Earth – New Beginning
Dragonlots aka Dana Bell
Chapter 19: Predators and Decisions
A terrifying roar penetrated Laura's bones causing her to temporarily freeze. She'd heard that could happen with predators and fought against her instincts. Sheba snarled, helping her to break the hold. The cat's eyes were large and hostile.
"I totally agree."
Bola barreled toward the colony his full grown legs allowing him a faster speed than she remembered. Laura dared to glance back trying to see how close the T Rex was. He limped and seemed to be slowing.
"Only good for short distances are you?" She grinned. Maybe they'd make it Terra Nova safely or else just enough ahead that Commander Taylor could prepare for their unexpected visitor.
Sheba constantly complained, her high pitched whines hurting Laura's ears. The cat's short tail twitched rapidly.
"Not long," she promised the cat, not daring to touch Sheba. She had no desire to get bit.
Above the mid-day sun shined down. Bola broke through the tree canopy and hurried across the open expanse. She could see the fence of the colony and several figures around the open gate. The T Rex roared again as he raced to try to caught them before they were safely inside.
Bola slowed as he got closer, stopping just short of plowing right through the fence. She prepared to dismount as Sheba leapt down, turning to face the oncoming menace.
"Laura, here!"
She glanced down surprised to find Dr. Quest waiting for her.
"I'll catch you." He'd raised his arms to catch her, his eyes briefly glancing in the direction of the oncoming predator.
Her brief hesitation ended when the predator roared yet again. She slid down, falling into his arms. They looked at each other briefly, before she broke eye contact.
"Well done, Bola." She patted his strong leg.
"Come on," the scientist urged, ushering her under the gate.
"Close the Gate!" Taylor ordered.
She heard every clink as it lowered and the clank when it hit the ground.
Bola turned and bugled a challenge, while the Sheba added her own challenging yowl.
The T Rex didn't stop. It lumbered across the muddy ground, its legs unsteady in the muck.
"It's too close," she said, even as Dr. Quest's arm snagged her waist.
"Sonics!" Taylor yelled.
Her gaze shifted to the elevated platforms. The weapons swung outward poised to fire.
Bright colors registered as nearly a dozen of the dangerous bright colored reptiles appeared seemingly out of nowhere. They jumped high enough to put series scratches in the predator's neck. Red blood trickled down, mixing into the mud. It screamed as it died under their barrage of sharp claws and teeth.
Laura covered her ears, unable to listen. She'd seen many deaths during her time at Terra Nova, yet this creature dying was more than she could handle.
Dr. Quest pulled her close, his beard brushing her forehead.
Minutes later, a bloody pile of bones remained as the creatures carried off chunks of dripping flesh. They vanished to wherever they'd been hiding.
"They hunt as a pack," Dr. Quest observed.
"Explains their attacks," Taylor agreed. "Today we've learned something new about them."
"And a possible weakness," Jim Shannon said, his hand rubbing his jaw.
"How so?"
"I'll explain later."
Laura watched Sheba pad over to the striped carcass and claim a huge bone, which she carried to the gate and stood waiting for it to open.
"Let the cat in," Taylor instructed.
The gathered crowd parted to give Sheba lots of room as she trotted down the road toward their home.
"I'd better follow." Laura pulled out of Dr. Quest's embrace.
"Want company?"
She paused before nodding. "Sure."
He took her hand as they followed the Sabre cat. Laura's heard pounded. Whether from the attack of the smaller predators or the man beside her, she wasn't sure.
You're in trouble now, she told herself.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Taylor watched Bola as the very large Brachiosaurus walked along the perimeter stopping to munch on tree leaves handing over the fence.
"Suppose he'll hang around?" Shannon asked Taylor.
"Probably." Taylor noticed Malcolm Wallace join them his face holding an eager expression. "Something I can help you with Malcolm?"
"I want the remains." He pointed at the fresh kill. "We've never had a chance to examine a T Rex."
He had a point Taylor decided. "Reynolds!"
The young soldier hurried over. "Sir?" He'd slung his weapon over his shoulder.
"Find a transport and help Malcolm get the dead T Rex remains to the lab."
"Yes, sir." He motioned to several soldiers nearby, one of which headed toward the motor shop.
"Here's what we'll do," Malcolm said, going on to give instructions on how to retrieve the carcass.
Shannon grinned. "That'll keep Malcolm busy for a while."
Taylor chuckled. "I can but hope."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"There conditions are primitive," Sire Uri complained, shifting his bulk uncomfortably in the chair he'd chose to sit in.
Adama hid a smile, waiting to see who of the council would speak.
"No more than many of our people live under already," Siress Tinia reminded him.
"There isn't much of a choice," Commander Cain added from his place next to Adama. "The fleet is out of fuel."
His words hung in the air. Every member of the council was aware of their dire situation.
Adama finally spoke. "I suggest Blue and Gold Squadrons do a fly over of a few of the suggested colonization spots." Apollo handed him a rolled out map, which the commander spread across the small table. Dr. Wallace had left it for them on his way to the front gate and the near dinosaur attack.
Apollo added, supporting his father as always. "Ariel recons will give us a much better idea which sites might work well for our people."
"Sites!" Uri objected. "You're suggesting separating us…"
"We lived in twelve colonies all our lives." Rae stepped forward from her spot near the window, her gaze pinning each council member as if aiming at Cylon raiders.
"If we can find an area to settle," Tinia smoothed, "we can establish trade between the various communities."
With a nod Adama agreed understanding her logic. Each ship in the fleet played a vital role to their survival. It would be same when they formed each new settlement.
"And the ships?" Uri pushed, his pudgy face reflecting his hatred of the entire idea.
"We strip them down." Lt. Don normally quiet said the one thing none of them wanted to hear.
"Our homes!" Uri rose.
"Would you prefer they be our tombs?" Cain asked.
With a grateful look at the other Battlestar commander he reminded them all, "Earth is our home now."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Hey!" Alona called as she watched the holographic image. "Atlantis is launching!"
"What?" Kelly dashed out of her office to her friend's.
The two watched as the city gracefully pushed up into the clear blue sky.
"Are those boxes?" Kelly pointed at the image of several containers left on the lake shore.
"Hope they didn't seed." Alona bit her lower lip worried. "Maddy!" she called.
The teen poked her head into her office. "Would you find Dr. Wallace, your dad and Commander Taylor." Just tell them we have an update with Atlantis."
"On it." Maddy dashed off. Today she wore jeans and short sleeved shirt.
"You want to go look." Kelly gave her a knowing look.
The barrier between the atmosphere and space parted giving them a brief glance at the stars overhead, before the image of the city vanished completely.
"Of course I do," Alona finally answered. "We need to find out what those boxes contain. Besides," she grinned. "I think Laura might want to go look for babies again."
"No doubt you'd love to take a ride on Bola's back." Kelly shook her head. "Not me."
"What if it were the only way to get around?"
"We're not there yet."
"Key word being 'yet'."
"At least we learned this thing," she pointed at the holographic imager, "is short range."
"So it seems."
Kelly retreated to her office as the voices of the three men Alona had sent for echoed through the building.
"What's up?" Dr. Wallace asked as he came inside, Taylor and Shannon behind him.
"Thanks, Maddy." The teen looked disappointed but returned to the task she'd been given earlier.
"Atlantis is gone," she told them. "They left behind some containers. I need to go find out what's in them."
"Not without me," Malcolm objected.
"You need to stay here." Alona had no intention of allowing him access to any advanced technology she'd discovered in her ancestors journals.
"I'm the heard of the Science Department," he objected.
"Malcolm." Taylor shook his head. "Dr. Jackson will go."
"I agree." Shannon backed the commander. "You're going to bring them back to Terra Nova."
His words weren't a question more of an order.
"Of course." Hopefully they didn't contain anything dangerous.
Dr. Wallace's boyish face displayed his displeasure. "Fine, but you file your reports directly to me."
"As always."
"Anything else Dr. Jackson?" Taylor looked more tired than usual. No doubt with all the changes he felt the heavy weight of command.
"That was it. Oh, I'm going to ask Laura to let me ride Bola." She hoped the ride would be as much fun as she thought. Alona felt a brief sense of excitement like she had as a child after making a new discovery.
"That's fine." Taylor took a deep breath. "Come on, Shannon."
They two leaders left.
"I meant what I said," Malcolm reminded her.
"When do I not?" she returned.
He gave her a knowing look and slunk out the door.
Her head sank into her hands. What could they ancients, as her ancestor called them, left for them to find?
"You should go home."
She raised her head and found Maddy standing before her desk.
"You look tired."
"You have no idea."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Lucas stood on the wave of the sand dune, the bright moon shining down illuminating the wreckage scattered about. Busted wooden ships, their remains reminding him of skeletons intertwined with rusted out cars probably from the twentieth century. Other items he had no interest in and would probably never inspect.
What haunted him was the hunger. Plates full of food that Mira tried to get him to eat made him ill just from the smell. Then there were the blackouts. He'd return to the camp feeling full with no memory of what he'd done of what he'd eaten to fill the hollowness.
Tonight, his inside gnawed and he desperately wanted to know how to feed it.
"What are you doing out here, Lucas?" Mira demanded, her hair braided back with a few feathers for decoration. She wore her normal tight fitting outfit.
"My job," he snapped back, annoyed at her interruption.
She snorted. "You've already failed at your job." Her dark hands motioned to the junk graveyard. "I thought these relics were supposed to help you find a way back to 2149."
"Still might." His anger boiled over that Dr. Quest had been taken from him thanks to that damned big cat of Laura Collins.
Mira's eyes swept over the wrecks. "You and your plans. None of them have worked out have they?"
He growled his frustration at her words even as his ears picked up the beating her heart and his nose detected the pleasing aroma of her blood pumping through her veins. His mouth watered.
"Take a bath, Lucas. You reek." Mira marched away.
"You smell delicious." He grinned, not sure what his discovery meant, yet determined he would find out.
