Chapter 3
Disclaimer: none of the characters are mine, but belong to Impossible Pictures™.
Note: contains spoilers for the official series.
As April's heartbeat and adrenaline levels returned to normal, she realized that she was not in the futuristic cave, but in the modern, 20th-century, medical wing of the ARC, which was rather a complete opposite to a cave. But...
"Where... where am I?" she gasped, as she fervently looked around, searching for her glasses.
"Back at the Center, Miss Leonard," James Lester said firmly, as he sat down next to her (he had to go to the medical wing himself to be bandaged-up after being mauled slightly by the future predators). "I was wondering, if you could answer a question or two?"
"My mother," April shook her head, still being largely in her own world, due to painkillers and other medication she was given during her surgery. "My mother. She wanted to rule and asked the genii to help – after all, that is what geniis are supposed to do. But the genii refused. She did not want my mother to rule. My mother and the genii fought. The genii fought her and killed her, and let the Anathema go to the Promised Land instead. Why? What did the Anathema had that we didn't?"
"...You're not pretending, are you?" Lester said quietly. "You really are out of it, aren't you? Well, sorry to bother you at this moment, we will try again later?"
"Why?" April half-wailed half-howled, "why the genii didn't agree that my mother should rule? My mother would've made a great ruler!"
"Nurse!" Lester quickly called out to the ARC's medical staff, "give Miss Leonard some soporifics or something, please? She needs them!"
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"Um, guys?" Jess's rather quiet and subdued voice had startled the remainder of the field team. "Can I come with you, please?"
There was a pause, as the others, especially Becker, just stared. "Jess," and it was Becker who finally, spoke, "what's wrong?"
"I want to help," the other woman replied, simply. "Can I come along, please?"
"The co-ordination center-"
"Lester told me that he'll manage it meanwhile – apparently, he has nothing to do until April recovers and stops talking about genies," Jess elaborated with more energy than before. "And he did do it before, once – what with the giant salamanders, you remember, Connor?"
"I remember," Connor, Matt and Emily replied as once, startling Becker.
Becker, however, was not finished yet. "Jess..."
"I promise to stay in the background!" Jess said quickly. "Guys, please, let me help. I just, back in the ARC, I feel-"
"All right, you can come," Emily said, suddenly, "but you will stay in the background unless it's totally safe, or totally necessary. Got it?"
"Got it," Jess replied, some of her good humour returning at last, and the ARC team drove off.
End chapter 3