DISCLAIMER:
Though I have a great amount of affection for the people and places mentioned in this story, I own the rights to only a few of them. The series Terra Nova and all that is included under its banner are owned by FOX, and the talented writers that created it.

Dedicated to my sister Ruthie.
Without her advice and encouragement, I would never have finished or even continued this story, without witnessing her enjoyment of it, I wouldn't have believed it was any good, and without her sense of humour to spark off my own, it wouldn't have been half as interesting.
And to the creators of this short-lived, but awesome show, without whom, obviously, the characters and the universe they live in would not have existed in the first place.

=)

Terra Nova

After the Occupation

Chapter 1

Skye rambled along beside the creek which would eventually lead to her destination, stepping carefully over jagged rocks and odd bits of viney plants that seemed to be popping up all over the place. She knew the area well, despite the fact that she had been forbidden to set foot near the place .. but that seemed an eternity ago. She glanced around at the trees hedging her in on either side and every now and then stopped to listen. All she heard was the faint sound of rushing water, and the happy chirping of a few native birds - birds whose names she'd long since given up trying to pronounce. The world seemed peaceful and safe, but one could never be too careful. One's world could be turned upside down in an instant. This she knew all too well. As she continued her trek, Skye pondered the events of the past few weeks. After the siege on Terra Nova had ended, its uprooted inhabitants had attempted to continue normal life as best they could. She had moved out of her shared house and in with her mother, back to the little house they had shared once, long ago. It was still somewhat surreal to have her mother back, but it was the one bright spot in a haze of repairs and funerals.

The roar of water was growing increasingly louder now. Skye jumped lightly from one rock to another, smiling to herself as she remembered her reason for escaping the colony. Finally, the gloomy fog that had held Terra Nova in its grasp for the past few months had begun to loosen its grip. The markets and school had reopened, the colony was looking almost normal again .. but STILL Josh Shannon insisted on checking up on her all the time! "Overprotective" would have been a gross understatement. She could barely make it through the morning without hearing a "Hey Skye, what do you say we go for a walk today?", "Skye! There you are! How are you feeling this morning?", "What are you up to today? Feel like hanging out?". He always seemed to be there, looking over her shoulder, making sure she wasn't in some kind of trouble. She'd joked with her mother yesterday that she was sure he must hide in the garden all morning, waiting for her to walk by. She knew he was just concerned about her. They'd all had a rough time, and she was grateful for his kindness, but there's only so much kindness a person can take! She'd slipped out of the colony as soon as her mother had left for her daily stroll down to the market. Perhaps today at least, she'd be rid of her babysitter!

Skye climbed the last little way and found herself staring up at the majestic Falls. If anyone found out where she'd been, she would be in for it, but boy, was it worth it. She stood for a moment, taking in a deep breath before making her way across the stream and towards the foot of the Falls.

Skye shivered and wrapped her jacket tighter around her. It was unseasonably warm for January, but up on the mountain, the wind still had a decent bite to it. Ah well, Skye thought. At least the cold would make the resident predators sluggish. Winter meant the dinosaurs slept a lot and hunted less, which made it that much safer for a disobedient civilian to wander about the wild terrain. Still had to be careful though. She paused as a few strange etchings in the rock face caught her eye. The neat, white lines .. the tiny details and ridiculously exact calculations .. the work of someone with a mind that obviously worked differently to most peoples' .. Skye shuddered again and turned away. It wasn't too long ago she'd thought these markings were fascinating and mysterious. Now she'd be happy if she never laid eyes on them again.

She resumed her journey along the rock face. She was close enough to the Falls now that she could hear nothing but the deafening torrent as it plunged into the cavern beyond her. The freezing spray had made her clothes damp, but somehow the icy water splashing onto her was comforting. Cold, yes - her teeth were beginning to chatter - but she felt as though the familiar environment was finally washing away the nasty gloom of the past month. She took another deep breath and let the wind ruffle her tangled hair before turning sharply and sliding into a small hollow in the surface of the cliff. A general observer, simply staring at the rock, would never guess the cavern was there. This made Skye all the more inclined to keep the knowledge of it to herself. She had discovered her small cave by accident one day when "scouting out the terrain" for vantage points and places to hide, should she be spotted by .. well, anyone. There was no shortage of potential enemies here. Sixers, ferocious reptiles, even - Heaven forbid - Commander Taylor, who happened to snoop around the Falls at times himself! She picked her way through the narrow crevice, and breathed a sigh of relief as it branched out into a small room.

As Skye's eyes adjusted to the dim light of the cave, she suddenly started back in horror. There was a dark shape on the floor in front of her. She stood perfectly still for a moment, and when the shape didn't move, began inching forward. The shadowy lump gradually took the shape of a human. Skye's foot knocked against something on the ground and her hand leapt instinctively to her side, her heart beating wildly. Alas, her sonic was nowhere to be found. She remembered now. It had been confiscated after the episode with her mother and she still hadn't gotten it back. She inwardly rebuked herself for being so stupid as to leave the colony without it, and began to retreat from the motionless figure - better to come back with some form of defence - when his head suddenly tossed to the side and he let out a dull groan, his facial features becoming faintly recognisable in the weak light. The horrible reality came upon her with such a sickening snap that she was temporarily frozen, unable to cry out; unable to run; helplessly stuck there as in a terrible nightmare, staring at him. This dark figure, this limp body on the cave floor at her feet .. was Lucas Taylor.