Clouds of dust swirled around Zoe as she sat on the upturned basket at the edge of the compound. It was hot, but she hadn't moved for over half an hour. Now, as she watched the soldiers move supplies from the rear of a truck to the storage shelter, the dirt that stuck to her sweaty face and neck began to itch and she fought the impulse to scratch. The sudden appearance of Commander Taylor caused her heart to race but she remained as still as a mouse as she watched him help with the unloading, his strong arms easily tossing the packages, his boots churning up the fine dust at his feet. She heard his deep voice, calling orders to his men, watched his face split into a smile as he clapped his hand across someones back, pausing for a genial comment. He seemed to look her way for an instant and in that instant Zoe almost lost her nerve, faultering in her purpose, questioning what had brought her to this.

Another swirl of dust caked her nostrils as Zoe watched. Finally he turned and strode purposefully toward the wooden structure he called home. She chased after him, her legs shaky, her heart pounding. It was now or never. He stopped halfway up the stairs and turned to her with a wry smile, "Zoe. What's happenin'. Come on up." She faultered but with a deep breath followed him into his lair. The wooden steps clattered under her small feet but she was grateful for the cool shade within the building. He was across the room, straightening papers on his desk and he turned when he realised she had stopped just inside the door. He studied her pale face for a moment. She looked exhausted, bedraggled, dirty and hot. He poured water from a pitcher and held it out. "You look hot. You been out there all afternoon?"

Her lips were dry, her mouth parched. She was going to refuse the water but changed her mind, crossing the room quickly she gulped it down. Despite the water her mouth still felt dry and with shaky hands she handed the glass back.

"What can I do for you?" He'd seen the tremour in her fingers and watched as she tried to part her still dry lips to speak.

"I think I need a hug."

He held up his arms and she flew into them, wrapping her arms around his neck and clinging to him for dear life. He felt her heart beating rapidly through her skinny chest and the tremble of her scrawny body against him. He sat down behind the desk and held her in his arms.

"You in trouble?" He asked quietly into her ear.

She extracated herself, pushing away from him, to come to stand a couple of feet away. She licked her lips again but just managed a nod.

"Wanna talk about it?"

She took a big shuddering breath.

"Take your time," he offered. "Start from the beginning."

Zoe gathered herself and it took effort to look up and even more of an effort to begin.

"I stole something from you." She watched him raise an eyebrow in question.

"I thought when I took it that I was just borrowing it. But borrowing means that you will give it back and I didnt really want to give it back."

Both his eyebrows raised at this point only to come beetling down as she added, "I took your medal."

"Zoe!" He'd been searching for it all week. He held out his hand.

"I don't have it."

"What do you mean you dont have it!"

She swallowed. It would be hard to go on but she'd started now...

"There's more," she squeaked.

He folded his arms, and fixed her with a tolerant stare. "I'm listening."

"But, but..," she added hurriedly. "I want to know ...I want you to promise...that...that you wont throw me out of Terra Nova."

"I wouldn't throw you out, Zoe."

"Well you do. You...you banish people all the time," she stuttered.

"Only when they seriously break the law." He explained.

"I've been braking the law since I was born." Zoe held her head. "I was never supposed to be here. They said you were just waiting for me to do something wrong and you would throw me out too."

"Who said?"

"And my family, my Mom and Dad and Josh and Maddy". She babbled, not listening.

"Who said?"

"And, and I dont want to be eaten by a dinosaur. You can hear your bones crunch as they bite your head off..." Her voice was rising in panic.

"Zoe, who's been telling you these things?"

Her lip trembled. "Fear Nix."

"Aw, Zoe, how'd you get mixed up with them?"

"They have my medal...er...your medal," She corrected herself.

He went around his desk and sat. Brushing his hand through his hair he let out a sigh and fixed his eyes on her.

When the Eleventh Pilgrimage had begun, a few of the pilgrims had made it through the portal before the Phoenix Group had set off the bomb and invaded Terra Nova. Most of the remaining Pilrims had been killed but a few had managed, in the commotion, to filter into the new world. Some had been captured immediately, some had gone into the bush to emerge later, fleeing the local wild life. They had been moved into the compound. One contingency had been a group of orphaned children, brought in by one woman who had taken control of them when their parents had decided to fight and had been killed. Once the battle for Terra Nova was over and Taylor and his men retured, these children had been allocated to other families in the compound.

The integration of some of these children had proved difficult because of the trauma they had experienced, but slowly, with councelling, they were beginning to fit in, but a disturbing trend was taking place at the school. Some of the older children had begun calling themselves the Phoenix Kids, having, they said, risen from the ashes of the Eleventh Pilgrimage. It all began innocently enough but as the group grew, change took place in the leadership and the gang took on a sinister role. They began trying to recruit the other kids and anyone who did not want to join was victimised and bullied. It didnt take long for the teachers to figure out what was happening and with harsh talks from the Principle and a visit from Shannon, the group seemed to have disbanded. Only it hadn't, a few of the older boys had resurrected the gang and using a play on words renamed themselves Fear Nix, fearing no one. They were preying on they younger kids again, getting them to steal and things were going missing everywhere. Some of the younger ones had been caught stealing but had been too scared to implicate the older boys and Shannon was having a problem tracking down the ringleader. No one was talking. Taylor looked across at Zoe.

"Zoe, who took the medal?" He asked.

"Er...I dont know his name."

"But you know what he looks like?"

Zoe nodded her head a little uncertainly and he strode toward the door. Looking out he called to one of his men. "Get Jim Shannon for me!".

Zoe stumbled on shaky legs as he walked back. "Zoe, sit down." He commanded. She looked like she would fall any minute.

"There's more," she whispered. "They wouldn't give it back unless I got things for them and when I did they still wouldnt give it back. They said it must be worth a lot to not tell you about it and it just got worse..."

He looked across at her with a frown.

"I stole a lot of things." Her voice shook but before she could go on her Father came through the door.

"Taylor...," he began but stopped short when he spied his smallest daughter in the corner of the room. "What...?."

"Seems she's got herself into a whole bundle of trouble," Taylor crossed to Jim Shannon as Zoe looked on. She stifled the impulse to run to her Dad. She shrank as he turned disbelieving eyes on her.

Outside the sun began to set and Zoe, who had had little sleep in the past week and had no appitite began to feel the effects of the heat and exhaustion. Her Mom had been worried and had noticed her daughters lethargy but had thought she was catching something. Now Zoe wished she was catching something, and she wished she could curl up and die. She listened to the murmured voices as the Commander and her Father discussed her fate. She couldn't make out what they were saying but hated every glance she recieved from her Dad. They both looked very angry.

Commander Taylor who had been sitting on the edge of his desk stood abruptly. "If only we knew who was behind it all. We'd need something to bring 'em out in the open."

"Most of the little kids are too scared to talk. I doubt any of them really know who's at the back of it," Jim scratched behing his ear.

"This whole situation is getting ridiculous." Taylor spat "Fear Nix! I'll give 'em something to fear!"

"Would you recognise this kid, the one who took the medal?" Shannon asked his daughter.

"..I dont know. I think so." Her answer was indecisive.

Jim Shannon looked away. Zoe knew she had let him down and searched her mind for a way to make things better, but she hadn't told them the worst thing yet. Then, slowly and idea began to take form.

"I could do it," Zoe jumped at the possibility of redemption. "I could help you."

"Be quiet, Zoe." He Father was dismissing her.

"But I could," The thought fired her, the lethargy slipped away and she felt alive. There was hope. "I have something they really want. I could help capture them."

"What could you have..."

"I have a rifle!" She announced triumphantly.

"You... have.. what!" The quiet intensity of Commander Taylors voice frightened her. Zoe felt the whole building wait in anticipation for the power keg she had ignited to explode.

"How the Hell did a five year old kid get hold of a...!" He ran his hands through his hair. "Where? Where did you get it?"

His anger had silenced her. Perhaps this was not the best thing to have admitted.

"WHERE!" He demanded.

Jim Shannon simply looked on in disbelief.

"Well, the place they keep the guns..." Zoe whispered.

"THE ARMOURY! You're telling me that you walked into the Armoury and marched off with a weapon.

Who was on duty. Who was on guard?"

He glared at Zoe and she remained mute but the widening of her eyes spoke volumns to Jim Shannon. He knew Maddy had been visiting Reynolds today.

"Where's the gun now, Zoe?" Jim asked her quietly.

Taylor honed in on her. "Where is it ? Did you give it to that band of thugs?"

"NO!"

"Then where is it!"

"Under my bed," she said in a quiet voice. That didnt seem to help and Taylor stomped across the room. "I want to know how she can walk into my armoury and walk out without anyone seeing her!" He growled as he turned to Shannon. "Who the Hell was on duty today?" Then he saw the look on Shannons face and realisation dawned. He groaned.

"I think Maddy was going to see him...Not the kids fault." Shannon grimaced.

"Your family seem to be the bane of my existance today. First your youngest robs the armoury while your eldest daughter subverts my guards. Whats your son up to?" He added sarcastically.

"I'm sure Reynolds was only distacted for a moment," Shannon tried to excuse the young soldiers actions.

"Never the less...but I'll see to him later. In the meantime we have more pressing matters. First of all we have to secure the weapon,...I'll send someone..." He glanced to the empty space that Zoe had occupied. No one had seen her go.

Zoe scrambled down the wooden stairs. She had slipped out the moment their backs were turned. She ran full tilt across the compound. Zoe knew how to put an end to this, how to stop Fear Nix but she had to act quickly. She dashed home. She didnt know how much time she had before Commander Taylor came after her but was sure it wasnt a lot. This was her only chance of redemption, get the medal back and capture the Fear Nix ringleaders.

There was no one home and she slipped into her room and closed the door. She pulled the weapon from under her bed, pulled the slats from the window and climbed out into the semi darkness between the buildings. She heard the sound of boots on gravel and quickly nipped behing a large bush, holding her breath as the boots receded. They were already looking. The door to the front of her house banged and her Father called her name. It would have been so simple to come out from behing the bush and give herself up, let the grownups deal with it, but she had gotten herself into this and she would get herself out of it. Lights flashed across the compound and she waited until the noise receeded then crept in the shadows to the next building. Her heart pounded. The gun was heavy in her arms and more than once it caught against the structure. Zoe was convinced she was making so much noise she could wake the dead. In a heart stopping moment she realised Commander Taylor was standing just a few feet away from her hiding place and she stood utterly motionless. She took shallow and controlled breaths, terrified he would hear her but another soldier approached and they walked away. As soon as they were out of sight Zoe rounded another building and again hid in the shadows. She had to hide the gun somewhere while she found the Fear Nix boy who had been her only contact so she pushed it under the raised structure and concealed in the thick foliage, crawled toward the perimeter fence.

Zoe sat huddled in the undergrowth as she watched and listened to the activity in the compound. It seemed everyone was looking for her, but then she spotted him, the kid from the gang, and he was walking towards her hiding spot. She hissed at him as he passed and he spied her under the heavy thick leaves that hung from the prehistoric bush.

"Your Dad's looking for you." He sneered.

"I know." Warily she crept forward. "I have to get the medal back."

"That's your problem." He laughted cruelly and turned away but Zoe grabbed his arm. She had to make this convincing.

"Please, this has to end. I have to get the medal back to Taylor." She hoped she sounded as desperate as she felt. He half shrugged "Maybe I'll just call to them." He laughed again.

"No, Please!" Her face was flushed, her eyes wild. "I have the gun you wanted."

He stopped. "Yeah, Right!"

"No, I do. I have to have the medal and this has to end. Please listen to me."

She could see the doubt in his eyes as he considered.

"Where is it?"

"Come to the side of Mr. Boylans , quickly. Now! Bring whoever's in charge 'cos I wont give it to anyone else and I want a promise this is the last thing you'll make me do."

He frowned but paused.

"If they catch me I'll tell them about the gun and about you. Make your mind up and quickly."

"They dont know you have the gun?"

"Of course not."

"OK." He still seemed a little reluctant.

"But I wont give it to just anyone. It has to be whoever is in charge. I wont give it to anyone else." She repeated her demand and he spun with a "Fine!"

She watched him go and losing no time, just in case he did tell on her, she carefully made her way back to where she had hidden the rifle. People seemed to be dashing everywhere, shining flashlights into the undergrowth, Zoe was amazed no one had stumbled upon her but her fear seemed to heightened her senses and she kept one step ahead. It was a very fine line she was dancing on and she knew it could all come crashing down in a moment. She half wished she would be caught. It was all so very terrifying and she didnt know how much longer she could remain strong. She knew she had to be brave but prayed for intervention. Commander Taylor would know how to deal with these kids. Zoe wished she could be strong like him.

Miraculously she reached the back of Boylans and she slipped her head through the shoulder strap and hefted the weapon into her hands. What would Commander Taylor do, Zoe thought. Her left hand cradled the stock, her right finger settled on the trigger, her left thumb against the safety lock. What would Commander Taylor do? And please let him be here soon.

She lifted her chin, straightened her shoulders emulating how he stood. Feet apart, she took a steadying breath. I am Commander Nathanial Taylor, she told herself and took strength from the thought.

The bushes ahead rustled and three figures came into view.

"Shit she got it," came one incredulous voice.

"You're one peice of shit, you know." The one in front wore a red shirt and seemed older, perhaps a year or two than the others. Zoe had never seen him before but his age and stance frightened her. He laughed. "Who'd know. A kid. She got balls!" They sniggered.

"Give it here," He stepped forward, but Zoe stepped back.

"No! I want the medal."

"Give us the gun we'll give you the medal."

"No way, the medal first and I want you to promise to leave me alone...and...and I want to know that I'm talking to the leader of Fear Nix. I dont want your boss coming after me ."

"Oh you dont need to worry about that, stupid. I'm the boss around here. What I say goes and I say give me the gun!"

Thats all she wanted to hear. "You wont get this until I get the medal."

The youths moved forward menacingly laughing. "There are three of us, stupid, we can take that thing from you and there's nothin you can do to stop us. And remember we got some real dirt on you now." He scoffed insulent and cocky.

"You need to remember something too," Zoe's conviction wavered slightly but she thought, 'think Tayor.'

"Oh yeah, what's that."

"I'm the one with the gun!" She said slowly and boldly.

"Ha, you dont know how to use that thing," He stepped forward.

Zoe lifted the weapon, aimed upward, snapped the safety with her thumb and pulled the trigger. A blast shot into the night sky.

"Shit!" The thug jumped backward. "She's crazy!"

"The medal!" She yelled at him, hoping the terror she felt didnt show in her voice.

"Ok, ok, you can have the stupid thing!" He tossed it on the ground. Zoe bent down to retrieve the medal and in a second the kid kicked out, hitting her solidly in the face. Zoe flew backwards. She hit the ground with a thud, a cloud of dust obliterated her sight. She was aware of a scuffle but as she tried to regain her senses she somehow couldnt stop the ground from spinning. She raised her head as the youth in the red shirt was suddenly on the ground beside her. Then he was gone again. Dust swirled and shouts and noises filled the air. Zoe tried to concentrate but nothing would remain still and the noises seemed to sound hollow and tinny. She spread her fingers in the dirt feeling a small metallic disk she enclosed it in her fingers, a sigh of relief escaped her. Suddenly she realised someone was trying to take the gun from her and in desperation she wrapped her arms around it and clung on. "No!" She wasnt letting them get this.

"It's OK Honey, it's Commander Taylor. You can let go of the gun now." Zoe still held onto it unable to properly decipher the words. She heard his deep voice call for a medic as he gently untangled her from the offending weapon. She looked down at the dark stain on her shirt and realised she was bleeding but she felt no panic at this observation and then she opened her hand to offered the medal. Her head swam and in the distance she heard her mother calling her name but then the fuzzy edges of her mind closed in and everything melted away.

Zoe sat in the big armchair trying to find some comfort in it, but she still had that aweful empty feeling. She felt drained as if her very soul had been ripped from her body. Her face still hurt and the bruising made her look terrible but she hurt more inside and even after a week she could not shake these effects. There had been a lot of arguing in the Shannon household. Her Mother was angry with her Dad for not watching Zoe, her Dad was angry with Maddy because she had distracted and Maddy was angry because Reynolds had been put on report and Josh was upset because he'd found out one of his friends had been part of the Fear Nix echelon. Apparently Commander Taylor had gone through the whole camp that night interregating everyone and anyone. The boys had been thrown in the Brig and he'd spent several days breaking down gang but he had not come to see Zoe and that bothered her. The consensus was that they were all getting what they deserved and Zoe was waiting for the axe to fall. There had been a lot of mumbled conversations between her parents so it came as no suprise when they told her that they were taking her to see Commander Taylor.

"Lamb to the slaughter," Josh quipped as he watched his little sister being led from the room. That didnt help. It was a long walk.

Her Mothers reassuring squeeze on her shoulder did little to lessen her anxiety as they walked into the Commanders office. He was sitting behind his desk and as he looked up at the battered child a sigh excaped his lips. "So, Zoe Shannon."

He was interrupted by Maddy who dashed into the room. "Commander Taylor. I just wanted to say that it wasnt all Zoe's fault and that I'm just as much to blame because I distracted Cpl. Reynolds at the Armoury."

Taylor had raised his eyebrows at the interruption and Jim Shannon turned to his daughter, "Go home Maddy!"

"I just wanted to say..." She began.

"Duely noted, Miss Shannon!" Taylor dismissed her and with a flounce she fled from the room.

Taylor looked from one parent to the other, "Anyone else?"

"Sorry," her Mother grimaced.

He sighed again and looked back to Zoe. "Come here young lady."

Zoe froze and was only animated once more with a stiff shove from her Father. Her legs didnt seem to want to work properly and she took very tiny steps across the seemingly vast office. She tried to stop beyond arms length, but to her dismay his arms were longer than she expected and he reached out and gently propelled her closer.

"You do know that what you did was wrong?"

She gave a minute nod.

"You understand that stealing is bad, and you realise how dangerous guns can be?" He frowned and she swallowed. He sat back and observed her for a gut renching moment. "I've been discussing the appropriate consequences with your parents."

She let out an earth shattering sigh. This was it; this was where they threw her in the brig or expelled her from Terrra Nova...or...

"It seems they would like to ground you for the rest of your life," He raised his eyebrows and looked into the brimming eyes of the child. "But you understand, as Commander of Terra Nova I have the final say in what happens to you."

He held up his hand as Dr. Shannon was about to object.

"Would you like to hear what I think?" He reached for her and pulled her up onto his lap and looked down into her wretched little face. "I think it was very brave of you to come and tell me you were in trouble. You came to ask for help and that couldn't have been easy, to admit all the things you had done. You came for help and I'm sorry because we let you down. I let you down. I was angry that a little pip- squeek like you could undermine my security. The great Nathanial Taylor had been thwarted by a five year old. And I do understand why you decided to take things into your own hands and even though I still think it was an idiotic thing to do, it must have taken great courage to stand up to those thugs."

"But I wasn't brave," Zoe whispered. "I was so scared."

"But Honey tha'ts what bravery is. The ones who aren't afraid of anything aren't being brave . Its the ones who are really terrified but continue doing what they think is right." He fished the medal from his pocket. "I got this for bravery a long time ago. And I can tell you I was scared."

It was difficult for her to believe the Commander could be afraid of anything. He took her hand and gently pressed the medal into her palm. "For being brave, Zoe Shannon."

She looked down in disbelief. "For me?" He gently closed her fingers over the shiny disk then leaned closer and she felt his breath on her ear. "Let it also be a warning. If you ever do anything as stupid as that again I will personally kick your backside from one end of Terra Nova to the other. Understood!"

But Zoe, suddenly overcome with relief and joy threw her arms around his neck. His face registered suprise and across the room her parents looked on with an indulgent smile.