Primeval: Second Anomaly to the right, straight on 'til Morning…

By Ldynwaitin

Prologue: Danny, Connor and Abby follow Helen Cutter to the past to try to stop her from committing genocide. She is on a mission to destroy the human race before it started. Chased by Raptors in the cretaceous period Connor is injured. Abby tells Danny to go after Helen, that she will look after Connor. Now trapped back in time, Connor and Abby fight to stay alive day by day. Dreaming of the day they will find a way back home.

Chapter One – The Monkey Puzzle Tree

A lone juvenile Raptor froze in the dense foliage near a dying conifer. Craning its long head, it sniffed the damp afternoon air. It let out a low number of clicks and growls, as it picked up the scent of its prey. Ambling through the forest, the long nails on its claws clicked against the hard ground. He weaved his way past trees and bushes until it saw its prey.

It was a strange looking tailless one, dark colored, but the smell, its scent watered his mouth. Slowly he moved silently past the trees, working his way closer to the strange prey. It was standing near water, the raptor was happy, a meal and a cool drink after. Laying his head low to the ground, he crept up to the dark prey. Suddenly he heard a funny noise from across the river.

"Connor, behind you!"

The raptor saw the small prey turn around. It was holding a long pointed stick, its dark eyes stared at him, unafraid. It was not used to seeing prey react this way. They usually ran away. Slowly the raptor stepped closer, then suddenly the prey turned and sprinted towards the water. Not wanting to loose his meal, the raptor loped after it. He jumped in the air, and landed just in front of the prey. Its small dark eyes looked up at him, he jerked to the side as the prey poked it with the stick.

"Not goin' to be that easy for you," Connor grunted, as he shoved the stick forward.

Confused, the raptor moved from left to right, at first studying this funny creature. He'd never seen one before. It nearly stood as tall as him, but the scent told him that he would be sweet and delicious. He had to have this prey!

Connor struggled to keep the raptor at bay, it was not an adult, but his teeth was just as sharp as the bigger fellows, "Abby, I can't keep him busy forever."

"I'm nearly there," he heard Abby shout.

Tightly clutching the wooden spear, he shoved it forcefully forward, stabbing the raptor in his tender stomach. The creature leaped back, but it did not run away. Connor was amazed with the tenacity of the raptors. Once they got a scent, they would not give it up, that was what he was counting on. One last jab, and he turned and ran into the stream towards the waterfall. He wadded through the now waist high water. He could hear the raptor was right behind him.

"Almost there," Abby yelled from her unseen position.

"I hate being the bait," Conner shouted.

"But you do it so well," Abby replied.

"You'd bloody do it well too if you had a two legged shark on your back," he panted under his breath.

Reaching a designated point, Connor brought his legs up and began to swim. His hands pushed to the sides in the water, taking in fast strokes until he knew he was far enough away. Standing, he turned, held his spear out and looked back. The raptor was persistent, as always. It struggled to walk through the water. Once it was past a certain point Connor yelled, "Abby, the poisons not slowing it down enough, do it now!"

Suddenly a rope jerked out of the water. It was high enough to trip the raptor. It fell head first into the water. What it did not know, was that Connor and Abby set sharpened stakes in the bed of the stream. The raptor's head rose in the air, screaming in agony as the stakes dug deep into its body. The water turned a blood red. It managed to pull some of the stakes, out. They stuck out of its body. It stumbled toward shore, falling at the edge its small eyes closed as its heart beat out the last of his blood.

Abby ran out of her hiding place while Connor swam to the shoreline. He showed her the end of his spear. "We need to find new frogs," he panted. "The poison didn't work this time." It was a month after they were stranded that Abby found what she said looked like poison dart frogs. They soon realized that they were half-right, they were earlier versions of the deadly frogs. A frog whose skin secreted a poison so strong if touched you were dead before you knew it. They coated the tips of their spears with the lethal poison from the frogs. Unfortunately, this time the poison didn't slow the dinosaur down as much as it did the previous ones they killed. It nearly caught up to Connor.

"We'll worry about that latter," Abby told him. "Lets cut this up before others catch his scent." She knew they didn't have much time left to cut what they needed to eat. In minutes they cut out two roast size pieces from its chest. Wrapping the roasts they heard several growls and clicks from behind. "Time to go," Abby told Connor.

Grabbing their spears, they hugged their precious cargo with them as they ran into the forest. Several minutes later they came to a huge tree. Its sharp leaves stuck out from the braches and trunk. Jumping up, Connor grabbed a rope ladder. Pulling it down Abby climbed up first, Connor was right behind her. Coming to the top, they reached a large flattened area where two huge branches forked out.

This was their home in this very primitive land. Here they kept their backpacks filled with what they brought with them when they first came to this primitive land. On one side was where they slept, dried out leaves served as a mattress. Near the edge of the huge branches was where they cooked. Connor pulled up the rope ladder. They searched into the distance. They could just make out the waterfall, and the river's edge. Already they saw two raptors eating the dead raptor.

Leaning on a rising branch Connor took in a deep breath. He eyed the two roasts. "That should last us a couple'o days."

Abby happily grinned, "Yes, tomorrow we'll look for some fresh frogs. I think the poison didn't work because it was old."

"To bad they don't have an expiration date on them," Connor muttered.

They quickly began to ready a fire. The area between the forked branches of this large tree was nearly as large as Abby's sitting room. It was Connor that found the tree. He called it a monkey puzzle tree. He said it would be the best place for them to make a home. The sharp leaves on the tree kept any dinosaur away. Once they found it, it took them weeks to make a home in its branches. That was after countless cuts from the sharp leaves. But they gladly took the pain, for it was those leaves that would protect them in the night as they slept.

It was the perfect spot to stay, the tree protected them from the raptors and they had fresh flowing water close by. Cutting off small pieces of the dinosaur meat, they began to light a fire. Bringing up several large stones earlier, they managed to make a small stone table. Its top was far enough away from the wood, that they could safely make a fire without burning the tree down. Minutes later they had a fire going, placing three stones over the fire to create a cooking area, they placed the meat on the stone. Soon the air was filled with the smell of roasting meat.

Once they realized they were trapped in this time period, Abby and Connor had to do what they could to survive. Deep inside they prayed for the day they would hear their companions calling out to them, but they knew that day would never come. They were resigned that they were here to stay. After finishing their meal, Connor went to the mattress of leaves. Sitting down he propped his back against a branch and picked up a small object. He carefully began to take it apart.

"Connor, you've taken that thing apart nearly a hundred times now," Abby said.

"One hundred and two," he corrected her. He held the device that brought them to this time. An object made in the future that could create anomalies. Once it brought them here, its power died out.

"Why don't you give it up, it's not going to help us find Danny, or get us home. Besides, how are we going to power it? The nearest electrical plant is millions of years away."

"I'm not countin' on it to get us home," he snapped at her, immediately he regretted it. He quickly apologized, "Sorry." They shouldn't be fighting, they needed to work together if they were going to find a way back to their own time period. Taking in a calming breath, he continued. "I have to see how it's made, I need to keep busy. If we're…" Connor shook his head, "…when we're rescued I'm going to know this thing inside and out."

Abby never told him, but she took her strength from his unfailing faith. It was what kept her going. Through all the dangers they faced he was always there beside her, his innocent faith that they would find a way to go home never faltered. "I know Connor, if there was anyone I would pick to be exiled back in time with, you would have been my first choice."

Connor's lovely smile popped up, "Really?" he asked.

"After all, you practically wrote the book on the anomalies. Besides Helen, and Cutter you know the most about them. If there is a way to get us back home, you'll find it."

Abby stiffened when she heard a trumpeting sound. She looked down at the nursery below them. The monkey puzzle tree grew right next to a herd of dinosaurs. Connor called them, Maiasaura, he said it meant 'Good Mother'. In the months they were there, Abby could see why they were called that. They were deeply devoted and doting mothers. They protected their nesting area and young with their lives. "They've started early," she whispered. They learned quickly that when the Maiasaura trumpeted it meant the night eaters were coming out. They formed a circle around their young, keeping them in the center, they would protect them from predators in the night.

Abby quickly packed the meat away, making sure no animal below could smell it. Once that was done, she took off her jacket and moved over to Connor. She lay by his side, her arm hugged him close, she dug her head in his shoulder.

"Don't stay up long, good night," she sighed. The first night they were trapped one would have to keep watch while the other slept. But thanks to the tree, they were both able to sleep at the same time. But the sounds, the roaring and hissing, and trumpeting, it still gave Abby nightmares. She found she could not rest unless she could feel Connor next to her. Holding him tight, she quickly fell asleep.

Connor did not fall asleep as easily. He looked out at the setting sun. When he and Cutter found the first anomaly the scientist in him was hopping inside like an excited school boy after getting his first kiss. But Cutter was gone, killed by his wife, Helen. The very artifact that Cutter died for was what brought them here. Destroyed by Helen, they were stranded in the cretaceous period with no hope of getting back. Connor took apart the anomaly device each night because it was their only link to their time. The only way they could possibly go home. Every night he prayed that one day he would put it back together and it would start working.

But he knew it was a foolish thought, the thing was as dead as Cutter. Connor lay his head against the bark of the tree. Professor Nick Cutter, he would have been ecstatic to be here. Then again he would most likely have figured out a way to get back home by now. Connor closed his eyes in anger. He had to find a way, it was all up to him. He was the man here, it was his job to protect Abby. Opening his eyes, he looked down at her. He would have been long dead if it wasn't for her. She cared for him all the time his ankle needed to heal. She was amazing, just amazing.

He made a pledge that he would do whatever it took to get them home. In the past few months he'd grown stronger, leaner, but each day was a chore just to stay alive. Placing the torn apart detector down, his hand moved up and gently stroked Abby's hair. It had grown to her shoulders in the time they were here. She too had grown stronger, she was a true survivor, he'd lost track of how many times she's saved him.

He absently scratched the beard he had grown since they were stranded. He combed his long hair back with his fingers. His hair was a bit longer than he liked, but he wasn't going to worry about it until it started getting in his way. He stared down at Abby. She looked so peaceful now, so content, he had never been more in love with her than now…he was woken from his reverie as several predators loped under the tree. They were never allowed even a minute to try to feel half-normal. "I'm going to find us a way home, Abby," he whispered. "I swear, I'll get us back to our time, one way or another."

Laying his head back, his arm rested on her back. They slept that way every night now, touching each other, to assure themselves that they were together, alive. He listened to the roars and cries as the night hunters came out. He watched the ancient Cretaceous sun set in the distance. Darkness enveloped the landscape. He shivered as a cool breeze blew past them. Seeing Abby shaking he took off his jacket, and lay it over her shoulders. He cringed as he could hear something in the distance being killed, then eaten.

He looked up as the first star came out. Closing his eyes he made a wish. Opening them he slyly smiled and whispered in a hoarse voice, "I know where home is, Abby," he pointed up to the dark skies. "It's just there, second star to the right, and straight on 'til mornin'." Sighing heavily he finally let the sleep that tugged at his tired eyes win their battle. Closing them, he reluctantly fell asleep, dreaming of the day he and Abby walked through an anomaly that led them back to their time.

Once morning began to dawn, Abby woke up first. She could see a subdued glow where the sun was about to come up. Turning in his arms, she looked up at Connor. She stared at his beard, she quite liked him with the facial hair, he looked so different, so…dashing. The long hair made him look like a rock star. She reached up and tickled the end of his nose, she smiled as he swatted her hand away, thinking it was an insect. She quietly took Connors arm off her and stood up. Stretching the kinks out she smiled brightly.

"Good morning," she whispered.

Just at their level, there was a small opening in the branches of the tree. In that opening she saw the head of an old dinosaur that Connor told her was called an Alamosaurus. He was huge, nearly 25 meters long. She rushed up to a large cache of branches covered in tender leaves she kept just for him. Holding out a long branch the Alamosaurus slowly began to munch on the leaves. Abby reached out and gently patted him on the head.

"Poor old Methuselah," she sighed. She had named him that when she realized how old he was. "You don't have much longer to live, do you? If you weren't so big you'd be long gone." The Alamosaurus clamped down on a thick part of the branch and began to tug on it. Abby played this game with him many times. Holding on tight, she pulled back. She was amazed how smart this dinosaur was. Amazed because he could easily pull her off of the tree, yet he never did. Letting go the dinosaur walked away with his prize.

Connor squinted his eyes as the rising sunlight reflected off the sharp leaves of the Monkey Puzzle tree. Looking up he could see that Abby was awake.

Abby smiled at him, "Morning sleepy head."

"Mornin'," Connor muttered.

Abby playfully frowned. "Oh, you are always a grumbler in the morning."

"Sorry, never been a mornin' person," he yawned. Turning his head, he looked down at the half taken apart device he placed on the tree. He cursed himself, he always put it away, just in case it was knocked to the ground as he slept. As the rising sun began to shine down on it, he blinked his eyes, then blinked again. The device glowed, it was just for a second, but it actually glowed.

Picking it up, he held the open device in the full sunlight. Slowly he saw the glow grow brighter.

"Abby!" Connor screamed. "The bloody thing is glowin'."

Abby rushed over to him. She had no idea what he was talking about. She looked at the open device he held in the palm of his hand. Then she saw it, half of the glass panel sparkled with life, and then died.

Connor looked down at the device, he studied each and every exposed circuit, then he saw it. He slapped his head with his palm, "Of course you idiot, that's what it is," he scolded himself.

"That's what, what is?" Abby asked him. To her the device was just a jumble of circuits, but to Connor, she knew he was familiar with every doodad inside and out.

"This," he pointed to several circuits that looked like black glass. "I've held them in my hand many times, I thought they were wafer circuits. But they aren't Abby, they're photon cells." Getting a confused look on her face he explained, "Solar cells, Abby. They can collect energy from the sun and recharge the device. Very clever," he thought out loud. "Would be somethin' I'd put in if I built it. You never know if you need more power."

"Connor, focus, what do you think…?" she began to ask him.

"Abby, I don't think, I know. This means we're finally going home!"