True to Anna's prediction, three different news crews and five freelance reporters were there by 10:00 the next morning. Still more were stranded back in Chamisa Trail, unable to find any means of transportation to reach the dig.

In the 200 years since the crash of the Roanoke, mankind had spread far across the planet – far, but thin. Chamisa Trail was relatively close, but as Mr. Thompson had told Anna the day before, the next town beyond it was 275 kilometers away, and no one in Chamisa Trail owned a business capable of providing transportation into the mountains for such a large number of people. Some of the reporters had simply walked into a local restaurant and asked if anyone with a big truck was willing to make a few extra credits by giving them a ride.

Anna found the reporters were all friendly and agreeable, so long as they got something. They understood very well the need to stay out of the excavation area, and were happy to do so, as long as everyone involved with the dig agreed to interviews and answered any questions, and they were all kept informed on the latest findings.

"I wish I'd known we were going to do this," Roger whispered to Anna. "I'd have brought my suit."

"You look fine," Anna lied. "We both do."

In fact, they each looked like they'd been caught on laundry day. They stood in the middle of the site, with Todd between them holding a shovel. Behind them were Anna's assistants, Roger's students, and the three drivers of the digging equipment, who were really having a ball and getting involved in the spirit of things. All three news crews were broadcasting live.

Justin Curtis was telling Connie Pride back in the studio, "The groundbreaking ceremony for the expedition will be performed by Todd LeClark, the nine-year-old son of expedition leader Anna LeClark. After that, the ground will be mildly heated to a depth of about six meters because it's frozen, at which point the bulldozers can move in and easily shove the soil aside. They expect to move about 50,000 tons of dirt before this dig is through."

"Justin," Connie asked for the ears of the world, "I notice that you're standing in a small mountain gap. Where do they expect to put all this dirt once they move it?"

There was a tiny pause while the satellite signal was relayed, with Justin listening to his headset, then he replied brightly, "That's right, Connie, I am standing in a gap. As you know, the biodome which Eden Advance found all those years ago saved them from their first winter. To protect them and the original owners from the weather so effectively, it had to be situated in a narrow gap between two large hills. Although this was ideal for shielding people from the weather, it doesn't make it easy to dig away the dirt which has since covered the area.

"I'm told that the dirt will be deposited at the far end of the gap. Actually, having to push the dirt up and out of the gap is the biggest time-consuming problem this expedition faces. In fact, the reason they only brought two bulldozers is because that's the most that could possibly fit through that narrow aperture, between the hills at the other end of this gap, which you can see behind me."

"All right, Justin, thank you," Connie said, and Justin nodded. "Justin Curtis, reporting live from the Winter Camp Dig. Stay with us, we'll have groundbreaking ceremony in just a moment." The scene in the studio switched to an overhead view of the entire operation, while slow, dignified music played for a second, and they cut to commercial.

"How long?" Justin asked his cameraman.

"Two minutes."

One minute later, all three camera crews were back on and ready. When each of their cameramen had given the "go" signal, Anna nudged Todd and said, "Now, honey."

"Now?"

"Now."

Awkwardly, because it was twice as long as he was, Todd slid the shovel into the snow and scooped some up. He held it there.

"Now what?" he whispered.

"Toss it aside."

Todd turned the shovel and dropped the snow back to the ground. "Is that all?" he asked.

"Yep. That's it."

Everyone behind him clapped. The applause sounded tiny and hollow in the middle of the snow-covered mountains.

Justin shook his head with disbelief and made a slicing signal across his throat. "Cut it," he said.

Todd slid the shovel back into the snow. "Do you want me to do it again?"

"No, honey, that was enough," Anna said.

 

The news crews spent the next few minutes displaying holographic images of the land, showing their viewers where the ground was, where the ground used to be, where the dome was, and how they planned to excavate it. The graphic was available in 3D for anyone who was watching on full laser, and they turned it this way and that, showing it to the viewer from every angle and in every detail. By the time they were finished, the first phase was ready to begin.

Once again, Anna slid the geoscan unit into the ground – or rather, the snow, since the ground was actually a few feet down. She then jogged back to join the others, who were standing out of range. Justin Curtis informed his viewers what was happening.

"The first step is to get rid of all of the snow which covers the site. The geoscan Ms. LeClark has just inserted into the snow will raise the temperature in a predetermined area by exciting the molecules, since that is basically what heat energy is. In the space of a few seconds, five metric tons of water will evaporate into the air, changing from ice to steam almost instantaneously.

"The water will remain in vaporous form for several moments, enough time for it to rise above the level of the mountains, be caught by the strong breeze blowing from the northeast, and carried away before it falls again as sleet.

"Because the boundary of the geoscan is precise, and the heating is instantaneous, all the snow lying outside the area will be unaffected. Since it is only three feet deep at most, hardly any of the snow on the hillsides will fall into the cleared area."

Anna joined the others back away from the boundary. She keyed a command on her gear set.

And the land exploded.

It was as if a volcanic eruption had just powered up through the earth like some medieval dragon. With a great whoosh that blew everyone off their feet and left the ears bleeding, every ounce of snow covering the excavation site blew up and out in a great cloud of vapor. Instead of drifting up like they had planned, it erupted in all directions, covering everyone with a fine, steaming mist.

Shaking, everyone stood up and brushed themselves off. Fog was now everywhere, and it was unbearably hot.

Coughing slightly, Justin Curtis turned back to the camera with all the dignity he could muster. "As you can see, the effects of five metric tons of snow suddenly turning to vapor – and thus expanding to take up space – were never fully realized until now. Kids, don't try this at home."

Only one person found any happiness from the experience.

"COOL!" Todd shouted. "Do it again!"

Lying on the ground, Anna sighed and looked up at Roger. "I'm never going to live this down," she said.

"That's all right. Now I'm glad I didn't wear my suit."

 

Several hours later, the fog had dissipated and all the remaining water (for that was what it had become) was cleared away by evaporating it more slowly. Anna again used the geoscan to warm the ground to a depth of six meters. The ground cracked and split, looking like sun-cooked mud in the desert, but that was all. When it was sufficiently broken up, the first bulldozer moved into position.

The sun was shining, everyone was smiling again, the morning's embarrassment almost forgotten (although it would be replayed on the evening news every night for the next week). With the camera crews recording everything for posterity, the bulldozer driver reached the edge of the zone, lowered the massive shovel, and a group of Terrians rose up out of the ground just as it touched, energy crackling all over their staffs.

Everyone froze.

Terrified, the bulldozer driver madly scrambled from the cab and tore back away from the angry natives as fast as he could.

The news crews moved in, spellbound.

"Wait!" Anna shouted, running down the hillside. Todd ran after her, but Roger pulled him back. "You stay here!" he told him, then ran after Anna.

The three Dreamers from Roger's students stepped forward as Anna and Fulbright ran up. Everyone else watched from a distance.

The news crews got as close as they dared. "I want sound!" Justin Curtis snapped at his crew. Microphones were enhanced and focused to catch conversation.

One of the Dreamers, Carl, turned back to Anna and Roger. "They're just worried," he said. "They don't know what we're doing."

Anna stared in apprehension – and fascination – at the 14 Terrians arrayed in front of them. They were gurgling and trilling. Energy still crackled on their staffs. She approached the one who seemed to be in the lead, even though she knew that no Terrian ever led another – they all thought with one mind. But she was a human, and she needed to talk to just one.

"We are not here to harm your land," she said. "We-"

Another Dreamer trilled softly, and the Terrians looked at him. Anna realized he was translating. Foolishly, she had thought the Terrian could understand her. She backed away somewhat, allowing the Dreamer to carry her words.

"They say we have an agreement, and that agreement is being broken," Carl said. "No humans were ever to harm this land again."

"Again?" Anna was puzzled. "What are they talking about?"

"They say we made a promise that no one would ever dig here. This tribe seems to think we're mining something, or trying to take something."

Anna sighed. "They must be thinking of the geolock Morgan Martin set off. Please tell them we are simply trying to find out about our past. Humans used to live here many, many years ago. We are trying to find out more about them."

"They wonder why we care so much about the past," Carl replied after a moment. "It's very different for a Terrian, you see. To a Terrian, time flows differently. Past, present, and future is a place, a balance. They don't understand the concept of archaeology. They lack any curiosity about such things."

"Then why did they bring the recording chip to the surface?" Anna asked desperately.

"What?"

"The entire reason we know where to find the winter camp is because a Grendler hunter found a 200-year-old recording chip on the ground, right here," Anna said. "The only way that recording chip could have been on top of the ground instead of underneath it, with the rest of the biodome, is if the Terrians brought it up and left it here."

As Carl dreamed, Anna stepped forward and tentatively held up the recording chip for the Terrians to see. They stared at it curiously, but the energy on their staffs never wavered.

"They say humans left that object in their home, somewhere nearby, accidentally," Carl explained. "From what they're saying, I think one of the Founding Fifteen dropped it while he or she was in their tunnels. Probably Yale, since he's the one who used to own the chip. The Terrians found it, and knowing it belonged to Eden Advance, they brought it back here and left it here, thinking the humans would find it."

"What? Why? And when?"

After a few more seconds, Carl replied, "They found it several years ago, hidden behind some rocks in their caves. They brought it back here because they knew of this place as the home to the humans. They still think of Eden Advance as people who live here, or perhaps will someday live here again. They don't grasp the concept of 'ownership' very well. They were just trying to give the chip back the only way they knew how."

"Tell them the humans who used to live here are now dead, and we found the chip, just like they wanted, and we have returned to collect more of our belongings."

After a moment, Carl shook his head. "They're very resistant. They say that if the humans are now dead, what are we doing here? They know the rest of you think with many different minds. We are not the same humans who once gave the promise, and they don't trust the rest of you. Something about the news crews, and the number of people we have gathered here. It's all making them nervous. They want us to leave."

The energy crackled on their staffs a little more viciously.

"And they mean, 'Now.'"

"Wait," Anna held up her hands. "Please! You've got to give us a chance." She spoke to the Terrians directly. "This- this promise you're talking about. I know the woman who made it. Her name was Devon Adair. She had dark hair and stood about this tall." Anna held her hand in the air, giving the Terrians a height they could see. "She spoke to you on behalf of the humans. She pleaded for the life of another, whom you almost executed – I mean, sent into the earth! She made a promise that the land would never be harmed again, and that no one would ever return to steal your sunstones. I know she did. We are not the same humans, but we are very similar, and we have the same honor. Please. We are not here to break any promises. We know about the pact with the Terrians. We will not betray it. You have my word."

All three of the Dreamers behind her bowed their heads and spoke with the Terrians. After a few seconds, the energy crackling about their staffs quieted, and the Terrians lowered them to the ground.

Carl again spoke with Anna. "They believe what you say, but they still wonder what we are doing here."

"Tell them it would be impossible to explain in Terrian terms, but politely reassure them that Terrians do not know everything. Just because they don't understand what we're doing, doesn't mean we're doing something bad. Ask them for their trust."

Carl did. "They still want an explanation," he said.

Anna nodded, and gave it her best shot. "We are interested in the past, and wish to see for ourselves the home of Eden Advance, of the promise-makers. We humans have a need to somehow reach back and connect with people who came before us. And seeing objects they once used, and visiting places where they once lived, helps us to do that. That is why we are here."

After a few more seconds of dreaming, Carl said, "They understand, to a limited extent. But they warn us not to mine any of their stones or harm the land. If we start digging outside our own boundary, they will be angry."

"Tell them we understand and agree, and we are very grateful," Anna said.

Carl did so. The Terrians nodded and sank into the earth.

Every single person witnessing the confrontation breathed a huge sigh of relief.

After a moment, the news crews rushed forward, clambering for interviews. "Ms. LeClark, what were you feeling when you faced down the Terrians?" "Ms. LeClark, do you think they will return?" "Ms. LeClark, how does this development affect the expedition?"

She pushed past them all. "Leave me alone!" she thundered. "I need some time to myself."

Roger turned to the news crews and began talking, blocking their progress and covering Anna's retreat. Behind him, she reached her tent and ducked inside, shaking.

"The Terrians were obviously very worried about land exploitation," Roger said. "I believe we have reached an agreement with them, and allayed their fears. I do not anticipate any further disputes with the Terrians. In fact, I do not believe we will have any more visits from them at all."

In her tent, Anna could hear Roger talking to the press, answering their questions. She barely listened to what they were saying. She simply sat on the ground, hugging her knees to herself, shaking uncontrollably. All she could think of was the enormous power she'd just faced – standing nose to chest with a Terrian who was ready to blast her at any second. She could still hear the crackling of the staff, see the anger and accusation in his eyes. She'd never faced an angry Terrian before.

Good God, they were frightening!

She prayed to whomever might be listening not to let anyone follow her into the tent.

It wasn't just the Terrians, it was everything. It was Matt, happy with Dana, sticking her with Todd, who loved Action Ace more than he loved her, and if it wasn't for him – and all of them – none of the zoo going on out there would be happening! It was Fulbright preaching to her. It was the Thompson Construction Co. in Chamisa Trail thinking her expedition was a prank and leaving the airport. It was the money, and the responsibility she had taken upon herself to lead them all out there. It was the press, watching her with unblinking eyes, showing her mistakes to the entire world, making her naked, helpless, vulnerable. And on top of it all, a group of Terrians – a race she had admired and respected her entire life – had physically threatened her, and accused her of being untrustworthy.

It doesn't matter, she thought, holding herself more tightly. It doesn't matter what I do or how hard I try, there's always someone in my face, always someone there to ruin it all, always someone who thinks I'm not giving enough, always someone out to stop me, always always always! How many hoops do I have to jump through? she thought. How many?

The frustration which had been building for months finally rose too high, spurred on by the terror she had just faced. It overran the dam she had built up inside herself and became self-pity, despite her efforts to stop it. Slowly, imperceptibly at first, she began to cry.

She didn't stop for a very long time.

 

It was several hours before Anna again ventured from her tent. She'd had a good cry, and was mostly past the shock of what had happened, and was feeling more like herself. Other than Susan making sure she was all right, no one mentioned her absence during the previous couple of hours. They knew she'd needed some time alone after what had happened. The digging had started under Roger's supervision, and was progressing smoothly.

She found that Howard and three of his security guards had arrived during the previous hour, and were setting up the perimeter monitor. Howard's presence reminded her that she was now very strapped for money.

It was time to talk to the committee.

Anna and her three assistants linked up in Anna's tent and called the first of several members of the Bicentennial Planning Committee, who were overjoyed at finally hearing from her. Evidently, she was now the hottest news story on the planet. To Anna's own disbelief, she was even hotter news than the famous athlete who had been put on trial for the murder of his ex-wife a couple of years before. She could scarcely believe she was drawing more attention than that media circus.

"We saw you face all those Terrians, dear," Mrs. Bowen was saying. "We heard every word. Very, very well done!"

"Thanks," Anna said with a weak smile. "But it's a bit daunting to have my actions and words broadcast so everyone can see. It gives you the oddest feeling."

"Nonsense, dearie!" Mrs. Carpenter jumped in. "Just go with it! It's great stuff!"

"Well, I suppose you're all wondering why I called this meeting," Anna said.

"Yes, do tell us how it's coming along!" Mrs. Downing said, clapping her hands together.

"Well, we've dug several meters into the ground. We're forming a ramp to reach the door of the main dome. That's our top priority."

"Oh, it must be so exciting!" Mrs. Edgeworth giggled. "Would you mind if we all came out to have a look! We're dying to!"

Anna opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off.

"Actually," Mrs. Farmington said, "that brings up something we all wanted to put to you. We were wondering, Anna dear, if we could..." Mrs. Farmington fidgeted nervously, then continued, "well, if we could move the Bicentennial Celebrations to the site of the biodome. I mean – if you didn't want to that would be perfectly all right!"

Anna's mouth dropped open in astonishment as she faced the five women, each staring at her hopefully.

Off camera, Richard, Susan, and Daniel grinned wickedly at each other and gave each other the secret handshake.

Anna didn't see them. She just laughed in amazement, and said, "Ladies, that sounds like a wonderful idea!"

"Oh, fantastic!" They all clapped and cheered. "We'll make preparations straight away!"

"I'll need money to cover the expense," Anna said. "I was hoping we could airlift the transrover here from the museum, along with a few other artifacts. Would this be all right?"

"Of course it will!" Mrs. Bowen said. "After the bicentennial is over, we could keep the biodome open as a permanent extension of the museum! The money we charge for admission will pay for itself, in time!"

Anna nodded. She hadn't thought of that. "That's a great idea, Mrs. Bowen."

Mrs. Bowen looked sufficiently modest and smiled. "Why, thank you dear."

 

Anna joined Roger, who was standing on the edge of the excavation, checking the progress of the dig with the scanner on his datapad. He looked up at her briefly as she joined him.

"Well, they went for it," Anna said. "The committee wants to use the winter camp as the site of the bicentennial celebrations."

"Congratulations," he said.

"Thanks. How's it going?"

"Fairly well."

There was silence between them for a second. Then Roger swung his datapad under his arm and pursed his lips, looking over the site. He finally said, "I want to apologize for some of the things I said last night."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "Not my place to tell you how to run your life. I got up on a soapbox, and began lecturing. It comes easily because I do it for a living. But that's no excuse. I was really preachy last night, and I apologize."

"Well, I would accept your apology, except for one tiny detail."

"What's that?"

"You were right." She also looked out over the dig, and she spoke more quietly. But even over the noise of the bulldozers, Roger still heard her. "I was frightened today. I know the Terrians won't actually kill people, except in self-defense, but when that Terrian was standing over me with his charged staff, I felt like I was looking death in the face. I really thought he was going to strike."

"Then why didn't you run?"

"I don't know." She shook her head. "It just didn't occur to me. I can't explain why, but I had to stay. After it was over, I realized I'd spent my entire life chasing the past. It all flashed before my eyes, and...and I didn't like what I saw."

Roger smiled. "You're a brave woman, Anna. You've got a lot of good in you." He hesitated, unsure of whether he should proceed, then simply said, "I wish you'd let it show more often."

Anna smiled slightly, not sure how to respond to that. "I don't think I'm brave at all." She didn't mean to sound so embarrassed.

"Then what was it that made you stay to work it out with the Terrians?"

"I don't know." She sighed. "Maybe I was just doing what my heroes would have done." She looked at him for the first time, and they both smiled briefly.

"I'll be leaving tomorrow for a little while," Anna said. "I'm taking Todd up to see the springhole, since we're so close to it."

He nodded. "That would be fine. We'll manage here."

Carl walked up to them and bluntly said, "The Terrians say we are all in danger."

"What?" Anna asked, her heart suddenly racing again. She and Roger were both stunned. Anna looked around and asked, "We haven't dug outside our boundary, have we?"

"You misunderstand," Carl said. "We are not in danger from them, but from the land. They feel the earth moving again. It covered the biodome once. They say it will cover it again."

"Again?" Anna asked. "Just after we've arrived? Isn't that too much of a coincidence?"

Carl gave her a peculiar look, as if Anna had just said something mildly insulting. "Sometimes," he said, "the earth covers its own dead."

He turned and walked away, leaving both archaeologists staring after him quizzically.

"Now what was that all about?" Anna asked.

"No idea," Roger said with a shrug. "But I've got no reason to disbelieve him."

"Well, what does he expect us to do? Leave, because the Terrians felt a few tremors? I'm not abandoning this expedition. Not after coming so far!"

"No, nor am I," Roger agreed, thinking carefully. "But I've never known Terrians or Dreamers to joke about such things. It's not in their capacity. I'll pass the word around for everyone to be careful. I think it would be a good idea to move camp to higher ground, and limit the number of people inside the excavation area at any given time."

Anna nodded. "That sounds like a good idea. Thanks."

She left him standing there and went in search of her son. She found him sitting in one of the dunerails beyond camp, talking to someone on his gear set.

"And then Mom punched the button, and BOOM!" Todd shouted with glee. "Snow went everywhere!"

She shook her head. Todd had said "Mom," instead of "my mom." That meant he could only be talking to one person.

Todd paused a moment, listening to the person on the other end, then said, "Yeah, she's right here. Do you want to talk to her?" He paused again, then took off his gear set. He held it out.

"It's Dad. He wants to talk to you."

She put the gear set on. "Hello, Matt."

"Hi," he said. There was something in his voice which was different, but Anna couldn't quite place it. "I heard you've had quite a day so far."

"Yeah, it's pretty exciting. It's not every day you're almost responsible for starting a war between two species."

"That's not what I saw."

Anna sighed. What had she done to spark an argument this time? "What do you mean by that?" she asked wearily.

"We saw it on the news. Everyone did, the whole thing. Anna, you were brilliant. Anyone else would have run away or folded, but you stepped up to those Terrians and found a solution, in a way I've never seen before. And for a moment, well...I thought you were in danger."

It was then that Anna realized what was different about Matt. For the first time in many a long year, she was hearing respect in his voice. Respect, and concern for her safety.

She'd forgotten what that felt like.

"Well...thank you, Matthew." Matthew! Now how long was it since she'd called him by his full name? It had once been a sign of affection between them. "I just reacted without thinking. You know me!"

"Yeah, I do. But you still surprise me."

"Well," Anna said, swallowing hard with emotion she hadn't been prepared to feel. "How's your vacation so far?"

"Not as exciting as yours. We're relaxing in the sunshine a lot, not digging around in the snow. Todd says you're going up to the springhole tomorrow."

"Yeah, we are."

"That's good. It'll be a great experience for him. I hope you have a lot of fun." He sounded like he meant it. "And...take care out there, okay?"

"Thanks. I'm sure we will. You enjoy the rest of your vacation."

"I'll do that. See ya."

They signed off.

She looked at Todd, who was looking at her sadly. Suddenly, she wanted to cry again.

Instead, she asked, "Ready for the big trip tomorrow?"

He shrugged idly, and this irritated her somewhat.

"It really will be fun, you know. You don't have to be so down about it." She smiled at him encouragingly, remembering what Roger had told her just a few minutes before about letting it show. "We'll have a great time. I promise."

To her amazement, her smile sparked one on her son's face. Smiles really were infectious, she realized.

"Okay," he said, somewhat cheered up. He hopped off the dunerail. Anna took his hand, and they started walking back to the dig.

"I ordered a pizza from Chamisa Trail," Todd spoke up. "And I charged it to you. I hope you don't mind."

"No," she said with a laugh. "I don't mind. What'd you get?"

"Everything."

"You know, you're one of the few children I know who actually likes vegetables?" she asked him.

"Only if they're on a pizza."

Their timing was good, for as soon as they came back to the excavation site, a Dreamer rose up out of the ground, carrying a pizza bag and two sodas.

"Crud!" Todd exclaimed. "I was hoping he'd be late, because then it would have been free! But ever since pizza places hired Dreamers, they're never late! And they never get lost."

Anna paid him. The Dreamer scowled at the tip, then sank back into the earth.

"Typical," said a voice behind Anna. She turned to find one of the reporters munching on a sandwich. She carefully noted that he was eating food which he had brought himself – she had neither the budget nor the food supply to feed the reporters as well as her own expedition.

"What's typical?" she asked.

"That is." The reporter motioned to where the Dreamer had been. "Because Dreamers can travel through the earth, they take jobs which should belong to everyone. Pretty soon, some employers are going to be hiring only Dreamers. Just because one kid doesn't have earth-traveling abilities, he can't get a job which will go to someone else. You mark my words, that's what the world's coming to."

"Dreamers have special skills," Anna countered, wondering why she was allowing herself to get caught up in this silly argument. "They're the obvious choices for certain kinds of construction work and rescue operations. Not to mention the fact that there have been times when they have single-handedly kept humans and Terrians from destroying each other. Every major conflict between our two species in the last 200 years has been resolved because of the links between us."

"Yeah? Well, you tell that to my son, who just lost his job to a Dreamer who's a lot less qualified than he is!" The reporter stalked off.

Anna watched him go with amazement, wondering why she'd just become someone else's punching bag. Todd watched him go, too.

"People are stupid," he said.

"No, they're not," Anna quickly admonished him. "He did have a point. And every single one of us does stupid things at one time or another." She smiled and tweaked his nose. "Trust me, kiddo."

"Oh, I do."