Disclaimer: Primeval does not belong to me, this is fan fiction, not for profit.
Any references to people, places, businesses etc is entirely fictitious.
3.11 Plans
"What kind of plans?"
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Vivian looked at Cutter speculatively. She narrowed her eyes.
"All kinds of plans," she replied slowly. "You say you need to know if you can trust me… it works both ways… I need to know if I can trust you too."
Cutter stiffened. Beside him, Claudia reached out to take his hand in hers.
"Nick," she said quietly "let's just listen to what she has to say."
"Abby, Connor and Danny are missing," said Vivian "because they followed Helen. Helen is planning to change the world… in as many timelines as she can."
"Helen's mad," barked Cutter.
"Ahh," sighed Lester "common ground at last. I think we all agree on that."
Vivian glanced at her husband. Her eyes met his for a brief moment, before she returned her gaze to Cutter.
"You were married to her once…" said Vivian "in my view, that makes your judgment… shall we just say… questionable."
Claudia's indrawn breath was audible in the sudden silence.
"Everybody makes mistakes," responded the Professor. "Helen was my mistake."
Cutter removed his hand from Claudia's grasp. He moved from sitting on the desktop to sit on the arm of Claudia's chair. The professor reached around his wife's shoulders to draw her in close to his body. "As you can see," Cutter continued "I learn from my mistakes."
Vivian nodded, but before she could say anything, Sarah spoke up.
"You said timelines," Sarah asked "plural… what do you mean by that?"
It was Claudia who answered her question. "Some of the people we rescue," Claudia said quietly "are from different histories."
"You mean eras," asked Sarah "right?"
"No," replied Claudia. "I mean histories."
At Sarah's puzzled look, Claudia continued. "Last week, we had an insufferable little man who came through an anomaly… Sir George he called himself. He was only a few days out of time, but in his world the American Revolution never happened… he was from the British province of New England. He had coins in his pocket showing the likeness of Queen Victoria III."
At Claudia's words, there was a collective gasp from everyone except James and Vivian Lester.
Becker stepped forward. "My job is to protect the team," he said angrily, glaring at Lester. "Being fully informed…"
"Probably wouldn't have made a difference," interrupted Vivian "Abby, Connor and Danny have gone through the racetrack anomaly in at least twelve known timelines."
Nick released his comforting hold on Claudia and straightened up, obviously surprised.
"You've mapped twelve different timelines," exclaimed the Professor incredulously. "How did you map the racetrack anomaly? It's one of two known anomaly sites that appear unable to be mapped."
"Mapped?" asked Vivian, sounding puzzled. "What do you mean? There's no such thing as an anomaly map."
Becker turned his head from Lester, to Cutter, finally settling his gaze on the tall, slender woman.
"You knew?" Becker asked accusingly. "You knew Abby, Connor and Danny were going to get stuck… somewhere… somewhen?"
"Abby and Connor will be back in three days," answered Vivian. "There's an anomaly opening in Hyde Park…"
Cutter started at her words. The second anomaly prediction was due… in three days… at Hyde Park.
"What about Danny?" asked Sarah worriedly, interrupting Lester's wife.
Vivian looked at the doctor of archeology sadly. "Danny was lost in time," she said softly.
"No," Sarah gasped. "We've got to find him too!"
"We will find Danny," assured Cutter "we'll map the anomaly and track when he's gone."
"You can't!" cried Vivian raising her open hands beside her face and shaking them in exasperation. "There is no such thing as an anomaly map!"
"We've been working on the map for months," roared the Professor. "we successfully made one prediction before, and have two others…"
Jamal hadn't said anything yet. He had been watching the two argue. Jamal looked from Lester's wife back to the Professor staring at each other curiously.
"If there's no such thing as an anomaly map," asked Jamal quietly "then how do you know that Abby, Connor and Danny have gone through the racetrack anomaly in at least twelve known timelines?"
Everyone stopped talking. They looked first at Jamal, then turned to look at Mrs. Lester. Vivian lowered her hands. For a moment, she looked like a sad, tired little girl. Then she straightened up and spoke firmly.
"I can't tell you," she began.
"Oh what rot is that!" exclaimed Becker. "People's lives are at stake!"
"More than you know," agreed Vivian.
"It sounds as if you are from a different timeline," Jamal said slowly, as he watched the woman.
The Professor nodded in agreement with the museum curator. He narrowed his eyes as he faced Lester's wife.
"When are you from?" Cutter asked, "And what are you planning?"
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Danny followed the trail leading away from where Helen's body had been. He stepped cautiously along the narrow path as he rounded the hill. He could hear the thud of rocks being piled one upon the other. Danny peered around the side of the cliff base.
There, beneath a broad leafed tree, Danny saw a blonde haired man kneeling on the ground beside the body of Helen Cutter. The man was carefully stacking rocks on either side of the corpse. Beyond the kneeling man, Danny could see another man with dark brown hair bringing more rocks.
"Whoever you are," called the kneeling man "come out where I can see you."
Danny gasped. He recognized that brogue. Danny stared at the man as he moved forward into the open. The man appeared to be in his early thirties. His face was streaked with sweat and dirt.
"Cutter?" Danny asked.
"Yes," replied the blonde haired man. He stood up and turned to face Danny. He wiped a sleeve across his forehead. The younger man eyed Danny curiously.
"Do I know you?" asked young Nick Cutter.
"I've met you," replied Danny jokingly "but you might not remember me… I've got that kind of face."
The clatter of rocks falling beside Helen's cairn announced the arrival of the second man. The young brown haired man appeared to be in his early twenties in Danny's opinion.
"Who are you?" asked the younger man, "and where did you come from?"
"Detective Constable Quinn," replied Danny officiously. "And who are you?"
The young man flashed a dazzling smile and held out his hand. "Stephen," he replied "I'm Stephen Hart, Professor Cutter's lab assistant."
"What are you two doing here?" asked Danny.
The young professor pointed at the cairn.
"My wife, Stephen and I," young Cutter said "were travelling through time. Exploring really. We got separated. It was yesterday for Stephen and myself… from the looks of things it might have been longer for Helen."
"That might not be who you think it is," said Danny slowly.
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Abby grinned. "It looks like a family of dracorex," she said. Releasing her hold on Connor's waist, she pointed to a nearby creature contentedly demolishing a small bush. "Definitely herbivores."
Connor grinned. "Not likely to eat us," agreed Connor. Then his face fell.
"What?" asked Abby.
"Their footprints," he answered, pointing to the ground, "we're going to lose Danny's trail."
"We'll just have to hurry through to the other side," said Abby as she began to push her way forward into the clearing. "Come on now."
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The herd of dracorex didn't seem concerned when Abby and Connor approached them. The animals kept munching the surrounding vegetation, as the humans began to move cautiously between the creatures.
"Don't make eye contact," hissed Abby.
"Right," grunted Connor.
He leaned heavily on his stick and stepped carefully behind Abby, matching each step she took. They were in the middle of the herd of dracorex when the nearest creature lifted its head and made a trilling noise. One after the other, the herd members raised their heads too. They appeared to be looking from side to side. Something was obviously bothering them.
"Hurry," urged Abby "we need to get to the tree line. We don't want to be in the open if they get spooked and start to run."
"Yeah," replied Connor shortly. "You go on ahead. I'll catch up with you."
Abby took two steps forward and then stopped. She turned around to look at Connor. He was leaning on the stick, his jaw clenched shut. A bead of sweat was rolling down the side of his face.
"You can't run," she said.
"Go on Abby," said Connor.
"No."
His brown eyes met her blue ones. "I'll be right behind you," he promised "just get moving."
"No," she said. "I won't leave you."
"Abby…"
A roar filled the air, panicking the herd creatures.
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