Chapter 43

Out in the Open

Strange how the morning of a battle felt. In some ways, it was brighter, prettier, and more colourful than any other day, simply because you were acutely aware it could be your last day on earth. And then in other ways, it was darker, overshadowed by a solemn cloud that dampened every lighthearted moment that might try to improve the mood. Everyone was silent. No one would be consoled. This was the end.

But then there was a third part – a nearly humorous sensation that everything was merely smoke and mirrors, that this day was just as ordinary as any other, that nothing could possibly change things so drastically. Life continued on unhindered from one day to the next. The following morning would be just the same.

"Before the future can be retaken, the past must be released."

Those had been Reilly's words once, though the acting commander would likely have been shocked to know that her voice was still ringing through his head months later. Actually, Reilly would probably have laughed at the suggestion he'd been listening at all.

Carter took a step into the open before ducking hurriedly back behind his tree. A disc-shaped ball of colour zipped past his head, making his hair stand on end. Battle stations had been called at first light. The future was done waiting. This was it.

Hope and fear warred against each other all over the treehouse colony that morning, every heart carrying out the same silent battle as they went about their business, finalising their preparations as they waited for that final call .. Jim's signal.

At Jim's signal, Base Zero would be taken.

At Jim's signal, this ruse of sneaking here and there and tip-toeing around the enemy would come to an abrupt end. The fight would be out in the open until the last man fell.

At Jim's signal, the quiet world as they knew it would burst into flames and chaos would reign. They may never glimpse that quiet world again.

So they waited tensely, trying to busy themselves with whatever they could, all the while tirelessly keeping one ear open for the crackle of the comms box.

The alarm sounded just before dawn.

Doused in propellant during the previous break-in, the bottom floor of the dome lit up like a Terra Novan sunrise. They had cleaned up as best they could, of course, but a sheer film had remained on the ground, likely carried in beneath the soles of all the stampeding feet. Shot, arrested, even trampled in the process, the crazed mob hadn't cared about the result of their invasion.

Because Erika's demise hadn't been their endgame.

This had.

The flames licked up the invisible kindling like candy. Almost before they were aware of it, the entire lower level of the dome was engulfed. On the second floor, Skye and Lucas were closer to the spreading fire than anyone else. They awoke first, charging up the stairs and waking the rest of the house with their yells. Within moments, everyone had amassed in the hallways, surrounded by the weird reddish brown light that seemed to be seeping slowly upwards alongside the smoke.

Choking, Erika took charge.

"Follow me. Quickly."

She ushered them back into her room, leading the way to a small set of shelves in the corner. Simon and her guests had been dancing around each other for long enough, with Erika caught uncomfortably in the middle. Now Jim and the others were planning their imminent departure. Simon's plans for Zoe had inevitably collapsed into ruin. The man himself had apparently fled the country, and Erika's plans relied neither on his assistance or subterfuge. Brute force would be enough. It was time to let the cards fall where they may. Secrecy no longer mattered. On top of this, the fire was rapidly gaining momentum, and she had no intention of being burned alive here, her ashes mixing with those of the past-dwellers.

She slid the furniture aside with a grunt of effort, pulling up the trapdoor to reveal a narrow spiral staircase below. Thankfully, the flames hadn't quite penetrated the walls yet. If her guests had questioned her reasons for having an escape hatch in her bedroom, they didn't get a chance to ask. She led the way into the Guild Tunnels, paying little heed to those following close behind her. Whether they kept up with her or not was entirely their problem.

They reached the bottom of the steps and broke into a jog, wheezing and spluttering until they had managed to outrun the majority of the smoke, often losing sight of those in front of them in the process. It had been a confusing and abrupt awakening, but the combined momentum of their own survival instincts spurred them onward.

Fire meant death. Escape the flames by whatever means necessary.

Like wild animals in a burning forest, they fled as one in the face of the shimmering heatwave. In the distance, the ear-splitting whine of the alarm finally broke through the red haze. The warning had nearly come too late.

When they finally paused for breath in a cold, dark hall of unpainted cement, Erika turned her spear-like gaze on Jim.

"You rescued me, I rescued you." Her voice sounded like it was grating against sandpaper on its way out. "Now we're even."

A look of confusion crossed his face, but he was too busy coughing into his sleeve to reply. Clutching his jacket with small white knuckles, Zoe remained very close to him, watching his chest spasm in concern. Lucas stood to the side, his arms wrapped around the backpack that was incubating his precious Box. As Harlon leaned on Zayne to catch his breath, Lucy stared around in amazement.

"These have been here the whole time?!" She gaped at her aunt, her eyes shining. "I didn't know we had secret tunnels! What are they for?!"

As it happened, Erika was in the middle of checking up on Taylor and Mira and hadn't heard her. Zoe, however, had caught every word. While Lucy's question hung unanswered in the air, the younger girl's eyes flicked between Erika and her niece, an odd expression on her face. Despite what she may have been thinking, she said nothing, and when Erika suggested that they keep moving shortly afterwards, Zoe shuffled along beside Jim in silence, staring distractedly down at her feet. She only jumped slightly as the Kaprosuchus' presence materialised beside her, flitting through the foggy underground as though he was part of the mist itself.

When morning came and the damage had been assessed, the worst came to light. Nearly every dome in the city had been targeted, burnt to the ground overnight with the occupants inside, trapped within the giant ovens. The same process appeared to have been used for each. It was a direct attack on the rich and powerful, those who set themselves apart from the masses and paid little heed to the daily suffering of ordinary people, though in truth, the shadowy figures responsible for the destruction were far from ordinary. It took a certain level of expertise to carry out such a hit. The domes had been cracked open like eggs in a nest. The fire prevention systems and the back-up networks had been intentionally disabled. Helped along by the propellant, all that was required was the fuse.

The rich and powerful that remained blamed the scum of society. The poor and the homeless blamed the government. The law had been fading from the pages of Chicago's collective mental library for many years. Now it had been erased entirely. The book had been thrown out. Terrified and crazed with anger beyond reason, every person was forced to choose a side. Young, old, rich, poor, they armed themselves with whatever they could find, their minds saturated with one goal – to inflict the greatest possible damage on their enemies before they themselves inevitably met their end. The streets became a bloodbath in which chaos and hatred reigned. The splits that had existed below the surface had finally shown themselves, cracking open their gaping mouths to create an ugly, jagged chasm of division that rent the city asunder.

This was the day the civil war truly began.

He was witnessing the dawn of a new chapter of history.

As the black realisation pooled within his chest, his gleaming eyes scanned the scene that lay before him. The flaming domes littered the city like giant fairy lights, turning Chicago into the biggest Christmas tree display on the planet. Above, Pterosaurs screeched and fought one another, crazed and panicked as they tried to navigate the smoky skyline. Below, humans and dinosaurs alike ran for cover as spot fires broke out randomly, often spread by the same entities that were trying so hard to avoid them. When the purplish holes in the atmosphere were added into the mix, the view from the watcher's vantage point was nothing short of apocalyptic.

He shuddered with a mixture of awe and horror as he filmed it all, the burning world reflecting brightly in the glass lens of the camera. His documentary would turn out to be the most important of its time, possibly of all time. Scorned and loved in equal measure, the anarchist himself would become almost as legendary as his own work. One day, 'Jake Quentin' would become a household name.

And the documentary? It would be influential, so influential in fact, that its title would eventually become synonymous with the very event it was created to chronicle. There are many things that history tends to either ignore or forget, fading out of public memory by either accident or design. The truth-seeker made it his mission to ensure that this would not be one of them. History would remember the name Jake Quentin. But more than that, it would remember The Collision War.

The primeval forest was abuzz with activity. Today everyone had a part to play. The colony was split into several groups, all set up with various traps and weapons. Little by little, by whatever means necessary, they would beat the new Phoenix army down. It was the only way anyone would live to see another nightfall.

Carter had installed small groups of lookouts at various locations before departing for Base Zero, where he would support the Terra Novan invasion.
Elisabeth and Ogawa had established and were now running a temporary hospital for the injured that were sure to come flooding in by the dozens.

Monica was helping Tasha mix up some acidic spray in the trees, made from a combination of herbs and the defensive measures of several particularly hazardous beetles.

Dunham was organising a series of pitfalls as a last line of defense.

Reilly was busy stationing archers all along the bridges between trees.

Margery and the rest of the market crowd were armed with large slingshots, ready to catapult frutbombs onto the enemy soldiers that attempted to claim vantage points in the foliage below.

To support this admirable effort, Maddy had gathered the colony children nearby. They were preparing to generate nasty little fireworks of their own devising – created by clay rocks that exploded when they collided with the ground. The small colonists were very proud of their work. The gunpowder had been harvested from future equipment, and they couldn't wait to see it in action.

Mark and Josh had been armed with poison-tipped darts while they worked on controlling the Ovosaurs (not an easy task, by any means).

Meanwhile, Boylan and Rooney had bigger fish on their hands. They were preparing the Spinosaur. They would hide it in a concealed paddock at the edge of the jungle before releasing it to do what it loved best – to chase the stragglers.

The Parasaurs used as pack animals had been swung up into the trees one by one on the heavy lift – courtesy of the pulley system worked by a couple of Ankylosaurs – and were now mostly suspended in the stable in the treetops, though a few had been kept on the ground as mounts.

The same grim determination was etched into every face, large and small, young or old, 5th pilgrimager or 11th, Sixer, former Phoenix, you name it. Background no longer mattered as long as you were firing in the right direction. Everyone understood the predicament they were in. For the first time in Terra Nova's short history, they were completely united. This was the day they had all be waiting for. They were eager to begin.

The tunnel ended some distance from the domes. One by one, the small group members crawled up the ladder and out into the city – except for the Kaprosuchus, who leaped out. It was consistently unnerving to witness how high that animal could jump. The round metal plate that concealed the drainage pipes slammed back down into place, causing the melancholic figures in the street to glance around at each other miserably. No one seemed to know what they were expected to say next. Finally, Jim took charge, focusing his attention on Erika, his voice low.

"What will you do now? Where will you go?"

"Wait, you're leaving?!"

Jim exchanged a look with the boy's aunt, then turned slowly. This was the part he had been dreading the most. He took a silent lungful of musty air, attempting to steady himself before casting a sympathetic glance in Zayne's direction.

"This was always the plan, you know that. We have a job to do."

"And so do you." Taylor stepped forward, putting his hands on the boy's shoulders firmly. He bent slightly to look into Zayne's panicked eyes. "Your family needs you too. Stay strong. Protect them."

"But .."

"You're tougher than you think." The old man's eyes twinkled. "You did alright before we came along, you'll be even better when we're gone. After all, you have my example to follow now."

Behind him, Lucas and Harlon snorted in the same breath, then cast a curious look at one another. Jim swiped at his eyes in a manner he believed was subtle, then moved up to stand beside Taylor.

"He's right, you know. You're good kids. You'll grow up into the best adults this place has ever seen." He nodded in Erika's direction, smiling a little. "Take care of your aunt. She pretends she doesn't need you, but we all know you mean more to her than anything else on the planet."

He turned to Lucy then, opening his mouth to address her next, but instead of listening, she backed away warily, her eyes hard. Jim frowned.

"Lucy, talk to me. What's going on in that head of yours?"

The girl raised her chin a little, but didn't answer.

"Jim."

He turned in distress to find Mira's hand on his arm. The leader of the Sixers met his gaze solemnly.

"Don't push her. She's handling this in her own way. Let her go."

Jim eyed Lucy for a moment, then looked down, his hand resting gently on his own daughter's head.

"I'm sorry. I can't think of a way to make this easier." He murmured, then lifted his own head, meeting each dismayed gaze in turn. "I guess this is goodbye. And thank you. We're more grateful than you'll ever know."

Zayne shook his head. No matter how tightly he coiled his white-knuckled fists around the pain, his control was rapidly slipping away.

"No." He choked, tears beginning to fall freely down his cheeks. "You can't .. please! Take us with you!"

His cousin looked at him in disgust.

"Oh, pull yourself together, will you? How much good do you think blubbering all over the street's gonna do? They're leaving. That was always the way it was going to end for us, remember?"

Only Zoe seemed to have an answer for this. She stepped closer, reaching out to Lucy, but the other girl bared her teeth and retreated even further away. Instead, Zoe turned to the boy next to her. She placed a hand on Zayne's arm, squeezing it with an expression of sadness that almost mirrored his own. He tried to smile down at her, but it collapsed at the corners. Zoe dropped her eyes, but remained beside him.

Watching them, Jim looked as though he was only just managing to hold himself together. He swallowed hard and attempted to continue his conversation with the children's aunt.

"Take the kids and get out of Chicago if you can. This place isn't gonna get any better any time soon. If you want my advice, I'd head south – away from the cities. Keep your heads down for a while and you'll be alright."

Erika stared at them in confusion.

"Wait. Where will you go?"

"Home." Jim responded simply. "At least, that's the plan. Safer for you if you don't know any more."

"Wait!" The woman repeated, sounding more desperate this time. She shot out a hand as he turned away, grasping his wrist painfully. "Take me – take us back with you. To Terra Nova. We're not safe here anymore, and the kids could have a new life, and .."

She turned her gaze on Zoe and Zayne, who still stood next to each other, their dark eyes on their guardians. Erika looked back at Jim entreatingly.

"You must know what it's like to want a better life for your children. Please. I'm begging you. Take us with you."

Zayne and Lucy stared from their aunt to the Terra Novans, but after a moment or two of agonising consideration, Jim shook his head slowly.

"I'm sorry. Trust me, we've gone back and forth between ourselves trying to come up with a way for you to join us. There's nothing I'd love more than to take you three home. You've practically become like family."

Erika's eyes gleamed eagerly.

"Then?!"

"We're about to head into a war zone." Jim continued, his voice strained. "I can't guarantee your safety. As it is, we'd be better off separating ourselves. There are too many of us already. You and the kids will have to find your own way in. Maybe one day .."

He broke off. The odds were slim, if not non-existent. No further pilgrimages would come to Terra Nova. The lottery had long since become a thing of the past. This was goodbye forever.

"I'm sorry." He repeated uselessly. "I really am."

"Then take us with you!"

"I can't. Terra Nova-" He cut himself off just in time, casting a wary glance at Zoe. He had been about to say that Terra Nova may be reduced to dust already. For all they knew, the entire colony could have ceased to exist overnight. But that was the last thing his daughter needed to hear.

"We're walking into a battlefield." He carefully amended. "I can't make you a part of that."

"So you're condemning us here to die." Erika snapped, her eyes flashing. "Mark my words, you'll regret this day forever. The looks on the faces of these children will never leave your conscience."

Jim's spirit sank further. She was right. And she was justifiably angry. If their places were swapped, he'd be furious.

"Maybe." He agreed softly. "But I couldn't live with myself if I was the reason all three of you died today. We all have combat training. You don't. To bring a civilian and two children into a war zone would be irresponsible. I can't do it."

"Then at least take the children!"

"Did you hear what he just said?" Taylor snapped impatiently, tiring of the emotional debate. "Look. We appreciate all you've done for us. Honestly, you've helped us more'n we can repay. But if you come with us now, you'll just be a liability. We can't risk our necks trying to protect you on the battlefield. You could get us all killed-"

"What Taylor's trying to say .." Jim interrupted, casting a pointed look at the former commander. ".. is that you could have a good life here. You have money, resources, you can purchase lodging in another town. There are places far cheaper than Chicago. Send the kids back to school. Make sure they go this time. They're intelligent kids. They'll do great for themselves, you'll see. At least here, you have a chance at a future."

The more he talked, the more hypocritical he sounded to his own ears. He had stolen his way into Terra Nova for the exact reasons he was trying to argue against now.

Strangely enough, however, Erika's face had brightened.

"What if I look after your little girl for you? You said yourself you're going into a war zone. She'll only be a burden. I'll make you a deal. I'll look after Zoe, and when you come back for her .."

She left the rest of the suggestion unspoken as Jim hesitated, glancing at his daughter. The woman made a good point, but there would be no coming back after this. Either Zoe came with him now, or he would risk leaving her behind again .. permanently. As if to make sure, Zoe returned to his side, looking up at him and shaking her head slowly. Jim turned back to Erika, wondering how many more times he would have to apologise before the morning was out.

"Sorry, no, she stays with me. I can't let her out of my sight again."

"So you're just going to leave us to die here in torment while the air is inevitably leeched from our lungs." Erika's eyes blazed with angry tears. Her children shifted in discomfort. "When we've taken you in and done our best to care for you while you were with us."

"We did save you from a madman with a gun-" Taylor interrupted.

"Oh, yes!" Erika snapped sarcastically, then appeared to soften a little. ".. yes. You did, and I'm grateful. But .." She stared around at the group, her eyes moving from one person to another. Every expression sympathised with her plight, but no one said a word of encouragement. Her shoulders slumped a little as she reached her hands out for her children. Zayne and Lucy went to her in silence, drawn by some invisible cord that only their aunt was capable of controlling.

Erika clung to them, staring numbly at the ground as she held their bodies in place. The pinch of her claw-like hold on their shoulders was almost sharp enough to make them wince, but they didn't dare resist it. The anger pulsing through her thin fingers was a force far more fearful than the temporary pain. Finally, Erika's hateful gaze flicked back up to Jim.

"Go." She muttered, her defeated voice barely more than a whisper. "Go then. And I hope you find everything that's supposed to be waiting for you."

As she steered the children away, Jim stepped forward, but a cautioning hand against his chest stopped the words from coming out. Taylor eyed him, shaking his head in a silent warning. There was nothing more they could do but make the situation worse. As Jim's mouth closed firmly, however, Zayne flung a desperate look back, his dark eyes shining with tears under his mop of dark hair. As if she sensed what was coming, Erika's grip tightened on him, but in the end, her hold wasn't strong enough. With a stifled sob, Zayne tore away from her, charging back toward the little group.

Lucas watched curiously as the boy threw his arms around both Jim and Taylor and was hugged warmly in return. Standing some distance away, Lucy cast a nervous look up at her aunt, but the woman merely smiled down at her, running her fingers through the girl's dark braid.

"Thank you." Zayne murmured brokenly, receiving an affectionate pat on the head from Harlon as he pulled away.

"No thanks necessary." The Sixer retorted, rubbing the boy's hair lightly. "Now off you go. Make us proud. And don't forget us, alright?"

Zayne cleared his throat, laughing softly as he smoothed the unruly rainbow down again.

"I won't."

Reluctantly, he rejoined his family, though he cast several wistful glances over his shoulder before they moved out of sight. Lucy, on the other hand, marched away, chin held high. She never looked back.

After a minute or two, Taylor's gruff voice cut into the stillness.

"Good kid."

"Good kids." Jim corrected, his own eyes damper than usual. Mira grasped his shoulder, shaking it gently.

"They're going home to try and move on." She muttered. "I suggest we do the same."

Harlon's mouth twisted in commiseration.

"Not much of a home to go back to."

Taylor snorted.

"Who, them or us?"

Mira shot the former commander a sideways look.

"You never did quite get the point of tact, did you?"

"What, coming from the ice queen? That's rich."

"Come on." Jim laughed, interrupting the argument before it escalated into an all-out brawl. "The day's getting on, and unless I'm very much mistaken, we have our own plan to put into effect."

He placed a hand on his daughter's head as Zoe smiled up at him sadly.

"Let's go save the world."

The invading force had arrived.

Granted, they were struggling somewhat with the unfamiliar and wild terrain, and traversing the jungle floor was hardly an easy task, but they persisted. From up in the trees, Guzman's expression grew hard as he watched the bombers roll in through the sight of his rifle. It had been modified with a pinpointed EMP blast designed to take out enemy technology. So far, it seemed to be working.

He felt a tug on his sleeve and glanced sideways. Meeting his gaze for a moment, Sienna pointed silently down toward the forest floor. Once again, he thanked his own foresight in requesting her assistance. His eyes weren't what they had once been. He had chosen Sienna as his spotter personally. The girl was serious and intelligent, and thus far, had proven herself invaluable. More often than not, she spied enemies slinking through the cover beneath them before he even knew they were there. She had almost certainly saved the entire colony on more than one occasion. As of yet, he didn't know the scope or intensity of the explosives below, but he was certain he didn't want to find out. As it was, he suspected each one to be more than capable of wiping out entire sections of forest. The future didn't care about the lives of their own soldiers. They weren't taking any chances. The gloves had come off.

He turned again as he felt another tug at his elbow. Wordlessly, Sienna pointed. Someone was weaving their way through the underbrush. Guzman aimed, pressing down on the trigger. At the same moment, the intruder below attempted to use his. Sienna's eyes squeezed shut.

Nothing happened.

No deafening bang, no blinding light, no heavenly chorus. Death hadn't come for them this time around .. but it had been far too close.

Slowly, one by one, she opened her eyes. Down on the forest floor, the increasingly frustrated soldier mashed the detonator button a few times, then looked irritatedly up into the tree branches, searching for the source of the interference. Guzman's own gaze drifted upward, then flicked back down to meet Sienna's. He pulled his dog tags out from within his shirt, wrapping his fist around the cross that hung alongside them. As she watched, he pressed a kiss to his knuckles, then held the necklace to his chest as he stared back up gratefully into the sun-mottled canopy.

"I think someone up there is on our side."

It was well into the morning by the time they completed their trek to the port. According to Kensinge's specific instructions, they were to enter the loading tunnels here. Unlike the complicated set of passages beneath the city centre, these were short, wide, and led straight into the heart of Simon's facility. Used mostly for packing and unpacking freight from the ship lanes that frequented his site, the loading tunnels were left largely unguarded the rest of the time. Instead, they were sealed with large steel doors, locked from the inside and likely alarmed. Once they got through, Kensinge had advised them to make quickly for the Portal. The closer they could get to it before they were inevitably stopped, the easier they would be to pick up once their ride arrived. There would be some fighting, but in general, Simon didn't tend to keep much hired muscle around. Most of the firepower had been sent to Terra Nova. The only permanent residents of the floating lab were scientists, and they wouldn't put up much of a fight in the face of a squadron of Terra Novan militants.

The plan, hopeful as it was, had been proceeding perfectly well. They had made it to port, they had located the appropriate tunnel entrance, they had even begun the process of initiating the lock-breaking program that Kensinge had devised and Lucas had programmed into the Box a day or two earlier – after all, when one developed time portals for a living, hacking security codes was merely child's play.

Evidently they had made a fatal error somewhere along the line.

Whatever had given them away, they suddenly found themselves surrounded in an instant by at least ten armed men. Lucas paused what he was doing and looked around at the tiny army, then he turned to search for Jim. What would their unofficial leader's directions be?

A single soldier stepped forward, separating himself from the rest of his group. It wasn't to Jim, however, that his next statement was addressed. Instead, the commander of the small unit stopped directly in front of Harlon.

"Ready to await your instructions, sir."

There was a moment of silence during which no one seemed to know what to do. The change in direction had caught them all by surprise – except, perhaps, for the Sixer himself. He eyed the other man expressionlessly as some wordless conversation was carried out between the two. Then the moment ended, and Jim turned furiously. Beside him, an eloquent roar came from Taylor. It was taking all of Mira's strength to hold the former commander back.

"Harlon, I should've known. You-"

"They're on our side." The Sixer interrupted blandly, barely blinking. Taylor stopped struggling, pausing to look around at the solemn group of soldiers. They didn't appear to be organising an attack. For that matter, they didn't seem to be doing .. anything. As a hint of a smile crossed Harlon's face, Jim turned back to him, recognition dawning at last.

"Your father .. ?"

"Figured it was time we could use the backup."

Jim exchanged a weary look with Mira as Harlon grinned briefly.

"Sometimes the aristocracy's good for something if you use them right."

"You could've told me."

"Didn't know if they'd listen. Plus, it's more fun this way."

"Young master."

The Sixer turned to meet the solemn gaze of his father's security adviser.

"Yes? What is it, Stevens?"

"Your father couldn't come, but he sent me with a message."

The faintest trace of a grimace lit Harlon's face.

"Go ahead then."

"He told me to tell you he hopes you can find your home and your peace, somehow." Claudius' head of security hesitated briefly. "He also said to tell you that he was glad you finally found something worthwhile to pound your stupid bull head against."

Harlon snorted, but Stevens wasn't finished.

"He said to act as you saw fit, but he seemed to think that, based on your description, the governor would be very interested to hear about this little operation."

"I very much doubt the governor would be surprised." Jim murmured. Harlon nodded his own agreement as the man continued.

"He said the full capability of his private defence force was at your disposal and to go bring down those treacherous snakes."

Harlon's gaze now turned questioningly to Jim, who shrugged.

"What the man said. Let's bring down those treacherous snakes."

"And sir-"

Harlon glanced back.

"Yes?"

"If you don't mind me saying so .. I think he was proud you confided in him."

The Sixer's mouth curled upward at the corners.

"I very much doubt that-"

"I heard him bragging to the kitchen staff about it this morning." Stevens interrupted bluntly. Harlon stared at him in astonishment for a few seconds before a short laugh escaped him.

"Will wonders never cease .."

"Your father was never a bad man." The head of security continued. "Oblivious and a little vain, perhaps, but you didn't give him enough credit. His heart was in the right place."

"I suppose so."

"You were the one who caused trouble by refusing to see it. I think in a way you wanted him to be a worse person than he was. Perhaps by embellishing his crimes in your own mind, it made it easier for you to reject him."

"Are you a soldier or a psychologist, Stevens?" Harlon retorted, his cheeks flushing with some heat as several grins made their way around the ring of faces. "Don't forget, he was still guilty of everything I accused him of, wittingly or not."

"The two of you could've come to an understanding if you hadn't been so short-tempered and quick to judge-"

"Alright, that's enough." The Sixer interrupted, bringing his hands together sharply as he threw a veiled look of entreaty at Jim. "Let's go."

Grinning, Jim relented, turning to Lucas, who was waiting nearby. At the commander's nod, he drew out the silver tag and raised it to his mouth.

"Malcolm? It's go time. Send in the Timekeeper."

In their defence, a wild horse is difficult to ride. Very difficult.

Sadly, that's not an analogy. Far from it. If we look out over the plains right now, we can see the chaos that's currently ensuing. On the one side, we have an assorted herd of primeval beasts – the dinosaurs, ridden and somewhat controlled by the Terra Novan soldiers who were crazy enough to risk their lives in the attempt. They're trying to route the Phoenix army, who, finding themselves at an alarming disadvantage beneath the pounding feet of the Cretaceous, are making the best of what they have.

Unfortunately, they don't teach buck-jumping lessons in soldier school, and the solid plating of the future armour doesn't necessarily lend itself to a comfortable ride, but nevertheless, we should be impressed with their tenacity. Despite the displeasure of the herd at being so rudely interrupted, and regardless of the knowledge that the brutes are as green as the grass beneath their churning hooves, and never minding the fact that in the past few minutes we have been observing them, not one, not two, but five potential jockeys have cheerfully Amelia Earharted their way off their ponies' backs, we should fervently salute them. After all, it's not every day that such a mismatched battle is fought. How could they possibly have prepared themselves before being thrown in the deep end? The poor chaps look uncomfortable, to say the least, but they do indeed appear to be trying their best. And they're not the only ones struggling to keep their seats amid the rough ride. Look now, the dinosaur trainer himself has been unceremoniously dismounted from his steed.

Shot clean off his Ankylosaur, we watch with bated breath as Curran only just manages to roll out of the way of the creature's feet in time. But you can't keep a good cowboy down. Springing back up, he immediately seizes the offered arm of a passing comrade and allows himself to be hauled aboard the young Brachiosaurus. Have you ever wondered just how long it would take to manufacture a full set of body armour for a juvenile Brachiosaurus?

Unfortunately, we won't get a chance to ask. Shortly thereafter, our attention is drawn back to the dinosaur trainer. He's forced to duck hurriedly as the man in front of him twists around in his saddle and fires a sonic blast behind him. We can be forgiven for feeling a surge of pity – no, not for Curran, who was nearly decapitated by the shot – but for the horse that was taken down by it. Barely staying on as it was, the poor animal's rider has gone flying. Be reassured, however. No serious harm has come to the pinto. It was merely stunned for a moment. Indeed, it's already getting back up, but not before Curran has slid off his borrowed mount and leapt aboard this new one. Watch closely, for this is where most new riders meet their neck-wrenching demise.

But no, it appears we aren't fated to witness Curran's humiliation just yet. Somehow, the trainer has managed to wrangle the beast into a state of semi-submission.

He's keeping his seat!

What a sight now unfolds before us, as, leading the assault from the back of his indignant mount, Curran screams a battle cry and thrusts his spear into the air. The slasher barb tip seems to penetrate the very atmosphere as he charges, splitting the wind currents in half to soar by on either side of him as the horse's painted mane and tail ripple and snap in the breeze. It's difficult to comprehend the magnitude of this spectacle, so perhaps it's best if I simply leave the task up to your own eyes. Stay on this hilltop with me for as long as you like, gazing out upon the plain as the two sides clash head to head, horses meeting dinosaurs, bows and arrows meeting pistols and pulse guns, rifles meeting spearheads. Listen to the chilling amalgamation of shouts and horn blasts and gunshots coming from below, feel the ground beneath us as it shudders with the echoes of the stampede.

Such a scene is nothing short of breathtaking. It is, quite possibly, the first of its kind, and we have been granted the opportunity to witness it. We are not likely to ever cross paths with such an opportunity again.

Considering all this, shall we at once turn our backs and continue our story?

No? Perhaps a moment more.

See the Parasaur near the outskirts of the circle as it proudly tosses its head. Watch closely as the sea of chaos parts like magic when the Ankylosaur swings its tail. Such things cannot be told. They must be shown, they must be experienced ..

Oh. Are you ready?

Very well. Thank you for joining me. It truly has been my pleasure.

Now. Back to your regular broadcast.

The hallways leading into the heart of Simon's scientific lair were eerily familiar. Zoe pushed down another swell of panic as the rubber matting gave way slightly beneath her feet. Outside the clear walls of the tunnel, the muddy water swirled, giving the flickering yellow lights of the complex a somewhat reddish tinge. The deeper they ventured into the passage, the more penetrating the chill became. Not a normal kind of cold, this was the type that showed no regard for insulation whatsoever – be it skin, hide, building materials, or layers upon layers of clothing. The icy teeth ate their way through it all, sweeping through the translucent tubes and everything inside of them as though they were constructed purely from fine lace.

The small group had passed several rooms that appeared to be laboratories, but the few people they had happened to make eye contact with had skittered away, presumably to hide, or to sound the alarm perhaps, but they certainly seemed to have no inclination to fight the intruders.

Claudius' security team had been briefed shortly beforehand.

"Your job is to subdue the hostiles until we get on that boat, but when we give you the word, you run for your lives." Lucas had explained. "And you do not stop running until you're back above ground. Maybe not even then."

"Sounds ominous." Stevens had replied, though he seemed relaxed enough. Zoe suspected that it would take quite a lot to alarm the sage older man.

"You have no idea." Had been Lucas' comforting response. "To be perfectly honest, no one does."

Zoe placed her feet down carefully, her eyes rarely leaving the passageway ahead of them. She couldn't shake the impression that their every move was being watched, that Simon would spring out from some dark corner at any moment and take her back. Without warning, she froze, her heart dropping into her stomach as a massive shadow fell across the hall. Her breath punched out of her in short, shallow bursts, her heart racing wildly as her wide eyes crept upward.

Jim had only taken a step or two past her, but now he returned, frowning down into her stricken face.

"What is it, Zoe? What's wrong?"

She was staring at something beyond him. With a growing sense of dread, Jim looked up, following her gaze. He saw nothing, however, and turned back to the girl, his frown deepening.

"Zoe? What-"

"It's still here .." She whispered, her voice trembling. "It's watching us."

"What is?"

"This way's clear." Taylor interrupted, appearing from further down the passage with Harlon at his side. "Leads straight to the Terminus, like she said. Looks deserted enough, but let's not take any chances."

After a last concerned glance at his daughter, Jim turned to Stevens.

"Alright. Send your men in first. Once they've secured the area, have them stationed at intervals throughout the compound, but don't let them wander. You'll have to get out quick."

A few moments later, they followed the soldiers into the open dock area.

So this was Simon's nautical railway station of time. The long room was split in half by two wide lanes of water, which ran the length of the building, culminating in a huge Portal Terminus at the far end. It was the mirror image of the one at Base Zero, but it appeared to be turned off. Surely it should at least be powering up by now. What was taking Malcolm so long?

The two opposing platforms were connected by a low bridge, just slightly higher than water level. Behind this bridge, at the head of the room, lay a double-width staircase, which split in half as it rose, dividing into two metal walkways that almost completely framed the entire second-storey perimeter. Situated at intervals along these industrial catwalks were alternating doors and windows, apparently for the purpose of allowing the Portal operators to observe what was happening below.

The small group paused warily beside the water's edge, staring around uncertainly for any sign of opposition. There was none.

"Wonder what's keeping them .." Lucas murmured, his foot tapping nervously against the cement. Then his gaze dropped in surprise as someone tugged on his sleeve. Zoe stood on her tiptoes beside him, speaking in a conspiratorial whisper.

"Hey, where's that gun you took from me earlier?"

He stared down at her for a moment, considering. Then he bent to look her in the eye seriously.

"Not .. a chance in this world."

Zoe rolled her eyes, letting her head fall back with a dramatic groan. Lucas grinned and straightened, turning as Skye stepped closer beside him.

"Why is this place deserted?" She stared up into the windows that overlooked the lanes, her neck prickling. "It's way too easy. Almost like .."

".. they're waiting for us." Mira finished, glancing down to meet the girl's gaze. "Then where are they?"

Skye's forehead creased with worry.

"You don't think they could've caught Malcolm .."

"Hey." Harlon threw a look at the man beside him, presumably one of his father's entourage. "Give me your gun for a minute."

"Uhh .. sure." The voice responded, as its owner immediately handed over the weapon.

Harlon paused, frowning. It was too gruff, too eager. There was something ..

He swung around sharply, tipping the man's cap up to reveal his face. The soldier grinned sheepishly back at him.

"Zayne?!" The Sixer hissed, casting a conscience-stricken glance over his shoulder before turning back to the boy. "What are you-"

"Don't rat us out, please-"

"Us?!"

His eyes widened as a shadowy figure appeared from between a pile of stacked crates. Lucy looked up at him, her gaze pleading.

"We couldn't just sit there and do nothing. Don't give us away-"

"You've already given yourselves away."

At the new voice, all three parties jumped, turning guiltily to find Jim's rebuking stare upon them.

"I thought I told you not to follow us."

The cousins cast a hasty glance at one another.

"We didn't follow you! I swear!"

"Don't lie to me, Lucy."

"No, she's telling the truth!" Zayne insisted. "We didn't .. follow you .."

His voice fell away as his attention darted to the far end of the huge room. The large ring had finally begun to flicker. But as it did so, a pounding of footsteps arose to accompany it, echoing throughout the space and bouncing off the concrete barriers until their source was unidentifiable. Stevens and his men held their weapons ready, turning this way and that as they tried to locate from what corridor the sound had come. Before they knew it, they were surrounded again, as armed soldiers seemed to pour out of the very walls themselves.

They took up their positions on the opposite bank, facing the Terra Novans. As Zayne and Lucy waited expectantly, the line of enemy troops parted, and a different figure walked out from amongst them. She paused in the middle of the concrete pier that bridged the water, the clip of her heels clicking sharply to a halt. Erika tilted her head quizzically, sighing a little as she surveyed the stunned group.

"Should've brought us with you. Didn't I tell you you'd regret it?"

A ghost of a smile crossed her face as the sea of expressions shifted.

"I knew you'd be trouble from the moment I saw you. I guess I didn't realise just how much." She folded her arms, tapping her fingernails lightly on her elbow. "I pulled the guards from their positions to make things easy for you. No need to thank me. The doors have been sealed behind your men. My sincere appreciation for bringing them all here so efficiently. Perhaps we'll be able to find some use for them in the future."

Lucy's eyes widened as she stared at her aunt, looking a little awestruck.

"Wait .. all these guys work for you?!"

Taylor growled.

"I always suspected you were dirty."

Jim glared sideways at him.

"You did not."

"Sure I did."

Erika smiled kindly.

"What can I say? Everybody wants to rule the world. Though I do thank you for looking after the children so conscientiously."

Her face darkened as she eyed her niece and nephew.

"I told you to go take shelter at the school."

"We were scared." Lucy responded, her voice trembling a little as she cowered beneath her aunt's biting gaze. "We wanted to be with you."

"Wanted to spy on me, more like." Erika seethed. "I should've known you'd follow me. You two never know when to let up, do you?"

"Wait a minute .." Jim's eyebrows knotted in an expression of confusion that was almost comical. "If you're in charge of the Phoenix troops, why have you been letting us stay at your house? Why didn't you try to stop us from finding Zoe? And why didn't Kensinge ever say anything about you?"

Erika's cheek dimpled as she watched him pityingly.

"You never were very bright, were you, Jim? It's something of a miracle that you've survived this long."

"I don't want to fight, if that's what you're offering here."

"Then surrender."

Jim glowered at her.

"I don't know what your game is, but we have no quarrel with you." He tried again. "Just let us leave and you'll never see us again. You can't stop us anyway. We have men out on the water surrounding this place as we speak."

"And we have men surrounding those men." She announced. "Jet-skis and speedboats? Really? I don't know where you managed to scrounge up your new little pawns, but they were captured a few minutes ago. Checkmate."

Jim snorted humorlessly.

"Please, no chess metaphors. I can guarantee you there isn't one we haven't heard before."

"Very well." Erika returned, her eyes gleaming like a hungry cat's. "How about this then: Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. I assume you've heard of that one?"

"So we're supposed to believe you've looked after us all this time just so you could keep an eye on us? Why didn't you turn us into the police .. or-"

"Kill you all? I suppose you wanted me to start slashing left and right until you were all in pieces like some psychotic animal? Would that have suited you better?" Erika huffed impatiently, rolling her eyes to the ceiling. "Oh, this is growing tiresome. Suffice it to say that you were deceived from the start, so take my word for it and be satisfied. You can wrap your little prehistoric minds around that concept, can't you?"

She was quiet for a moment, eyeing the small band of reinforcements that had joined the Terra Novans in the short space of time since she'd last seen them.

"You're not going home. Sorry. If you surrender, I have no reason to harm you. But if you don't, I have no reason to spare you. The choice is yours."

No one ventured a reply. After a few more moments of silence, she tapped her chin, raising her eyebrows sarcastically.

"Are you sure you want to go ahead with this? You're a little outnumbered, if you don't mind my saying so."

Several smug-sounding mutters were heard from those assembled behind her, but Jim's clear voice spoke up above the rest.

"Story of our lives. Never stopped us in the past."

"You're not in the past anymore, are you?"

"Be that as it may .." Jim was not the type of person to be easily swayed. She had known as much before she'd even posed the question. Still, after several months under the same roof, it had seemed only fair to give him the option to bow out gracefully, but Jim, true to form, was too stubborn for his own good.

Erika sighed.

"Very well. Weapons at the ready."

Her army raised their guns as the lights flickered sharply.

"Last chance."

"Wait!" Now Zayne and Lucy charged to the front, stopping a few metres short of the bridge. They stared at Erika, their features moulded into identical expressions of dismay.

"What are you doing?! Have you lost your mind?!"

"You can't shoot them! This is crazy! For crying out loud, you're a reporter!"

Their aunt blinked blankly for a few seconds, then released a short burst of laughter, shaking her head at the two bewildered faces.

"A reporter? Is that all you see me as?" Something within her eyes snapped. "Then I've got news for you."

"Zayne, Lucy, come here." Jim commanded, reaching out and pulling the dumbstruck children towards him. "Listen to me carefully. Find something to hide behind and stay there until I call you."

He threw his gaze back to Erika.

"Alright then. I find it difficult to believe that you're so heartless as to risk hurting your own niece and nephew, but if it's a fight you want, we're ready. Bring it on."

A grin flickered across the woman's features. She shrugged and raised a beckoning hand to her troops, only to lower it again thoughtfully a moment later.

"Actually .. no."

Jim frowned at her.

"No?"

Erika shook her head mildly.

"No, I'm not going to get myself killed on his behalf. I have a better idea. I'll let you kill each other!" She threw a haughty look of defiance over her shoulder. "I know you're listening! Come out, come out, wherever you are."

As the sing-song voice curled out into the reverberating chamber, Mira and Harlon exchanged a doubtful glance. She sounded insane. Was she really? Or was this another act?

Erika's lip curled as she surveyed the upper control room windows that looked down over the port, her eyes scanning them expectantly.

"I'm tired of being your shield, you weak-willed leech. Come and do your own dirty work."

Jim blinked in surprise as Erika turned on her heel and, with a distasteful glance at the children, began to walk toward the staircase at the head of the room. There was silence for a moment as both sides stared at each other, equally perplexed. Then came a sudden movement as Lucy and Zayne broke free of the crowd, racing to join their aunt at the foot of the steps.

"Stop!" Lucy darted in front of Erika, blocking her way. "It doesn't have to be like this. You still have us. We don't care what you've done."

To her surprise, her aunt's eyes began to glisten with tears. Encouraged, Lucy pressed on, looking hopefully into the woman's stony face.

"I know you don't really want to hurt them. Whatever you're being threatened with, it doesn't matter anymore."

"We love you, Aunt Erika." Zayne put in from beside her. "Please, let's just leave. We can start over, just the three of us."

For a moment, their words seemed to be getting through. Erika bent her head, bringing a hand up to her face to hide it from view. She was silent for several long seconds, during which her niece and nephew exchanged a worried glance. Was she truly upset? Had they made her cry again?

Then their eyes flew back to Erika. An odd sound had begun to ripple out of her as her thin shoulders started to shake.

"You two .." The muffled voice came from beneath her long-fingered hand. "You think I don't know that you betrayed me? I figured it out a long time ago. You're not so sneaky."

"What – betrayed you?!" Lucy stared at her in horror. "We would never betray you! It wasn't like that!"

"Wasn't it?"

"Of course not!" Zayne interjected, his voice too sharp. "We were just following your example, remember – 'In vain if not for good'?! We thought if we helped him, we could be less of a burden on you. We figured if we were more independent, you might not have to worry so much! If anything, you should be proud of us. I thought that's what you wanted!"

"That's right." Their aunt murmured. "In vain if not for good. Everything is pointless if it's not .. permanent."

There was something about the way she hissed the final word that caused his blood to run cold. But when Erika finally raised her head, she was smiling.

"You still don't understand, do you? How can you be so naive after all this time?! Can you even fathom how many times I've tried to get rid of you, how many schemes I've dreamt up purely for the sheer fun of it, how many days I've spent just wishing you'd never make it home?!"

She stepped backward, adjusting her footing so that she could see both faces at once. Her niece and nephew, wide-eyed and pale, said nothing as she continued.

"My little brothers meant the world to me. I spent my entire childhood making sure they were safe. I had hoped I could love their children just as dearly."

She paused as a grim haze clouded her vision.

"But you have brought me nothing but disappointment. You .."

She turned on Lucy so viciously that the girl cringed back as though she'd been struck.

"Your father thought you were so smart, but you refuse to put your brain to good use. And you .. !"

Her venom switched targets, spraying next in Zayne's direction. Unlike his cousin, the boy barely moved.

"You throw away all the high hopes your parents had for you and choose to follow a little girl around the filthy streets instead." Erika sounded strangely out of breath, as though the words were being wrenched from somewhere deep inside of her. "I don't want to live a life with you two permanently in it. I never wanted to be a parent. I never wanted children to look after. You've been putting hindrances in my path since the moment I took you in. You've been nothing but another ball and chain, some burden I'm forced to carry through no choice of my own."

She paused with a strangled gasp, her eyes darting wildly between her two wards.

"The truth is, I hate you." She whispered vehemently, as if finally allowing herself to utter the ugly reality she'd kept hidden for so long. "I hate you both."

With this, she straightened her shoulders, gave herself a little shake, and attempted to continue up the stairs, only to find her progress handicapped by several bone-white knuckles gripping her sleeve.

"Stop it." He muttered, tightening his grasp as she tried to pull away. "Stop! You don't mean that-"

"Yes I do, Zayne."

"No! You can't just say that and leave!"

"Watch. Me." She forced out between gritted teeth. Zayne recoiled in surprise as she seized his shirt collar, but he couldn't shake free of her iron fingers.

Before Erika could send him down the stairs, however, she found she had Lucy to deal with. The girl had anticipated her aunt's intentions and flown at her like a whirlwind. As Erika reached out to repel her niece's fury, a new series of shouts drifted into the conflict. Blocked once again by Erika's forces, Jim's angry yell boomed the loudest of all, causing Zoe to jump in alarm beside him.

"Alright, that's enough!"

"I quite agree." A cool voice carried down to them from the upper right. The ongoing battle paused as everyone turned, scanning the hanging walkways in an attempt to locate the source. After several seconds, he appeared, stepping out into the full view of those below.

"Actually, I'll thank you to get your hands off my soldiers."