Chapter Three

Lane shook her head, trying to clear away the cobwebs. She opened one eye slowly.

"You okay?" Yu asked. He was sitting at her side, holding an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose.

"Wha' happen?"

"Lack of oxygen. You passed out."

"My head hurts," she grumbled.

"Your brain has been deprived of oxygen. Just keep breathing deeply." She raised a trembling hand to hold the mask on her own and Yu pushed it back to the ground. "Just sit back and rest."

Yu watched her closely. Her breathing was slowly becoming deeper. Her green eyes slowly cleared and focused.

"I'm feeling better now," she said, her voice muffled by the mask.

"Hold the mask but don't stand up," Yu said. He watched as she raised her hand to the mask. It didn't tremble.

"Where's Jean?"

"He went ahead into the Ark to speak with one of the scientists."

Lane sat up slowly, wincing as the muscles in her back pulled painfully. "What's inside the Ark anyway?"

"I haven't been inside this one."

"What about the other one?"

"Dinosaurs."

"I'm sorry?"

"It was full of dinosaurs," Yu repeated.

Lane tried to think of something to say to that but couldn't think of anything so she settled with breathing deeply. Her face was cold and so were her hands. She wondered idly where her gloves had gone and she noticed them in Yu's lap.

'Why did he take my gloves off?' she wondered and then jumped when Yu pinched one of her fingers.

"That hurt!"

"You're fine. Get up."

Lane stood, closing her eyes against a sudden fit of dizziness. She backed up when Yu leaned toward her, fearful that he would pinch her again, but he simply slid the plastic bands on the oxygen mask over her ears, securing it there before stepping away.

"Thanks," Lane mumbled. She pulled back on her gloves when Yu offered them and took the small oxygen tank from him.

"Come on. We're going into the Ark."

Lane followed him up a snow covered path, trying to step in his footprints and failing miserably. People passed them on the patch, all of them walking the other way. Many said short greetings to Yu which he returned cheerfully. No one said anything to her but most gave her a glance. Some even gave her a passing nod.

"Ah! Cher!" Jean waved as he walked down the path, coming out from around a blind bend. "Glad to see you're all right. Come. The ark is about to be closed."

***

"What the crap," Lane mumbled.

"That's what I said," Yu said, walking past her.

"Not very elegant but it does have a certain ring," Jean chuckled, following Yu.

The Spriggan's comments when unnoticed as she stared, open-mouthed, at the Ark. It was huge, the most immense structure she had ever seen. Spot lights illuminated every corner of the ship, making the huge eagle's face carved into the helm stand out in sharp contrasts of shadow and light. All the short hairs on Lane's arms and the back of her neck suddenly stood up on end and she felt something like a line of electricity run down her spine.

"My God," she breathed.

"Not quite," Jean replied.

"But McDougall thought so."

Lane was unable to answer them. Her eyes were so wide they were nearly popping out of her skull. She had never, in her life, seen anything like this. It was simply....
"Amazing."

"Yeah," Yu said. "And it'll blow up the world."

"Come on cheri," Jean said, his voice muffled by the oxygen mask. "Lets go inside."

"Yeah," Lane said. She took a deep breath and stepped into the ship.

******

HA HA HA HA HA!!! A cliff hanger. I've gotten really good at writing these. ^___^ What's going to be in the ark? More dinosaurs? Peanut butter cookies? I guess you'll just have to wait and find out. Thank you very much for the nice reviews neko-chan and thanks very, very much for suggesting this little fic to a friend of yours.

Hopefully I'll have a new chapter up soon. Espically since this was a cliff hanger. I'll try to work on it while I'm at work. And since I work all week I should get at least something done. Thanks for sticking with me. ^____^

Jo