Hi all,
Been a long time since I've posted anything on FFN. Since becoming a pro writer, well, technically a semi-pro, most of my time has been taken up finishing stories and books for publishers.
I do have a new book coming out this year called 'God's Gift' from WolfSinger Publications. For any of you who remember Corp. Larry Henry from the SGA stories, I took him and his sisters out for a spin in an original novel. The before mentioned book is the completed tale.
If you want to know more about what I've been up to, since I've been awful at keeping up my profile page, which I just updated and added my blog address for Dana's Dragon Note. There, you can follow me to see what I'm up to, new releases, appearances, and so forth.
Never Forgotten
Dana Bell
"We changed something."
Dylan Weir and Evan Cross exchanged concerned looks as the anomalies popped out of existence. In a panic they raced toward theirs, hoping it didn't vanish and maroon them who knew where and when.
The yellowish orange orb wobbled as they entered it, the shards of glass, or so they appeared to the human eye, dancing in and around them. There was a suffocating moment and they emerged on the other side.
"Evan,"
Instead of the expected warehouse, they emerged in a huge forest. Branches hung over their heads hiding what little of the blue sky either of them could see. A roar echoed and they shared a look of 'you've got to be kidding'.
Angie Finch stared in horror as the anomaly closed. Neither Evan nor Dylan had returned. Lt. Ken Leeds stumbled up next to her, his boyish face mirroring both sympathy and resignation.
"I'm sorry, Miss Finch." He straightened, ever the soldier ready to do his duty. "I'll release the appropriate cover story."
"Is that all this is to you!" she snapped. Her eyes blazed at him.
"No. I owe Dylan Wier my life. Evan Cross saved us all from the allosauris."
The one which had killed his wife six years earlier. Angie couldn't get over the chain of events leading up to the one thing that had changed Evan Cross' life forever. Not to mention Colonel Hall's crazy idea about changing the past to save the future. "We have to get them back."
"What would you suggest?"
"We need a team of the brightest minds." She pushed her sorrow away. Angie would mourn later. "I'm sure you have the contacts to arrange it."
"With your help."
"Of course." Angie took one last look where the anomaly had been. "We'll start with Toby."
She saw the slight smile on Leeds face. "Consider it done."
"Good." Angie straightened. She could be intimidating when she needed to be. "We've got work to do."
"Hold up!" Mark Reynolds ordered the driver.
The young officer groaned but obeyed. Reynolds couldn't blame him. They were almost back to Terra Nova.
"What's the hold up?" Commander Nathaniel Taylor asked as he approached the lead rover.
"Thought I saw a flash."
Taylor shook his head. His grizzled face showed his years of experience, which complimented his silver hair. "Hope Plaza is shut down."
"Permission to check it out?"
His commanding officer frowned before nodding. "Go ahead. We'll go ahead. You watch yourself, night is falling."
"Yes, sir." Reynolds grabbed two soldiers. "You wait," he told the driver.
The three headed into the jungle. Behind him he heard the other rovers head for the settlement.
He brushed aside a large leaf and peered forward. There were two people standing there, a man and a woman. If Hope Plaza was shut down, where had they come from?
"Where do you think we are?" Dylan asked.
"No idea." Evan glanced around. Surely whatever they'd changed hadn't caused this much damage.
"You there!"
Evan saw the three military soldiers approaching them. "Great." His first instinct was to run. He felt his muscles bunch for a wild sprint. Getting control of them, he forced himself to relax. No reason to think they were hostile. Sure, they were carrying guns, but they weren't aimed at him or Dylan.
"Don't suppose you could tell us where we are?" No harm in asking.
"About three clicks out from Terra Nova."
"Terra what?"
"Terra Nova." The young officer had reached them. He offered a friendly albeit guarded smile.
Dylan asked, "What's Terra Nova?"
"Our settlement. Surely you know that if you came through the portal."
"Portal?" Evan was completely puzzled. "We were heading home through the anomaly and ended up here. Wherever here is."
"Look," the officer looked around. "Night is coming and you don't want to get caught out here. Come with us. Commander Taylor will want to talk with you."
"And he is?" Evan was sure he wanted to go anywhere.
"Our leader." With a motion the three headed back through the underbrush. The officer stopped when he realized neither Evan nor Dylan were following. "I don't think you want to run into a slasher."
"Whatever that is," Dylan murmured as she headed after the soldiers.
Resigned, Evan followed.
Taylor stood on his usual perch. The damage from the attack was slowly being repaired. At least the huge crater below his command cottage had finally been filled in. Most of fences had been repaired. That had been the first priority. Keeping the wildlife out and not rampaging through the colony helped settle everyone down after the traumatic events just a few weeks ago.
Jim Shannon joined him, staring down over the settlement.
"At least the market is back up and running." Taylor inclined his chin toward the colorful array below. Tables were set up with fruits, fish and other goods, some of which would not be available much longer. Taylor knew they hadn't yet felt the sting of cutting themselves off from 2149.
Shannon smiled. "Yeah."
"Thought about my offer?"
"Talked about it with my wife and family."
"And?"
"I accept."
"Good." He clapped the other man on the arm.
"I know how hard replacing Wash," Shannon paused. "Was for you."
She'd sacrificed herself so the Shannon family could escape. Taylor was proud of her.
"Needed someone everyone trusted. You did a good job leading the revolt while I was out there in the jungle."
"This is my home."
"That it is." He saw dust in the distance. Reynolds rover was on its way in. "Let's go see what he found." Taylor headed down the stairs. He could hear Shannon following him. "Open the gate!"
Slowly, the gate opened, stopping slightly before it allowed the rover in. He'd have to have Dr. Wallace take a look at it. The man had some mechanical skills, if his repair of the two way portal was any indication. Luckily, he'd been smart enough to sabotage it as well before it had been destroyed.
The rover came to halt. Reynolds climbed out along with two people Taylor didn't know. "Who are you?"
"My name is Evan Cross." The man extended his hand. Taylor accepted it. "This is Dylan Weir."
"Welcome to Terra Nova. How'd you get here? We blew up Hope Plaza."
He didn't miss the look between the pair.
"What's Hope Plaza?" Evan Cross asked.
"Surely you came from 2149."
"2149?" Cross shook his head. "It was 2012 when I woke up this morning."
Now wasn't that interesting.
"You believe them?" Shannon asked.
"No reason not to." Taylor watched Reynolds escort the two across the compound to some empty quarters. "You know why."
"Yeah."
Shannon was one of the few who knew about the discovery that had been made in the Badlands. What none of them knew was how it had gotten there.
"Surprised you didn't question them." Shannon glanced at the leader.
"They looked tired. Better they get a meal and good night's sleep before we debrief them."
In the distance one of the flyers called, answered by another in the distance. Night was beginning to fall and the very full moon peaked out from behind the clouds.
"Best you join your family."
"Yes, sir." Shannon trotted away.
Taylor envied him. At least he still had his family.
There was a certain amount of chaos Jim Shannon had always expected in his home. Zoe playing with her hand made dinosaurs, Maddy doing her homework, Josh hiding in his room or else grumbling about something. The past few weeks had been a bit quiet. He kept hoping things would go back to normal. Or as normal as they could with them now stranded in the past.
"How'd your day go?" his wife Elizabeth asked. Her dark eyes reflected her love for him. She was cooking dinner. He'd ask her later what it was. He didn't recognize the vegetable.
"Fine." He noticed Maddy was setting the table and Zoe was hiding under the bench pushing her dinosaurs around on the floor. "Where's Josh?"
"Boylan's."
At first, he hadn't like his son working at the bar, but after the invaders had arrived, he'd encouraged Josh. The intel he'd provided had helped defeat them. Jim couldn't blame the young man for wanting to continue to work. Probably helped return 'normal' to him.
"I'd prefer Josh eating with us."
"I know." Elizabeth smiled at him. "I told him it would okay this once." She covered a boiling pot. "Taylor find anything?"
"Reynolds did."
"What did he find?"
"We have two new colonists."
She blinked. "Where'd they come from?"
"Don't know yet."
Their quarters seemed both primitive and futuristic. Evan glanced around at the orange walls as he sat on the bench.
"Two bedrooms," Dylan reported. She looked over the building when they'd first arrived.
"Thoughtful."
"Evan," she sat beside him. "Where are we?"
"Someplace I suspect we're not going to like the answer."
The same officer came to collect Evan and Dylan in the morning. Evan noted the high fences and the turrets at the corners. Each was manned with men and some sort of large weapon. "Expecting trouble?"
"Never know when we have to repel a carno."
Dylan moved up beside the officer. "What's a carno?" She'd been a predator control officer who had used her knowledge to help track and trap dinosaurs.
"A monster you don't want to tangle with."
"You mean a dinosaur."
How in the world had she made that leap?
"Yes." He led them up stairs into a wooden building with a straw roof. The room was open aired with a piece of glass over a dinosaur skeleton head. The older man they'd met earlier was seated there, along with another man Evan vaguely remember meeting.
"Thank you, Reynolds." The officer left them. "Now," Taylor leaned toward them. "Just where did you two come from?"
"Like I said," Evan heard himself answer. "2012."
"You had the technology back then to build a portal?" The older man didn't seem to believe him. What had been his name? Oh, yeah, Taylor.
"I have no idea what a portal is. We came through the anomaly." Why weren't there any chairs in this room?
"What did it look like?" Taylor sat back.
No harm in answering. "A big glowing ball with shards of glass all around it."
"Huh."
Dylan spoke up. "You kill the dinosaur whose head you're using?"
Taylor grinned. "As a matter fact I did."
"Where are we?" Dylan gave the man a smile.
"You're in Terra Nova."
"Maybe you should have asked when are we?" Evan thought that would have been the more obvious question.
"You are eighty five million years in the past."
"What?" Evan hadn't expected that answer.
"It's a long story and I haven't had breakfast yet. Care to join me?"
Evan stood in front of the probe. Afternoon shadows played over it. In the distance some dinosaurs called to each other. Taylor had told him the whole story about the fracture, the dying future world, and the decision to give the human race a new start. Maybe Colonel Halls' ideas hadn't been as crazy as Cross had originally thought them to be.
"Quite a story." Dylan touched the wall where many names had been carved. Above it was the probe.
"What scares me are the implications."
"I don't follow."
"Their scientists discovered a fracture in time. They send back a probe thus opening a door to the past and then build a portal, as Taylor called it. What if," Evan found his heart beating fast at the idea, "What if this is what caused the anomalies?"
Dylan considered the idea. "Opening doors into the past and allowing the dinosaurs to escape into our world?"
"Yeah." Not very scientific but accurate enough.
"So that would mean," she bit her lip. "That when they destroyed the portal,"
"They closed all the anomalies."
"So we're stuck here?"
"If I'm right. Yes."
"Poor Angie and Toby."
"Yeah." He kicked at the ground. There was another idea forming in the back of his mind. "There might be a way to let them know what happened to us."
"I don't follow."
"Take a lot of luck, but just maybe." Several children rushed by laughing. "Come on."
On the way back to their quarters, he traded his jacket for a long, narrow box. He sat at the table and opened it.
"Leave them a message." Dylan nodded. "Great idea."
"If they find the time capsule."
"You didn't tell them what was found in the Badlands." Shannon turned from the activity below to look at Taylor.
"No reason to give them false hope. Besides," Taylor rose from his desk and came to stand beside Shannon. "If even a portion of their story is true, they'll make wonderful additions to Terra Nova."
"Selfish."
"Maybe. Maybe not."
"Miss Finch." Angie glanced up from her desk. "This just arrived for you." Leeds set the oversized box down and stepped back.
"Thank you." He nodded and left.
She sighed and slowly opened the package. Inside was an object carefully wrapped. Placing it on her desk, she pushed the box onto the floor. It landed with a faint thunk.
"Now what is this?" Unwrapping the bubble wrap, she found an long silver box. "How do I open it?" She pried with her fingers and the lid popped open. Inside were objects and a carefully folded piece of paper. Her name was on written on it. She recognized Evan Cross' handwriting.
"Can't be." It had a been decade since he and Dylan Weir had disappeared.
Hands shaking she unfolded the paper.
Hi Angie,
I don't know if this will ever reach you, but I wanted you to know what happened to us. We ended up in the distant past in what was called a fracture in time. This fracture caused the anomalies. It was closed through a series of events by the inhabitants of a colony called Terra Nova.
Dylan and I are safe. Don't worry about us. I hope you went on with your life.
I'm just sorry I never told you how much you meant to me and how I appreciated all your help with my business.
I really valued our friendship.
Evan Cross
She refolded the letter and placed it back in the box. Taking one of the objects she saw a painting of Evan standing in front of a probe.
Angie smiled. She got up from her desk and looked out in the courtyard. In the small enclosure was a small object, propped up on a wall. Long ago someone head recorded the names scratched there so they'd never be forgotten.
The heroes of Terra Nova had given humanity a second chance. She was very proud Evan Cross and Dylan Weir had been part of it.