Gaia 3

III. Nightmare

That night, Jaleah slept uneasily. She tossed and turned all night, and when she finally fell asleep, she immediately slipped into a nightmare. 

--<<>>--

She awoke on a strange, barren planet. The land around her was rocky and cracked, indicating that it hadn't seen water for many years. It was like this as far as the eye could see; it was a desert, and she was alone in it.

 Immediately, she knew she was on Gaia 3, and a sense of dread filled her. She didn't know how or why, but something was very wrong. 

Somehow, she knew that the rest of her crew had all died and that she was now alone on the planet with no way to get back. Still, she had to try. She had to warn others. 

But warn them of what? There was no obvious danger on this planet. And yet, she had a deep urge to tell others never to land here. There had to have been a reason.

Without really knowing why, she began running for her life. She wasn't sure if she was running to or away from something, but she knew that if she didn't run, something bad would happen. 

Eventually, she determined that she was running towards something, or rather, someplace. It was crucial that she reach this unknown place. This place would hold the key to everything, she was sure of it. And if she didn't make it there...then there was no hope left. She had to make it there or she would die.

And then she woke up. 

--<<>>--

It was still dark outside, so she checked her clock. It was 5 in the morning. She swore. If she went back to sleep now, she wouldn't wake up in time for her morning class. Not that the students would mind very much - she had a test scheduled for that day, and her students would be ecstatic if she didn't show and they got to skip it. And she had to admit - skipping the class was tempting. Her nightmare had drained her, and she could use a few extra hours of sleep. 

She also wanted to spend the day going over all the available research on Gaia 3. Granted, most of the research was hers, but she wanted to make sure she hadn't missed anything. 

She sighed. She really had no choice; she had to go to class. Her last-minute research would have to wait until the afternoon. 

--<<>>--

She spent the entire class slumped over her desk, with her head buried in her arms. For all she cared, her students could be yelling the answers to each other from opposite sides of the room. She didn't have the energy to prevent cheating today. She was tired and worried, and she desperately needed time to think. 

Her nightmare that night had made her seriously question her decision to join Daviron's expedition. She couldn't help but shake the feeling that this expedition was doomed in some way. 

She began weighing her options. On the one hand, she had made a commitment to Daviron, and it felt wrong to pull out now. Not to mention, there was no denying that this was the opportunity of a lifetime. No one in modern history had ever attempted such a long expedition, and Gaia 3 especially inspired legends. The chance to see it in person was monumental. 

And yet, there was no getting rid of this feeling that the planet was somehow a trap. 

"Um, Professor Navin?" someone asked shyly. Jaleah looked up.

"Yes? Is there a problem with the test?" she asked. 

"No, not at all," the student replied, "It's just that...class is over, and we need to turn the tests in."