The other way

Prologue: it all began with...

Disclaimer: all characters belong to Impossible Pictures.

...Stephen, Nick and Helen looked at each other with similarly jumbled gazes: on the other side of the decisively not closed doorway lurked over a dozen prehistoric and futuristic carnivores, including the infamous bat-like 'future predators', which were poised and ready to seize humanity by the throat in not just a metaphorical meaning.

"The door will have to be closed from the inside – one of us will have to do it," Nick Cutter said in a flat voice, before turning to Stephen. "Look," he told his unofficial second-in-command, "listen to Lester. He's a good man, and-"

"How about I do it instead?" Helen spoke.

Both Nick and Stephen turned around and saw... two Helen, who were looking at each other with an odd mixture of curiosity and... disgust? worry? something else? Nick didn't have time to speak before Stephen did:

"Helen – what is the meaning of this?"

"I," spoke the second Helen bearing odd pair of shades on her eyes, "am her chronological clone – or is she mine? It's not the point."

"Well, what's the point here?" Nick erupted. "Helen, stop stalling time."

"Time, Nick, I have plenty yet, for don't forget – there are two of us," the second Helen continued to speak smugly, "but you have a point, for once in your life. Stephen," she turned and gave the younger man a look of extreme fondness or even tenderness, but Nick couldn't believe it at that time, "you and I will have to talk – soon," she turned around and gave the first Helen a pointed look, one that Nick himself had received many times during the second half of their married life, "won't I?"

First Helen looked guilty and embarrassed for a change. "Yes, well-"

"Yes, well, that wouldn't have worked spectacularly," the second Helen shook her head. "Not in the long run, not at all. Another plan will have to be figured out now – and honestly, some humility is good in the long run as well."

"I'll be aware of that," the first Helen nodded, "but now, I'm afraid, our mutual time is up."

"Yes, it is," the second Helen nodded and walked into the room, straight in the middle of the gathering beasts.

There was a chrome-coloured flash...

* * *

"James, we got to go back!" Jenny Lester frantically said to her immediate superior. "Nick and Stephen are taking too long-"

"It's Mr. Lester, thank you very much," the aforementioned superior said stiffly, "and I have you noted that we're still understaffed to storm Leek's former Reichstag, and-"

Nick and Stephen chose that moment to wobbly stumble out of the building, leaning upon one another. "Well," Lester immediately abandoned his quarrel with Jenny and turned to his head field agents, "what has happened to you two?"

"Helen happened, but she's gone – for now," Nick said, as he just sat down onto the street's pavement, ignoring everything else. "But she'll be back, I think."

"What about the animals? The future predators?"

"Instant fossilization, alongside with everything else in that room. How Helen had done it I don't know, but Connor – look up chronological clones, would you?"

"Chronological clones? That's sounds like something out of Doctor Who™," Connor spoke, clearly growing more excited. "I will have to see that room for myself."

"You do that," Nick said wearily, "I need to take a break."

"We all need to take a break," Jenny said firmly. "Don't we, Lester?"

"Temple here doesn't," Lester said, but without his usual conviction. "Oh, very well, rest now, investigate later. Oh, and Cutter – I don't care what you and Jenny Lewis here think, but we'll have to hire new head of security ASAP."

"Yes, Lester, whatever. Oh, and you'll have to decide whether you'll want to be an asshole or a decent guy, and start working from there, 'cause otherwise you just end up sounding confused and stupid."

Jenny gasped, James Lester gaped, and the younger adults could barely restrain their support for Nick's bravery.

"That's it, everybody got the rest of the week off," Lester said firmly. "Cutter, I'll see you and the rest of your crew on Monday."

"Sir yes sir!" Stephen responded enthusiastically. "Monday it is!"

This time the giggles weren't restrained.

But as the younger people laughed at Lester's attempt to save face, neither they nor anyone else thought to look up, at the building's roof, where Helen Cutter sat on it, looking down at them with the most intense and thoughtful look that she had ever wore on her face throughout her life...