Anna drove the dunerail due east until she came upon the main road which stretched from Chamisa Trail to the springhole. She swung onto the road and drove north at a steady pace. The road wasn't paved, but it was a smooth enough track. There were a few other vehicles along it, full of people heading to the springhole to camp out for a few weeks, in the hopes of seeing the big event. It could happen at any time. Todd sat beside her, lost in his Action Ace game. She told him to put it away as they approached.

As far as anyone could tell, there was no other springhole on the planet. Consequently, it had been designated as the first world park by the World Parks and Wildlife Service. That meant there was no hunting, no littering (although littering was illegal everywhere anyway), there were campgrounds available, and Anna had to pay to get through the gate. The guard handed her a parking pass and a brochure. Anna handed the brochure to Todd and asked him to read it out loud as she parked the rail.

Todd read:

The Springhole

The springhole, first discovered by Eden Advance during their historic trek across the continent in 1-2 AC, remains one of the most mystifying and beautiful wonders of our world. At the end of winter, flowers called "Springbringers" bloom, some 50 km to the south. Any creature breathing the pollen of this plant is driven by unknown psychological forces to deliver the pollen to the springhole, even at the cost of its own life.

Once delivered, a miraculous reaction takes place, spewing gases high into the atmosphere from deep within the planet. These gases quickly shoot to a height of 3 km and form a thick, green cloud cover, which traps the sunlight in a greenhouse effect. Within three days, this greenhouse effect will have spread across the planet, and thus spring is born anew.

Scientists have long wondered what mysteries lie within the springhole. But the springhole's exact properties are unknown, and may remain so forever. All attempts to examine the springhole have been aggressively denied by the Terrians, who refuse to allow any person or machine inside it. It has been suggested by some that the Terrians act as antibodies in a living world, and see any attempt to enter the springhole as an invasion. All formal requests to the Terrian people for allowance into the springhole has met with denial, and no Dreamer will ever speak of it.

Whatever secrets the Terrians guard about the springhole have to be respected. However, they do not mind if people gather outside it and watch, as long as no one actively tries to explore inside it. The WPWS respectively ask that all spectators obey the posted signs so that everyone may safely enjoy the event.

For thousands of years, it is estimated that ten to twelve creatures every year died while trying to make it to the springhole. Even those that succeeded perished, compelled to jump in and deliver the pollen. Many people have found it ironic that our world asks living beings to sacrifice themselves, against their will, in order for the entire world to live again. Many poets, philosophers, scholars, and theologians have debated this issue at great length.

Concerned for the safety of all living creatures, and finding it unnecessary for them to die, the first act of the WPWS when it was formed in 12 AC was to find a way to help all those infected with pollen to survive the event. To that end, volunteer patrols scout the wilderness to the south, keeping watch on known Springbringer locations. Any creature which is infected with pollen is captured, if possible, and driven north so it will not kill itself in physical exertion. It is then allowed to jump into the springhole, which has a safety net stretched across the top so that the creature will not fall to its death.

The WPWS would like to remind everyone that if a Grendler is infected with the pollen, it will be confused and frightened after dispersing it into the springhole because it will feel threatened by suddenly finding itself surrounded by people. It therefore may become violent. We ask that everyone stay well clear of any such Grendlers, and allow the park staff to help it out of the net and back to its home.

Throughout history, only five humans have ever been accidentally infected by the pollen of a Springbringer. The first three, of course, were John Danziger and Morgan and Bess Martin, of the Founding Fifteen. The other two were a couple of men on a hiking trip in 57 AC, John Alcorn and Harvey Samson, who inhaled the pollen when they dared each other to do so, and it almost cost them their lives.

In years past, in their quest for knowledge, several scientists have willingly inhaled the pollen themselves and carried it to the springhole. This practice was outlawed several years ago as being unsafe. Everyone who has ever carried the pollen has reported feelings of invulnerability, followed by amnesia once the pollen was gone.

When a pollen-carrier is sighted, it will either be driven in, or, if it is too close already, allowed to run in freely. The bleachers are located on the north side of the springhole, to allow a clear path for any pollen-carriers coming from the south.

We regret to say that every year, some individuals think it is amusing to play a practical joke and come running into the park, acting as if they are carrying pollen, and throwing themselves onto the net covering the springhole.

The WPWS would like to remind everyone that such pranks can be lethal, and the park staff do not take them lightly. Anyone pretending to be carrying pollen will be fined a mandatory 1,000 credits.

The World Parks and Wildlife Service hopes you enjoy your stay, whether you are here for the day or for a month. All proceeds from this park go towards helping to keep our world clean and beautiful.

By the time Todd finished reading, Anna had parked. She got out and looked around. A few people were scattered in small groups in the bleachers, chatting. The campgrounds were almost full. Others were walking the surrounding land, taking in the fresh air and sunshine. Anna thought this was a wonderful idea and wanted to do the same. Todd didn't.

'I want to finish my game!" he said. "I'm almost done. I've got the Warlord down to 50 hit points!"

"You play that game all the time," Anna said. "But we hardly ever get to spend time with each other. Now come on. Put the game away come walk with me."

Todd only scowled a little. He laid the game on the seat and slid out of the rail.

Anna hoped he wasn't going to be like this all day, but she had a feeling he would be.

Then she heard an excited voice behind her. "Excuse me!"

Anna turned. "Yes?"

A couple of girls, about 16 or 17 years old, were facing her, almost giggling. One of them held out a pen and two small pieces of paper, ripped out of a notebook.

"Could we have your autograph?" the first one asked. They were both grinning wildly, almost beside themselves with glee.

"Beg pardon?" Anna asked.

"You're Anna LeClark, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, we were wondering if we could have your autograph! Both of us! We're your biggest fans!"

Anna was stunned. "Well...uh...uh, sure. Sure, I guess." She awkwardly took the paper and pen from the girl, trying not to notice that Todd looked highly amused. No doubt Matt would hear about this before the day was out.

As she signed her name, the second girl piped up, "You're the first person we've ever asked for an autograph."

"Yeah, we don't do this all the time!" the first girl said.

"That's all right," Anna said with a smile. "You're the first person who's ever asked me for an autograph, so I guess that makes us even."

"The first ones? Really?" They almost began hopping up and down. "We're so excited!"

"I have to ask," Anna said carefully, handing back the pen and paper, "what have I done to deserve all this adoration?"

"What have you done?" the first girl was amazed. "You're in charge of excavating the biodome, and everyone saw how you faced down the Terrians yesterday!"

"Yeah, that was pretty tough!" the second girl spoke up. "You kicked ass!"

"I what?" Anna asked, then shook her head. "No. No, I didn't, I resolved a potentially damaging situation, that's all. I didn't 'kick' anything."

"That's not what it looked like to us!" the first girl said. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" They turned and ran off. As they did, the first one turned back and shouted, "You're my hero!" Then they took off, laughing.

Anna just stared after them in wonder. "I am?" she whispered.

Todd tugged on her jacket. "Hey, Mom? Can I have your autograph, too?"

Anna plopped back down into the dunerail seat in a daze. "That's not funny, Todd."

"I'm serious. I could probably sell your autograph to some friends of mine and make some money. Maybe I could even trade one for a brand new "Action Ace: Fists of Fire" game, and Dad wouldn't have to buy it!"

Anna felt the world spinning. She wanted to throw up, or cry.

"Todd, if I hear you mention Action Ace one more time today, I'm taking your game and throwing it away, do you understand?"

"But all I said was-"

"Do you understand?"

Todd was silent for a few seconds. Then he mumbled, "Yes, ma'am."

Anna took a deep breath. It felt so good, she did it again.

Then, as politely as possible, she said, "Todd, I didn't bring us here to fight. I don't want to do this. I just wish you'd spend a little more time with me and less with your head stuck inside that stupid game where you practice killing people. It's disgusting."

Todd numbly fingered a spot on the dunerail's side. He couldn't face her. "Action Ace never left me," he said quietly. Then he glanced up at her.

Anna felt like she'd been slapped. She put her hand to her mouth and turned her head away to hide the tears which sprang to her eyes. Around her, she could clearly hear all the laughter and fun that the people in the park were having, mercifully oblivious of her. A family with a picnic basket walked past her dunerail on their way to the campground, talking and laughing. She listened to them come and go.

Many seconds passed, and neither of them said a word.

Finally, Anna spoke. "Well, I'm sorry," she choked out. "Really I am. And I'm trying to make it up to you. But you need to give me a chance. I'm only human. Todd, I can't compete with VR super graphics and surround sound. I just can't. And Action Ace can't do this, either." And before she knew what she was doing, she reached out and pulled him close and gave him a hug.

He was so surprised, he didn't pull away.

They stayed like that for many moments, oblivious of the world around them. Spring could have come and gone, and neither would have noticed.

They finally let go of each other. Todd was crying openly. To her shame, Anna couldn't remember the last time she'd hugged him. She resolved never to forget again.

"Come on," she said, wiping away her tears. "Lets take a walk."

They walked away from the springhole and into the surrounding woods. The air was crisp and cool. They walked among the trees, and talked of anything and everything that came to mind.

"I thought it was funny the way those two girls wanted your autograph," Todd said, kicking a few leaves as he walked. He was freely wandering in and out among the trees. Anna just followed him, letting him walk wherever he wanted.

"I could tell," she said with a smile. "But I didn't like it all that much. I think they were very mistaken about what happened, and what's important."

"How come?"

"They seemed to think I had defeated the Terrians. I did no such thing. There was a misunderstanding due to the differences in our cultures, and they were frightened. I gained their trust, and then they weren't frightened any more. And that's all."

Todd stopped and looked at her. "Does that mean you're not a hero like they said you were?"

Anna went to her son and bent down on one knee, resting casually on the ground in front of him. Thinking carefully, she asked, "Todd, what do you think a hero is?"

Todd shrugged. "I don't know."

"You don't? I'll bet you do."

"Why? Does this have anything to do with what you and Dr. Fulbright were talking about the other night?"

"You know about that?"

"Well, the other night, I wanted to ask you something, but you were talking with Dr. Fulbright in his tent. I didn't go in, because you sounded like you were talking about serious things. He was talking about heroes."

"Yes." Anna sighed. "Yes, he was. We both were. Now think – I'm sure you have an answer somewhere. What do you think a hero is?"

"A hero...is somebody who beats up the bad guys."

"What else?"

"What else is there?"

Anna smiled. She should have expected that.

"Well, what if there aren't any bad guys around?"

Todd shrugged. "I don't know."

"In my experience, there aren't that many bad guys in the world," Anna explained. "There are a few, and we do need to watch out for them. But more often than not, the badness we find is usually within ourselves, not another person.

"A hero is someone who is brave. Being brave sometimes means standing up for something you believe in, not just defending yourself. Sometimes, being a hero means being scared. Being a hero means doing what you have to do instead of what you want to do. Sometimes it means getting up in the morning when you don't feel like it. It means taking care of the people you love...and sometimes letting them go. It means doing what's right for yourself, without any audience to ever see you do it and applaud you for doing it. It means finding something to believe in, when you really don't have anything to go on. It means giving life everything you've got, with no guarantee you'll get anything back, yet somehow still knowing that you will if you try. It means letting go of old ideas and beliefs that don't work any more. It means appreciating others, and not hogging the spotlight. It means doing your homework, brushing your teeth, taking care of your children, balancing your checkbook, and taking out the garbage. Sometimes...it means forgiving, and forgetting."

Todd thought about what she was saying. Anna watched him, wondering if he'd caught any of it, wondering if he was old enough.

"That would be a boring VR game," he said at last.

Anna laughed out loud. "Yes! Yes, I suppose it would."

"So a hero is all those things?" Todd asked.

Anna nodded. "And more. Being a hero can mean beating up the bad guys, but that's almost never the case."

Todd asked, "So, all those people who were here 200 years ago, Eden Advance – they were heroes after all, weren't they?"

Anna looked at him in wonder. "Yeah," she said. Her eyes watered a little, despite herself. "Yeah they were. Every last one of them."

She stood up. "Come on. Lets go sit in the stands for a while. Maybe we'll be lucky and spring will start today."

"Can we get some cotton candy?"

"I'll split one with you. I don't want you gorging yourself, because it's almost time for lunch."

"Okay."

They walked back to the bleachers. Anna bought a small cotton candy and two waters, and they sat down to rest for a while. The springhole lay in front of them, a net stretched across the chasm. Several of the park employees stood idly between the stands and the springhole, chatting with each other.

"Mom, can we go look down into the springhole?"

"I doubt they'd let us, but why don't you go ask?"

"Here." Todd handed her the cotton candy and ran down the empty seats towards the park staff.

"Walk carefully down the steps!" Anna called sharply. "You'll break your neck hopping down the seats like that!"

Without looking back, Todd shifted course and ran down the steps. Anna sighed.

"They think they're indestructible at that age."

She turned around. Behind her and a little to the right was an elderly man in a flannel shirt and a cap. He was holding a gear set to one ear, but wasn't really listening to it.

"Tell me about it," Anna said with a smile. "But I'm more worried about his psyche."

"His what?"

"His psyche," Anna repeated. "You know – his state of mind. He plays VR games and watches programs which are full of violence and action, and he thinks it's great. His father lets him. I don't know what to make of it."

"Kids will be kids."

"Oh, it can't be as simple as that."

"Sure it can." He lowered the gear set and stared up into the sky briefly. "When I was a boy, I used to read this series of books called The Dynamic Dreamers. You ever hear of 'em?"

Anna shook her head.

"Well, they was a little before your time. Anyway, the whole series was about this group of kids, some of them Dreamers, some of them aren't. But they're all friends. And they had to put up with prejudice, with people who were biased against Dreamers, and against Terrians. And like, every month, they had a mystery to solve. And there would be action and danger and thrills galore. Daring escapes, and quests for lost treasures! I loved it! It made my heart jump so!"

"But that's an adventure series for children."

"Yeah? And?"

"And..." Anna couldn't think of what to say.

"You see," the man went on, "I got this theory. In real life, most people don't like violence, and killing people's a bad thing. A real bad thing. And anyone who thinks otherwise ought to check themselves into the loony bin right away.

"But we're human beings, and whether we like it or not, there's a part of us that likes an adrenaline rush. There's an animal side to our nature. Not everyone has it, but most of us do. We have to find an escape for that. So we make ourselves safe ways to experience adrenaline, and the thrill of life and death. We watch football, and really enjoy it when someone gets their clock cleaned – as long as the other guy helps him up afterward. We get VR programs where people shoot each other in action/adventure settings, but most of the people who watch these things wouldn't shoot people in real life, or think it was fun if it happened.

"Why, just next year, one of the hottest VR stories comin' out is an action hollie about terrorists who take over the springhole and threaten to destroy it, and demand a ransom or they'll plug it up. They hold the whole world hostage, and this macho hero figure goes in to take 'em all out and save the world. I forget the name of the guy who's directin' it – that famous action hollie director guy. He's going to try to use real Terrians in his film, if you can believe that. He's going to try to persuade them to do what he wants, so he can get it on film, but he probably won't since the Terrians don't understand the concept. Anyway, the point is, the people are gonna go get this VR chip in droves. It'll sell out. But that don't mean there'll be a massacre the next day.

"You see, we use fiction to satisfy a primal, animal need. And as long as we keep it there, instead of in the real world, it's safe."

Anna shook her head. "Most children nowadays watch almost nothing but that. It cheapens life, and desensitizes them to it. It really does."

"Well, that may be. We do need a balance. All of life is a balance, did you know that?"

"I guess I did, but I never really thought of it that way before."

"Sure. If you didn't have any balance when you walk, what would you do?"

Anna smiled. "I'd fall down."

"Exactly. And if you don't have any balance in your spiritual life, what will you do?"

Anna thought about it. Quietly, she said, "I'd fall down."

"Right. All of life is a balance. We each of us have a million scales inside us – work, family, sex, God, money, neediness. It's almost impossible to balance them all at the same time. I've found that if you've got about a third of them balanced at any given time, you're ahead of the pack, and doin' all right.

"And one of those balances is the need for action, for adventure. Every child has that need. If they see too much, and glut themselves, they're out of balance. And they're also out of balance if they see too little. There is such a thing as being overprotective. And if you're worried that your boy might become desensitized to the value of human life, whose responsibility is it to set him straight and tell him what's a good example, and what's a bad?"

"Mine," Anna said simply. "But it's hard to teach when sometimes, you don't even know yourself."

"If it's up to you to teach something to your boy, and you don't know it yourself, then find out, and fast. Take a crash course." He nodded. "Ain't nobody else gonna do it for you."

"Whom do I trust to be my teachers? What if I think nobody else has the answers, either?"

The man thought about it for a second, and said, "When no one else is around to trust, and it seems like nobody else knows their ass from a hole in the ground, the one thing I've learned that will keep me straight all the time is this little thing I call 'the voice.'"

"The voice?" Anna asked.

"Yeah. Whenever I've done somethin' stupid – and I done a lotta stupid things – I remember that every time, there was a little voice in my head that was sayin', 'Don't do that, you'll be sorry.' I've found that this tiny voice is always there. I don't know what it is, my soul, my conscience, or what, but it don't ever shut up. But when I get caught up in my troubles, and I'm rushin' around like a koba with my head cut off, when my mind's a three-ring circus goin' 90 miles a minute, that's when the voice gets drowned out, and I don't hear what it's sayin'.

"So, if no one else is around that you can trust, stop everything. Stop, shut down the circus, tell the crowd in your head to be quiet, and listen to the voice. It don't often lead you wrong. It's got your best interest at heart, because the voice you're listening to is you. And we sometimes know more than we think we do."

Todd came running back up the stairs. Excitedly, he said, "The man down there said they don't usually let people look, but he'll attach a harness and a rope to me and let me look straight down the springhole if you come tell him it's okay with you!"

Anna glanced back at the man behind her.

"Let him live a little," the man said with a smile. "Let him have some adventure."

Anna smiled back and looked at her son. "Okay, Todd. Take me to him."

"Yes!" Todd pulled her back down the stairs eagerly. They approached one of the park workers standing by the barricades.

"I hear my son has been pestering you," Anna said, smiling at him. The man's name tag read, "Jeff."

"No, ma'am! Not at all."

"This is my mom, and she said it was okay!"

"Hold on. What is it I'm agreeing to?" Anna asked.

"Well, we don't normally do this, but we're not really busy today," Jeff said. "If it's all right with you, I'll attach a harness around his waist, hold him by a strap, and let him lean over and look straight down the springhole."

"It's safe?"

"Absolutely. He couldn't fall through, anyway, because of the net, but I'm just being extra cautious."

"Pleeeeeeeeeeease, Mom?"

"You're sure you want to do this?" Anna asked.

"Yes!"

"Then it's fine with me."

"You're not afraid of heights?" Jeff asked.

Todd shook his head.

Jeff smiled. "All right."

He reached down and attached a small harness around Todd's waist. He clipped a strap to it, then attached it to himself. He leaned back, bracing himself, and said, "Now approach the edge of the hole, and whenever you're ready, lean out and look straight down. I've got you."

For all his enthusiasm, Todd approached the springhole slowly. When he reached the edge, he spread his arms wide, stood up tall-

and fell forward with no fear.

For a brief moment only, Anna envied him.

He hung there, leaning out over the springhole, and looked straight down into the heart of the planet.

And he looked into infinity.

"Whoa!" he shouted, but it came out as an awed whisper, which echoed around the bottomless chamber. He floated there, seemingly on an updraft, and for a moment, everything else in the whole world was forgotten, as the endless breezes and air currents, coming from who-knew-how-many tunnels below him, swung him back and forth slightly, murmuring the pains and hollows of the planet up at him, murmuring the memories of a million years, keeping him aloft, as if he were flying, and they were all murmuring for him, and for him alone.

Then he was being pulled back, and he was standing back on the ground, no longer flying a million feet in the air, once again gazing at the green trees and the blue sky.

"Whoa," he whispered.

As Jeff led him away from the edge, Anna looked at Todd. He was still a million miles away. He looked as if he'd just seen something deep, hidden behind one of life's many curtains, but couldn't explain what.

"Did you like that?" Jeff asked.

Todd nodded dumbly. "That was awesome."

Jeff smiled and stood up. He held the harness out to Anna. "Did you want to try?"

Anna quickly held up her hand. "Uh – no." She laughed. "I'm not a height person."

Jeff laughed back. "I don't blame you!"

Then Anna looked over Jeff's shoulder and saw a white mist rise up from the springhole. She instinctively held her son's shoulders. "Uh, oh. Did we disturb something?"

Jeff turned around, and his eyes widened. "Well, no!" he said. "You didn't disturb anything! That's the planet's reaction to the presence of the pollen. There's a pollen-carrier close by. The planet can sense it." He turned back to Anna. "I think you'd better get back to your seats. We might have spring today."

"All right. Thanks!"

"Yeah, thanks!" Todd added. They walked back to their seats. The man with whom Anna had spoken was really listening to his gear set now.

"It's a Grendler," he told them. "It somehow missed most of the patrols. They picked it up about three kilometers south and they're driving it in."

Then the man lowered his gear set and looked at Todd. "Well, did you get to look down into the springhole?"

"I sure did!"

"What did you see?"

"I saw forever!"

The old man nodded, as if he'd known it all the time.

The news of the pollen-carrier spread, and the stands filled rapidly. A few news crews were there to record the event. As the minutes passed, the white mist began pouring out of the springhole and swirling around. It was so thick, the crowd couldn't see beyond it. Suddenly, there was a lot of pointing and shouting, and through the mist, Anna and Todd could just make out a dunerail on the other side of the springhole. A Grendler hopped out of the back of it and ran to the springhole as if it was the most important thing in the world. People on every side of the net braced themselves with cables to take up slack in case the ground around the net gave way.

The Grendler threw himself onto the net. It held.

No one could see what was happening, but they all knew that pollen was now pouring out of the Grendler's mouth and down into the heart of the planet.

Half a minute passed, then the Grendler let out a howl of fear and started thrashing. Two seconds later, a tranquilizer dart hit him in the side. Park workers rushed forward. They had about 15 seconds to pull the creature off the net and away to safety.

They pulled the entire net up, wrapping the Grendler in it, and hauled him away. Deep rumblings came from within the planet, and then all hell burst forth.

First red, then green gas came spewing out of the planet and shot high, high above them. The crowd gasped, and the heat washed over them. Everyone looked on, awestruck.

Anna took a gear set out of her jacket pocket and placed it over Todd's head. She leaned down and whispered, "This is a present for you. It's a 200-year-old recording, by one of the Founding Fifteen." She kissed him on the head, and turned it on.

Todd heard, "So we sat there watching spring pour from a chimney in the earth. We thought this planet had no use for us, but now we saw it did. We'd completed a cycle of seasons the planet itself could not, and in the process, won our freedom from the never-ending cold."

Todd just smiled, and looked up into forever.