Chapter 12

A String of Very Different Strokes

"Well, Mr. Medic, you seem awfully quiet this fine afternoon."

Skye tilted her head curiously in her companion's direction. There was absolutely no response. Finally, after a few seconds of complete silence, Josh frowned and turned to stare back at her.

"Hm?"

"Okay .." Skye released a short laugh. "Just .. don't fall into any nests while your head's in the clouds."

"That's what you're here for."

She snorted.

"What, to provide you with medical assistance while you provide medical assistance to everyone else?"

"No, to fall in the nests."

Skye gasped in indignation and lashed out haphazardly, sending Josh stumbling over a rogue tree root and almost sprawling onto the track.

"Careful!" He stood, dusting himself off in annoyance. "When are you gonna start thinking before you act? And I used to think you were the mature one."

"I used to think I was too." Skye muttered to herself, turning back to eye him critically. "What's up with you lately? You used to have a sense of humour."

"Yeah well, I used to have a lot of things."

She watched him with some sympathy for a few moments as he walked, head down, mind evidently far away on some other distant mountainside. She sighed inwardly. During the few brief moments she had actually spent with Josh over the past year, they had consistently seemed to be on completely different wavelengths. There had been a time, far more recently than either of them would have imagined now, when they had been so in sync, they could practically read each other's thoughts with one look. Now, she joked and he took offense, or he teased and she had to force out a stiff laugh. He zigged and she zagged and the divide grew ever wider, meanwhile no one could explain why. She kicked at a mossy bone that lay across her path and sent it flying back into the woods. Josh turned to observe the action, but couldn't seem to think of anything useful to input. Not even the Ovosaur in their company bothered taking more than a second look in the bone's direction. The three continued on in silence.

They had been sent out to tend to the wounded and fallen out on the battlefield. It was common practice to send a soldier with a medic, both for defense, as medics weren't allowed to carry weapons, and extra support in case a message had to be carried back to base in a hurry. Skye had been assigned to Josh as a matter of course. Inky had come because he rarely let the young doctor out of his sight. She glanced back at the black Ovosaur. He was still smaller than was usual for his age, but he compensated for the fact with a generous helping of intelligence. His trustworthiness was rewarded with the honour of carrying the extra bandages, so he trailed along happily with them through the forest, bag strapped securely onto his back, with an extra clip around his neck to stop it slipping. As Skye watched, he leaped over a branch and landed, pulling up short as the bag bumped against his spine. He turned to look at the offending object for a moment, turned his attention back to Josh, and set off once more. She watched him repeat the same action four more times over the next half an hour. If the first instance had been comical, the fifth was almost depressing. Just as she found herself wanted to sit him down, look into his beady black eyes and explain to him exactly what was going on, their destination finally came into view.

"We're here." Skye said unnecessarily as they stepped out of the forest. Josh glanced down at her and nodded, but said nothing. Her heart wrenched miserably again as she followed him into the centre of the small circle, giving a quick nod of greeting to the sentries that formed the outer ring. This was beginning to feel like the longest day of battle so far .. and they hadn't even met any hostile forces on the way. Then again, she grumbled to herself, there was more than one type of hostile.

Several injured soldiers were laid out on tarps around the area. One was groaning softly to himself. She knelt beside him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey. We're here to help you, alright? Can you hear me?"

The reinforcements had their work cut out for them. The soldiers must have had the fight of their lives on their hands to have come out this battered. Focused on the patients, neither member of the medical team thought twice about the approaching footsteps until the last minute.

"Clear out."

Skye looked up in surprise as three armed men stepped into the clearing, her insides twisting angrily as she recognized the one in front. As of yet, they had received no name to go with the face, but this snide beanpole had been at the heart of several recent clashes. He and his little band of merry men were a large part of the reason their front line was slowly retreating. He seemed to be taking great delight in chipping away at it, bit by bit.

"This is our territory!" A nearby sentry was exclaiming indignantly. At least he didn't seem at all surprised by the interruption. "You're way out of line. You have exactly twelve seconds to make yourselves scarce."

Josh had stood immediately and was now striding over, stopping casually between Skye and the newcomers.

"What's the problem?"

"The problem?" The enemy lieutenant grinned down at Skye. "Polite little guy, isn't he, your medic?"

Josh followed his gaze downward to meet Skye's eye.

"Keep working. Focus on what you're doing."

With that, he turned his attention back to the soldier. Skye complied, her stomach knotting as she looked away. Though she had been sent out here as his guide and protector, she was well within her rights to pull rank on him, but a layer of common sense quelled the urge to try. They would be much better off if they could convince the enemy that they were simply a rescue party out to pick up their injured, which was, as it happened, exactly what they were. She smiled reassuringly at her patient as she continued wrapping his hand. Above her, Josh folded his arms calmly.

"I asked you a question. You know the rules. We're just here to tend to our men, and we're within our own boundary. Since you seem to have an unusually short memory, I'll ask you again. What seems to be the problem?"

"There are no rules in war." The soldier's mouth twitched sardonically. "And actually, this territory isn't within your boundary anymore. Didn't you know? Your boundary line has shifted."

"Why do you say that?" Josh responded lightly. Skye glanced up again, almost finding herself smacked in the face as his lab coat caught the wind. The traditional white coat and red armband identified him in the field as a member of the medical office. Elisabeth wore a matching set. People often commented on how much he had taken after his mother, and he had, in his own way. But right now, it wasn't his mother he was reminding her of. The cool manner, the underlying note of warning in his voice, the way he had - perhaps even subconsciously - positioned himself between the danger and the rest of the vulnerable camp - he was the spitting image of his father. Not for the first time, Skye wondered at how alike the two were.

"Look, you must've heard the reports." The enemy soldier was explaining. "We're pushing you back toward the colony. I'm a nice guy, so I'm giving you one more chance to leave quietly and get these invalids to safety. Resist, and we'll show you exactly why you're losing ground."

The man's eyes twinkled, as though daring them to try something.

"The choice is yours."

Josh held his position for a minute, meeting the other man's gaze evenly. Then he nodded.

"Alright. But give us five minutes to stabilize them before we travel."

The leader shrugged a little.

"Five minutes then."

Josh shot a warning look at Skye as he went to consult with one of the sentries. They obviously didn't agree with his decision. She listened to the hushed argument a few feet away as tension prickled throughout the small encampment. Her patient flexed his arm a little, testing the new bandage. She deliberately focused her attention back on him.

"How does it feel?"

"Better." He laid the injured arm in his lap carefully, as though he was laying his prized possession in a bed of silk cloth. "Thanks."

Skye nodded, her eyes flicking up to the enemy leader as the stifled argument grew louder behind her. He was watching the discourse with curious interest, but seemed to sense her gaze on him. His eyes dropped to meet hers, and he smiled a little as they locked. He wasn't worried at all, she realized suddenly. He was more than prepared for a fight because he knew he'd win. He'd already surveyed the camp and calculated the odds, and the likely outcome was in his favour. They'd gain nothing from starting a fight here. Josh was right. The best course of action was to retreat.

Just as she came to this conclusion, she felt the ground beneath her begin to shudder. Rhythmically, only subtly at first, but the vibrations were growing steadily stronger by the second. Her heart rate quickened. They were familiar vibrations. Everyone in the camp had spent enough time outside the gates to be able to recognize the pattern by now. The enemy lieutenant's gaze was torn away from hers as the man beside him screeched his name.

"R .. RichARDSON-"

"What-"

The soldier spun wildly as his comrade gripped his arm, continuing to shout shrilly in his ear. The noise mixed with a savage roar as a series of heavy footfalls shook the camp, like a giant over the hill was beating out a rubber mat.

Josh's attention was elsewhere now, his argument with the other man forgotten as he rushed to help up a stumbling patient.

"EVERYBODY GET UP. GET UP!"

He looked around frantically for Skye just as the angry head burst out of the trees with another bellow.

The rusty orange Carnotaur paused at the edge of the clearing to stare around at the milling figures, the whites of his small eyes flaring. A few people froze to look at him. He stared back for half a second, then planted his feet, stretched his short neck, and boomed out a warning that was loud enough to deafen the ears of anyone in close proximity. Richardson had dropped to one knee to level his crossbow at the Carno, but something in the creature's manner made him pause. He glanced at Skye again. Something was ticking over in the back of his mind. Some part of this equation wasn't right, something was .. off. His eyes widened as the realization dawned on him. A few feet away, Skye took note of the expression and understood instantly, as though somehow he had projected the alarm signal telepathically across the camp. The thundering beat hadn't abated. The dinosaur stood not eight metres from where they were kneeling .. but the ground was still thudding. No sooner than they had recognized the fact, it stopped.

A cold trickle of sweat ran down the enemy soldier's spine. The girl that had accompanied the medic was now staring in horror at the space directly behind him. Ignoring the almost overwhelming urge to turn and look, he calmly tensed and released his shaking hands. If he missed this shot, he wouldn't get another chance. He met the Terra Novan girl's eyes again, as if trying to draw courage from the gaze of a complete stranger. Oddly enough, the silent plea seemed to work. At Skye's slight nod, he felt a surge of fire rush through him. He spun on one knee, and fired.

The shot wasn't enough to kill it, but the pain from the crossbow bolt provided the few short seconds of distraction he needed to make his getaway. He scrambled out of biting distance, pausing to reload while Josh shot past him like a human cannonball, reaching an injured soldier just in time to drag him free of the massive jaws. A scream rang out as the dinosaur across the camp charged, trampling over a wounded man and crushing his leg in the process.

Running and jumping and screaming and dodging, men seemed to be throwing themselves in all directions to try and escape the crunching jaws, while others fired haphazard shots and reloaded, fired and reloaded. Meanwhile, a growing portion of the soldiers tried to escape with the wounded. The scene, witnessed in its entirety, must have appeared like some form of comical theatre production. This was certainly the perspective of the second squad of Phoenix soldiers as they burst from the south side forest and stopped short, drawn by the yells and sounds of battle but suddenly finding themselves in the middle of a scene they didn't quite know how to react to. Greeted by absolute confusion, a couple of the bemused men automatically focused in on the green and brown Terra Novan uniforms and began shooting at anything that wore armour. Spying his comrades mid-sprint, Richardson changed direction and charged at them, knocking one of the better shots off course as he screeched, his voice laced with mild hysteria.

"Forget them! Aim for the beasts! We can take care of them later. Duck!" This last part added hastily as a thick tail swung around towards the line of new men. One managed to evade it successfully. The next wasn't so lucky. There was a hollow thud and a crack as it made impact.

Having recently sent one pair off, Josh was busy trying to load another injured man onto the back of one of the sentries. He finished securing the belt he was using to support the patient's weight and patted the soldier's shoulder quickly.

"He's ready! Go! Make for Terra Nova!"

"Right."

"Don't run in a straight line! Zigzag. They can't turn easy!"

"Right!"

Hesitating just long enough to watch the man set off, Josh turned to find a thick head hovering above him. The eyes watched him in a somewhat deranged manner, the creature's jaw hanging slightly ajar. As he stood, frozen to the spot, the Carnotaur snapped it shut with a crunch, showering the boy below with a mist of red. Cornered, Josh dragged his white sleeve across his face and bolted forward, charging through the animal's legs. In the same instant, a black blur shot upward behind him. Josh slid to a stop and spun around beneath the Carno's belly.

"No, Inky! Wait-"

Narrowly avoiding being crushed by a giant foot as the Carnotaur above shifted his position, Josh watched the little black Ovosaur collect himself and launch upward again, his eyes locked on the larger animal's neck.

"INKY!"

"Are you crazy, doc?!" Josh tried to resist the force carrying him away, but found his arms captured by two of his own men. "Get a hold of yourself!"

His reply was drowned out by a sudden blast as one of the soldiers holding him lost his footing. Looking around in irritation, the Carnotaur flung Inky away disdainfully, searching for the source of the disturbance. The Phoenix man that had thrown the grenade whimpered softly as both sets of reptilian eyes centred in on him. Every person in his immediate vicinity instantly scattered as the animals charged.

Skye yelled in frustration as she collapsed once again beneath the injured soldier's weight, falling sideways into the gravel. The man winced for a moment as his broken pelvis hit the ground. The expression fell from his face immediately afterwards, his head lulling back and his body growing limp. Skye gathered her strength and tried to lift him again, but it was no use. The unconscious man was big and she was .. not big.

"Help! Somebody help-" Her eyes met with Richardson's as he jumped into her line of sight. He hesitated, weighing up the situation in his mind, inwardly kicking himself for looking in her direction. First rule of minding your own business - don't make eye contact. Especially not with a member of the enemy forces. Trapped half beneath the large man's body, Skye was scrabbling in the dirt in another attempt to stand. The grey Carno, after winning the race to get to the Phoenix soldier (due largely to Inky running interference), had quickly dispatched of the man and was now looking around for its next victim. Its eyes rapidly located the pile of squirming human near Richardson. Tiny arms flailing gleefully, the grey monster charged. Skye looked up with her heart in her mouth to see it approaching, the ground underneath her thudding rhythmically. It was temporarily thrown off-course as the orange Carnotaur came flying sideways out of nowhere and collided with it in an attempt to avoid the Inky's unpleasant little sharp teeth. The two angry animals roared and headbutted each other, their hard foreheads colliding with a crack. Richardson seized the opportunity to dash forward, grabbing Skye's arm and dragging her free of her human prison. Feet scrambling for a hold beneath her, Skye turned back to the unconscious soldier on the ground.

"No, wait. WAIT, HE'S-"

He was, as it happened, just the distraction they needed to make their escape. Skye flinched and looked away as the Carnotaur bit down. Another two metres later, Richardson dropped her arm. She immediately turned on him, her face an intriguing shade of grey, as if it was changing colour to try and camouflage with the Carnotaur.

"I wasn't the one that was unconscious, I could use my own feet to get away! You should've grabbed him!"

The corner of the enemy soldier's mouth curled up as he faced her.

"He was as good as dead the minute he went down. You would have died trying to save him, so I guess that means I just saved your life. You're welcome." He glanced down at his empty hip quiver and shrugged helplessly, gesturing back at the feasting animal with his crossbow. "I'm out. Looks like you are too. If you know what's good for you, you'll run now while it's distracted. Be seeing you!"

As Richardson turned to run back into the woods, Skye spun around as well, her eyes searching the campsite. The place had never been pretty, but now it was a disaster zone. She almost collapsed with relief as she spied Josh near the opposite tree line, trying in vain to call Inky back to safety.

The little black dinosaur had picked himself up from where he had just been hurled into a tree and was now preparing to charge again. Skye tore across the camp in Josh's direction at the same moment Inky charged. Her headlong sprint was interrupted abruptly as a red streak shot past directly in her path. Just managing to pull up in time, she turned to see Inky hesitate, greeting the newcomer with a bark and a whistle. The large red Ovosaur bounced up and down on the spot several times. Apparently that meant he had been in the neighborhood and, judging himself to be of benefit to the current situation, had elected to catapult directly into the fray.

"What the .."

Josh watched in bewilderment as the two charged together. The orange Carnotaur howled in annoyance as they surrounded him, taking to his heels and fleeing as the two Ovosaurs gave chase, continuing to nip and harass him as they drove him deeper into the woods. Josh charged forward as Inky disappeared amidst the leaves.

"No, wait! INKY-"

"Leave him. Josh!"

"But-!"

Half-way through the motion of attempting to wrench his arm from Skye's grip, Josh paused, his eyes locked on the piercing gaze of the grey creature behind her. It was already only a few metres from him .. and rapidly closing the gap. Another tug on his arm brought him to his senses. When Skye pulled this time, he stumbled frantically after her, scattering the rocky dirt under his feet as he went.

"Come on!" Forced to release his sleeve, Skye hurtled over a large tree root and darted forward, only to find herself wrenched sideways mid-step as Josh catapulted them both into the bushes in front of the barreling beast.

"Are you alright?!" He leapt up, watching in horror as the Carno pulled up, turned on a dime, and shot back the way it had come. Skye was up beside him in an instant.

"Uh huh. Run!"

He bolted away after her, the thundering bullet of an animal hot on their heels.

"But the colony is that way!"

"Tell him that!" Skye took the risk of glancing behind her and nearly shrieked. The creature was so close, she could practically see the smoke coming out of its nostrils. "Run!"

She quickened her pace again, laughing a touch hysterically as she did so.

"Run, RUN!"

"Theoretically, Pterosaurs are almost flawless."

"Until they decide they have better places to be."

"We need something more attack-oriented .. something that isn't going to try and eat us in the process." Malcolm threw a look at his subordinate, as though Lucas spent his days plotting out new and exciting ways in which to be eaten. "The Ovosaurs are alright for what they are - minor deterrents and lookouts, if they'd only do what they're told. The Parasaurs make good pack animals, but they're not at all suited for battle. What we need is a well-armored herbivore .."

"We could use a few trikes."

"Yes." Malcolm responded dryly. "But I haven't seen any Triceratops around here, have you? Unless you'd like to go on an epic quest to try and rustle up some, I think we'd better focus on achievable options for now."

"Alright, alright."

They fell silent for a moment.

"Ankylosaurs." Malcolm suddenly muttered. "We know from previous experience that they can probably be tamed if they're brought up early enough."

"What kind of 'previous experiences' have you been having?!" Lucas scoffed, staring at him in surprise. Malcolm smiled a little.

"As it happens, it was mostly to do with Zoe .. she-" He stopped abruptly as his other assistant walked into the room. Maddy looked from one to the other as they stared back guiltily.

"My sister isn't dead." She murmured, a hint of ice in her voice. "You don't need to avoid talking about her in front of me like she was involved in some tragic accident. She's coming home. Soon."

The other two said nothing. Lucas looked at the ground near his feet and Malcolm nodded, smiling gently. Somehow, this seemed to irritate Maddy all the more.

"Well, I'll leave you to it." She started to walk away, pausing after a couple of steps. "And for what it's worth, I think Ankylosaurs are a good idea. Zoe will love it when she gets back."

With that, she walked out. Malcolm exchanged a subdued glance with Lucas.

"I'll go have a word with Curran."

"Anyone ever tell you you run like an Ovosaur?"

"Anyone ever tell you you face down danger like a lunatic?"

"I will take that as a compliment."

"You would." Josh shook his head in despair. After a beat, he turned back to her. "Seriously, were you laughing?"

"Not that I recall." Skye retorted with dignity, causing Josh to snort again. She threw another apprehensive glance over her shoulder. "I think .. we finally lost it. Hey, where do you think Inky is anyway?"

Josh took a deep breath, still trying to calm his rapid heart rate after their long and precarious jog through the woods.

"Hopefully .. home."

Skye didn't seem as though she'd been listening for the answer to her question. He watched her in annoyance as she changed the subject.

"We are .. really off-course." She looked around in mild concern. "I don't even recognize this place."

"Oh, great!" Josh smiled brightly. "And you're the one who's supposed to know this mountain like the back of your hand. Some guide you are."

"Give me a minute." Skye put a fist to her mouth, studying the surrounding trees with a hint of worry in her expression. "Right. Got it."

".. really?" Josh raised an eyebrow. Skye's face cleared instantly.

"Sure. It's this way."

".. if you're sure."

"Course I'm sure. I've practically lived out here for years."

Josh looked at her just long enough to assure her that he had severe doubts about the validity of her expertise.

".. fine. I'm choosing to follow your lead .. but only because I have no idea where I'm going."

"That's very man of you to admit."

Josh nodded twice.

"Get on with it."

"Okay."

Gathering their wits about them, they began the long hike home, trudging through the forest wearily as the cool breeze buffeted the surrounding leaves. After a short period of silence, though neither of them knew exactly how much time had passed, Josh shoved his hands into the pockets of his lab coat.

"Hey .. you okay?"

Skye looked up at him in surprise.

"Sure, I'm fine. Why?"

He looked sideways at her, shrugging slightly.

"No reason really. I'm just .. I'm worried about you, you know." He shook his head, returning his attention to the task of picking out reasonably sturdy rocks on which to place his feet. "You've been different lately. Reckless."

Skye smiled dryly.

"I've always been reckless, remember?"

"All the same, you really shouldn't spent so much time with Lucas."

She groaned a little, throwing her head back to stare up at the tree canopy.

"Oh, come on, please, not you too .."

"I'm just saying, with your history and the age difference, it's not .. healthy." He looked over at her imperiously. "Trust me, I'm a doctor, I know about healthy."

"Right." Skye scoffed. "Then tell me, in your infinite wisdom, who else am I supposed to hang out with, Josh? You?"

"No, but .." He squinted uncomfortably into the dropping sun for a moment. "Other people .. youngerpeople .."

His gaze dropped to hers as he grinned, raising his hands to wiggle his fingers at her creepily.

".. saaaaaner people .."

"Stop it." She laughed, before pulling herself up short. "Shh."

Josh's eyelids lowered a little as he began to mutter to himself.

"Okay, but I wasn't the one that-"

"Shh! Come on."

She was already creeping away into the bush. Josh stood and watched as she tread carefully through the forest, trying not to make a sound as she placed her feet.

"You know you look crazy, right?"

The look he received was laced with such fury that he felt little choice but to relent and meekly follow her lead through the jungle. Thankfully, they didn't have a long journey ahead of them. They were headed directly towards the side of the mountain now, to an area where the mountain wall cut and rose steeply upward. If they continued on much further, according to Skye's mental map, they would run into a dead end anyway. As it turned out, Skye's mental map was far from accurate.

The voices that had originally triggered this little expedition had grown significantly louder now. Skye and Josh located an appropriately situated chunk of rock and slipped behind it, peering out over the top nervously. Despite being situated in one of the deeper parts of the forest, the area seemed unusually populated. Skye frowned as she stared around, questioning her own sense of direction. This couldn't be the far side of the mountain, could it? It looked completely different. The cliff was nowhere in sight. The forest had been cut back to provide room for the diggers to work, but what were they excavating for with such enthusiasm? Underneath all the piles of sand and dirt, the area wreaked of mud and rot. Just as the answer to her first question flooded into her head like an avalanche, she found Josh's breath in her ear.

"What are they doing?"

Skye ducked back down behind their rock, frowning as she rubbed the prickliness from her face.

"They're setting up camp." She murmured. "Guarding it pretty closely, too."

"Guarding .. what exactly?"

An excellent question. As they inched up to peer back over the barrier, the two intrepid explorers were blessed with a view of the dig site as two of the miners moved positions. They appeared to be excavating a network of greenish grey stone. What exactly it was part of was a further mystery, but it looked old .. much older than anything else that had ever been discovered out here, perhaps older even than the ship's figurehead that sat mounted on the wall of the eating hall, and that had come all the way from the Badlands. Skye's view shifted to scan the rest of the area. There was a small campsite that had been created a little ways off, under the shelter of some trees that had been benevolently left standing. As they watched, sentries walked back and forth constantly from the camp to the dig site, always treading the same worn path. Whatever they were mining for, it was valuable enough to tie up three armed guards. Just then, as though he felt the eyes on him, one of the sentries turned abruptly and stared into the woods. The two spies froze as he looked directly into their eyes, one by one, hoping against hope that by some miraculous feat, he would miss them.

But if the shout that rang out half a second later was any indication, their luck didn't quite stretch that far. Josh groaned as the man charged in their direction, followed closely by his companions.

"Here we go again."

Apologizing profusely to his aching lungs, the young doctor bolted back into the depths of the jungle, Skye close on his heels.

"Unbelievable!"

Deborah looked up in surprise at the woman beside her.

"Pardon?"

"I said, it's just unbelievable!" Margery's eyes shone brightly as she held up the polished stone strap. "The workmanship that some of those Sixers are capable of, it's .."

She flailed her hands helplessly as she turned back to the market stall wares.

".. well, it's just incredible if you ask me."

Deborah smiled stiffly at her friend's antics, her eyes focused instead on a different stall that stood across the middle aisle of the markets. The stall keeper was watching her with a haughtily antagonistic air. Deborah stared back icily. She had no desire to come face to face with the woman again so soon, but then, it was nearly impossible to avoid anyone nowadays. The task became astronomically difficult if the said person you were trying to avoid also happened to run a local market stall. Under the scrutiny of the woman's vulture-like gaze, Deborah's mind drifted back to the scene that had developed on her porch just that morning ..

"I suppose that brings me to the true reason for my visit." The woman lowered her cup in a purposeful manner, smiling feebly at her companion's expression. "I didn't just come to chit chat, you see, although you know I do love your hospitality."

Deborah returned her own cup to the small stool beside her chair, placing her hands in her lap and raising her eyebrows a little.

"Oh? This sounds ominous." She chuckled softly. "Go ahead then. I'm ready. I think."

Once word of her illness had spread throughout the colony, several people had set aside time to drop in and visit, bringing snacks or friendship or often just a kind word. Some had even been genuine. Deborah welcomed them all equally, but there were certain guests, she contemplated, watching the woman's face quietly, that would have been best turned away at the gate. Her visitor's next words confirmed her suspicions.

"Deborah, this is a sensitive subject, and I feel very uncomfortable at having to bring it up .." The woman leaned forward a little as she continued. ".. but I don't mind telling you, as I believe it's my duty as a member of this community .. and as your friend."

Deborah eyed her for a moment before gesturing politely.

"Go on."

"It's about your daughter."

Deborah relaxed a little in her chair, taking measured breaths as the woman continued.

"It concerns me the sort of company she keeps! Far be it from me to speak against our former leader, but everyone knows that son of Taylor's is nothing but trouble .. and your Skye has always had a certain affection for trouble, if you don't mind my saying so."

She had muttered the last words and laughed, as though the fact was some private joke between them. Deborah didn't join in the hilarity.

"Actually, I do mind-"

"Believe you me, that sort of thing is best nipped in the bud as soon as possible. You simply should have done it yourself long ago. And another thing." Leaning in further, the woman's eyes snapped knowingly. "I heard she broke the Shannon boy's heart by casting him aside like that. Such a kind-hearted young man too. Whatever will your daughter do next .. Well, I suppose we shouldn't accept too much from a wild child that runs with thieves and rebels, should we?"

That had been the last straw. Bristling with anger, Deborah stood up with a swiftness she had thought she was no longer capable of producing.

"Deborah, I hope I haven't managed to offend you!" The woman stared up at her in shock. "I'm on your side of course. I was only trying to sympathise-"

"Trying to stick your busybody nose in where it wasn't invited, more like." Deborah said coldly. Her formerly frail body now seemed strangely intimidating, as though the thin, weak arms had transformed into rods of bronze, tensed to strike at a second's notice. Her visitor glanced uneasily at the walking stick in her right hand.

"Look, you've misunderstood-"

"The friends my daughter chooses to keep are none of your business, Lydia." Deborah interrupted quietly from above. "She's an adult, and she's been brought up with a good head on her shoulders. She can make her own decisions. Please leave now."

Her guest laughed incredulously.

"But Deborah .."

Something about the other woman's expression caused the words to die on her lips. She stood slowly, her eyes locked warily on Deborah's. Deborah tilted her chin a little, staring her down with the same cool indignant fire. The woman, feeling she had suddenly run out of options, elected to leave in a huff. She gathered up her things testily.

"Well, I was only trying to say that I'd keep an eye out for her when you weren't around to do it, that's all. But if you don't want my help-"

"If I wanted you to keep an eye out for her, I'd have asked for your advice a long time before now. She has other people to look after her, thank you."

It was the same uppity voice. Lydia's mouth shriveled poisonously as she studied Deborah. What right did this invalid have, acting like the Queen all of a sudden? Did she think she was royalty now just because she had one foot in the grave?

"I suppose you mean the Taylor boy." The woman quipped. "My my, how the mighty have fallen."

"Get out."

Deborah had collapsed back into her chair after that. Having guests was unpleasant enough work even when the guests themselves were pleasant. It was something akin to a nightmare when they behaved like her most recent visitor. She hadn't wanted to go to the markets in the least, but when Margery had appeared and requested her company, she had reluctantly agreed. Not much good would come of sitting at home and brooding anyway. Besides, she owed it to Margery in a way. The excitable woman was exhausting at the best of times, but she was kindhearted and genuine, and her presence had brought a certain brightness to many a lonely hour lately. With her neighbour's encouragement, Deborah had eventually summoned the strength to pull her aching muscles up again.

Just as she blinked herself free of her recent memories, a piercing whistle split the air. The noise seemed to turn the world to stone. The entire marketplace froze as every soul around paused, waiting, staring up at the sky in apprehension, tensed to dive for cover at the next whistle call. One long whistle meant warning, everyone was to remain where they were and stay alert for further instruction. After a very long space of about ten seconds, the first whistle was followed by another, a disjointed happy-sounding chirp, like a giggling bird had taken hold of the loudspeaker. Danger averted. False alarm. The marketplace breathed a collective sigh of relief as they returned to their business. Deborah placed a hand on her stomach and released the breath she had been holding, meeting Margery's eye with a short laugh. Leaning heavily on the stall beside them in an attempt to calm her shaking legs, her friend returned the look.

"Woo, makes your heart stop every time, doesn't it?"

"That it does." Deborah frowned up at the sky. "They've been getting closer lately."

"Probably improving their aim." The other woman chuckled. "Not that I'm rooting for them, mind you, but their first attempts were a disgrace, especially for the military!"

"Would I be naive for hoping they quit while they're ahead?"

Deborah stared wistfully past the front gate, into the green forest beyond. Skye was currently out there somewhere. She sent up a quick prayer for her daughter's safety and turned back to Margery, only to find the other woman smiling at her gently, an odd expression in her eyes.

"It's alright, take your time, dear."

Deborah blinked.

Take my time? She frowned, laughing in confusion. What .. What are you talking about?

A look of distress had begun to creep across the faces of several people nearby. Deborah met their eyes blankly. Why were they staring at her? Margery put a hand on her arm. Deborah didn't notice.

"Don't worry." The soothing voice beside her was saying. "All you need is a little rest, alright? Come sit down on this bench with me."

I don't need to sit down, I just want to finish my shopping! Deborah cried in exasperation, a chill of horror taking hold of her stomach as a vague fear was reflected in the eyes of the onlookers. I appreciate the concern, but I'm fine. Please, just step aside.

The onlookers said nothing in response. Margery herself almost looked as though she was on the verge of tears. Deborah tried to move away, but it felt as though her body was wrapped in chains. She pushed herself forward with an enormous effort, stumbled, and went down on her knees as her legs buckled heavily.

"Deborah, don't panic." Margery grabbed hold of her, sounding very much as though she was panicking herself. "We'll get Elisabeth to help you. I'm sure you just need rest-HEY!"

She screamed across the marketplace as Deborah slumped lifelessly in her arms.

"Get a doctor. Hey, someone, get a doctor!"

"Getting dark. Temperature'll drop soon."

"Already is. Look." Skye nodded in the direction of the river they were following. The ragged pair had been chased from one end of the jungle and back again, turned around more times than they cared to remember. Just when they had finally shaken one group of enemy pursuers off their tail, they had somehow managed to walk straight into the midst of another squadron. During the chaotic flight that had followed, they had gotten lost at least twice, but eventually destiny had smiled on them and they had stumbled upon the Snakehead. They had been more than a little shocked at how far south they had come, but as long as they kept the river in sight, they'd be able to navigate, even in the dying light. Skye stifled a yawn with the back of her hand, casting it out carelessly in the direction of the water.

"It's half frozen over already. Look at the edges."

Josh trudged along beside her, his lab coat exhibiting several new tears - an appropriate outward representation of the current state of his muscles. He blinked blearily at the icy bank.

"Betcha don't wanna jump in there now, show-off."

Skye snorted.

"Not really."

Her scattered thoughts bounced around inside her head, feeling something like the inside of a gumball machine. Eventually, a memory was spat out, one which hearkened back to several months earlier, a time when the river was decidedly more inviting. The recent summer had gotten very hot, and the rank and file had taken several "field trips" to the Falls in order to try and cool themselves off. It was the only way they had survived the brutal heat of mid-year. Josh had been an honorary member when he had been free .. which, admittedly, hadn't been very often. Maddy had even tagged along once or twice, but Skye's attempts to persuade Lucas to join them had failed miserably. Apparently, he hated swimming. How he had survived the heat cooped up in the Lab night and day was a wonder. She had half expected to return to find a Lucas-coloured puddle on the Lab floor.

She stared out at the grey water. No one would be tempted to swim now though. Skye pulled her double-layered jacket closer around her. More snow had to be coming. It was absolutely freezing. A sudden loud crack made them both jump, until they realised it had radiated from the ice that lay around the rim of the pool. A thin rivulet of steel had appeared, snaking its way through the glassy surface. Skye cast a dubious glance at Josh.

"Pretty thin still."

"Don't walk on it." He interrupted dryly. Skye rolled her eyes.

"I was about to tell you the same thing."

"How dumb do you think I am?"

"About at dumb as you think I am, apparently."

Nerves set on edge by another distant crack, Skye continued to scan the surrounding forest warily.

"I don't like it. It's too dangerous to be out here at night."

"Look at you, getting all responsible."

Skye glowered at him for a moment.

"I think our best bet is to wait it out until morning. I know a cave not far from here. It's up the mountain a little ways. I think we can reach it without much trouble."

"Climbing the mountain in the dark doesn't seem like the smartest idea either." Her companion pointed out miserably. "And the people back home'll worry about us if we don't show up."

"I'll take the lead. I could get to it with my eyes closed." Skye looked up at him. His face was growing less and less clear with each passing minute. "We don't have a choice. It's about to get a lot colder out here. Come on."

"Be even colder up the mountain." Josh grumbled, but when she led off, he followed without another word. Barely five minutes had passed before the first faint whistle sounded. Josh's ears picked it up first.

"Listen."

As he paused on the sloped mountainside, Skye stopped as well, turning back to him questioningly. She followed his gaze up into the purplish red sky as the whistle grew in volume.

"Don't panic. They're not aiming for us."

They watched with a mix of distress and relief as a dull black orb was flung over their heads toward the colony, followed by another, and another. They stood, waiting, for each noise to fly past them, for the distant ground-breaking booms. When the volley appeared to be ending, the pattern suddenly faltered. Skye's heart leapt into her mouth as an unusually loud whistle began to fill her ears. She squinted, her eyes widening as she registered a dark shape against the sky, rapidly growing in size. Josh was staring upwards in the same direction. He seemed to have forgotten how to breathe. Panic rose in their chests simultaneously as the reality struck them. It was dropping. It was coming right at them.

"GET DOWN!"

Neither of them would remember later who had yelled out the warning that prompted them to action. Regardless, they scrambled away madly, the combination of noise, growing darkness, exhaustion, and uneven terrain not assisting in their flight. Skye's shoulder hit a slab of stone as she lost her footing. She wasn't sure what exactly happened next. The minute the trebuchet boulder crashed into the earth nearby, it vanished in a cloud of dirt. Where it had been supposed to stop cold, it kept going. As a matter of fact, it went right through the crusty topmost layer, breaking it apart like a thick clay bowl. The miniature explosion caused a gaping hole in the ground that expanded so rapidly, it sucked the two unfortunate victims down with it. The dormant mouth of Snakehead Mountain opened wide and swallowed them whole. Within the space of several seconds, Skye and Josh had disappeared beneath the surface of the earth.

"Are you saying you're upset?"

"Does it look like I'm upset?!" Reilly's eyes sparked as she slammed her hands down on the desk, causing the man across from her to blink twice. The movement was as close as he ever got to looking surprised.

"You have no idea how humiliating it was. Don't get me wrong, the concept was brilliant." The acting commander took a deep breath, staring down at her twitching fingers and compressing her temper with difficulty. "Adapting the frequency research to use the bugs for warfare is a good idea. Inspired, actually."

She directed her gaze back up at him, her eyes glowing like hot coals.

"Having said that .. you should have brought me in."

"Tried to." Carter returned her stare stubbornly. "You wouldn't give me a chance."

"You should have tried harder!" Reilly's voice leaped sharply across the divide. "The men just congratulated me on the success of an operation I knew absolutely nothing about! I felt like an idiot! You could have left a message with someone. You could have written me a note. You didn't."

She narrowed her eyes, searching his for some hint of explanation. As the Sixer feigned boredom and turned to look out the window, she fell silent, watching him. Finally, she spoke again, with an unexpected note of realization in her voice that drew his wary gaze back to hers.

"Because the truth is, you didn't want me to know about it. Why?"

"You seemed busy." Carter responded impassively, imagining flames rising from the head and shoulders of the seemingly composed woman in front of him. "Besides, I thought you wanted me to start contributing."

Reilly shook her head with great enthusiasm.

"Oh no, don't you dare turn this around on me. I didn't tell you to go behind my back and take matters into your own hands. That's your methodology."

"What's the big deal? It worked, didn't it? That's the main thing."

"No, the 'main thing' is that we share information. So I know what's going on so I can plan ahead. I have this entire colony to worry about and instead of helping me, you're only making my job harder!"

"I'm sorry." Carter responded blandly. "I didn't realize I was having such an impact on you."

Reilly fell completely silent again, staring at him so intently that the Sixer began to grow annoyed. His skin prickled with discomfort under her gaze. If she didn't stop it soon, he was about to snap in some capacity, he was sure if it. Just as he could absolutely bear the look no longer, she spoke, in a thin, even voice.

"I have never had such a lazy, stubborn, uncooperative, egotistical, selfish excuse for a partner in all of my life, and I'm done with it."

He blinked at her.

"What does that mean?"

"Get out." Reilly fumed, blazing into a fury again and leaning across the desk at him. "I don't ever want to see you again. I don't need your so-called 'help', as pointless and useless as it is. You can go off and traipse around in the wilderness till your loner heart's content, for all I care."

Carter raised an eyebrow, but made no move toward the exit.

"You're dismissed, Carter. Leave."

"What are you going to do about the Sixers?"

"What about the Sixers?!" Reilly near-exploded. "Your people are doing more to support this colony without you than you are! They want to fight with us, this is their home too. Your services, whatever they were supposed to be, are no longer required."

"Alright." Carter shrugged, watching her calmly. "I'll be back if I find out anything."

"Great." Reilly responded tightly, sitting back down at her desk. "Come see me at Memorial Field. I'll probably be living out there permanently by then."

"Funny." Carter eyed her for a minute. When Reilly still hadn't acknowledged his presence again, he turned slightly.

"Fine, I'll leave you to it then."

No response.

"Let me know if you need me in the meantime."

Reilly completely ignored every word. It was as though he was already gone and she could no longer hear him at all. In spite of himself, an electric trace of anger started to weave its way through Carter's chest. He nodded once, turned on his heel, and marched sharply out the front door. He had been gone several minutes before Reilly finally looked up. She sat, waiting in the lonely silence of the Command Centre while the sun filtered down through the window, casting dappled patterns onto the floor as it was broken up by the outside railing. When there had been no further sign of life for some time, she put her head in her hands and cried.

After a minute or two, Reilly slowly raised her head, blinking her watery eyes as she squinted at the dancing shadows. Something was off. Perhaps it was experience that told her to move, perhaps it was some finely tuned battle sense or the work of intuition. Whatever it was, it called her over to the door and out onto the balcony outside. She settled her crutches against the rail and stared up at the evening sky. Something was shimmering in front of the setting sun. Was it her eyes? Maybe what she was seeing was a group of pterosaurs or perhaps birds .. the twilight could be very deceptive ..

Her heart sank a little as the warning she had been trying to convince herself not to anticipate rang out. The whistle pierced the air like a hollow arrowhead. At least the watchmen were doing their jobs. She scrambled inside as fast as she could manage, leaving her crutches behind at the railing as she made for a sturdy wooden table she was intimately familiar with by now. She pulled herself under it, wearing down the ragged patches on the knees of her uniform, and paying little heed to her throbbing ankle as she did so. Three seconds. That was typically all they had before the boom. Reilly covered her ears, waiting for the terrible moment of impact. In the weird half-space before disaster struck, she found herself hoping dully that Carter had managed to get away in time, then the thought was blown from her head as a monstrous crash shook the Command Centre.