would never forget the look of terror on Gaal's face as they pulled him down. And then he was just gone, like that. " True, " she heard bringing her back to the present. It was Alonzo tapping her on the shoulder. He saw she'd been crying. True then looked over at Gaal, so relieved he was still alive. Only God had known the pain she felt all these years, and the guilt. She now faced Alonzo. " What do you wish to accomplish by saving his life True? I've already been contacted by the Terrians. They know what's been done and they are not happy about it. They want Gaal True, what should of been before we interfered, " he told her. She looked at him shocked. Utterly. " Well their not getting him! " She declared. She went over to Gaal now and took his hand. " I will never let repeat what awful mistake I made 20 years ago, " she made clear. Alonzo looked down at Gaal, then over at her. " So, how's he doing? By the looks of things, he could still die, right? " He asked. The Terrians would accept that. " He is still very weakened by the injuries but he has stabilized, " True told him. Alonzo sighed then. " True, I know this is hard on you but what are you expecting? It would be better if he doesn't make it True. You could slip him something. He'll just never wake up. No one would ever have to know. We can be done with him once and for all. I'd take care of, " Alonzo said when True slapped him hard across the face then. " His life is a precious! To me and to God. How dare you Alonzo! God has spoken. It is up to Him not you, if Gaal recovers or not, " she let into him. " True, if he lives he will be held accountable for the crimes he has committed, and against the Terrians, " Alonzo made clear. He then added more calmly, " I was being humane True, to suggest the overdose. He wouldn't suffer. He will stand before our Tribunal if he survives and it will be the death sentence for him. " True went and pulled him aside now. " Alonzo, I was hoping you wouldn't mention to them that we brought Gaal back here, " she said. " True, you know I can't do that, " he honked low. " Why not? Hasn't Gaal already suffered a death sentence by the Terrians? The Lord interfered. I think that means we give Gaal a clean slate, " True said. Alonzo got fed up sometimes when she brought her God into this. " Alonzo, please, " she begged. " Alright! I won't mention Gaal to the Tribune, but the Terrians know he is here, and they won't stay quiet about this. He killed a lot of their kind True, " Alonzo reminded her. " I will get Gaal off of this planet as soon as he's well enough to travel, " True told him.

It nagged on his mind but he had given True his word. She was practically family to him.

That next day Gaal awoke. The airway tube had been removed. He was doing so much better he didn't require it no longer. When True came into his room his eyes rested upon her. She had been told by the nurses that he had awakened. She had forgotten just how striking his eyes were. " Well Gaal, it's good to see your awake, " she told him, trying to sound all calm and casual but her heart beat faster than a bird's. She just wanted to wrap her arms around him and say how sorry she was. Gaal then got a look at her name tag: TRUE DANZIGER. His eyes looked at her then even wider. " Poppet? " He questioned now. " Yes Gaal. It's me, " she said. " But, how? " He asked, so confused. She then pulled up a chair. Gaal could tell it was her. Same mole near her lip. Same smile. Just a much older, more grown up version. " True, when last I saw you, you were still just a little girl. What's happened? " He barked. " It's quite a story to tell Gaal, and, if your up for it I will tell you, " she said.

She began to tell him about it being 20 years later in the future, and about the transportation glitch that sent a team to exactly where the Terrians had dragged him underground. He couldn't believe his luck! " Well Poppet, I'm so pleased I was rescued. I will always be eternally grateful, " he said with what seemed genuine

gratitude. " Somebody up there must really like me! " He boomed. " God has given you a second chance Gaal, " True told him. He shot her a look then. " Use it wisely, " she added. " True, " Gaal said and now held out his hand. He was all smiles. She smiled and took it. " My little Poppet, all grown up, " he said. " Ah, come here, you'll have to do better than that! " He harped and they embraced. Guilt the size of a tidal wave struck her. She could hardly keep the tears in her eyes contained. When she pulled away he saw the tears on her cheeks. " I'm sorry for betraying you Poppet, and your family. You all didn't deserve that, " he said and was now in thought. He looked back up at her. " You were an innocent child with a pure heart, and I used you as well as the others, " he told her. But deep inside, she knew that. She didn't want to face it but had to. " I've been a rouge all my life True, and a scoundrel, " he admitted. "You were the only ones who ever treated me decent. But you see Poppet, you can never trust a rabid dog.. The only reason I survived while the others from the penal colony did not was because I was ruthless, more than they, " he told her more.

" So Poppet, what will become of me now? " He asked her. " You paid your sentence Gaal. Those Terrians did a nasty number on you and you almost didn't make it. When your well enough to leave here, I will take you to somewhere safe, to start living your life over, " True told him. He shot her a sharp look now. " True come on, I've been a criminal practically all my life. I don't know how to be anything else, " he stated. " Well, sometimes even a criminal can be redeemed, " True said. Gaal laughed out loudly then. " Oh, so just like the back stabber who got redeemed when he was next to Christ huh, " he said. She was just about to talk to him on that subject when he blurted out now, " come on True! Do you really expect that? " " Well it's up to you Gaal, what you will do with your life, " True told him. Could it really be as simple as that? He knew True was naive. But was he really going to actually walk out from here scott free?

" It's been 20 years and most of the party that you betrayed is not here. No one will remember you so you can make a whole new life for yourself Gaal, " True told him. She then took his blood pressure. He looked up at her. " True Danziger, my nurse nightingale in action, " he said. " Actually I'm your doctor, " she replied. " My doctor! Why Poppet! " He barked quite surprised. " Hummm, " he then pondered. He studied her as she did the various tasks of checking him over. He was beaming with pride. She was sure of it. She snickered. " So, tell me about you True. Tell me about your life, " Gaal wanted to know. So she sat and told him about her husband. " You married a Bible thumping preacher man? " He replied not believing it. He then rolled in laughter till it hurt too much. " Poppet, I thought you had more sense than that! To marry some wimpy do gooder preacher boy! " He hollered. " Do you love him? " He asked trying to ignore her dirty looks now. " What kind of a question is that? " She barked. " Of course I do, " she insisted after he asked if he had money. " Well? " He snorted. She told him he didn't have a penny to his name. " You'd have to just adore him then. Or he'd bore you to death, " Gaal chirped. He then looked off thinking on something she thought. " I was married once, " he now said. He scratched on his bearded chin. She sat. " Oh yeah? " She inquired. " I wasn't very good to her. Oh at first she was a beauty. The sex was good, until she got pregnant. That was the one thing I never wanted. I told her to get rid of it. But she wouldn't do it. As her belly got fatter and fatter, I lost more and more interest in her. There was a fire that broke out on the colony we settled. She was too pregnant for me to get her out, and all my wealth. So I took my wealth and left her to burn, her and the unborn child. I knew it was a girl because she told me once. I didn't want no little girl. If it had been a son, I'd of spared her for the sake of him, " Gaal told True. She sat there shocked. To the point she was speechless. " I came to regret it when I met you True. I got to thinking that my daughter could of been just like you. I would of liked that, " he said and she saw a tear almost form. " It's why I took a shining to you, " he confessed. He hoped she would not judge him too harshly now that she knew. " Are you still glad you saved this retched one's life? " He asked her. She went and hugged him, deeply moved. " Gaal, God does forgive, if you'll only ask Him to, " she told him. " Nah. God and His forgiveness just isn't meant for old Gaal here, " he said. He turned stubborn on her and wouldn't talk about anything further. " Let me sleep, I'm tired, " he boomed. So she then left.

How lucky could a guy get? Gaal smiled as he lay on his hospital bed. He had been moved to a regular room now. True came in to see how he was doing. She helped him into a wheelchair and wheeled him around the hospital. They went to the cafeteria. " Real food! " He boomed. He piled mashed potatoes into his mouth. " So where are we exactly? " He asked her, mouth all full of potatoes

still. " This is New Pacifica Gaal, Hope City, " she told him. He looked at her as he sipped some ice tea. He swallowed. " So you made it then, " he spoke. " Yeah, we finally found New Pacifica 3 years later after, " she said but didn't finish her sentence, not wanting to say, since we left you for the Terrians. " What? " He demanded. " After the Terrians took you down below, " she did say now, out loud. He took a deep breath. He took her hand. " It wasn't your fault True, " he said. She could not look him in the eyes. " If I hadn't, tore off your..It was your only protection from them, " she said. He took hold of her chin. " Poppet, now you listen to me. You were just a little girl. I did warn I'd even kill you if Daddy hadn't of backed off. I, " Gaal said then belched. " I don't blame you for being upset with me, " he finished. " Would you have? " She had to ask then. " Poppet, I could never harm you, " he said and smiled. Now it made her feel even worse. She had let a great deal of harm happen to him. The pain he must of suffered. She could hardly bear it. " True, I was unforgiving and merciless towards those stupid Terrians. The ugly moneys! " He harped. " I'd of killed them all! " He blared. No more was then said on that subject. " Let's go get some dessert! " He honked and got up. He was still so confounded sore! She helped him into his wheelchair. He picked out 5 different kinds of pies. Ended up costing her over 20 credits, but Gaal was worth it.

The Terrians refused to let the planet yield any crops, or produce until the Gaal ordeal was taken care of. Alonzo had no choice but to tell them, despite he swore to True that he'd stay quiet about it, but now that the entire planet was in danger of a great collapse, he had to tell the High Council. So Gaal would be tried for all the crimes he'd committed after being sentenced to this planet. The crimes he had done on the way and while he was here. And Gaal would be tried for the fact that he had killed many of the Terrians, in which the planet would not be blessed if not for them. " Gaal must be sentenced, and that sentence will be death, " the Terrians put into Alonzo's dreams. Non-stop, every time he'd close his eyes to sleep, there they'd be. It was becoming unpleasant.

Gaal was healing real good now. He had most of his strength back. " Well, doc Poppet, how am I doing? " Gaal asked and chuckled at her. He thought her being a doctor was so funny. But what amused him all the more was that she was married to a preacher man. He still laughed over that. Gaal didn't let on that all his strength had returned. He acted like he was still so weak and hurt. He'd seen Alonzo lurking around, and saw men were watching his room. Freedom huh, his rump's end! He was sure they'd arrest him as soon as he was released from the hospital. Today he was to be released too.

Gaal overdosed himself after he saw a tray of various medications near his room. A nurse was making nightly rounds. He took an overdose of sleeping pills after reading all the labels. He popped open the pill bottle and downed about 20 with some bottled water he had. " Ok Poppet, let's see just how good of a doctor you really are, " he spoke. He'd stall from being apprehended as long as he could. True knew as well that they were planning on arresting Gaal just as soon as she signed the release papers. There was nothing she could do. She tried to state that he had a fever off and on, still needing hospital care. " He can get it from a cell just as well as here. He's good enough True. They have an infirmary, " Alonzo told her.

" True, I'm not feeling well, " Gaal said feeling the effects of all those pills he'd taken 15 minutes ago. He then passed out and fell to the floor. " Good grief! What now? " Barked Alonzo. He wasn't buying it. True rushed to Gaal's side. " I can hardly get a pulse, " she said shocked. " You'd better not be joking, " Alonzo warned. " I'm not! Something is terribly wrong! Help me get him to his bed, " she ordered. He helped her carry Gaal there. He was still breathing but very slowly as she looked at his pupils. Then he just stopped. " Gaal! " True harped. She had put the head to his bed down all the way. She pressed a blue alert button then. She placed a blue ambu bagged mask over his face and squeezed. A nurse came rushing in.