Chapter 29

One False Step and You're History

"And warn that group that if they try to break in again, the only way they'll ever leave prison is in a coffin."

The younger man leaned his tablet against his artificial left arm and typed his notes up rapidly with his right. The aluminium limb was pretty well useless for most things, but at least the rubbery surface had some grip.

"Yes, sir. Should I reiterate the fact that there are no alien experiments taking place on any government premises?"

"No. Leave aliens out of this. We're having enough problems as it is."

"Yes, sir."

The man in the large leather chair beside him didn't even bother looking up. His attention was completely focused on the series of computer screens in front of him. Simon glanced around the dark room gloomily. The walls weren't even painted, and the rough red brick did little to improve the atmosphere. The room's only window was always shuttered .. not that the view was that impressive. It stared directly out onto the black murky hole far below .. not that much of it could be seen through the thick fog anyway. There were no pictures on the walls whatsoever, and the massive board room table that took up much of the centre of the room loomed out of the carpet like a turtle from beyond the grave. The large double doors always seemed to be closed to the outside world, even the carpet was shaggy, and ever since the secretary had been fired a few weeks ago, he couldn't even brighten up his day by scheming how he might 'accidentally' intercept her in the hall. The whole situation was downright depressing. Thus burdened by his gloomy thoughts, it took him a moment to realise his superior was still talking to him.

"And remember to send that letter of condolence to the secretary of defence. She's nothing more than an oversized puppet, but appearances are everything nowadays." The other man finally looked up at Simon abruptly, as though a sudden thought had occurred to him and couldn't wait another second. "Oh, and tell Parker-"

"Sir, you're receiving a call."

His superior made a warning noise in his throat and turned back to the screen, attempting to look polite. One never knew when the President was going to call, and regardless of current matters, it was customary to foster the illusion that the figurehead was still leading the country. He switched the video feed on abruptly.

"Yes?" The sight of the person on the other end made him pause, all hints of impatience falling from his face as he studied the image in front of him.

".. Dr. Taylor."

The video feed crackled as Lucas settled down into a more comfortable position in the massive chair, then folded his hands together and leaned forward a little, focusing his gaze on the other party. Simon gaped at the wobbly transmission. Of all the things he might have been predicting, this was .. unexpected.

"The Administration, I presume."

"You presume correctly." The large man confirmed. It wasn't his given name, but I'm sure any reasonable person reading the will have figured that out for themselves already. Truth be told, however, he was known by little else these days. He was quite fond of it really. After all, it was more than appropriate. In a world belonging to the famous and charismatic, people tended to overlook the fact that it was the people who understood the system that had the real power, the people that resided in the shadows behind the curtain. Out of sight, out of mind .. which was exactly the way he preferred to run his operation. He levelled his gaze on the young man, rapidly tiring of waiting for him to speak.

"What do you want?"

The hard, unwelcoming edge to his voice was unmistakable, but Lucas ignored it and slouched lazily against the chair.

"Come on, is that any way to address your most valued employee? I would've thought you'd be happy to see me again."

"Not as happy as you might think." The older man's mouth twisted dangerously, causing Lucas to rejoice inwardly in the fact that he was millions of years away and on the other end of a wireless connection.

"Hooper told us you'd turned."

Lucas snorted.

"Hooper was a whining rat. He'd say anything if it meant he got to climb higher up the ladder."

"Was?"

"Hooper's dead." Lucas attempted to remain indifferent, but couldn't resist a small sneer. "Botched kidnapping attempt."

The Admin frowned. This was a different story to the one he'd been told.

"Who was he kidnapping?"

"Me." The young physicist scoffed. "His mistake."

"You killed him?"

"Not me. Hungry Titanoboa." Lucas allowed his gaze to wander aimlessly around the room. "Guess the jungle is still on my side."

"As I recall, it wasn't once."

"Ancient history."

His conversational partner raised an eyebrow.

"Indeed."

Lucas' attention snapped back to the screen as he seemed to grow suddenly impatient.

"Look, the point is, I'm here, aren't I? Hooper isn't."

The old man frowned.

"But the camp .. the colony .." He ventured slowly. "Hooper told us-"

"Hooper wasn't the one who had to spend every waking minute with these people." Lucas snarled and glanced around warily again before turning back to the hologram and lowering his voice a little. "Trust me. Whatever I said - whatever I did - was necessary."

"Hmm." The man on the other side still didn't appear convinced. "Why did you take so long to contact us?"

"You really think they let me just wander the place? I couldn't get in here."

"Hooper told us you had them eating out of your hand."

"More or less." Lucas suppressed a grin. "But there are some things that immediately arouse suspicion. We recently had a flood. Bad one. I volunteered to fix the Eye. They agreed."

"And you don't think they suspect you?"

"Why would they? I'm one of them now." Lucas shrugged and leaned forward confidently. "Just doing my bit to help the colony recover. Just like any good citizen would."

The man on the other end appeared to consider this. Finally, the faintest trace of a smile appeared on his face.

"Very well. But you still haven't answered one question."

"What?"

"Why are you contacting us now?"

"I want out. I've figured out a way to escape this prison camp. I just need to know where I'm headed. If I know you people, you've got another site hidden away somewhere." He spread his hands amiably. "Just point me in the right direction."

"Fine. You're correct in assuming we had a .. contingency in place. I'll send through the coordinates. Come alone."

Lucas nodded.

"Thank you."

"And Dr. Taylor .. no surprises. You only get one chance to prove yourself. Don't even think about playing us, understand? One false step and you're history."

"Understood."

A set of several numbers flickered onto the screen three times before it went blank. That was the protocol. If Lucas hadn't managed to record them in that time, too bad. The Administrator switched off the screen and stared at it thoughtfully. He almost jumped when the voice came from behind him. He'd all but forgotten Simon existed.

"Do you think he actually believed you?"

The older man reclined in his chair a little and folded his hands across his waist calmly.

"Why wouldn't he? He might be intelligent, but when it comes to people, he hasn't got half the old man's instincts."

"Hasn't got the instincts of a baby slug." Simon snorted, but hurriedly concealed his chuckle as his superior continued to stare at him. Eventually - long after the staring had taken an awkward turn - the older man spoke.

"It's a shame, really. They could've made huge breakthroughs working together."

This time, the younger man was silent. His superior studied him with an approving smile for a moment before immediately taking on a more business-like manner. His smiled vanished as he turned his chair back around.

"Kill him."

- One Day Earlier -

True to his word, Carter had returned within a few days. Shortly thereafter, an emergency meeting of the council had been announced. The colony leaders weren't exactly thrilled about being at the Sixer's beck and call, but the information he possessed was supposedly worth the embarrassment. Carter didn't disappoint. As it turned out, he had spotted several seemingly random enemy squadrons since leaving the colony.

"I followed them for a little while, but they were scouting groups, professionals. And really good at covering their tracks, even for me."

He hadn't been able to figure out where their base was, but there was a whole lot more of them than there should be for just remnants of the old group.

"Most of these guys, I didn't recognise. They're new, which means they're getting in somewhere. There's more to this than we know. Something's going on." Carter had hesitated there, visibly uneasy, while the rest of the council waited in silence. "I think they're preparing another takeover. We need to act fast."

Any reference to the visit with the former commander was left unsaid. It was likely to provoke more questions than it answered, and Carter hated being interviewed with a vengeance. Instead, Lucas was summoned and questioned in Carter's place. Unfortunately, he knew nothing about any second stage to the attempted invasion. Nor, Carter asserted, did the Sixers. This was an unexpected development from all sides. It would appear the former local allies of the future had been cast into the colony melting pot and given up for dead.

Eventually, Jim whistled quietly and the council had agreed to sleep on it and reconvene in the morning. There didn't appear to be any immediate danger to the colony. The enemy - if indeed they intended to be an enemy - seemed to be carefully planning and in no sort of rush. The colony leaders should take the time to come up with a suitable plan of their own. No one except Jim had noticed Lucas slip quietly away.

Now, Lucas sat down in the massive chair and stared at the small object in the palm of his hand. He had expected to be nervous. He had expected to have to force himself to complete the task. Instead, he found himself slipping into his old habit as easily as he had once done. With a quick glance around the dim blue-lit room, he reached over the side of the seat and plugged the little object in. His hand found the port automatically, like inserting a key into the ignition for the thousandth time. Immediately, the darkness in front of him sprang to life.

Truth be told, he hadn't been at all sure what to expect, but this distinguished-looking, greying man was unfamiliar. Simon, however, he had recognised, lurking behind the chair in the shadows. He had been tempted to address him directly, but from the little he knew of the twig-like man, if there was one thing Simon hated more than being singled out, it was being ignored completely. Therefore, Lucas did just that.

When the man's face disappeared, Lucas pulled the comms device out and the room was enveloped in black again. After sitting quietly for a moment or two, he looked up into the waiting eyes of someone in the corner of the room, concealed by the wall and leaning just inside the doorframe.

"So how'd I do?"

"Very convincing."

Lucas stood as Jim came forward and smiled at him.

"A little too convincing, if you ask me."

Lucas shrugged.

"Just like riding a bike."

He made to put the device back in his pocket, but a noise from Jim's throat and the outstretched hand in front of him made him think better of it. He surrendered the comms unit before he could change his mind.

"Did you get the coordinates?"

"In here." Lucas tapped his temple and made one last examination of the room, the hair on his back and neck still prickling. Logically, there was no way the future could access the Eye without the device being plugged in and switched on .. but he still felt their presence somehow, as though their eyes had simply retreated to the darkness to watch him instead of disappearing completely.

"Sure you won't forget them?" Jim's voice broke into his mind, shattering the illusion and bringing him back to reality. Lucas mentally shook himself and threw a bored expression Jim's way, rolling his eyes for good measure. The Commander responded with a similar look of his own.

"Alright then."

"Reilly!" Jim waved his head security officer over as he continued to walk quickly toward the Command Centre. Lucas had veered off to summon Boylan and Elisabeth, but was under strict instructions to catch up with him shortly.

"Grab that will you, Private?" Reilly hurriedly finished her burger and made her way over to where Jim was standing, Skye following close behind, a security tablet in one hand and a half-finished kebab in the other. It had been a very busy morning, but all her troop had worked hard and they had decided to stop for an early lunch at the markets - a treat for the already-dirty and tired soldiers.

"Sir, I'm pleased to report the security systems are all up and running - every single one of them."

"That's great, Reilly. Good work."

Reilly frowned as Lucas jogged up.

"Something wrong, sir?"

"I'm calling a council meeting."

Reilly frowned.

"Another one? So soon?"

"That's right."

Lucas raised an eyebrow as Skye attempted to take an unseen bite of her kebab.

"Hungry?"

She shot a look at him as the eyes of the other two turned to her. To her relief, Jim was in an unusual hurry and decided to take pity on her.

"Skye, go get Mira, will you?"

"Here, I'll take that." Reilly relieved her of the tablet as Skye nodded and darted away. "And careful with that stick! Don't poke someone's eye out!"

The answering grin disappeared quickly as Skye vanished around a corner. Reilly looked back at her superior worriedly.

"What's going on, sir?"

"I'll tell you inside."

Mira and Skye were the last to enter the building, but within an impressively short space of time, the entire council was gathered. Jim was impatient to start, and nodded to Lucas to begin practically as soon as Mira's feet stepped over the threshold. Skye turned to leave, but stopped cold when she saw what Lucas was holding. He raised it up for everyone to see and began his explanation.

"This is called an EyeCD. It stands for Eye Communications Device." He exchanged a brief glance with Skye before turning back to the room at large. "It's mine, but up until recently, it was lost. It connects to the Eye and transmits on a very specific frequency, allowing you to communicate securely with anyone who has a receiver."

Skye stared at the silver object in his hand as its uneven surface reflected the light. This device. He'd told her about it long ago, but had refused to give up the location. She'd assumed it was hidden somewhere far away and out of reach, but now of all places, it had turned up here. She frowned up at Lucas.

"How-"

"Carter." Lucas supplied. "Carter found it. Turns out the Phoenix guys stole it. He passed it on to Sienna, who .." with a glance at Jim ".. made sure it found its way to me."

He generously left out Sienna's middle-man. Her father would not have approved.

"Wait a minute, you'll have to start from the beginning." Malcolm frowned and folded his arms, leaning on the glass desktop behind him. "How did Jim know?"

"He didn't." Lucas answered. "Not until yesterday, that is."

"Lucas came to me yesterday afternoon with the device - EyeCD." Jim corrected himself, with a glance at Lucas, who nodded. "The meeting was over and I was alone, which I can only assume was the intention."

Lucas nodded again.

"Though he hardly seemed surprised when I walked in. I almost believed he was expecting me."

"Maybe I was." Jim smiled a little before looking away toward the entrance. "Skye, if you're going to stay, you might as well come in and stop loitering in the doorway."

He nodded as she stepped inside quietly and tried to remain inconspicuous by the wall, then turned back to the group and continued.

"Anyway, he showed me the device and proposed a plan. I happened to think it was a good idea, not to mention one of the only chances we have to get ahead of these guys and see what they might be up to. It paid off."

".. how?" Reilly looked from Jim to Lucas in confusion, still not quite grasping the trajectory of the conversation. Boylan, however, had already put the pieces together.

"They contacted the future. Correct?"

"Ding ding." Jim threw a wry smile in the barkeeper's direction. "They gave us the coordinates for their new camp. Here."

He held up a piece of paper. Elisabeth's calm voice came from the corner of the room, belying the uneasiness that was taking hold of her stomach. There was still a piece of this puzzle missing.

"They just .. gave you the coordinates to their secret camp. In exchange for what?"

The room was silent for a moment as Jim glanced sideways, waiting for his co-conspirator to finish the story. Skye followed his gaze until her eyes came to rest on Lucas' face.

"You."

He smiled down at her.

"Me."

"No." Boylan shut the suggestion down immediately. "There's no way we're giving him to them!"

Lucas raised an eyebrow.

"I had no idea you-"

"With him on their side, they'll destroy us all over again!"

Lucas clamped his mouth shut and smiled dryly to himself.

"Right. Well, you have nothing to worry about. I'm not going anywhere near that camp."

"Actually, you are."

He looked up quickly at Jim.

"What?"

"Lucas, I need you present just in case something goes wrong."

"Me? Don't you think, under the circumstances-"

"These circumstances are exactly why I need you to come. If we get caught, we're going to need you to explain what's actually going on."

Lucas stared at him warily.

"And what .. will actually be going on?"

Jim patted his shoulder.

"You're coming to meet them just like you planned. Unfortunately, you're too air-headed to realise we were following you."

".. right."

"This is a scouting mission. No one gets caught, no one engages in battle. We get as close as we can, see what's going on, and get out. Obviously, no one can predict what's going to happen in the field, but we have to risk it. We have little choice. They can't be allowed to prepare an invasion in secret."

Jim glanced at Elisabeth. She had been present at the previous day's meeting with Carter. She knew what was at stake, and judging by her expression, she knew what had to be done. He offered her a reassuring smile. She returned it, accompanied by a gentle nod. She didn't like it, but she would stand behind him.

Jim turned to Reilly.

"I feel it only fair to offer you the third position. You're one of my best soldiers, and I can't keep dropping the responsibility onto you. Guzman can handle the colony for a few days. What do you say?"

Reilly hesitated. There was a part of her that did, in fact, want to go very much, but there was also another part .. a part that had been growing into the light ever since she had first stepped up to Washington's role. This colony was as much her responsibility now as it was Jim's, though she would never undermine his authority by outright stating the fact. She trusted Guzman and was sure of the fact that he could handle himself, but if anyone was going to run things in the Commander's absence, it was her job. She smiled as her internal battle came to a peaceful resolution. She was relied upon and looked up to, she knew how everything ought to be run, and she provided stability in Jim's absence. This is where she needed to be.

"Thank you, sir." Reilly stepped forward formally. "But it would be an honour to oversee Terra Nova until you return, if you'll allow me to."

Jim smiled and nodded solemnly, suppressing a surge of affection for his second-in-command.

"Then I'll leave the colony in your capable hands once again. I can't think of anyone I trust more with the job."

"Thank you, sir." Reilly stepped back, obviously pleased.

"Now. Who else." Jim continued, back to business. "I'll go, obviously, and-"

"Me?" Skye offered tentatively, stepping toward Jim. "You told me I could go this time, remember?"

He met her hopeful gaze firmly.

"That was only because you weren't supposed to go last time. And I didn't count on this being another track-the-bad-guys-down expedition either." He muttered. "And if I bring you, I'm gonna have to find another female to go along and-"

"Why?! Lieutenant Washington went on enough missions and she was usually the only woman."

"Wash was older. She could take care of herself."

Skye's eyes flashed indignantly, but Jim remained unapologetic. She turned to her immediate superior for support.

"I've learned a lot over the past year. Haven't I, Reilly?"

Reilly, however surprised she may have felt at having being dragged into the discussion, nodded calmly.

"Yes, she has. One of my best recruits."

Jim was unmoved.

"And if Reilly was coming, I wouldn't have a problem with it. But-"

"But you don't trust me on my own." Skye shook her head and readjusted her strategy. Her disrespectful tone would get her nowhere and she knew it, but how else could she make him understand ..

"I've seen these guys first-hand. I know more about how they operate than pretty much anyone else you could bring along. I have the experience from last time to work off of, and I can shoot better than most people if we do get into trouble. And you know how I react in a crisis situation, so in some ways, I'm less of a risk. Please, I have to come. I can't just sit here while you go off and investigate, I'll go crazy. Please. I'll listen, I'll carry whatever you want me to, I'll take first watch every night, and I promise .." She raised her hands in a final plea. ".. you won't even notice I'm female."

Jim studied her thoughtfully.

"You put up a good case, but I can't help but think that a more experienced soldier wouldn't have to sell themselves so hard. Are you trying to convince me or yourself? Do you think you're ready for this?"

"Yes." Skye said, without a moment of hesitation. "And respectfully, even a more experienced soldier has to start somewhere, don't they?"

Jim nodded slowly, considering her words, then glanced at Lucas. The young scientist didn't offer any helpful suggestions. After a moment, Reilly stepped forward again.

"With respect, sir, there are few women in security as it is. I understand where your thinking is coming from, and I appreciate the desire to keep us safe .. but to try and chaperone us all the time is, frankly, impractical."

Jim raised an eyebrow.

"Is that right?"

"Yes, sir." Reilly glanced at Skye. "Now I'm not saying Skye should go - there are plenty of more highly trained soldiers that would jump at the opportunity; I'm sure Skye knows that - but if you think it's for the best, I believe she's up to the task. She's worked hard on her self-defence drills and you know she can sneak around when she wants to."

Jim exchanged a hidden smile with Reilly as Skye dropped her eyes, her cheeks flaming. After a moment, he addressed Skye directly.

"You'd have to get checked out by Elisabeth to make sure you're fit for duty."

She looked up quickly.

"Got the all-clear last week."

Jim looked over at his wife, who nodded in conformation. Jim raised his hands in surrender.

"Very well. You're in. But not a word to anyone about it." He hesitated before adding "Except your mother, of course."

Skye swallowed her yelp of excitement and simply nodded in response. Jim turned to Reilly.

"One more, I think. Anyone you've got in mind?"

It was shortly thereafter decided that Curran should come along to make up the fourth member of the party. Time was of the essence. Preparations would be made throughout that day. They would take one Rhino and leave early in the morning. The colony would have to be told, of course, but Jim preferred to keep the true intention of the mission as quiet as possible for as long as he could. Several members of the security team knew exactly what was going on, but most people only knew they were conducting some surveillance. That was the way Jim preferred it.

"Dr. Wallace!"

"Maddy." Malcolm exchanged a look with Casey Durwin as the girl ran up behind him. "What is it? I could hear your agitated respiration from the other side of the colony."

He put down a small glass cube and picked up another, squinting suspiciously at it.

"Are you sure this is Egyptian moss? It looks too gold to me."

"Sure as they come." Durwin nodded matter-of-factly. "It's just the afternoon sun. Makes it look yellower."

Malcolm's eye twitched down at him before returning to the specimen.

"Mm."

"It's the eggs!" Maddy burst out, after making a valiant attempt to control her breathing. "The miniature Komodo eggs are hatching!"

Malcolm slammed the glass cube down onto the table so hard that both Maddy and Casey flinched. The latter barked a protest at Malcolm's hurriedly retreating back.

"What about the specimens?!"

"That's not Egyptian moss!" Malcolm yelled back over his shoulder. "It's Sicilian moss! Tell your underlings to put on their glasses next time!"

Leaving Durwin behind to hold the cube up to the light and study it with a frown, Maddy caught up with Malcolm. The head researcher glanced at her rebukingly.

"Why didn't you come get me sooner?!"

"I tried to contact you!" Maddy defended herself, trying to keep pace with his rapid steps. "Why is your radio off?!"

"Oh." Malcolm hurriedly sidestepped a random passerby and glanced at his assistant again. "I turned it off. Got sick of Fredericks' constant whining about his wood rot spores."

"Eh." Maddy's face twisted sympathetically, but when she looked at him a moment later, all trace of sympathy had fallen away. Her eyes widened as they were drawn upwards. She reached for his arm, her voice taking on a sharp note.

"Malcolm-"

Malcolm cleared his throat disapprovingly.

"I've told you before. You will address me as Dr. WaAAHHH!"

Several of the market people looked up curiously as Malcolm lurched sideways and landed beside one of the stalls, taking an unfortunately-situated young woman with him. The pterosaur that had almost landed on him had crashed to the ground and was now waving its head gently, as though it had thoroughly dazed itself. Malcolm sprang up like a coiled spring and apologetically helped the girl up as well. He turned to the pterosaur, who didn't seem to understand what had just happened. Upon first glance, it was apparent that its left wing was bent strangely. It was small, for a pterosaur of the pteranodon variety that is, barely the size of a fully grown bald eagle. Probably hadn't hit its adolescent growth spurt yet, Malcolm surmised, but it couldn't be far off. Maddy, who had more or less managed to sidestep the incident, frowned as she watched it pitifully attempt to regain its bearings.

"Easy .. I think its wing might be broken."

"Looks that way." Malcolm commented grimly, tilting his head to watch the pterosaur. It was still waving its own head, swaying it back and forth over and over again in a dizzying repetition of the movement. "He's probably in shock. Everybody stay back. Clear the area. Maddy, will you-"

The sound of a nearby pistol charging up brought an abrupt end to his assessment.

"No!" He turned to the security team member and stood in front of the gun, holding a hand out. "Don't shoot it! Are you mad?! Maddy .." turning to his assistant ".. go and get the tranq gun."

As Maddy nodded and headed off quickly, a nearby girl threw a playful look at Malcolm.

"So can I call you Doctor Wah from now on then?"

Malcolm shot the young woman a look of such cold fury that she mentally vowed never to address him as anything ever again.

By the time Maddy had returned with the tranquillisers, the young pterosaur had regained enough stability to hop about a little, staring inquisitively around at the nearby stalls and spectators. Malcolm raised the pistol with a twinge of guilt.

"Lights out."

The pterosaur stared at him with its large clear eyes, obviously not understanding what was about to happen, but sensing some imminent development in his circumstances. Malcolm aimed for its unharmed shoulder.

"Sorry, old thing, but you'd rather be sleeping for this next part. Trust me."

With that, he pulled the trigger unceremoniously. The dart came out clean and hit his intended target straight on. Within the space of a few minutes, the pterosaur was lying conked out on the gravel. Malcolm prided himself on .. well, truth be told, Malcolm prided himself on a lot of things, but not least of all was being a decent shot with a pistol. With the pterosaur out like a light, Malcolm and Maddy knelt beside him and got to work. The analysis and subsequent medical procedure didn't take long. They finished up their makeshift splint and leaned back to survey their efforts. Malcolm nodded at his assistant.

"Good job. That was neat work, if I do say so myself."

"Indeed."

They turned to see Jim watching from the sidelines with a smile. He stepped forward to help the two substitute veterinarians up, pausing to brush a patch of dirt off Malcolm's shoulder.

"Heard you were almost flattened. You alright?"

The head researcher shoved the helping hand away roughly, turning to pass his medical kit to Maddy.

"Fine. I just want to know why in the blazes we have so many wild animals dropping in for medical attention lately!"

"They must sense your approachable and sensitive nature."

Malcolm rolled his eyes as he finished brushing himself off.

"Funny."

Jim grinned and nodded towards the injured animal.

"How is he?"

"He's lucky. It's just sprained. Though what happened to him to cause him to plummet from the sky is anyone's guess. We'll keep him in the largest cage we've got at the Lab. Maddy, get some of the boys at the Lab to bring the big cage over, will you? It's empty now."

Maddy nodded and set off once again. Jim watched her go for a moment and then cast an innocent glance at his companion.

"So what are you gonna call it? .. oh, I guess Malcolmus is already taken, huh?"

Malcolm ignored the barb and folded his arms.

"All going well, he won't be here long enough to warrant a name. He's gonna wake up with a nasty headache, but he'll have to deal with it for a little while. He should be right as rain soon enough." Malcolm glanced at Jim. "You all packed then?"

"Yep. Just heading over to make sure the Rhino's ready for lift-off."

"Tally-ho."

Jim hesitated.

"You absolutely sure you don't want to come?"

"Positive." Malcolm smiled pleasantly and smacked the Commander's shoulder. "You just make sure you come back in one piece or don't bother coming back at all."

"You're a real pal, Malcolm."

"I know. It's my sensitive nature."