Disclaimer: I do not own Terra Nova or any of the associated characters. That is the property of Fox Studios. I only own my OC's.

Please note: For the purposes of this story, I have introduced a new pilgrimage; the 11th pilgrimage now arrives between the episodes of 'Bylaw' and 'Nightfall'

I took a deep shuddering breath through my rebreather, glancing up at the towering skyscrapers that pierced the sky, cutting through the layers of smog that plagued the city. The reflections from their mirrored exteriors created a maze of light that criss-crossed the street. The air was heavy with pollution, billowing clouds of yellowish haze stretching for miles in all directions. It was quite dark, heading into late afternoon, though these days it was hard to tell the difference between day and night.

I hurried along with an even stride, cautiously on the look-out for any unusual behaviour that could mean I was being followed. I had been given very clear instructions as to the time and place at which this meeting would be held, and it had been stressed overtly that I was not to be followed; it was imperative that this was to remain a secret.

The slight breeze whipped my hair into my face, and I impatiently raised a hand to carelessly sweep away the loose hairs that had escaped from my side plait that rested down my left side. Its golden brown colour shimmered in the waning light, causing the golden streaks to stand out even more prominently.

I carefully eased my way over the uneven cement, and slipped into a dark, winding side alley, effectively losing anyone that could have been tailing me. Here, all of the artificial lights from the buildings were blocked out, and the only illumination came from the muted sunlight that was able to force its way through the thick clouds of pollution in the atmosphere. I picked up the pace, using the rough walls for guidance, taking a variety of twisting turns. The walls seemed to press in on me as the alley became narrower, and eventually I came to a stop at a non-descript looking door that belonged to an old apartment building.

I knocked and the sound resonated loudly through the quietness of the air. I could hear footsteps as someone approached the door and slid the hatch across. Two eyes peered out, meeting my own light sea green ones. They quickly scanned me with a once-over glance, and I shivered under the sharp scrutiny of their gaze. After seeming satisfied, they unbolted the door and let it swing open. I hastened inside as the stranger closed and bolted the door behind me. The stranger was a man; that much I could tell. But that was all I could make out in the shadows as he led me up a winding staircase that creaked ominously under our feet.

I took off my rebreather as I looked around; it was very dark, with no visible light source. I stumbled as we ascended the staircase, clutching the railing for balance. We arrived at a landing with a single door, and after a polite knock, the man opened the door and gestured for me to enter. I crossed the threshold and glanced over my shoulder briefly to catch a glimpse of the door closing behind me. I surveyed the room, taking in my surroundings, checking for any possible threats; I couldn't help it; I guess it was just my soldier's instinct kicking in.

The room was clearly very old, nothing like the modernised skyscrapers and apartment buildings most people lived in now. The walls were made of some kind of plaster that was peeling and flaking, and the floor was comprised of some old wooden floor boards that creaked under my weight. The room was sparsely furnished, with only a desk and a chair on either side of it.

And there was the man I had come to see. He sat behind the grand desk, which was made of a dark wood, with only a single lamp providing illumination. He was bent over the desk, clearly closely examining something, with an expression of consternation crossing his features. It was hard to make him out completely in the dim light, but even so, you could still see the lines that marked his face, his hair and moustache beginning to grey.

I stood with my arms behind my back in the standard soldier's stance, waiting for his acknowledgment. After all, I was nothing but a young soldier waiting for their orders, decked out in standard soldier attire; a black t-shirt, standard-issue camo pants, and comfortable lace-up boots.

'At ease, Corporal Wilburn,' he said with a terse nod, looking up from his desk at last. I relaxed slightly, as he continued. 'Thank you for coming on such short notice. As you may have guessed, there is something of great urgency which I must discuss with you before you depart on your journey to Terra Nova.'

'Of course, General Vayner.' He gestured me forwards to a chair in front of the desk, with a sharp incline of his head. I took refuge in the chair gratefully, leaning forwards in anticipation of what he was going to say.

'Alright then, here's the thing…'

'Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Hope Plaza. All transfers for the 11th pilgrimage must pass through all security checks. Please remove your rebreathers and place them in the bins provided; your rebreathers will not be required.'

The sound of the intercom rose above the general din that came from the masses of people that filled Hope Plaza. I gazed about the vast room, with its metal walls and cold, hard floors, and even with the large number of people, it was impossible to miss the massive portal that covered around half of the room. There was no denying its strange eerie beauty; there was an odd intrigue about it, the way the blue and white colours swirled in fascinating patterns. I tore my eyes away and filed in behind a line of other soldiers for security checks. I signed in and raised my identification card to be scanned. Once approved, I continued on behind the line to deposit my rebreather in the containers.

'This is the final call for the 11th pilgrimage; please proceed to the departure platform.'

My boots scuffed the metal walkway as I joined the front-end of the line towards the portal. Flashes of light splayed about the vast room, and the portal machine powered up, glowing with an eerie blue light. The room was relatively dark, with only strip lights along the walls, and the infrequent and random flashes of light from machines to light the room. The portal's glow served as the main illumination.

I looked around the room, watching the rings of the portal begin to rotate, generating the power to open the time fracture. With the alternating strips of dark metal and the whitish-blue pulse of power, it created a mesmerising kaleidoscope of patterns.

As the portal prepared to accept the first transfers, a strong, gusty wind picked up, whipping my loose golden brown hair all over the place; I smoothed the gentle waves down in agitation, swiping away loose hairs that had fallen over my eyes.

'Your bodies will not be accustomed to the oxygen-rich atmosphere. Please take short, even breaths. Medical assistance and care will be on hand.'

The usual safety reminders resonated throughout the room, echoing off of the metal walls. The most important soldiers went through first; this was to ensure that they arrived at Terra Nova, in case the portal was to close early, lest they be stuck here for another cycle. I shifted the position of the heavy pack on my back, biting my lip in nervous anticipation; once I had gone through the portal, there was no going back.

'Disorientation is expected during transfer. Your eyes will not be accustomed to the bright sunlight. Medical care will be on hand to offer assistance.'

The number of people in front of me quickly became less and less, until suddenly there was no one and it was my turn. I took a deep, calming breath, looking around for the last time. Then I plunged ahead through the bright, whitish-blue light, and stumbled in disorientation as I emerged on the other side.

I gasped as I took in my surroundings; everything was so bright, so different than in 2149. Sunlight streamed through the vibrant green leaves of the trees, the soft brown earth underneath my feet was so alien to me, and I was surrounded by trees and plants of every kind. The whole scene took my breath away; you could see the sky, actually see it, and it was such a vibrant blue, with white fluffy clouds streaked across it; it was like nothing I had ever seen before; it was something that I had only read about. The sounds of the jungle assaulted my ears with strange chittering noises, the sound of a rushing and gurgling stream nearby, and then a deafening roar that caused a flock of bird-like creatures to disperse from the treetops into the sky. I took a deep breath as the strange scents of the jungle came into focus and I could easily feel the moisture in the air.

I took all this in in just a moment, before I bent over double in great, heaving coughs that racked my whole body and made me feel light-headed. I sucked in air only to find that it wasn't enough; I was breathing shallowly but was unable to draw in anything deeper. 'She's going into hyperoxic shock!' I heard someone shout distantly as my vision blurred and I swayed on the spot. And then suddenly I was looking into the face of a medic who held out a breathing apparatus to me, which I accepted gladly. I fell clumsily to the ground, sucking in deep, greedy breaths, trying to re-orient myself with my surroundings.

The jungle slowly came back into focus, but there was a sharp stabbing pain between my eyes, and my ribs burned like fire; it was all I could do not to scream aloud or pass out from the pain. I put my head in between my knees, taking off what I now realised was a CO₂ stabiliser, and focused on taking slow, deep breaths, as the pain gradually subsided until I was left with a general ache between my eyes; the pain in my ribs would not go away so easily though. Darn, I thought, I thought they had healed already. I waved away the nurse's concern, handing back the stabiliser, and seeing that I was ok, she left me to gather my wits.

A soldier approached me and held out a hand to help me up. I accepted it gratefully, painstakingly climbing to my feet. 'Hyperoxic shock, huh?' he asked. I smiled wryly.

'Yeah, the air's getting a lot worse back in 2149… I guess it's no surprise that we can't handle the fresh air.' He laughed a little as I smiled in return.

'Well, welcome to Terra Nova,' he said. 'Jarrod Henderson,' he added, holding out a hand to me; I grasped it firmly, and couldn't help noticing how my pale skin stood out against his darker, tanned skin.

'Freya Wilburn,' I said with a tentative smile. He stood a head taller than me, which was unsurprising as I was only of average height, and his dark hair was ruffled in a careless sort of way. I guessed his age was around 19 or 20; older than I was, at any rate, and he was well-built, obviously fit enough to be a soldier. His deep blue eyes searched my face; if he was surprised by how young I was, he didn't show it. Usually you could only become a soldier once you had turned 18, and well, I was only 17; a special case, I guess you could say.

'Well I guess I should go drop off my pack and check in,' I said. He directed me over to a woman who stood near a pile of crates that must have stored the newly delivered supplies. I thanked him and we parted to go our separate ways.

A large number of people had come through the portal behind me now, and several medical staff were treating those who, like me, were reacting to the oxygen-rich air. Nurses and doctors hurried backwards and forwards to aid the large number of people who were suffering from hyperoxia. But I couldn't say I was surprised; even with a rebreather, it was still difficult to breathe in 2149. The air was still becoming more polluted and less breathable, and the rebreathers were no longer capable of filtering the air efficiently enough to a standard of breathable quality.

I shook my head to clear it; that was all in the past, well, future I guess, but that was no longer my concern. I looked around for the soldiers in my platoon, but it proved too difficult to distinguish faces amongst the crowd of people, so I decided I would meet up with them once we had reached the compound.

I approached the woman Jarrod had pointed out to me, another soldier, setting my pack down by the supplies. She had straight auburn hair that brushed the tips of her shoulders, framing a sharp-angled face with haughty-looking features. She turned to me with a penetrating gaze and hard, cold eyes. Her dark eyes conveyed no expression at all, giving me the impression that she wasn't someone to mess with. She looked me up and down, sizing me up, and I bore her scrutiny nonchalantly. Seeming somewhat satisfied, she turned to the checklist she was holding. 'Name and rank,' she demanded briskly.

'Freya Wilburn, Corporal,' I said coolly, matching her tone. Her eyebrows lifted at the statement of my rank, and she looked at me with a criticising and somewhat disbelieving look. But she said nothing, clearly keeping her thoughts to herself. She checked my name off of the list and told me I was free to go. I didn't stick around; I knew when my presence wasn't wanted.

I found I finally had an opportunity to actually look around. I turned back to where I had gone through the portal; the Portal Terminus, the device used to anchor the time portal exit on the Terra Nova side. It was fashioned in a ring-like shape, connected to what seemed to be some kind of large control panel.

A group of soldiers headed towards the pile of supplies and began dividing them up between them, each lifting up a heavy crate or two. I took this as a sign that they were about to gather the transfers to head to the compound. I walked over to where I had left my pack, hoisting it up onto my back with a grunt as the heavy weight settled down on me.

'Alright, all of you with me!' the woman I had just spoken to raised her voice to be heard over the crowd. 'Soldiers, please form a procession and lead the way back to the compound.' We filed into a somewhat orderly group as she addressed the general crowd of transfers. 'Everyone please stick together and do not, I repeat do not, leave the group. Stick to the trails and maybe we might just get you all back to the compound in one piece.' A few of the soldiers laughed, but a sense of disquiet descended upon the general mass of people.

I sighed in exasperation. Well isn't she just a bundle of joy, I thought sarcastically. And on that cheery note, we began to trudge our way through the alien world of the jungle.

Like it? Hate it? Please review! This is my first fanfiction and I would really appreciate to hear your thoughts on it :)