Sasha stared around her with stunned amazement. The change between Earth in 2149 and Earth 85 Million B.C was incredible. They were situated in a small clearing in the middle of a rainforest. The foliage was green of every shade and hue and dripping with moisture. The air was thick with humidity and the smell of damp, rotting vegetation. She reached out to touch a low-hanging leaf, stroking its soft furry texture with delight.
"Careful...some of the vegetation here is poisonous." A nearby guard warned her, his black eyes serious beneath his grey cap. She nodded in response and turned her attention to the ground beneath her. The soil was strangely bereft of vegetation, softened only with the dead and rotten remnants of the trees that towered over her. It took a moment for her to realise that the thickness of the forest did not allow sufficient light to reach the floor and encourage the growth of shrubbery. Only lacy green ferns grew in some areas to soften the harsh view. They, it seemed, did not mind the lack of direct sunlight.
She shrugged off her wonder and turned to help some of the other travellers with their transition, speaking quietly and confidently to bolster their courage and quiet their nerves. She breathed deeply of the clean, crisp air and noticed others around her as they struggled with the highly oxygenated atmosphere. As soon as she had decided to accept the invitation to travel to Terra Nova, she had begun to prepare herself, at great expense, by attending a private clinic that specialised in oxygen therapy. For six hours a day, she had allowed herself to be locked in a pressurised oxygen cabinet. She had suffered terrible side-effects after the first few visits but they had gradually diminished until she could easily withstand a twelve hour visit with no repercussions. Now she took deep breaths and smiled as she felt her lungs expand easily and adapt to the change of atmosphere.
Being a very successful psychologist had ensured her invitation to this wondrous place. Intelligent, empathic and honest, she had only accepted the position after being assured that her skills would be utilised and that she would make a big difference to the quality of life for the pioneers. She was of tiny stature, only five feet tall, with a slender hour-glass figure. Long, thick red hair was braided neatly and hung down the centre of her back. Untethered, it fell to her waist in luscious waves. Her eyes were apple green and flecked with gold. Her face was attractive but not beautiful. Many times she had been likened to an elf or fairy from tales told long ago in the past. Although she had trained herself to speak with a deep cultured voice, her natural Australian accent often reduced her friends to fits of laughter when she allowed it to surface. Suppressing it now, her quiet words helped to calm those travellers around her and she stood up and stretched as the public face of Terra Nova appeared to greet them.
Adam Sloane, famous actor and drop dead gorgeous hunk of man stood before the crowd and cleared his throat. It had stunned the modern world when one of the highest paid actors in the movie industry suddenly gave up on his acting career and accepted a position in public relations for Terra Nova. Flagging public confidence in the project and the benefits of the one-way pilgrimage was causing an impact and the 'Powers That Be' had decided that the visible support of a trusted and admired individual might sway opinion in the right direction. An actor had been the most obvious choice and the search had begun immediately.
No one had expected Adam to apply for the position. The most the organisers had hoped for was a has-been, a popular actor from a past generation or a mid-level actor in a current production. To have someone of Adam's calibre was amazing and they had accepted him on the spot. There had been a public outcry when his fans learned of his decision to travel back through time and a new level of distrust in the project had arisen. A hasty interview was arranged in which Adam explained to his fans that he had decided to make the pilgrimage only to save the life of his younger sister who needed a highly oxygenated atmosphere to survive. Doctors had warned Adam, the legal guardian of the ten year old, that she would not live six months in the polluted atmosphere of 2149. It had not been a difficult decision and they had shipped out on the very next pilgrimage. Since then, the regular video transmissions Adam compiled and transmitted back through time to the future had improved the world's trust in the program and the population of Terra Nova had increased dramatically.
"Welcome to Terra Nova folks. I'm Adam Sloane and I'll be your guide today. We have a bit of a hike ahead of us and a storm is coming in so we'll have to get started. You'll all be briefed further when we reach Terra Nova. I'm sorry I couldn't be more eloquent right now but I think we're all going to get wet before we reach the compound. So, if you would please follow the gentlemen with the guns, we'll be on our way."
Sasha glanced up at the darkening sky and tried to ignore her rapidly beating heart. She'd always been a fan of Adam and now she'd be living in the same compound as the attractive actor. She hefted her backpack and fell into line behind a twenty-something couple with twin children. There were roughly a hundred people in the group and she was in the middle of the pack.
She followed the people in front of her, staring around at the foreign scenery as the guards tried to hurry everyone along. It was a long walk in rough conditions. The ground was uneven and hazards blocked their path. Fallen trees had to be climbed over, streams needed to be crossed, boulders bypassed. Almost an hour after leaving the portal site, Terra Nova was finally in sight across a large, grassed valley. The rain finally began to fall and Sasha enjoyed the damp warmth. Back when they'd come from, rain was something to be feared. Being caught in an unexpected downpour could leave the unfortunate person with severe acid burns. For the first time she understood her great-grandmother's love of walking in the rain as a child. She smiled at the tired couple before her, each carrying a weary toddler. They were half-way across the valley and the rain was now pouring down when a terrible roar echoed across the plain.
Sasha spun around in shock as people screamed in fright and cowered around her. The guards were instantly on high alert and even Adam had whipped a large firearm out of his pack and was brandishing it warily. The rain was coming down very heavily now, making visibility incredibly poor. The ground shook rhythmically as loud bangs echoed through the rain.
"Move! Run to the compound. Now!" a guard yelled urgently. People screamed and broke for the compound in desperation. Sasha moved with the crowd, trying not to be trampled in the panic. The young mother before her was unfortunate and was bowled over by a middle-aged man. She fell to the ground, separated from her toddler by the mass of people. Sasha slowed and watched as the woman scrambled to her feet and was pulled along by the crowd. She fought to stop and return for her child but the crowd pushed her onwards though she screamed.
Sasha fought her way to the edge of the crowd and managed to break free and stop. None of the guards had noticed the small form lying alone and screaming in the field behind them. Without a thought for her own safety, Sasha dodged around the travellers and raced back to the toddler. She skidded to a stop in the mud and quickly swept the little girl up in her arms. She was about to turn and run after the fleeing crowd when a terrifying sight made her drop suddenly to the ground and curl into a ball around her burden.
Appearing through the rain was a large reptilian head. It roared, showing rows of enormous sharp teeth. Sasha recognised it as a T-Rex. Her mind raced as it approached and she froze, her heart pounding heavily. She tried to remember anything she'd ever learnt about dinosaurs and remained completely still as it came closer. The child in her arms was whimpering and Sasha pressed her face into her shoulder.
"Shhh honey. Close your eyes. Everything's ok. We're gonna play a game. You have to be as still and quiet as a mouse. Can you do that?" She asked softly. The toddler nodded and buried her face more deeply into her shoulder.
The dinosaur paused and sniffed the ground as it reached her. Sasha held her breath and prayed for a miracle. With its poor eyesight, the T-Rex relied upon its sense of smell to find stealthy prey but the heavy rain was obscuring Sasha's scent. As long as they remained still, they might be invisible to the monster. Sasha gritted her teeth and held back a moan of fright as it suddenly dipped its head and snorted into her face.
Its breath was rank with unimaginable horrors and she held the toddler close as the little girl began to shake. Sasha held her breath, willing her own body to stop trembling. The beast suddenly raised its head and roared and both Sasha and the girl cried out in fright. Their voices were drowned out by the rain and the dinosaur's own voice and it did not look down again. Its attention was fixed on a point across the plain and it stepped over them and charged at something unseen. The ground shook violently with each footfall and Sasha's ribs ached from every sharp impact as she bounced on the ground.
She stared through the heavy rain as watched with dread and fascination as another smaller dinosaur suddenly appeared and was immediately attacked by the T-Rex. Their fight was momentous and though she was tempted to stay still, Sasha rose shakily to her feet and began to edge away towards safety. Once she felt she was far enough away she began to run, carrying the child as though she weighed nothing.
"Hey! Over here!" a male voice called out to her. She changed direction and found three armed men waiting for her at an armoured vehicle. "Get in!" the leader ordered, a brown haired man with an open, attractive face. Sasha complied, barely making her seat before the vehicle leapt into action and sped off towards the compound.
She clutched at the toddler and felt her heart leap with relief as the gates of the compound quickly appeared through the downpour. The SUV raced through the gates and they immediately began to close, ensuring the safety of all within the compound. The engine was switched off and Sasha was ushered out of the car. She staggered uneasily on the sandy ground and fought to catch her breath as the adrenaline wore off. She noticed that her arrival had attracted a large crowd and she suddenly felt ill.
"Are you alright?" the leader asked, studying her saturated clothes and pale face. Her braid had come loose and tendrils of bright red hair curled around her face. She took a deep breath and looked at the man. He was in his thirties and handsome in an open, boy-next-door kind of way. His blue eyes showed sincere concern and he was holding a strong-looking hand out to help her if needed. She trusted him instantly.
"Yes. I'm fine. I don't know how, but I'm fine." She replied, smiling shakily. She took a deep breath and felt the nausea subside slowly.
"And your daughter?" he added. Sasha looked down at the terrified child she held and shook her head.
"She's not mine." She admitted.
"Rachel!" a woman screamed. Sasha turned and was almost knocked off her feet as the child's mother pushed through the crowd and grabbed the toddler out of her arms. The woman began weeping and babbling incoherently as the girl clung to her and cried. Sasha smiled and stepped back, wrapping her arms across her chest as she felt the loss of body heat the child had provided.
"You risked your life for a child you didn't know?" Adam Sloane stepped through the crowd of onlookers, an expression of astonishment and admiration on his face.
"Of course. Wouldn't you?" Sasha replied, forgetting how enamoured she was of him.
"Well, yes. But you're..." his voice trailed off and he smiled at her sheepishly. Sasha felt her face warm with a blush and fought the instant surge of attraction.
"I'm what?" she asked with a cock of her head.
"Incredible." He finished, smiling broadly at her. She tried not to laugh but couldn't help it and shook her head, blushing.
"I'm Adam Sloane and this is Jim Shannon." The actor announced, holding out his hand in greeting. Sasha wiped her right hand self-consciously on her pants before taking his and shaking it firmly.
"Sasha Boyle." She replied.
"Our new psychologist."A grey haired soldier stepped through the ranks and nodded at her in greeting. "I'm Commander Nathan Taylor."
Before Sasha could reply, the toddler's parents grabbed her and hugged her until her ribs creaked with strain. She fielded their thanks and muttered the right platitudes as the crowd around them slowly disbursed. Finally, Sasha was able to break free and found herself alone with the three men.
"Is it always like this?" she asked, rubbing her neck tiredly and feeling the strain of her morning beginning to take its toll on her nervous system.
"Only on good days." Jim Shannon replied with a broad smile. Adam laughed and clapped the other man on the shoulder before nodding at Sasha once more and walking away. Sasha couldn't help but watch him leave.
"Come on...I'll show you to your quarters." Jim offered. Sasha nodded at Commander Taylor and followed Jim through the compound.
Even in the rain, she could easily see the simple geometric layout of the community. A large fence with enormous parallel timber beams surrounded the entire village. The dwellings were clean and simple in design, utilitarian but effective. Some effort had been made to beautify the area with small gardens and statues of interesting design. The day was warm in spite of the rain and through several open doors she could catch glimpses of furnishings and decorations within individual homes. It seemed that even in this harsh land under martial conditions, there was still room for beauty.
A few minute's walk brought them to an apparently new section of Terra Nova. Jim had been talking ceaselessly during their journey, filling her in on the community and the rules of the township. He was clearly a very nice man and she felt relieved to learn that he was the local law enforcer. Finally they halted outside a small dwelling and Jim waved her forward. When she placed her hand on a pressure pad beside the door, the biometric lock read her palm impression and the door swung open.
"Welcome to your new home." Jim said, following her in out of the rain.
"Wow." She replied, wandering around in the sparsely furnished house.
"You can decorate it anyway you want. Taylor gives all new residents a starting budget for that kind of thing. You just go to the storehouse and tell them what you need."
"Thanks." Sasha replied, dropping her bag and sitting heavily in a surprisingly comfortable armchair.
"Are you alright?" Jim asked, dropping to a knee beside her. "We made light of it but that was some rescue you pulled out there."
"I'm okay. Really." She smiled and studied his earnest face. "I'm the psychologist remember? People come to me for help, not the other way around."
"Everybody needs help sometimes. We're all together out here. Just...don't ever hesitate, okay?" he reiterated. He laid a gentle hand on her shoulder and she nodded.
"Thank you Jim. I truly appreciate it." She said softly.
"I've got to get back to work. I'll send my daughter by to give you the grand tour when it stops raining." He said, walking to the door.
"That would be great. Thanks." She replied. He waved and exited the room, leaving her alone.
For a long moment she stared at the closed door before finally standing up and walking across to lock it. She strolled absently through the dwelling until she found the bathroom. Clean water was a scarcity in 2149 but was in abundance now. She stripped off her filthy clothes and stepped into the shower cubicle, setting the water on warm. As the steam rose around her, she slid down the wall and sat on the floor. She leaned forwards so the water pounded into the back of her neck and shoulders, relaxing the tension that knotted her muscles. The clear fluid sluiced down her tiny body; across her muscular arms and legs, her taut stomach, and down her heavily scarred back.
Deep, angry welts crisscrossed her skin, hidden from all eyes by concealing clothing. Though decades old, they had never faded and remained ugly and disturbing to behold. Although she could have used laser surgery to restore her skin to new, she'd kept the scars as a reminder of her strength and her will to survive. No one knew of her past and no living soul had ever seen the evidence of her abuse. This was one reason she was so talented a psychologist. But sitting alone in her shower in a strange new world with one terrible ordeal behind her, no friends yet to speak of and a sudden desperate loneliness descending upon her...she wept.