537: Stop the Falling

by Jariel Camen
80926.17
Following More Questions Than Answers and
during Far to Fall
----------------------

-=Altaan Province, Bajor=-

“How was your trip?”

Jariel shrugged. Prylar Prit knew somehow exactly when not to attempt to strike up a conversation. Timal gave him a “not now” shake of the head, and Prit relented.

“Anything to drink, Camen?”

“No.” He said simply. Jariel walked away from his friend and back into the dormitory. He opened the door to his bedroom and as soon as he was inside, quickly closed and locked the door behind him.

The bed called out to him, but he was not tired. Once again his thoughts were troubled and hard to decipher. He laid back and stared up at the ceiling, and drifted back and forth through his life in his thoughts.

Soon his eyes began to droop, despite his insistence in his own consciousness that he was not tired. He wanted so much to stay awake, to try and find some meaning to it all, but there was nothing forthcoming but call of slumber. Soon, his dreams took hold.

“Come with me Camen!” Relanna asked. “I have something to show you.” His tiny sister took him by the hand and ushered him down a long dirt path before him.

“How can you be here?”

She did not answer.

Camen heard rustling from the foliage along the path, and Milea stepped out, taking his other hand as the walked down the trail.

“Where are you taking me?”

Camen began to feel panic. This just wasn’t right. Again, no one answered him. They simply continued walking. He tried to free himself, or stop, but he could not. Other than speaking he had no control over his body.

“Far enough.” Relanna said, and she jerked Camen to a stop.

“There’s nothing here. Shouldn’t we keep following the path?” Camen asked. Before anyone could answer, the ground before him twisted and burst into life in a swirl of color and sound. He would recognize the pattern and colors anywhere. It was a familiar site, but it did not belong here on the surface of the planet.

“The wormhole?”

“You must continue on the path.” Milea said.

“But… I, I can’t. I’ll fall in.” He looked to his left and right. There was no way around, the wormhole extended to infinity in each direction, except directly in front of him. Still, it was a good twenty paces to cross the face. “Are you one of the Prophets?” He asked, wondering if this was one of their visions.

“We are a part of you.” Relanna replied. “Nothing more, nothing less.”

“What’s over there, that’s so important?”

“Nothing important. It’s only important that you do not fall in, or you’ll be lost. You must make it to the path.”

He reached out, and placed a foot on the blackened edge of the opening. It immediately fell through, and he pulled himself back to keep from falling in completely.

“It’s not solid.”

“Just don’t let yourself fall, Camen.” Milea warned. “You have to stop the falling, or you’ll be lost.”

Camen looked across to the other side, and simply willed himself to believe the ground was there. He took a step without looking down, and landed on solid footing beneath.

Another step, and another.

His body was soon entangled in ribbons of energy as he walked slowly across the opening. The farther he went, the more intense the sensation of the wormhole became. It overwhelmed him and his extremities began to feel numb, then his wrists and ankles. He knew if he did not run and leap now, he never would have the strength to do so.

Camen shut his eyes and ran, and jumped, knowing the edge was only a few steps away. He landed with a thud in the grass, and…

Camen gasped as he woke up from his dream, sitting bolt upright in bed. He fumbled around the nightstand for the chronometer.

“Six in the morning?” He said, incredulous. How could he possible have been asleep so long? The dream seemed so short. It took a moment for all the visions from his dream to reassemble themselves in his mind’s eye. He didn’t know whether to be terrified or calmed by what had just happened. His heart racing however certainly was not helping him feel calm.

He heard a key in the door, and scrambled to cover himself. Only then did he realize he was already dressed, having fallen asleep that way.

“Who’s there?”

“Sorry.” Timal winced as he stuck his head through the opening in the door to peek into the room. “It was quiet in here so long I thought I should make sure you were still alive.”

“Well, I just woke up.”

“Looks like you never even went to sleep.” Timal noted, observing his clothes and face. “I was going to let you sleep, but if you are up, I have a task for you today. No sense brooding forever, is there?”

“I guess not.” Getting out of the building actually didn’t sound too bad to Jariel right now.

“Prylar Delle is inviting anyone interested to an open house at the Takesian Plains where the new temple is being constructed. I’d like you to attend and give me any input you have on how the progress is coming.”

His bones shivered at the mere mention of the place, of the death and destruction he had seen there.

“All right.” He said reluctantly. “I’ll go.”

He took morning meal, but barely tasted a bite as he mind focused on his dream from the night before. Bits of food dropped off his spoon onto the table, but he did not even notice.

“You look like a zombie today.”

Jariel looked up at young Milea, who had sat down across from him at the table. How long she’d been there, he did not even know.

“Mind your business child.” Jariel said, sounding much colder than he intended.

“All right.” She shrugged, and disappeared. Jariel pushed his bowl away, completely disinterested in finishing his food.

He spent the morning hours working again on the new schoolhouse, which was nearing completion. Timal called the children in for lunch, but Jariel chose to stay behind and work alone. He wanted so desperately for time to pass, leading up to his afternoon meeting at the new Temple. Keeping his hands and eyes busy was the only way to do that.

After the lunch hour, some of the workers rejoined him, and they set the walls in one of the classrooms in place, along with the lights and vents. What was an empty shell in the morning quickly took shape as a place for children to grow and learn. What a huge difference a small amount of time could really make in your life.

“Three o’clock.” Timal warned, shouting the time in through an opening in the outside wall, where a future window did not yet exist.

Jariel excused himself, and went back to the main building. He removed his clothes in the bathroom, and quickly jumped into the shower to wash off the sweat of the day. He ran the water cold to wash off the heat of the day as well.

Once clean he toweled off, fluffed the curls in his hair, and dressed.

-=Two hours later=-

Jariel marveled at just how far along the Temple actually was. He’s seen Starfleet officers with all their resources have a more difficult time putting a shelter together than these people had done with virtually nothing. He had heard rumors of help coming from an outside source, but had never had the time to confirm them.

"Did an off-worlder come here with aid to the Plains awhile ago? Has that action been a catalyst for change here?" Jariel asked.

"That is a fact." Delle began. "She,"

The sound of shouting stopped her speech.

"Prylar, there's been an accident. Hurry."

"Excuse me," Delle hurried as fast as her old legs could carry her, and Camen followed a step behind, ready to render any aid he could.

Camen saw the chaos unfolding before him, as he approached the well and the rescue efforts surrounding it. What had been a quiet afternoon a moment before was now a crisis situation. A tall man on the surface was shouting orders, and a muffled female voice was coming from the well. Jariel was not sure what he should do to help. Grab a rope? Stay out of the way?

The man in charge called for more people to pull, as the ground began to cave in. Jariel grabbed the rope, and pulled as hard as he could, but it would not budge.

He closed his eyes. In his mind he saw Relanna, and she spoke words of warning that he had heard in his dream. “You must stop the falling, or you’ll be lost.”

Jariel looped the rope around his wrists, and pulled with a might he did not know he had within him. A force he had never felt before drove him on. He staggered backwards, as the woman and child trapped in the well were extracted. Others dropped the rope to help, and Camen was left holding the end. There were calls for medkits and help, and the crowd began to break apart...

...And she was there.

Tanned, toned, bloodied and dirty, but ever the same, Fleur Le Marc stood there, meters away, holding a small child.

She called for a water bottle, and to Jariel’s amazement used it to wash the grime from the child without even taking a drop for herself. She handed the child off to the medic, and ordered the hole covered.

Camen wasn't sure what to do as she began to walk away. He spoke her name softly.

"Fleur."

She paused, immediately recognizing the voice, but began once again to walk away. He hesitated the chase after her, and instead followed a few steps behind.

Fleur’s injuries, combined with the shock of the voice she had just heard, suddenly began to overwhelm her. She felt lightheaded, and her balanced slipped. Jariel saw her beginning to fall, and ran to catch her. She was completely limp, as he lowered her to the ground.

“Medic!” He called out. Fleur remained motionless, her eyes closed for several moments.

He shook her gently, and just for a moment her eyes fluttered open, and then closed again. Her trembling fingers reached up, caressed his cheek, and then dropped back down. Then she spoke in slurred speech.

“If he is here, then I must be with the Prophets. I died in the well. I’m sorry Tress.”

A tear fell down Camen’s face. “No, you saved her. She’s okay.” He shook his head, wondering how she could possibly believe she was in heaven, just because she had seen his face.

He looked around to see where the medic was, but no one had heard him.

“I’ve got you. You’ll be all right.” He stood up, supporting her weight, and ran to the nearest building, where help was summoned.

****************
Jariel Camen
Currently on Bajor
Ship's Chaplain
USS Serendipity NCC-2012