Solutions

Solutions: Chapter 6: Who's Minding Terra Nova?

Music drifted through the square and Barnabas watched various couples dancing in each other's arms. He stood on the outskirts, a smile on his thin lips. So much like the balls his mother used to throw. What grand times that had been before the witch, Angelique, cast a spell that had destroyed his home, almost everyone he loved and turned him into this vile creature he despised.

"You okay?" Laura asked, looked attractive in a long purple dress, a matching flower in her hair.

"Just remembering." He didn't go into detail.

"I think sometimes you spend too much time remembering the past."

"Owen used to tease me about being the family historian." He sighed, feeling every year he had survived. "He wasn't wrong."

"Someone needs to remind us of where we came from."

"This is supposed to be a place of new beginnings."

"Yet we brought our past with us." She pointed to a building across the square. "The Eye has all the known history that anyone can access." Frowning, she continued, "I'm not certain why given we're in an alternate reality."

He nodded. Even he tended to forget. "I brought our written history of our family and several other books I enjoy."

She laughed. "Why does that not surprise me?" Laura took his hand. "Instead of sulking, how about one dance with your cousin?"

He glanced up noticing Zeke and his wife were leaving. The girls on the other hand had joined a group of teens and were dancing as a group, their faces full of life. He envied them.

"Nice to see them socializing with others their own age," Laura said, drawing him out to join the other dancers.

"It is," he agreed, taking the woman in his arms and leading her in a danced mixed with various moves. He's always enjoyed the art of dance and had spent time taking classes to learn new ones.

Several women stood to the side, whispering to each other and pointing.

"You seem to have some admirers," Laura teased.

Not certain if that made him comfortable or not, he finished the dance and vanished into the night, returning to Boylan's where he felt more at ease. The bar maids sometimes flirted with him and mostly the soldiers ignored him.

And he liked being ignored.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The colony went on lockdown. Laura didn't blame Taylor, not with a sixer spy leaking information to them and raiding supply runs. She stood before Dunham, a young ginger haired soldier, intent on keeping her from leaving.

Bola stood on the other side of the gate, huffing and pushing against the fence. He could easily snap the thick poles and then they'd have to be repaired.

"Orders are," Dunham began again.

"You can let her through," Taylor ordered behind her. "Miss Collins has already cleared her mission with me."

"Yes, sir." She noticed the commander had a bike out and she tried not to smile as she slipped out the gate. Dunham confronted Taylor as well and lost. The bike roared out and headed for the trees.

"Okay, Bola. Ready to do go back to the herd?" She patted his smooth and oddly rough skin.

He pushed against her and waited as she worked her way onto his back, balancing her pack as she went. Once she'd settled, he trotted off in the direction of the large lake. Laura found her excitement increasing with every mile they covered. Despite having probably missed the hatchings, she couldn't wait to see the babies, or the rest of the herd.