CHAPTER TWO


Jess said goodbye to the pop band she'd been chatting to for the past twenty minutes and headed back around the rear of the stage to join the main path. It had been lovely to hang out with a popular group she loved and talk about the latest fashion collections but she was beginning to miss her soldier company! So as the girls moved to get some food, Jess took the opportunity to hunt down her husband who had still not returned from the toilets.

She guessed he'd taken the lengthy walk back to their campsite as even Jess had to admit it was beautiful. The way the sun shone through the tiny gaps of the trees allowing them to cast shadows along the dirt track floor, and the colourful flowers in bloom along the slope just filled Jess with a wave of freedom and happiness.

She was about to turn the corner when the soldier who was the subject of her search came sprinting from the opposite direction.

"There you are! I was just coming to look for yo-" Jess began, but Becker cut her off.

"Jess, there's an anomaly about 300m back down that path on the top of the slope through the trees. We've got to do something!"

Despite the urgent need to protest that Hil was just seeing things, Jess immediately resumed Field Coordinator mode.

"Right okay, we need to get it under control before something comes through."

"I know, I'm heading to the truck now to get a locking device and some EMDs."

Jess nodded, before rummaging through her bag. "Right good. Take these." She ordered, thrusting an earpiece and a black box into his hand.

He raised an eyebrow at her and smirked, Jess blushed.

"You're not the only one who doesn't like to be complacent, Captain! I'm always prepared." She replied briskly, failing to suppress a knowing grin.

They both put their earpieces in and set to work. Jess hurried off to contact the management in case of an incursion while Becker headed to his truck, trying and failing to get in contact with the ARC. Instead of a reply, all he got was static.

"Matt, do you copy? Abby? Carter? Jess, aren't these comms supposed to have a national range?" he asked, become slightly irritated.

"Of course. Are you unable to contact the ARC either?"

"No, it's just static."

"Well keep trying, it might just be a glitch in the system."

But the soldier wasn't convinced. "Jess, if there was a glitch in the system we wouldn't be talking to each other."

"I know sorry, I'm just trying to avoid thinking of alternatives but I think that's all we've got left."

"You think it's in Lockdown?" He had arrived at his truck and was pulling a locking device from the flatbed and an EMD case. He didn't think it would be wise to walk around with it in his hands just yet.

"That's the only other explanation I can come up with. That also means mobile communications are useless too."

Becker nodded even though he knew there wasn't much point. "We're on our own."

"Oh god, what am I going to do?! I don't do this Becker, I don't do the physical stuff I co-ordinate!" Jess panicked.

"Jess, calm down. It's fine. We'll just have to manage, hopefully." He added, starting to walk back to the anomaly site. "As long as we don't get anything too problematic for an incurs-"

"Becker!"

But too late, the damage had been done. No sooner had the words left his mouth did the Head of Security see what had possibly made Jess interrupt him.

"Damn." was all he could say.

A flood of tiny beaver-like creatures suddenly stormed the festival field. Catching passers-by by surprise as the mass scurried into every corner; music tents, food tents, merchandise tents. And the stages.

"Diictodons." Jess breathed. "Bloody hell we've got one heck of a job on our hands! Becker, get the anomaly locked ASAP. I'll get a cover story circling."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Escaped rare beavers from the local zoo?"

"That could work." Becker mused. "There's a river opposite the anomaly, they swam down?"

Jess grimaced. "Okay it's not the best plan but do you have any better suggestions?"

"Nope."

"Okay, rare beavers it is! Just lock that thing so we can concentrate on rounding these things up!"

"Copy Jess."

Jess ran to the backstage area at the rear of the field, hoping to pinpoint the management team. On her way up she noticed festival-attendees cooing over the new arrivals. She was eternally grateful that nothing worse had come through.

The Field Coordinator tried Abby's mobile again but it was a dead signal. "Dammit! She exclaimed. "Of all the days for this to happen!"

She then began reeling through the contacts on her phone in an attempt to identify an ARC member who wasn't on shift today but the only one she found, soldier Sally Wainwright, was on medical leave so that was a dead end. And Lester had no meetings scheduled for today so he was likely to be within the ARC. It was hopeless.

"Excuse me." Jess asked the first person she came across who happened to be a security steward. "I need someone to inform the management here about a pack of beavers from the private zoo a few miles from here. I am a representative of it and would appreciate if we could have aid in returning these creatures to their area please?"

"Certainly Madam, please follow me."

Meanwhile Captain Hilary Becker was finishing up with the anomaly. Pressing the required keys on the pad, the pulse caused the golden ball to retract.

"The anomaly's locked, Jess."

"Copy that, now get back here and help me!" Jess pleaded. "I've informed the management and they're going to put out a call to the field asking everyone to help."

"Do you think that'll work?" Becker asked doubtedly as he hurried back to his wife.

"No but again it's the only chance we've got. They're gonna tell everyone to guide the beavers back to the river. We'll have to fish them out and put them back through. We are not taking all of these back with us! As much as I love Sid and Nancy, a few more thousand playmates would just be way too much! We could even have sent them back too if the ARC wasn't in Lockdown."

"Good plan, Jess."

"Thanks."

A few minutes later Becker caught up with Jess and handed her an EMD which like him she slung over her shoulder.

"Do you think we should tranq them?" Jess asked but Becker shook his head.

"There's a chance that even on the lowest setting their small bodies might not be able to take it."

"Aww is Abby finally rubbing off on you?" Jess teased.

"Shut up." He retorted, but grinned and pecked her. Well it would have been a peck if Jess hadn't held on and made it longer. She looked him up and down taking in his his green t-shirt and blue jeans tucked into his combat boots.

"You really should wear civvies more often at work." She whispered and laughed when he glared at her.

"This is the perfect example of how the uniforms promote authority! I mean look at me! I don't look like a professional security soldier, I look like a…farmer!" He joked.

She shook her head and descended into a fit of giggles. Then she took his hand and led him in the direction of the chipmunk-beaver flooded field.

"Come on, let's put your sheepdog impression to the test!"

. . .

To be continued