Solutions

Solutions: Chapter 10: Now what do we do?

Screams. Fires burning. The stench of burning flesh. All this registered in Taylor's mind and he cursed his own short sightedness. He should have foreseen this possibility. Blow the Terminus and open the portal somewhere else.

"We've got to get back to the colony!" he shouted over the chaos. "Leave the wounded for the medics."

The med team rushed onto the scene, Dr. Shannon taking control of the situation. Soldiers moved out of their way and scrambled to obey the commander's orders.

Taylor looked back once, a sick sensation in his stomach as he saw Jim Shannon lying in the debris and dirt, still, possibly dead. The man's wife knelt beside him and he forced his attention back to the task at hand.

Terra Nova needed them.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Laura held on tight. From past experience she knew it was hard enough to stay on his back when he trotted, at a full run, she hoped they all could.

"Can't you slow this beast down," Allen complained, his face paler than normal.

Sheba yowled in protest as well.

"We have to get to Taylor as fast as we can." She gritted her teeth and held on to both the dinosaur and the cat. Sienna seemed to be doing okay and enjoying the wild ride. Laura could hear the girl's laughter.

Barnabas hadn't said anything.

In distance she could see dust and hoped it was Taylor and his men.

"Bola," she shouted. "There."

The brachiosaurus loped in the general direction, bugling.

A rover came into view and slowed, as a familiar figure leaned out the open door. "Miss Collins what are you doing?"

"Stop, Bola," she ordered, he slowed to a walk and obediently stopped. "They're already at Terra Nova."

"How?" He stepped down as the rover halted.

"The portal opened near the colony."

Mixed emotions crossed the commander's face. She suspected he knew they'd never get back in time.

"A bit of luck though," Barnabas spoke, breaking his silence. "They ran into a pack of carnos."

"How many they'd lose?" A slight smiled appeared on Taylor's craggy face.

"Uncertain." Barnabas slid down. "They had a new Terminus. The beasts snapped it in half."

"That is a bit of luck."

Allen teetered behind her. "Hey, Commander, think of couple of your soldiers could help my cousin here?

"Dunham, Reynolds, see what you can do to help."

The two younger men approached and aided Allen dismounting.

"Hey, Reynolds, take Sienna would you?" She handed the little girl down, not missing the odd expression on Taylor's face.

The dark haired soldier smiled at the child. "Hi."

She hid her face and reached for Allen, who took her. "She's a bit shy."

"No, problem." He took Sheba, who growled at him. "Just trying to help." He placed the cat on the ground. She sniffed him and shuffled back to wait for Laura.

"She's been a bit testy." Laura got down, patting Bola on his leg. "She certainly didn't like the ride we took."

"Sir, the colony?" Reynolds looked at his commander. He had a girl there, Laura knew, and probably wanted to make certain she was safe.

Taylor slowly shook his head. "We won't make it back in time." Scratching his beard, he continued. "Let's find a good spot to set up camp."

"What about the medical team?" Dunham asked.

"They'll be fine. Their orders are to return to the colony if things went sideways." He sighed. "And it most surely did."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Fires crackled in the camp, the only spots of light in the darkness. Laura sat down next to Allen, who frowned at the rations he'd been offered. "I'm expected to eat this?"

"Here," she offered him some bluish red berries. "They're safe to eat."

He looked at them and shook his head. "I'll take the rations." He made a face when he took his first bite.

Sheba made a feline sigh and settled down next to the fire, her tongue working to clean her fur.

"Can I try them?" Sienna reached for a couple.

"Sure." Laura extended the leaf she had them on. The little girl took a couple and tentatively tasted them.

"Kind of sweet."

"They are." Laura ate a few.

"Where's Barnabas?" Allen wrapped what he didn't eat and set it aside.

"He'll be back later." Her cousin had gone hunting. Allen and the others didn't know what Barnabas was. Laura had to admit, sometimes she wished she didn't.

"Sure those are safe?" Taylor joined them, sitting down on the log they were using like a chair.

"I've been OTG enough to know what I can and can't eat."

"A bit more than what I suspect is taught in survival training."

"That's part of my job." She put her leaf aside. Sheba rose and sniffed at it. She sneezed and went back to her spot. Laura laughed.

"That cat is growing fast," Taylor commented.

"I know she is."

"How'd her hunting lessons go?"

"Better than expected. She brought down a smaller dinosaur by herself." They'd drained the blood for Barnabas and Laura had cut up some of the meat to feed the cat later.

"Not a baby?" Sienna looked like she'd cry if it had been.

"No," she reassured the girl. "Just a smaller reptile."

"Good." Sienna looked at Allen. "I'm tired."

"All right." Allen took her hand. "I'm going to put my daughter to bed." The two ducked into the tent.

"Daughter?" Taylor questioned.

"I'm just taking him at his word. He hasn't explained yet."

"Hmmm." The commander looked thoughtful. He glanced around. "Where's your other cousin?"

"He'll be back later."

"Can't protect him if he's outside the perimeter."

"I wouldn't worry about Barnabas. He can take care of himself."

Snarls and screeches echoed out of the night. Sheba stopped her bathing to listen, before settling down to nap.

"That cat might be of use if you've trained her right."

"Not for any warfare."

"You've taught her to hunt. We might run low on rations before this is over."

"That's an idea." Laura spoke to the cat. "What do you think, Sheba? Would you enjoy hunting so others can eat?"

The sabre cat put her paw over her head and her back to the fire.

"That's a maybe?"