Chapter 42
Can't Sleep?
"Not the best weather for a military operation."
"Tell me about it."
The female physicist hunched a little lower in the grass, peering through her binoculars at the shack beneath them. Angry flashes of brilliance lit up the night sky overhead as they surveyed Base Zero from the questionable safety of the cliff.
"All looks quiet at the station. No sign of our guys yet."
"By which do you mean yours or mine?" Malcolm returned in a voice like butter.
Kensinge threw a scowl at him.
"I'm gonna pretend I didn't understand that."
"What?"
"The insinuation by which you again questioned my loyalties." She retorted. "It's insulting really."
"Then pretend away." The head researcher muttered, taking the binoculars off his accomplice so that he could take his turn staring down into the dark camp. "Looks like they've almost fixed the satellite dish."
"Hopefully not soon enough."
Kensinge accepted the walkie-talkie that appeared in front of her nose, dropping it slightly so that it hovered in the air close to her mouth.
"Come in, Timekeeper, come in." She murmured. "This is Zero Team, over."
"Timekeeper receiving. Go ahead, Zero."
"We're on the ridge." The physicist explained briefly. "Camp looks quiet. About to head to the river and take up position for the night. You good to go for tomorrow?"
"Ready as we'll ever be." The scratchy voice returned. "We're anchored just west of your position. Spending the night on the ship. Come sunrise, we'll await your signal and head for the cove. According to Richardson, Terra Nova's army should be storming the castle right before we arrive."
"Roger, Timekeeper. Next time we make contact, it should be from the Base Zero control shack near the dock. Once you get through the fracture, we'll hold things down here for as long as we can, but if they turn back on us and break through, you better be prepared for a fight coming at you from both sides."
Her second-in-command's solemn voice revealed no alarm at the prospect.
"Noted."
Kensinge smiled faintly in the dying light.
"Sweet dreams, Timekeeper. See you tomorrow." She hesitated for a moment. "And Russ – be careful, alright?"
There was a brief silence, then:
"Over and out."
Malcolm raised an eyebrow as his companion quietly lowered the walkie-talkie.
"'Russ'?"
"His first name. Russell." Kensinge grinned. "Figured if I managed to scare him enough, he might actually listen to what I was saying."
Malcolm snorted.
"Has that been a problem in the past?"
"Not necessarily. But a little extra nudge never hurts."
They slunk down the back side of the sloping hill leading up to the cliff, concealed from the camp below by the jagged face that loomed above Base Zero. A short distance away, Snakehead River met the sea. Earlier in the day, they had hidden the bike in some shrubbery, changing transport methods to a small canoe that had been left there for them. Resting their weary legs, they had glided silently down almost to the enemy base itself, allowing the current to carry the little craft as though it was nothing. Now, it was to be their lodging for the night. Beneath the built-in seats, a set of poles and canvas were stored, ready to be brought out and used to construct a small shelter over the top of the canoe. It wouldn't be comfortable .. but it might provide some protection from the elements if this approaching storm got any nastier.
Maybe it was the faint sound of their footsteps amongst the lapping of the waves. Perhaps someone with particularly unfortunate timing had stepped outside the camp to relieve themselves and had happened to look into the distance at just the wrong time. Whatever the trigger may have been, once the shout went up, there was no putting it back in the bottle. Malcolm and Kensinge exchanged a stricken glance at the bottom of the ridge, grasping at each other in an attempt to make the other party move faster.
"Get to the River! Go, go!"
The Base Zero militants were fast and nimble, seeming never to put a foot wrong in the uneven terrain. It was as though they knew where the holes were before they took a single step. They tracked the two fleeing targets easily through the cobwebs of twilight, releasing a halfhearted stream of yellow fluorescence every now and then, as if to keep the scientists on the run. Malcolm and Kensinge had no intention of stopping. Regardless of the enemy's advantages, they had two of their own:
One – They had a head start.
And Two – They had a canoe.
Not even Simon's hired guns were crazy enough to venture into creature-infested waters without one. Especially not in the pitch blackness created by the deepening night and the shadow of the overhanging forest ceiling. Malcolm wondered that he had been crazy enough to risk it himself in the daylight. Now, however, he had no choice.
Gasping, they plunged down the bank and into the small vessel, blessing the fact that it was exactly where they had tied it an hour earlier. A short ways behind, several soldiers crunched through the thick foliage, so close now that the pair of blond scientists could see the mounted lights of the rifles casting hazy beams wherever their owners turned aside.
It was a more difficult struggle than they had imagined, battling the lazy current as they pushed their way upstream. Arms aching, sweat dripping off their faces as the humid air clung to them like an invisible net, they forced the stubborn canoe onward. From the shadows along the bank, the irritated hunters tailed them, trying to find a spot where the vines and trees lining the water parted in time to allow them a decent shot at their targets.
Malcolm and Kensinge leaned into their task with gritted teeth, jaws locked in determination as they pressed their vehicle into the far side of the widening river. Shortly, it would split into two channels. Then again and again, it divided into smaller streams, some meeting back up with the main river eventually, others carrying down their own path. Time after time, they steered themselves away from their pursuers, taking winding trails of water further and further away from their intended resting place before doubling back and relocating their sense of direction once more. But though they tried valiantly to lose the soldiers, they just couldn't seem to shake them. No matter where they were, Simon's men sniffed them out like bloodhounds.
"How did they know we came this way?!" Malcolm finally hissed in dismay, his eyes tracing a stream of light along the opposite bank. "Not even a slasher could track us that well! It's impossible! Are they psychic?!"
Kensinge was silent for a moment, but then she looked up gravely to meet his gaze.
"They're enhanced."
"They .. what?"
"Brain chip?" She gestured to her head. "Implant?"
The scientist across from her looked aghast.
"But .. how do we beat that?"
Kensinge was unusually still for another few seconds, then gestured to the left as a grin began to creep across her face.
"Up here, the river is pinched between a series of boulders. Pull in there. Between them. And be quiet."
They lodged the canoe between the two walls of stone, then spent an anxious half an hour waiting to be discovered. Finally, Kensinge's shoulders slumped. She nodded in Malcolm's direction, her eyes twinkling brightly.
"Hey."
"What?"
"What do robots and guys called Ben have in common?"
Malcolm looked at her as though she'd lost her mind. Again.
".. is this a joke? What-"
"Electricity, my slow compadre."
She stood abruptly, causing the canoe to shake violently. Malcolm hastily gripped the sides.
"Steady!"
Kensinge peered around with a wary expression, then sat down again, apparently satisfied.
"I think we've finally lost them. But don't be too noisy. We're still in enemy territory, mind."
She continued thoughtfully, ignoring her companion's snort.
"They might just have gotten bored and left, but if you ask me, the meteoric ore in the rocks around here disrupts their signal. It's something I've always suspected, but never had a chance to test .. which brings me to my next question."
Malcolm eyed her unenthusiastically.
".. what?"
"Do you happen to have any of those electromagnetic disablers left?"
"Why?"
"I have an idea."
She jumped in terror then, as the metal tag on the shoestring around Malcolm's neck delivered an abrupt zap to his skin. Frowning first at her, and then down at his chest, Malcolm reached for it, picking it up gingerly.
"Someone's trying to get in contact." He mused, holding the small slice of silver up to his mouth. "Lucas, is that you? Hello, come in? Lucas?"
"Lucas can't come to the phone right now."
Malcolm almost dropped the device. He met Kensinge's wide-eyed gaze, his face paling. He was silent for so long that the voice on the other side grew noticeably impatient.
".. hello? Anyone there?"
Malcolm's white fingers gripped the tag indignantly.
"Look, you .. you fiend! I don't know how you got this transmitter, but I can assure you, there will be serious repercussions if you've so much as TOUCHED a single hair on the head of its owner .."
He trailed off in confusion as the sound of muffled laughter came from the other end.
"Oho, you think this is funny, do you?" The head researcher shot back, with no small amount of heat. "Well, I hardly think this is a laughing matter-"
"Ah .. you have no idea how much I wish I could see your face right now."
Malcolm paused, his brow creasing.
"You .. wait .."
He stared down at the device, his outrage melting into incredulity.
"Wait .. Jim? JIM, is that you?!"
A chuckle sounded through the receiver.
"Hi, Malcolmus."
Malcolm forgot all previous intention of being quiet then. Across from him, Kensinge listened in awestruck silence as his joyous cries echoed out across the dark rippling surface of the river.
"Jim, where are you?! Is Zoe with you? Is Taylor?! Wait till everyone back at the colony hears about- I have to tell Elisabeth! Elisabeth!" He called out in delighted confusion, making to get up as though he planned on running off to find the doctor that very second, but a panicked Kensinge reached for him hurriedly, forcing him to sit down again before the poor canoe was nearly upended for a second time. Malcolm was so focused on the receiver that he barely noticed. Elisabeth was already forgotten.
"Jim, are you alright?" He demanded. "When are you coming home?"
"I swear, if that man asks any more questions, I'm gonna come over there and gag him myself."
Jim's voice returned more clearly a moment later.
"Taylor says if you ask-"
"I know, I know, I heard him." Malcolm cut him off in irritation. "But Jim, where have you been?! What's going on?! Everyone thought you were-"
"No time to tell you everything right now. I'll catch you up when we get back, I promise. Malcolm .. is Elisabeth alright? How are the kids?"
"Oh yeah, they're good, everyone's fine. Missing you." The head researcher muttered conversationally, sounding more as though he was chatting to his great aunt over Christmas dinner instead of sitting wedged between two boulders and bobbing up and down on a tiny canoe in the middle of nowhere. Kensinge rolled her eyes, but her grin widened as the voice came again.
"Malcolm, look, I don't have much time. This storm keeps threatening to cut out our power."
"Tell me about it .." Malcolm murmured, casting a wary glance up through the canopy into the blue-black sky. Even as he did so, it flashed twice in close succession, as though it was smirking at him between the branches.
"I've heard the story from Lucas already .." Jim continued. "But .. Malcolm, I know you're the one on the ground and I'm not, so I'm only going to ask this once."
The head researcher scowled down at the silver device.
"Go ahead."
"Kensinge." The voice said, causing Malcolm's canoe buddy to jump, startled. She gripped the side as the craft wobbled dangerously, staring in horror at the object in Malcolm's hand, as though she thought Jim could see right through the thing and was watching her from some future vantage point. An ominous roll of thunder resounded overhead.
"Do you really believe you can trust her?"
The chief science officer smiled wickedly at his companion, causing a new shudder to ripple through Kensinge's chest, but when he spoke, his words set her worst fears to rest.
"I've never been someone known for readily trusting people." Malcolm commented cheerfully. "But I think we need her. In fact, I'm not sure we can survive this thing without her."
The other end was silent for a long moment. As the seconds stretched, the two in the canoe held their breath, but then Jim's voice came again.
"Alright. Enough said. We'll go with your plan."
"Jim. One more thing." Malcolm hesitated, casting an anxious glance at his fellow scientist across the canoe. "Any news on Zoe?"
Instead of a reply, the device made an odd sound. The two frowned as they waited, but then someone in the background muttered something that sounded a lot like, "You want to do the honours?"
When the comms unit spoke again, it was no longer Jim on the line.
"Dr. Wallace? Are you there?"
If Malcolm hadn't already been sitting down, he may well have tipped deliriously overboard. As it was, he fumbled the device with excited fingers, causing Kensinge to fly forward and clasp her own iron grip over the top of his.
"Zoe?!" The head researcher near-shrieked. If Kensinge had had any sense, she would have shushed him, but at present the physicist was too busy restraining her own impulse to wail into the device.
A childlike voice shouted with laughter on the other end.
"Kid?!" Kensinge barked into her hands. "Is that you?"
The voice sounded confused when it answered.
"Dr. Kensinge? What .."
"Alright, my turn."
Jim had apparently relieved his daughter of the comms unit, because now his voice came through clearly once more.
"Malcolm, if you can, let Elisabeth know that we're safe and that we hope to see her tomorrow."
Malcolm nodded, though of course, the man on the other end couldn't see the movement.
"Will do. And Jim?"
"Yeah?"
"It is good to hear from you."
The voice chuckled again.
"Likewise. This is the future signing off. Over and out!"
These last three words had apparently been added by Zoe. Malcolm and Kensinge sat staring at one another for several long seconds before he jumped quickly back into action, reaching for the walkie-talkie in his jacket pocket. Kensinge stared at him.
"Now what are you doing?!"
"Elisabeth."
"Shouldn't you let her sleep?" The female physicist put in reasonably, but Malcolm was already shaking his head.
"Anything could happen tomorrow. She deserves to know. She needs to know."
He raised the walkie-talkie to his mouth, pressing the button down as it crackled to life.
"Elisabeth? Elisabeth!" He barked, beaming widely despite himself. "Elisabeth! I've just spoken to Jim. He's got Zoe! She's alright! They're alright!"
The dome house was buzzing with activity. It had probably never seen so much life. The babble of voices filled every corner. Truth be told, it was a Kaprosuchus' worst nightmare. Zayne was the first to discover him missing, and, upon conducting a thorough investigation, found the poor beast hiding miserably in a back corner of the kitchen. He laughed to himself and slumped down beside it, patting the scaly back gently.
"Big day for you too, huh?"
The animal raised its long head, staring up at him with slitted yellow eyes. Before it had a chance to reply, however, footsteps sounded from the other side of the counter. Following some instinct, Zayne pulled his body in closer to the shadows as Taylor's voice sprang out into the air above him.
"How's your mother doing?"
He was obviously not talking to the boy behind the counter, and one could only assume his question wasn't directed at the Kaprosuchus. All of this suggested that he hadn't entered the kitchen alone. Zayne listened curiously as the following silence drew longer, but then a younger voice spoke up in response.
"She .. passed away. A few weeks ago."
Taylor winced, sadness suddenly making him seem much older than usual, though of course, Zayne couldn't see his face. Skye could, however, and she smiled sympathetically at the change in his expression.
"It was the fever. The medicine held it off for a while, I think, but .. it never fully left her. She fought hard, but in the end, I guess it won."
"I am sorry to hear that." Taylor murmured, staring blankly across the room, as though he was struggling to master his own emotions. "Deborah was a good woman. She didn't deserve all the suffering she had to go through."
He turned back to the girl beside him.
"Neither do you, for that matter."
Skye shrugged a little, hugging her jacket to herself.
"I'm okay. Really. I'll always miss her, but .. I'm okay."
"You're a brave soldier." The older man noted approvingly, though, unbeknownst to him, his words caused an odd twinge to pinch at the hidden eavesdropper's chest. "I'm here if you need me."
Skye nodded.
"I appreciate it."
"C'mere."
She immediately found herself wrapped tightly in his bear-like grip. When Taylor pushed her back a moment later, his eyes looked suspiciously shiny. He kissed her head gruffly, raising a hand to cup her cheek.
"Missed you, kiddo."
Skye's face looked as though it wanted to smile, but halfway through, it froze, her gaze flicking past the former commander and hooking on a spot somewhere above his head. Taylor paused, turning in confusion to find his son watching from several metres behind them, leaning on the stair railing. His expression was unreadable.
"Ah, here we go." The older man muttered under his breath, but Lucas descended the remaining steps calmly, pausing beside both parties with an unusually passive air. When they remained silent, casting wary glances about the small circle for several seconds, he raised his hands.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to cause a fuss."
Taylor snorted in derision.
"That's unlike you."
"Don't push it, old man."
His father's mouth twitched as he turned back to Skye.
"Look here, I want you to do one thing for me. No matter what you might think, no matter what that voice inside your head might be accusing you of, you have to keep reminding yourself that it's not your fault. Horrible things happen. But I'm sure you did everything you could to save her. You just keep telling yourself that. One day you'll believe it."
He squeezed Skye's shoulder, then turned to include Lucas in his condolences.
"That goes for both of you. I know you and Deb were friends, or .. something. You didn't deserve to lose her either. You fought real hard to try and save your own mother back in the day as well."
"I remember." Lucas responded, but ventured nothing more. Taylor eyed him keenly. No outburst, no snide "harder than you fought anyway" remark. Just .. neutral agreement. He tried again, releasing an accompanying sigh that was a little heavier than necessary.
"Yep, two good women gone long before their time. Life just ain't fair, is it? Guess all we can do now is try our best to honour their memory."
He watched Lucas closely, but all he received in reply was a quiet nod. Taylor scowled, his eyebrows drooping so low that they almost made the pupils beneath them disappear.
"Dang it all, son, what's the matter with you? Are you sick?"
Lucas stared back at him wearily.
"No. Just .. tired of fighting."
He did indeed look tired. Taylor studied him for a moment, sobering a little.
"Me too, boy." He murmured, patting Lucas' arm briefly. "Me too."
Lucas pretended not to notice the overly familiar contact. Instead, he turned his attention to Skye.
"He's all yours."
She blinked, frowning slightly.
"What?"
Lucas shrugged.
"Well, seeing as you shared your mom with me, I suppose it's only fair if I share my father with you. Though I have to say, I got the better end of the deal."
To his satisfaction, the girl beside him grinned.
"When you put it that way .. I accept."
"Don't I get a say in this bargain?"
The other two ignored him.
"So do you want the left half or the right?"
"Hmm .. both sides are pretty scrawny. Not much of a looker, is he?"
"They still need scarecrows in the future, right?"
Lucas lifted his shoulders for a moment, then dropped them carelessly.
"Guess so. Tell you what, I'll flip you for it."
"Alright, alright, enough." Taylor interrupted, centring a glare of rebuke first on one, then the other. "When did you two get so cynical? Wasn't from my side of the family, I can tell you."
His two scoundrels chuckled, then looked up quickly as a delighted yell sounded from the stairs. They watched in surprise as Zoe raced down at full speed and darted over to Jim, who stood, his features etched with worry.
"Daddy!"
"What? What is it?!"
His daughter's eyes were shining.
"Lucy has a whole big multiscreen in her room, all to herself! And it has holographic projection and everything!"
".. oh." Jim said weakly, dropping back down into the seat beside Mira, who was expressing a rare grin at his panic. "That's nice."
"With all those wonderful technologies at her disposal, it's a wonder she ever leaves the house." Taylor piped up as he deserted the kitchen, treading the well worn path across the room to a certain armchair that happened to be a favourite of his. Lucy, who had followed the other girl down, albeit far less in the manner of a runaway train, smiled grimly.
"It's not half as thrilling as you might think."
It was Lucas who stepped forward then, arresting Lucy's attention.
"Hey, do you have a charging bed in this place?"
"'Course." The girl frowned. "It's where they always are. Right here."
She went to the wall and pulled at a small indent. A drawer slid out smoothly from the surface. Lucas raised an eyebrow, leaning down to throw a sideways comment to Skye.
"Evidently I've been away too long." He straightened, raising his voice. "Thank you."
"Hey, how's it going anyway?" Lucy questioned, leaning against the wall to watch as he set the Box down carefully on the new ledge. "Any progress?"
"Some." He murmured, half to himself, as he stared distractedly at the screen. Then, as though he sensed some ill-will drifting toward him, he looked up at Skye quickly, his gaze dropping back down to Lucy's sober face. "Actually, come around here, I'll .. show you."
She brightened immediately.
"Really?"
Zoe had perched herself lightly on the arm of her father's chair, apparently showing no concern at having been rejected by her young tour guide.
"It's nice, isn't it?"
"Hm?" Jim looked up at his small daughter, then followed her gaze around the crowded room. It was noisy with low chatter from just about every possible angle. Near the far wall, Lucas, Skye, and now Lucy were busy with the Box. Zayne and the Kaprosuchus had recently reentered the area from an unknown quadrant of the house, and now, with their arrival, Taylor and Harlon's nondescript conversation had morphed into an energetic hypothetical scenario in which they pitted the fighting prowess of their resident reptile against every other conceivable opponent, either living or extinct. Shortly thereafter, the conjecture would develop into a scene where Zayne and Harlon would try to convince the animal to play on the floor with them, forgetting at their own peril, that the Kaprosuchus was hardly the smooth-skinned pet that they seemed to imagine it to be.
Mira sat peacefully on the chair beside Jim, observing the mounting chaos with a wry smile. She caught the girl's words and turned, watching in silence as Zoe leaned down to rest her head on Jim's shoulder.
"Almost like home."
There was a distinct note of wistfulness in the young voice. Jim stroked his daughter's damp black hair, turning to kiss her on the forehead.
"Don't worry. Soon we'll be home for real. I know your mom will be just about beside herself to see you again."
Zoe grinned, raising her eyes to meet his.
"You think she'll cry a lot?"
Jim smiled back, though it was a twisted, half-miserable sort of expression.
"I think .. we'll have to give her lots of hugs and just squeeze her tighter and tighter until she stops."
"We'll squeeze her dry, squeeze all the tears right out." Zoe cackled, laying her head down on her father's shoulder again before whispering to herself softly.
"Good."
From her position beside Skye, Lucy eyed them in silence, the holographic Box display forgotten. She had watched the recent reunion that afternoon with an inexplicable surge of jealousy. Unlike Zayne, she wasn't in the habit of absorbing everyone else's emotions like a sponge. She could see exactly where this situation was heading.
Her gaze flicked to her cousin. Zayne was all smiles and laughs, engaged in some sort of hilarious conversation with Harlon and Taylor, throwing mock insults back and forth without a care in the world. Lucy watched him shake his mop of multicoloured hair off his forehead, momentarily revealing the twinkling eyes beneath as he pretended offence in response to one of the Sixer's comments.
Her expression darkened. Didn't he realise this was the beginning of the end for them? He'd always been short-sighted. What had happened to the children who had recognised the Terra Novans as the enemies responsible for condemning them to a dismal future here?
She scoffed dryly to herself, her gaze locked on the merry party across the room. The answer was sitting right in front of her. The children had been distracted, tempted by the adventure that had fallen into their laps all those months ago. Zayne was still there, caught up in the end of a beautiful dream in which everyone was safe and happy. She knew better.
The mission was complete. The lost child was found. Now the dream was over. It was time to wake up.
As if on cue, Taylor's gruff voice pulled her out of her grim reverie.
"Where's Erika?"
"Gone upstairs." Jim replied. "Said she needed some space for a while. Headache, apparently."
"Don't blame her. That woman's been through the ringer today."
"I'm sure she won't mind if we have dinner without her." Jim slapped his knees, the abrupt shift in posture causing Zoe to grasp his shoulder hurriedly to avoid catapulting off. "I'm starving."
"On that note .."
Zayne leapt to his feet, shoving his hands into his pockets as he meandered toward the kitchen. The others eyed his retreating back wonderingly. Dinner in the dome was traditionally rather a haphazard affair, with snatches of food being consumed at random whenever one's stomach dictated it. 'Ceremonious' was certainly not a word that could have been used to describe their usual method of fossicking. The room watched with interest as the boy returned, apparently in the same careless frame of mind as when he had left. He moved toward Jim's chair, but it wasn't to Jim that he addressed his next statement.
"In honour of your arrival .." He announced solemnly, meeting the girl's blank gaze as his hands appeared from behind his back. Gripped in each one was a splayed assortment of brown packets. He held them before Zoe, waiting patiently for her to pick one before he turned to include the rest of the room, tossing the remaining parcels around at random. Taylor raised the one that had just landed on his lap, peering at the nondescript package with suspicion.
".. what's this?"
"Don't worry about him. He doesn't eat anything if he didn't kill it himself." Lucas remarked with a straight face. "Trust issues. You understand."
As something between a snort and a growl escaped the physicist's father, Zayne threw him a curious look. For a moment, their eyes locked, and the green ones twinkled faintly. Zayne's mouth twitched as he turned back to Taylor.
"They're called tasty packs. Kind of a luxury, but Aunt Erika won't mind. It is a special occasion, after all."
"It is indeed." Harlon appeared abruptly behind the boy, neatly plucking a package out of his hand – the package that Zayne had carefully kept for himself.
"Hey-!"
"I think I'll have this one." The Sixer mused, flipping the pack over in his hand to look at it while he held the indignant teenager back with the other arm. Zayne spluttered.
"You jerk-"
"Now, now. Don't hurt yourself."
"Give it back, David."
"Petty name-calling will get you- ow!" He broke off as the boy leapt for his head. Finding Zayne's wiry arm wrapped around his neck, the Sixer backed up quickly, swinging the boy's body around to squish him against the dome wall. A satisfying squeak emanated from Zayne, but he refused to relinquish his grip, instead kicking savagely at the tender spots behind Harlon's knees until the weak leg spontaneously gave way, causing the Sixer to fall sideways, dragging them both to the floor. Gasping for breath, Harlon released the coveted packet, only to receive another jolt a moment later as, to add insult to injury, Zayne sat down hard upon his chest. In an attempt to throw him off, the Sixer gathered all his strength and tried to sit up – a move which resulted in causing an already unsteady Zayne to somersault off the back of his perch, landing hard on the white floor beside Harlon.
Everyone else seemed used to the roughhousing and barely batted an eye, but from across the room, Lucas and Skye watched them dissolve into giggles, and cast a glance at one another, turning their attention back to their packets in silence. The brown packaging was a familiar sight in the future. With practised hands, they tore the centre open, folding the parcel out along the indicated lines, creating a squarish brown bowl around the contents that had previously been sealed inside. Lucas took a few bites with the small wooden paddle and then paused, finding Skye's gaze fixed on his container.
".. what?"
"It's a different flavour to mine, right?"
"So?"
She grinned by way of response. He scoffed under his breath, but passed the bowl to her without argument.
"Just be careful." He warned as she opened her mouth. "The flavours are synthetic. You can feel fine one second and overload the next. They're pretty potent."
She raised an eyebrow at him dryly.
"I'll be careful."
"Alright .." Lucas responded airily as he received a bowl back – he'd lost track of whether it was his original one or not. "But don't look at me if you start spewing across the room."
He paused.
"Seriously, I mean that. If you're gonna puke, face that way."
"It's almost worth the risk!" Jim, who had been suspicious of the nondescript packaging at first, was now munching happily on the contents of his own bowl.
"In fact, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that this is the best future food I've
ever eaten .."
"Wouldn't be that much of a surprise if it was." Taylor interjected with a snort. "This is luxury food. I don't think they serve it where you're from, Golad Boy."
He grinned as he received a glare from his successor, but shortly afterward, Jim turned his attention to Zoe, nudging his daughter gently with his elbow.
"Zo, you've barely touched your dinner. Don't you like the taste?"
Still perched on the arm of his chair, the girl shook her head, pushing her food around its container carelessly.
"No, it's not that. It's .. just .."
Her face fell further as she trailed off. Jim frowned, his own food now forgotten.
"What, honey? What is it?"
Zoe was silent for a moment, but then she shot him a shy look, smiling a little.
"It's nothing. Just .. Christmas was yesterday."
"So it was." Jim nodded slowly, watching her sober expression. "But do you remember why that day is important?"
His daughter's eyebrows lowered in a manner that was almost disapproving.
"Sure. It's when Jesus was born."
"Ah, but was it?" Jim's eyes twinkled as she gave him her full attention. "Did you know that they actually don't know what day Jesus was born? In fact, they had a whole 'nother calendar in Jesus' day."
"So why do we have it on the 25th?"
"They just picked a day so that everyone could celebrate at once." He replied easily, his gaze searching her thoughtful face. "But do you see what I'm getting at?"
Zoe was silent for a few more seconds, but already the hope was beginning to return to her solemn countenance. When she looked up to meet Jim's eyes again, her features were alight with eagerness.
"So you're saying we didn't miss Christmas after all. We can just have it when we get home?!"
"Right you are!" Jim grinned. "And anyway, Christmas isn't much fun if you spend it alone. I don't think Mommy would enjoy it much without us, do you?" Zoe smiled and shook her head. Below, Zayne was watching them curiously from the floor. One empty bowl and one Kaprosuchus lay beside him.
"You guys still celebrate that stuff?"
"Well, sure." Taylor put in, taking it upon himself to reply as he stretched out comfortably in his chair. "I know it's not something many people do anymore. Stores stopped advertising it when people weren't spending big buying presents. Course, folks couldn't afford it. But when I founded Terra Nova, I made it a point to see to it that we started celebrating it again. And we did, that first year! And we have every year since."
He lapsed into momentary silence before casting a knowing look down at the boy.
"After all, Terra Nova was built on nothing if not hope. I can't think of a celebration more suited to that than Christmas. Can you?"
"I guess not .." Zayne mused, tilting his head thoughtfully. "So what do you do to celebrate then?"
"Oh, all sorts of things." Taylor chuckled. "Some folks still don't buy much into the gift-giving idea, but most – if not all – of 'em enjoy a good meal. We make it into a bit of a festival, kind of like a colony Christmas party. Dancing, games, food, that sort of thing. People have their own quieter traditions on top of that. Some were initially opposed to the idea, but they're coming around."
He grinned mischievously at Mira, who graced him with a wry smile as he turned his attention back to Zayne.
"I'm not about to stop people giving gifts if they want to, of course, but that's not the point. The point is being together, celebrating the hope they've been offered, the second chance. That's the point."
"Sounds amazing .." Zayne murmured, causing his cousin to look at him quickly.
"I won't have anything to give anyone this year." Zoe lamented, leaning her chin on her palm with a mournful expression. Jim laughed a little.
"Are you kiddin'?" He flicked her chin with his thumb as she looked at him. "What do you think we've been praying for all these months, hm? You're the only thing we wanted for Christmas. Don't even think about trying to give us anything else, or we'll get cross!"
Zoe released a shout of laughter as he attacked her ribs, fighting back with her own small fists. Jim yelped as her thin fingers found an opening.
"Alright, alright, I yield."
Taylor chuckled, turning back to the contemplative boy on the floor.
"Look, what I'm trying to say is, maybe no one else can see a reason for it anymore – that's on them. But it doesn't mean you have to give up hope yourselves."
Zayne began to nod, but paused to look at Lucy as his cousin snorted under her breath.
"Yeah. Whatever you say."
Taylor frowned faintly, watching as she stood up to dust herself off.
"Lucy .."
"You know, just because you wish something was real doesn't mean it could actually happen." She retorted cynically. "Go back to your new world of hope and fantasy if you want, but those of us living on the ground have things to prepare for."
"Lucy-" Taylor tried again, but the girl shrugged him off.
"Christmas or no Christmas, I wouldn't want to go live in some dinosaur reserve with you anyway. We've got enough of those here as it is. Come on, Zayne."
She started to walk away, then turned back sharply as he hesitated.
"What, you think they might actually take you with them?" Her eyes flashed. "Get real. If you want to dream, go to bed. That's where I'm going."
Zayne got up slowly as she left the room, suddenly appearing ashamed of himself, as though a heavy weight had just been thrust back upon his shoulders and he was having to relearn how to carry it. His head was bent so that his mop of hair practically covered his eyes, but then his jaw hardened, and the dark gaze emerged just enough for him to glance around at the others apologetically.
"Guess she's right. Can't say it wasn't a nice idea though. Thanks." He paused, looking mildly confused for a moment. "Oh, yeah .. goodnight."
"G'night, boy." Taylor murmured, and the others threw in their own subdued farewells. The cheerful mood in the room had taken a nosedive. After a long stretch in which everyone appeared to have run out of things to say, Jim turned back to Zoe decisively.
"Speaking of which, it is getting pretty late .. what say you take the bed and I'll make myself comfy on the floor? And Taylor, that thing better stay on your side of the room, or so help me .."
"'That thing' .." The former commander snorted indignantly, eyeing his reptile with an injured expression. "Kid's been back for five minutes, and you've already been degraded to 'that thing'. Guess we know where we stand in the pecking order."
"I'm sorry." Jim amended gently. "Would you please ask the Kaprosuchus to stay away from my daughter while she's sleeping. I don't want to wake up and find it nibbling her toes like it does to me."
Taylor burst into a chuckle, but then rapidly cleared his throat.
"Ah .. sure. He can sleep between me and Mira tonight."
The Sixer chief had her own ideas about this arrangement. The two were still discussing it in detail when Jim finally took Zoe upstairs and put her to bed. He came down a while later to find the lounge room largely empty. Only Lucas stood near one wall, perched in front of his Box ledge, sending the long-awaited message to Kensinge. It had taken some time to locate the signal due to the constant power interruptions from the raging storm outside, but he had finally managed to lock on. Anderson's research was floating across time periods at that very second.
It sounded more impressive than it looked.
Growing tired of staring at the slow-moving progress bar, he raised his head, happening to catch Jim's eye as he descended the stairs. Observing the other man's searching expression, he raised a finger in the direction of the kitchen, watching as Jim nodded and finished his descent, disappearing from view. As Lucas' gaze began to drop back to his work, it hitched on something across the room. Harlon was seated on the floor in the shadows of the staircase, his back to the wall, his eyes now focused on the physicist's. Lucas studied the quiet Sixer for a moment, then turned his attention back to the Box display.
"How's the leg?"
He sensed Harlon's snort more than he heard it.
"It's still there. Just. Thank you for that, by the way."
"You deserved every inch of that bolt."
"I know." The Sixer's mouth curled as Lucas' eyes again flicked in his direction. "What did you think the 'thank you' was for?"
"In that case, you're welcome."
True to the physicist's mimed directions, Jim had found Mira and Taylor on the small veranda off the kitchen. He joined them there, folding his arms as he paused between them.
"Nice night." Taylor commented, his voice accented by another roll of thunder. "The kid get to sleep alright?"
"Oh, Zoe's fine. I was the one that didn't want to leave her." He confessed sheepishly. "I can barely stand to let her out of my sight."
"That's understandable." Taylor murmured. "It's gonna take some time."
Jim nodded, following the older man's gaze up to the dark bubble above them. Outside the safety of the dome, the jagged blue lightning was becoming more vicious.
"Strange to think this is our final night here."
"Do you have to sound so morbid about it?"
"It's been a long few months, that's all." Jim cast a knowing look at him. "And don't tell me you're not gonna miss those kids like crazy, because you and I both know-"
"Alright, alright. You've made your point."
Jim gave a short laugh, then sobered, his expression solemn.
"I just wish there was some way we could .."
"But we can't." Taylor finished firmly. "Even if their aunt somehow agreed, we're heading right into a battlefield. There's no time to go back for them afterward, and no way we can guarantee their safety. Once you get on this train, there's no getting off, Jim, you know that."
"I know. I just-"
"I know. We all do. But sometimes life doesn't offer you a perfectly happy ending. We came here for one purpose. We accomplished it. Now our job is to make sure that girl gets home to see her mother."
Jim smiled a little.
"I can't wait to see the look on Elisabeth's face. I don't think she would've let me go at all if it wasn't for you two."
He looked from Taylor, on his right, to Mira, on his left.
"Thank you."
His words were met with silence, but as the next few seconds slid away, he found a familiar hand resting firmly on each of his shoulders. It was all the reply he needed.
"And if you run out of medkits, we've hidden a backup cache in the dead tree at the bottom .. of .."
Elisabeth trailed off, watching her youngest son cackle with glee from the wood plank floor, diving forward as his Triceratops launched its long-awaited sneak attack. Silas pinned his own dinosaur's soft paw to its chest and made gurgling noises as he and the toy collapsed to the deck together. Elisabeth shushed them halfheartedly, causing the soldier to look up in embarrassment before exchanging a grin with Vaughn. The boy's mother hid a smile as they returned to their game. Secretly, she was more grateful than Silas would ever know. For the last few nights, Vaughn had refused to sleep unless he was by Elisabeth's side. His restless behaviour was becoming a nuisance to the older children who shared his cabin, to the point where not even Maddy could calm him. Hour after hour, he would kick and cry and talk to himself, or worse – get up and wander around the collection of sleeping bodies, often tripping over several and waking them up in his attempts to get to the doorway. Maddy herself barely slept, terrified that the boy would succeed one day and manage to escape, only to plummet to the forest floor below. She had startled her cabinmates on several occasions by waking up in the throes of such terrors. Thanks to these nightmares, she was becoming almost as much of a nuisance to the children as her baby brother was.
Out of options, Elisabeth had taken to keeping him by her side, but as the doctor herself had a sleep schedule that was bordering on disastrous, and the boy refused to go to bed unless she did, both parties grew more weary and cranky with each passing hour.
Enter Silas.
Ever since his friends had vanished into the glowing blue realm much earlier in the day (or was it now the previous day?), the soldier had run from one job to another, barely pausing for breath in between. Elisabeth hadn't asked for his help with Vaughn. She hadn't even noticed him appear in the vicinity, but she had turned around some hours ago to find him sitting and talking with the boy as Vaughn used the soldier's lanky form as his own personal gymnasium. From then on, he hadn't left the child's side, even going so far as to allow his poor Ankylosaurus to become obliterated by the wrath of Vaughn's Trike while the colony council made last-minute plans close by.
The soft 'dinosaurs', made from odd socks and bits of material – as well as some small pieces of little girl's clothing that would never be the same again – were barely more distinct than so many lumpy loaves of dirty bread .. but they had been Zoe's, and now that Vaughn had taken a particular liking to them and claimed them as his own possessions, no one dared insult the miserable creatures.
"Dr. Shannon .. ?" Guzman pressed gently, causing her attention to dart back to him. "You were saying? The medkits are in the tree .. ?"
"At the bottom of the quarry. Sorry." Elisabeth finished awkwardly. She cast a smile at the soldier as he placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Get some rest." He advised. "It's late. Let tomorrow take care of itself now."
Elisabeth sighed a little.
"You're right, of course." She turned, clapping her hands as she stepped toward the two lounging lazily on the wood planks nearby. "Come on, rascal. You can sleep with me tonight."
The rampaging dinosaurs paused, and two faces that were a little too innocent gazed up at her. Then Silas rubbed the back of his neck, managing a delicate flush.
"It's a real generous offer, Doc, but .."
Elisabeth bit back a shout of laughter.
"Stop it."
Her dark eyes twinkled as she shook her head at the boy beneath her. He was barely more than a child himself. Subduing the ominous thought, she turned to Vaughn.
"Say goodnight to Silas now. It's time we all went to bed. Doctor's orders." She reached for her son as he raised his arms expectantly, throwing a stern look down at the soldier who still lay propped on his left elbow at her feet. "That includes you too, young man."
Silas looked up into the parental face and nodded solemnly, pasting on a cheerful smile as the deserters left to find their sleeping quarters.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Sit down. I don't bite."
Lucas snorted.
"If I didn't know you so well, that might actually be convincing."
Nevertheless, he sat, his gaze falling quietly on a large cushion that lay across the room. Inside it, Skye slept peacefully, sinking into the lumpy cloud to the point where she was half hidden. Lucas watched her for several moments, smiling at the tousled head. She was exhausted. They all were.
His smile faded as he cast a glance at his father.
"It's down to the wire now."
"Yep."
Silence. Taylor seemed to want to say something, but couldn't manage to get the words out. Lucas waited for a while, his eyes still resting on the unconscious girl nearby.
"Dad?"
"What."
His tone of voice was hardly an invitation to continue, but Lucas pushed forward anyway, turning to face the other man seriously.
"I need you to promise me something."
Taylor blinked.
"If I can."
"I know we've had our problems." Lucas hesitated, faltering over his tongue. "I haven't been the son you wanted, and you haven't been the father I needed. But-"
"Son-"
"Please." Lucas held up a hand, cutting off the other man's words. "Will you do one last thing for me? Even if it's just for old times' sake, or for the sake of the kid I used to be, the kid who thought you could take on the world and win. Would you do one last favour for him?"
Taylor stared at him, his mouth suddenly becoming unpleasantly dry. He choked out a few short bursts of sound under his breath – something that was supposed to resemble laughter.
"Lucas, what has gotten into you today? You're starting to freak your old man out a lil bit."
"I know we can never go back to those days .." Lucas continued, his eyes searching his father's chalky face. "But if you ever loved me at all, please – do this one thing for me."
Taylor waited as he paused, looking for a moment as though he was still battling something within himself, but then Lucas' gaze fell upon Skye's sleeping form again and his expression cleared.
"Make sure she gets out of here safely." He murmured. "Make sure she gets home."
Taylor was silent for several seconds, studying his son's face closely. He wasn't sure why this sudden request had surprised him. Judging by the expression Lucas wore now, it should have been obvious that this was the direction the conversation was heading. What, then, had he expected?
He raised a hand, and it hovered in the air for a moment before he lowered it, squeezing the boy's shoulder lightly. He wondered fleetingly if he had imagined the fragment of a smile that etched itself onto his son's face.
"I did love you, you know. I still do."
"Then will you do it?" Lucas asked wearily. "Will you look after her? I don't care what happens, I need you to promise me you'll get her home. Keep her safe, no matter the cost."
He watched the girl with a hint of regret.
"More than either of us, she deserves a future."
Taylor's eyes narrowed stubbornly.
"Son, I aim to get you both home. I'm not gonna settle for less than every single person here."
"I know you'd save everyone if you could. It'd hurt your pride if you didn't." Lucas retorted, his mouth twisting at the edges. "I also know you know as well as I do that there comes a time when it's impossible to save everyone."
He met his father's eyes soberly.
"I'm sorry. I think I get it now. You would have kept us both alive if you could. Instead, you were given a horrible choice. They forced us both to play a game that no one could win. But I don't want you to have to make that choice again, so I'm making it for you."
He blinked several times as he swallowed the lump in his throat, hurriedly turning his blurring vision back to Skye.
"I'm choosing her. Save her, Dad. Get her out of here, please. Whatever happens in there, whatever happens to me .. make sure she makes it home."
"You don't have to-"
"Promise me." He snapped, his voice louder than he had intended. "Please."
".. alright." Taylor relented, forcing himself to display a level of calm he wasn't currently capable of feeling. "Alright. I promise."
Lucas' eyelids slid shut as he breathed out a sigh of relief. His father gave his shoulder another squeeze.
"I'll look after her. I promise. Like she was my own flesh and blood. Don't worry."
His gaze swung to Skye again as she stirred, crying out in distress, though it was apparent she hadn't woken up yet. Beside him, Lucas stood immediately, throwing a look back by way of explanation.
"She's been having nightmares a lot lately."
Taylor watched him rise with a twinkle in his eye.
"You know this from personal experience, or .. ?"
Lucas shot a look back at him.
"Don't make me bind and gag you."
"I'm shaking in my boots." He grinned as the boy eyed him pointedly, then stood, raising his hands in surrender. "Alright, message received loud and clear. I'll be upstairs if you need me."
"You'll be waiting for a lot longer than you think." The arrogant physicist retorted, causing his father to choke with indignant laughter as he made his way up the steps. Lucas watched him go and then turned, snatching up a blanket from a nearby chair and slinging it over his shoulder as he walked over to Skye. She was still now, though her expression was troubled. With as little noise as possible, he knelt beside her on the floor, draping the blanket over her carefully. Then he sat back, one arm balanced on a propped-up knee as he reached out to brush a wisp of hair away from her eyes. His hand hovered beside her face for a moment before he retracted it reluctantly.
"You've got no idea, do you?" He murmured, leaning his chin on his own forearm. He sat still for a moment, watching her breathe, taking some sort of comfort from the small movement.
He loved her. He knew it.
Truth be told, the miserable fact had first dawned on him some time ago.
He'd known she was different from the moment he'd first laid eyes on her, those long years ago at the Sixer camp. What he hadn't known was just how far she'd cause him to tumble in his near future. If he'd known that, he might very well have turned and walked away right then and there.
He smiled to himself. He wouldn't have, would he? He knew himself well enough by now to predict his own moves. Even if he'd been able to see into the future, he would have gone ahead with his plans in the hopes that he could resist it, perhaps even for the specific challenge of attempting to change it.
What had begun as a somewhat morbid curiosity about the strange daredevil girl that braved the ancient jungle seemingly for the thrill of it had turned into a desire to push her as far as she would go, to test her limits until she snapped. Somewhere along the line, however – he wasn't even quite sure himself exactly when it had happened – it had developed into a desperation to protect her no matter the cost. Even if it was at the risk of his own life, he would do exactly the opposite of what he had set out to do – he would use whatever was in his power to make sure she never broke.
His eyes were drawn back to her as she stirred again. Reaching a hand out, he pulled the blanket up a little more, freezing as Skye muttered something unintelligible to herself and grasped the edge, trapping a few of his fingers in the process. Lucas waited for a moment, resisting the urge to remain and hold her hand. Skye was – probably wilfully – unaware of how strongly he felt. She had made her decision long ago. She wanted no part of it. He disentangled his fingers, gently twisting them out of her grip, before he pulled himself to his feet, pausing to look down at the sleeping face.
"Sweet dreams, my Bucket."
The usually-patient Ovosaur blinked in annoyance as a long blade of grass slapped down between her eyes for the fourth time in a row. Finally giving in to temptation, she made to snap at it, only to find it jerking out of her reach once more. A few feet away, Silas grinned, shifting his position slightly as the knobbly branches that made up the stable walls bore holes of numbness into his back. He held the length of greenery aloft for a few moments, then dropped it again, allowing it to fall flat across Loretta's forehead. As she twisted her head to try and grab it, Silas began to chuckle, but then sucked in his laughter guiltily as another head appeared above the stall door.
"Gonna torment that poor beast all night?"
As the soldier dropped his gaze, brushing the ground sulkily with his grass stalk, Boylan leaned his thick arms on the gnarled wood.
"You out here by yourself?"
"Yep. Josh was here a while back with Inky." Silas inclined his head, nodding in the direction of the sleeping black Ovosaur in the next stall over. "But he abandoned us in favour of his fiancée."
"Well, if the other option is you three, I can't really blame him." The barkeeper grinned, eyeing Inky critically. "Ugly critters, aren't they?"
"Depends on who you're used to looking at." Silas retorted, causing the other man's grin to widen.
"Take my advice. Stop harassing that thing and go to sleep, yeah? This might be our last night on earth, but there's no sense standing on ceremony."
The soldier below him scoffed under his breath.
"How can you be so relaxed?"
The Australian smiled wryly.
"Get to my age, and you'll have learned a few things about wasted energy." He tapped the top of the stall door, winking at the downcast figure beneath him.
"Get some shut-eye if you can. Tomorrow you'll be glad you did."
"Roger that."
When he disappeared, Silas reached for the tolerant Ovosaur, dragging her toward him as he lay down in the dry grass bedding that made up the floor of the stall.
"That means you too, missy. Don't think you can get away that easily."
He curled up into a lopsided ball with Loretta at the centre, closing his eyes tightly. As he listened to the gentle rustling of the menagerie of animals that made up the stable, his breathing slowed. Finally, the world faded away as he fell into a deep sleep.
The night was wearing on, creeping toward morning faster than anyone wanted to contemplate. Skye had woken half an hour ago to find herself in a dimly lit and unfamiliar room. In bewilderment, she had discovered Lucas' form draped over the lounge chair nearby, a blanket lying discarded on the floor beside him. Her groggy collision of memories had slowly sorted themselves out, but the mental clarity that resulted had turned out to be detrimental. Once her brain had come awake fully, it had refused to put itself back to bed. She had eventually pulled herself up as silently as possible, tiptoeing curiously through the kitchen and out to the little glass-encased balcony beyond. She hadn't been there for more than a few minutes before she was joined by another sleep-deprived individual.
"Hey, you."
She looked over her shoulder at the dishevelled figure as Lucas wandered up to stand beside her. They blinked at one another for a moment, equally drowsy, thanks to the dreams they were not currently having. Then Lucas raised an arm to stifle a yawn, gazing around with heavy eyes.
"You like this spot, huh?"
"I guess. It's so different from anything I've seen before." Skye stared out at the small town of domes. The glass panels set into the walls had a habit of reflecting the lights shining out of windows and doors that lay directly opposite, making the cobbled streets with their old-fashioned lanterns seem like a fairyland. "We came to Terra Nova so long ago, I don't remember much about the future before then, but even what I saw recently was nothing like this .. this is like another world."
Lucas followed her gaze. Even the dark didn't seem unpleasant in here with the smattering of golden light twinkling against it. Other people could be seen through their own windows if one cared to look hard enough, mostly single people or older, wealthy couples. Lucy and Zayne were unusual in that regard. Children as a rule didn't really exist in domes.
He looked up through the glass ceiling to the geometric patterns on the high roof. They seemed completely cut off from the fog and disease and danger and hopelessness of the real world here. Existence inside a dome really did feel like living on a different planet. The sensation almost made him homesick.
"When I first left this place – the future .." He murmured. ".. I never dreamed I'd be back here within a few years, risking my life to defend Terra Nova .."
He put such a mix of emotions into the name that it was impossible to tell if he resented the situation or if he was merely wondering nostalgically at the fact.
"Yet here we are."
"Here we are."
He continued staring out for several seconds, then rubbed his eyes halfheartedly with the back of his hand.
"You should really get some sleep before tomorrow."
"Yeah, you're right."
Still, she made no move to go inside. He peered down at her curiously.
"Can't sleep, huh? Are you scared?"
"I don't know .."
"Well, you are or you aren't. It's not rocket science."
"I suppose you would know."
Skye threw a half-smile at him, then fell silent for a moment.
"I don't think I'm scared exactly. I thought I'd be scared witless when our last stand finally came, but instead, I'm .. sad. Tomorrow will come, whether we're here or not. The world will keep spinning, even if I fall in the process. I'm sure of that. It's just-"
"Not gonna lie, that's kind of annoying." Lucas interrupted, causing her to stare at him in surprise. He looked back at her for a moment, then returned his rueful gaze to the city. "I'm standing here, scared out of my mind and instead of being scared with me like you're supposed to be, you choose this moment to become all zen."
Skye shouted with laughter, a sound that he hadn't heard in quite a while. It was enough to bring a smile back to his face.
"Come on, the least you could do is act scared so I could distract myself by making you feel better."
"Sorry. Would it help if I started now?"
"It's too late now." He retorted saltily, causing Skye's grin to widen before it faded away.
"Anyway, when all's said and done, what difference does it make?" She murmured, hugging herself. "It has to happen either way."
"Still. Not alone, remember. You don't have to hold it together on my account." Lucas rested a hand on the railing, leaning around to look into her face. "We're fighting an uphill battle. Win or lose, we'll suffer casualties. The world isn't going to come crashing down if you admit it."
She said nothing for some time, so instead, he continued.
"I'm terrified." He admitted, studying his socks soberly. "For the first time in my life, I actually have something I want to live for. I don't want to die."
"I don't want to die either."
Her field of vision narrowed, and suddenly she was staring at her own reflection in the glass dome wall. The solemn grey eyes stared back searchingly. What were they looking for?
"This isn't who I thought I'd become, you know." She confessed. "Back when I was a kid, when everything made sense .."
"What did you think you'd turn out like?"
"I don't know, but it wasn't this. I couldn't have imagined this if I tried."
"I'm not surprised." Lucas murmured, casting a comical eye over the handmade bracelets around her wrists, the beads braided into her hair, the worn leather vest beneath her fraying green jacket. Her sonic was charging in the next room, but the empty pistol holster still hung around her waist, and he knew for a fact that she'd taken to keeping a knife around for emergencies – in all likelihood, that lay hidden somewhere on her person as well. What had she imagined her future self to be like?
Probably more Deborah and less Mira.
Catching the expression, Skye shot a look at him, but he only smiled in reply. "For the record, I don't think you turned out so bad."
"Neither do I." She admitted hesitantly. "Not really. There was a time I was afraid I'd end up a lot worse than this."
"The funny part is, I turned out exactly how I'd always expected to." Lucas laughed. "It just took me a while to get there."
Skye stared at him.
"What did you want to be exactly?"
"Isn't it obvious?" He questioned, in mock seriousness. "I was going to save the world. Using science as my weapon."
"You wanted to be a hero?"
"Of course. You don't become a scientist unless you want to save the world."
"Or destroy it."
".. fair point." He watched her quietly, his eyes tracing the lines of worry that shouldn't have been visible on a face as young as hers. "Things'll work out the way they're supposed to, you know. They always do."
Skye looked back up at him with a frown.
"Okay .. who are you and what have you done with the cynical physicist I just travelled through time with?"
"He's still a cynic." Lucas replied confidently. "But in some ways, he's too cynical not to believe things will work out."
As her frown of confusion deepened, he sighed, folding his arms.
"You saved my life, you know. Without you, without Deborah, I don't know where I'd be or what I'd have done. I might be ruling the world, I might be in prison, I'd probably be dead." He met her eyes gravely. "Either way, I would've been a different person. You changed me. It's because of you that I'm standing here today. You can not tell me that was pure chance."
Skye shrugged.
"I mean, I could, but .."
".. but I wouldn't believe it." Lucas finished as she nodded. "I've thought about it a lot, and I come to the same conclusion each and every time. I refuse to believe that we met through dumb luck. Too many things have changed for the better because of it."
"Are you saying we were somehow .. meant to meet?"
"I don't know. I suppose so." He raised a hand, rubbing his increasingly heavy eyelids again. "All I know is that, against all odds, the one person that could have saved me came. The one thing that needed to happen happened. To believe that after all that, those things happened completely by chance would be illogical. See?"
"I think I get it." Skye murmured. "You're too much of a cynic to disregard the odds that got us here. Things happened because they had to. Because they were somehow supposed to. If someone had told me back when we first met that, someday, you'd be the one holding me together, I would've probably been campaigning to get them thrown in the Brig then and there."
She grinned to herself.
"I probably wouldn't have made it through these last few months if it wasn't for you. How many people can say that their worst enemy was also the one who saved their life?"
She rubbed her arms, trying to warm herself as a chill settled into her stomach.
"I was telling you the truth earlier, you know. I'm not afraid of the battle. Not really. But my mother's gone. Our home is destroyed. The colony's in ruins – not just the place, but the people. Was that meant to happen?"
He remained quiet as she continued, her voice trembling a little.
"I can't shake the feeling that even if we do survive, nothing will ever go back to the way it was. Our past is the past. We can't go back. I'm not scared. But after tomorrow, reality could be unrecognisable. And I'm not sure I want to be around to see it."
For several moments, all was silent. Apparently not even Lucas, who usually had an answer for everything, knew what to say to reassure her now. Skye's heart was beginning to sink when she felt him step closer. Shortly thereafter, she found a set of arms wrap firmly around her, accompanied by a soft voice in her ear.
"It's going to be alright."
She managed an uneven laugh.
"Was that for my benefit or yours?"
Lucas smiled.
"Maybe both. Whatever happens tomorrow happens." His gaze returned to the glittering gold lights that hovered some distance beyond the little balcony.
"Maybe things go wrong and we don't make it out .."
".. but?"
"But if this really is the end, you can't say it hasn't been one heck of a ride."