Gaia Dreams (Gaiaverse Book 1)

by Pamela Davis

  He nodded, "So, Alex is the one to talk to?"

  "Yes, oh, and probably Nathan as well. He has been doing the same kind of work, probably has some ideas you need to know. With Nathan, though, it's easier since he's part of the family, being Jessica's brother and all. A title for him isn't so important as it is with Alex." Straightening her jeans over the tops of her cowboy boots, she looked up to find John staring.

  "Cowboy boots, sis? You?" he said as he laughed.

  "Oh, you, just shut up!" Rachel said, giggling. "I know, I know, totally not the image I usually go for, but hey, have you ever tried to ride a horse in high heels? Believe me, it's not a pretty sight."

  Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts

  At the round table in the hotel dining room, Margaret sat with Mayor Dubois waiting for the rest of their group to join them for an early lunch. Even though Alan and Phoebe had gone with Maria and Zack to the TV studio to file the report on the volcanoes, Mayor Dubois had stated without equivocation that she wasn't about to go near a camera anytime soon. "I've lost an entire city--a major city--you don't think the press will eat me alive?" had been only one of many comments in that discussion.

  Margaret shook her head slightly, thinking about it. As if there would even be any "press" soon; so much was ending, or about to end. She looked at the steely-eyed mayor and wondered for the first time why she rubbed the woman the wrong way. Perhaps I just don't pay enough attention to other people's feelings, she pondered briefly. Then she straightened her shoulders and picked up a menu to order something, thinking it really didn't matter. What was important was what she knew, not what a Texan mayor thought of her.

  "So what's the big deal, what's the next big thing, Margaret?" Mayor Dubois asked. She nodded at the question in Margaret's eyes and continued.

  "Oh, I'm starting to believe in all you've been saying...not that I agree with you about why it's happening, mind you. I just don't think the Earth's so-called consciousness has some big plan to destroy us all and start over. I don't believe we humans have destroyed the Earth to the degree you think by our actions. Sure we've made mistakes, sometimes bad ones." She stopped and held up a hand as Margaret opened her mouth to speak. "Now just wait and hear me out. I said I don't agree with you on why it is happening, however I can't deny the proof that you and Zack have had some knowledge of what was going on before it occurred."

  Margaret smiled slightly at that and said, "Well, then, at least there has been some progress."

  Mayor Dubois shook her head at Margaret's words. That smile had for a moment lightened the woman's face, changing the serious look she usually wore into something softer. If the girl would only lighten up a little, Dusty thought to herself. So intense.

  "At any rate, do you know why Zack and Maria insisted we all meet together here today? Aren't we moving on to D.C.?"

  Margaret frowned pensively and stated, "Actually I'm not sure why. I had dreams of tornadoes last night again in Arkansas and Indiana, I think. But tornadoes, even these big ones we've had lately, well, they just aren't of the magnitude of the volcanoes in terms of destruction."

  Dusty sighed heavily. "Margaret, you really do need to occasionally stop and think of the loss of human life involved in all this. You sound so cold sometimes, so callous. Shouldn't we be out right now on the phones warning those areas about to get hit by tornadoes?"

  Margaret's eyes darkened to deep emerald green as she glared at the Mayor. "Do you think I don't see the loss of human life? I'm inundated with images of dead and dying people! I have to put some distance between me and all of that or I'd lose my mind. You just don't understand."

  "No, maybe not, maybe I can't since I've never had any of these dreams. But I do know that as much as you may want to save the planet, save nature, you have to remember we humans are also a part of nature. We may not be as important in the big scheme of things as we like to think, but we are a part of this planet as much as the oceans and mountains and spotted owls. So we have to keep warning people--as long as we are able to, as long as we can get the message out."

  She watched as Margaret returned to perusing the menu and thought the woman was just not getting it. Maybe she really was afraid of going nuts with all the images in her head. Or maybe she just didn't have enough compassion to hear how she sounded sometimes. Sunk in her own thoughts, Dusty was startled when Alan sat down next to her.

  "Well, boss, it's a nightmare in the Northwest, but nobody can even get near to help them," he said sadly.

  As Maria, Zack and Phoebe took seats at the table, Mayor Dubois looked at them for a moment and then asked, "So? What was so important? Why are we still here?"

  Zack waited for Margaret to say something and realized she was also staring at him questioningly.

  "Uh, so Margaret hasn't told you about the dream from last night? The bomb? The tsunami?"

  "What the hell are you talking about, Zack?" demanded Margaret.

  "Bomb? Did you say bomb, as in bomb, b-o-m-b, bomb? Who are we at war with?" Alan asked, incredulous.

  "Tsunami?" Phoebe asked querulously. "Isn't that some kind of wave? Oh, my god, that is going to cause a huge mess, just huge," she said, twisting her fingers in her lap.

  Mayor Dubois looked from Margaret to Zack and leaned back in her chair. "Okay, son, start at the beginning. Leave nothing out. Nothing. Phoebe, take a valium. Alan, order me some food and strong coffee. Maria, take notes like a good reporter. And, Margaret--let him talk. You aren't the only dreamer here, you know."

  Maria watched the mayor take charge of their group and felt a little bit safer...for the moment. Too bad Washington D.C. was going to get wiped out, she thought. Dusty Dubois just might have made a great president.

  Cap'n Joe's Fishing Village

  Nathan watched Samantha approach the scruffy-looking dog by Cap'n Joe's side. The little dog was quivering in excitement, and Nathan wondered if his niece was going to have to get used to awe from not just humans, but animals, as well. Probably. But perhaps it would become commonplace eventually. Perhaps there would be others with her level of new abilities. Or perhaps not. Which could make it hard on Sam.

  As he heard Sam giggling at something Cap'n Joe said, Nathan thought again about his earlier conversation with Jessica. It had been the first chance they'd had to really talk since he'd arrived. Jessica was still the same dependable sister he remembered, but there were small lines of worry around her pretty blue eyes these days, and once they started to talk, he'd seen her let down her guard to show the fear she felt.

  "It's just so different now," Jessica had said. "We were going along, having this perfectly normal life, all the usual ups and downs--but it was a great life! Then, Sam got sick and we were so worried for her. When she started getting better, it was such a huge relief. And I thought, okay, we survived a big scare and everything will get back to normal...only it didn't. Because the dreams started. And people started talking to animals. And the animals talked back! Then the disasters...and realizing that Samantha had...changed. That she somehow had new skills, gifts, whatever we want to call it. And yes, before you ask, yes, it helps to know that others have become dreamers and animal talkers. But Nathan, there's nobody like Sam. Nobody we've met yet who can do the things she can do. And she's only six years old! I feel sometimes like I'm losing my little girl. Other times I worry that I'll never be able to protect her enough."

  Nathan's thoughts were interrupted by Sam running over to him and tugging on his hand.

  "Come on, Uncle Nathan!" she was insisting. "Cap'n Joe says we can go out on the boat for a few minutes. You said we could have some fun when you came over today, so let's go ride on the boat."

  Cap'n Joe approached, shoving his cap further back on his head, saying, "Hello there, young fella. Little Sammie here tells me you're her uncle. You can call me Cap'n Joe."

  Sammie? Nathan thought, stifling a laugh. Oh, how Jessica would hate that nickname for her daughter. "Um, yes, hello. I'm Nathan Ames," he said, holding out a hand for a quick
abrupt handshake from the boat captain. "A boat ride sounds like a great idea, Cap'n Joe."

  "Yay!" Sam shouted, and took off with Harry and Mutt for the boat tied up at the dock.

  "So," Nathan inquired, "you getting settled in here?" He motioned to the small house up behind the dock. It was one of a row of bungalows. Small to medium-sized sturdy homes lined this part of the lake with docks of various sizes jutting out into the water.

  "Yes, siree, got me a right fine little place here. That girl--Harmony? Yeah, she told me it was okay to move right on in, so me and Mutt got ourselves all set up. She said there's gonna be more fishermen coming here soon--that true?"

  Nathan nodded. "Yes, there will be more people arriving over the next several days and weeks. Sam says there will be people who want to live here and help with the boats and fishing."

  "Sammie says so? You mean that little slip of a thing there? She's just a little kid! How does she know?" Cap'n Joe asked.

  "Uh, well," Nathan responded in surprise. Cap'n Joe didn't seem to hold Sam up as their modern-day prophet or seer. No wonder Sam asked to come here when Nathan suggested going out to have some fun. It must be a relief for her to be around someone who just saw her as a regular little kid.

  "We, uh, we have information from other sources as well," Nathan continued. "You ready to ride herd on a bunch of fishermen, Cap'n?"

  He heard a chuckle coming from the other man. "Ah, other sources. You must be talking 'bout that damn cat I met. The one who talks on the computer. Well, like I told that Mrs. Philpott, I got no problem with any of that, just don't go 'specting me to start talking to animals. As far as other people coming here, sounds like a good thing. We got a lake full of fish just waitin' to be caught. 'Course we'll probably get some landlubbers in the bunch, have to learn a few things. But as long as they listen and don't go off on their own doing damn fool stupid stuff, should be okay. You ever fished, Nathan?"

  "Some, but not much," he admitted. "I'll be happy to learn any tricks of the trade you can teach me."

  "Aye, yes, well, there are a few tricks," Cap'n Joe said with a twinkle in his eye. "But here, let me get a life jacket for Sammie. She says her dog Harry would never let her drown, but it's my rule that little kids gotta wear a damn life vest."

  As Cap'n Joe bustled off, Nathan climbed into the boat and sat back on the seat watching Sam laughing with Harry at Cap'n Joe. She did look like a regular kid. With knowledge the adults around her were having trouble dealing, how could she handle it? He knew part of his sister's fears was focused on their mother, Abby. If Abby could crack under the pressure of all that was going on, then Jessica was afraid for Sam's mental health. And, Nathan thought grimly, in all the stories, the accounts of people in various cultures who were the seers, the prophets, the shamans, didn't they all end up at some point sounding just a little bit crazy? Yes, they might be respected or feared or adored for what they knew, but they were never seen as normal. They were always depicted as somehow otherworldly, different, off from the norm.

  He sighed heavily, thinking how different it was being a part of the culture he was examining. No matter how hard he tried to stand back and look at all of it objectively, he was also right in the middle of it, experiencing it along with everyone else. He thought back to his time in Africa, recalling how even with his and Alex's intent to immerse themselves in the tribal culture, they could never really be a part of it. They were outsiders, no matter how hard they tried to fit in, and they always would be. Now, however, it was all so immediate and personal. There was no way to keep any distance from what was happening. Especially not when the nightmares kept coming, the dreams of such chaos and destruction.

  He thought about what Jessica had told him, her questions about what had caused the changes in Samantha. She seemed inclined to believe that it all started with the illness, that somehow Sam being sick triggered these new abilities. Yet, if that were the case, wouldn't there have been other instances before this of it happening? And what about that illness? The timing of it. Nathan sat forward and thought hard. What if it wasn't really an illness at all? What if it was some kind of side effect to the changes that ended with Sam's new abilities? Was that possible? He looked up, startled as he realized he was muttering aloud, to discover Sam standing in front of him, dark brown eyes looking very wise and older than her years.

  "Sure, it's possible, Uncle Nathan," she said matter-of-factly. "I was telling Harry and Perceval that you were pretty smart. And see? You figured out something nobody else figured out."

  He frowned. "But did you know this, Sam? Know that it wasn't actually pesticide poisoning, but some kind of side effect? You're saying your sickness only happened because these changes occurred. The changes that allow you to know things and be an animal talker. How much of this have you known?"

  She fiddled with the buckle on the life vest. "Well, I didn't know it when I was sick. Then, I was just sick a lot and felt kinda mixed up and...uh...confused, that's the word." She paused and said earnestly, "See, later on, when I started knowing more and more, I knew bunches of stuff that didn't make sense to me. I was getting better, not sick anymore. And it seemed like Mom and Dad were kinda afraid, so I didn't tell them some stuff that I knew. Like this. 'Sides, I was already well by then."

  "But, Samantha, do you know what did this? What made you able to have the dreams and talk to Harry and know stuff?"

  He watched her put a hand on Harry's head as the golden retriever came up to sit next to her. She seemed to be struggling to find the right words. Finally, she said, "I'm pretty sure I know. It's kinda like it's...everything."

  "What? What's everything?" he asked, bewildered.

  "How I know stuff," she replied. "Like it's the whole world. Bigger than the whole world. It's....huge." she stopped and shook her head. "It's not like a person or something, somebody I can say their name. The only words that kinda make sense, when I ask Perceval, are consciousness and sentience. You know those words, Uncle Nathan?"

  "Yes," he said, nodding his head. "Do you mean the...Earth? The planet is conscious? Sentient?"

  She giggled. "Oh, it's bigger than that."

  Chapter 17

  Mrs. Philpott's House

  Perceval watched Mrs. Philpott putter about the kitchen, pouring tea for Doctor Shapiro. Some sardines might have gone nicely with those little sandwiches she was heaping on plates. But Mrs. Philpott seemed quite able to tune out all thought requests for sardines...hmm, the cat thought. Something about the smell of them she didn't like. Ah, well.

  "Eat up, Doctor," she was saying now. "It's the last of the bread from the stores. Even though we froze as much as we could, I'm sure at some point there will be a gap between our running out of flour and the processing of wheat into flour."

  "Call me Mark, and yes, I'm sure you're right," the doctor said. "Actually, that's going to be more of a problem with medications, I think, in the long run. The gap between our running out of them and our ability to make them."

  "Ah, I thought that was why you were here. Eventually, after things settle down--if they do--I've thought we could send out scavenging parties and put medicines on the list. Some will last for quite a while. Of course, any requiring refrigeration won't."

  The doctor nodded. "Yes, I'm sure we will lose some people in the aftermath, people with chronic illnesses who no longer have access to their meds or treatments. But I heard you have been researching herbal medications?"

  Mrs. Philpott looked across the table at this imminently solid-feeling man. He exuded a sense of calm, patience, and capability. A great bed-side manner. She was more than relieved that the other town doctor had fled. He would never have considered asking about herbal remedies.

  "Yes, I've gathered quite a bit of information. I think we need to do two things: start an herbal garden, trying to cultivate certain species, probably in a greenhouse, and also set up a team of people to search for plants growing in the wild that could be useful. I've even thought of tearing out my rose garden and
starting there."

  The screen door to the kitchen banged open as Harmony waltzed in. "What? Tear out the rose garden? No way, Mrs. P!" she stated emphatically.

  "And hello to you, too, Harmony," Mrs. Philpott said, smiling slightly. Harmony's dark blonde hair was a mass of braids with flowers interwoven throughout. And she was barefoot, again. "Harmony, didn't I tell you yesterday that we have to be more careful? You just run around without shoes all the time, but if you get injured, get an infection--"

  "Oh, phooey," Harmony interjected. "If that happens, the doc here will fix me right up, won't you?" she asked with a dazzling smile.

  The doctor looked a little dazed as he took in Harmony's entrance and appearance. Sort of resembles my idea of an earth goddess, he thought. "Um, sure, yeah. Always here to help," he replied belatedly.

  The smile became more radiant, if that was possible, as Harmony said, "Oh, good! That's what I'm here about, Mrs. P, to help."

  Apprehensively Mrs. Philpott asked, "Help with what, dear?" Visions of Harmony becoming a nurse to work with Doctor Shapiro danced through her head, causing a few inward shudders.

  "Well, see, I thought one of my jobs could be to cheer people up. Like a candy striper. I could visit anyone who's sick or upset, take them some crystals, some flowers, sit with them. You know. That's what I wanted to do now--get some roses from your garden and then go see Jessica's mom, Abby. So you can't get rid of the rose garden, 'cause I'm going to be needing it."

  As Doctor Shapiro grinned at her appreciatively, Mrs. Philpott frowned slightly. Harmony could be so...so much sometimes. She saw Harmony watching her.

  "I know what you are thinking, Mrs. P," Harmony began. "And no, not 'cause I'm psychic or an animal talker or anything. You think that whatever I touch I mess up, right?"

  Chagrined, Mrs. Philpott nodded, saying, "Well, you do have a history, Harmony."