-Out in the Wild
Things were shaken up real quick: a group of five teens, including Jim and Elisabeth Shannon's eldest Josh, had snuck out of the colony and gone OTG.
Ruby was slightly envious, but also shocked - weren't they aware of what dangers lay out there?!
This rightfully sent the security forces into a panic and after the rogue kids.
Ruby jogged up to the rovers that were being loaded in preparation for their own OTG mission. "I heard what's happening - I'm coming with," she announced to no one in particular.
Taylor heard her. "No-"
"Yes," she countered, standing her ground. "I'm your resident dino expert. Out there-" She gestured widely. "-Dinosaurs. I'm coming."
After a moment's consideration, he gave in. "Doc, with me." He gestured to one of the rovers. Inside, Elisabeth and Jim were already seated, in the middle of a heated argument over their son. Taylor jumped into the driver's seat, Ruby the passenger, and they sped off into the night, into the jungle - outside the gates.
"Look, I know you're scared for your boy, and you have every reason to be," Taylor told the now silent Shannons. "But the point is, this jungle can be survived."
It soon became strikingly clear that the kids had gotten into some trouble involving what the colony called 'Slashers', Acceraptors, given the nickname for the way they slashed open their victims with their razor-like claws and tails.
"Okay Doc, you're up," Taylor said as the group sped through the jungle. "What're we up against?"
"Acceraptors hunt in packs, so cover all sides," she said without missing a beat. "And watch their tails!"
Unfortunately, Guzman's daughter, Tasha, had been attacked. She was the first they found, away from the others.
Elisabeth immediately dropped to the girl's side. "Tasha, I'm a doctor, can you hear me? I'm going to help you-"
Leaving Tasha in the Doctor's good hands, the others pursued a lead through the nearby stream, soon reuniting with the others while having to fight off some Slashers. Eventually, everyone climbed into the rovers and they were speeding back to the colony.
"You see, this is why we don't allow this," Taylor said softly to a shaken Ruby.
"I know. I know." She gulped. "But this isn't like all OTG missions."
"No, but this is what we try to avoid."
Needless to say, the rescue shook everyone up. Three out of the five kids were hospitalized with bad injuries, but the main thing was everyone was alive. Everyone involved in the stunt received a stern talking to, to put it lightly. They would all be on community service duty for the foreseeable future, Josh and Skye right away, and the other three, Max, Tasha, and Hunter, when they recovered.
One of said kids, the kind of leader of the crew, was Skye Tate, who was actually the Commander's ward. Her parents had been killed by disease after arriving in the colony.
Ruby decided to check in with her, woman to woman. "How're you doing?"
"Feeling pretty foolish to be honest," Skye sighed. She was in the medical ward, visiting her injured friends. "But in the moment it just seemed - exciting..."
"I understand."
"Do you ever feel trapped here?"
"Not really. Do I want to venture elsewhere? Hell yeah. But trapped? Not quite. I think I just love life here so much more than before, I don't regret anything." Skye had a good life with her parents pre-colony, whereas Ruby couldn't wait for an out.
"It's just there's a whole world out there."
Just like she had been saying to Taylor before this whole incident. "I know the feeling. If things go according to plan, we'll get to explore it one day." One day, eventually. However, this stunt pulled by the teens had probably pushed that 'eventually' date back, but she didn't mention this to Skye.
"Well you might, you're a scientist. I'm still just a kid."
"But you won't always be. Chin up, kid, you'll get your time to shine. In fact, it could be with your community service."
Skye grimaced. "Great."
Later, back at the lab, when Ruby returned to her lab desk from retrieving some scans, she found the Commander standing there. "Sir."
"Doc."
"We're you waiting for me?"
"I was. I've got something for you-" He held out a medium-sized vial with some brown-green substance within.
"Is that what I think it is?"
"Real dino shit. I had one of the crew get you a sample."
She took the vial, grinning. "Well thank you, Sir, I'm touched. Some men come baring flowers, and some come baring samples of dinosaur shit." Why had she said that? "Thank you."
But he chuckled. "I'll bring some flowers next time, then, shall I?"
"I won't say no to it. But for now, the shit will do just fine." Move away from the dino shit... "I'll get right to work on this - you made my day!"
"Glad I could do so, Doc. And with something as little as dinosaur shit."
"Hey, never doubt the importance of feces samples."
"Point taken. Well, happy researching, Doc."
"Thanks again, Sir."
As soon as he was gone, she buried her face in her hands. How many times had she said 'dinosaur shit'?
Oh no, she had it bad. Do not flirt with the Commander. DO NOT! Like him as she may, he was very off-limits.
Mira had noticed too. Yeah, that was how far back her crush went, back when she and the leader of the Sixers were still friends. "I just don't want to see you get hurt when it doesn't work out."
Her friend's words struck her. "When, not if?" She wasn't trying to be defensive but Mira had spoken with such certainty. Ruby wasn't thinking it had a chance either, but her friend's certainly on the matter hurt.
"Come on Ruby, it never could. Not only is there the significant age gap, but he's Commander of the colony, his priorities are clear."
Okay, she had a point. But it still hurt. This was, of course, before Mira and the others had gone rogue.
And so it remined: a harmless crush, and nothing but.
Harmless? Yeah, right.
But don't think to much about that - going OTG was her first goal here. One step at a time.
One goal at a time.
He was regarded as a hero, survivor and founder, now leader, of the colony of Terra Nova. He presented himself as very serious and military but she had seen moments of the human side of him, how much he cared for his fellow pilgrims and the colony itself. She also figured he was under a huge amount of pressure to succeed, which was tough on anyone. He held so much responsibility, including the safety and wellbeing of so many people and the colony itself. There was so much at stake - including the future of humanity, which they had found in the past.
Yeah, no pressure, none at all.
This chapter takes inspiration from scenes from Episode: Genesis, Part 2.
Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :)
