Hope For The Future (1/3) - Secret Santa for TLI
Title: Hope For The Future (1/3)
Author: knitekat
Word Count: 1775 words out of 5473
Characters: James Lester, Stephan Hart, (Hilary Becker, Jenny Lewis, Jess Parker)
Rating: 12
Disclaimer: Primeval belongs to Impossible Pictures. Certainly not me. Writing for fun and will replace.
A/N: For TLI's secret santa and her prompts: 1) Coming home for Christmas; 2) 'X' marks the spot; 3) Movie night and 4) Anything set post series. Hope you're having a wonderful Christmas.
A/N 2: Thanks go to the wonderful Fififolle for the beta. All remaining mistakes are mine.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
“Bugger!” I muttered when I drove into the private parking of my apartment block and discovered an anomaly glinting in the gloom. I quickly reversed only to find my exit blocked by something large and dinosaur-shaped, and swore again as I spun the wheel and stamped on the brake to avoid it. I doubted my insurance company would accept a claim for a collision with a dinosaur, even if the whole bloody world now knew about them, courtesy of Convergence and the damnable press.
In the flickering light I could distinguish that my unwelcome guest was large, quadruped and had a number of plates standing up on its back... And I breathed a sigh of relief that at least a Stegosaurus wasn't going to eat me before it swung its tail in an arc and the spikes on the end smashed into the side of a car belonging to a neighbour. I winced when I recognised the flashy vehicle, Nathan 'I-work-for-an-international-bank-you-know' Foster was an annoying man at the best of times and I knew he'd blame me for the damage. Just because I was the Director of the ARC didn't mean the bloody dinosaurs listened to me... although life would be so much easier if only they did.
I shook my head at my musings when the Stegosaurus bellowed at the blaring car alarm and swung its tail again, pulverising the back of Foster's car and causing the alarm to give a feeble squawk before it died.
When the Stegosaurus turned towards me, taking a step towards my car, I quickly put my Jaguar in gear and, barely in time, remembered something Ms Maitland had mentioned when tearing one of Becker's motley lot a new one. There really was no need to startle the Stegosaurus now it was within tail-range of my car, and I slowly pulled forward and into a space as far from the Stegosaurus and the anomaly as I could. Unfortunately, that wasn't as far as I would have wished, but it was either there or through the bloody anomaly.
I killed the engine and the lights, hoping the lack of stimulation would help settle the Stegosaurus and, well, I could always hope it got bored with the garage and head back home... Which reminded me, with the ADD still not detecting anomalies, I really needed to call this in.
I kept an eye on the Stegosaurus as it nosed around the cars, snorting in amusement when it tried to mount an old-style Mini - no doubt believing it was a fellow Stegosaurus - and dialled the ARC. As I waited impatiently for my call to be answered, I considered my options. I could remain with my car - although I hadn't quite worked out how I'd protect my car if the Stegosaurus decided to thagomize it - or I could retreat to a safe distance and wait for my team to arrive. “Come on, Ms Parker, answer the bloody phone,” I muttered, before recalling I'd sent her home for the night after the hectic day we had all endured. Who did that leave on duty? I wasn't sure and cut the call, instead tabbing through my contact list to find the number of one ex-Captain Becker.
“Sir?” Becker's voice sounded loud in the silence and I couldn't help glance up in alarm at the Stegosaurus in case it reacted badly to the sudden noise. “Is there a problem, sir?” Becker asked, his voice sounded somewhat worried when I didn't immediately reply.
Bloody hell, allow someone to give you a neck rub and they think they can worry over you. “No, Captain,” I replied out of habit, “What could possibly be wrong?”
“Then why are you calling me at eight in the evening, sir?” Becker asked, rather perceptively.
“Ah, yes,” I muttered, annoyed at myself before I replied, “I believe you know my address, Captain. Bring an EMD and contact your team, I appear to have an anomaly in my garage.”
“Sir!” Becker sounded even more worried now. “Please tell me you aren't still in your garage.”
“I'm not leaving my car down here with a dinosaur,” I snapped back.
“It's only a bloody car, sir.” Becker sounded as if he'd bitten off a sigh. “Please leave it and get somewhere safe.”
Although I rolled my eyes at Becker's insistence, I wasn't an idiot. Just because the Stegosaurus was a herbivore didn't mean a carnivore wouldn't join our little party and considering how the bloody anomalies attracted creatures like a flame did a moth... I slipped from my car, my voice low as I spoke to Becker. “I'll wait for you outside. Don't be long or any damage is coming out of your salary.”
I quietly used my keys to lock my car, not willing to risk the bleep and flashing lights of my central locking upsetting the Stegosaurus. Not that I needed to worry about that considering it slammed its tail spikes into Foster's car once more, the now considerably less valuable vehicle letting out a loud boom as one of its tyres blew.
The Stegosaurus let out a bleat and swung around, causing me to dive to the ground as I barely avoided its tail, the force of its passage ruffling my hair. I stayed on my knees, ignoring the oil and God knew what else was soaking into my trousers as I considered which exit to aim for.
I was cautiously making my way towards the exit to my apartment block, edging around the Stegosaurus, when it let out another bleat and something roared in response. I froze, swallowing my fear, and kept an eye on the anomaly. It was giving the tell-tale flicker of something coming through and, from the roar, I'd hazard a guess that whatever it was would be rather more fond of meat than my current squatter.
I threw caution to the wind and took my chance to run for the exit while the Stegosaurus was distracted. I swore when another anomaly opened in my path and I tried to stop, cursing once more when the smooth sole of my shoes slipped in a patch of oil and I found myself skidding straight through the anomaly.
I lost my balance on the other side of the anomaly as I tumbled down a slope, landing with a thud with all the breath knocked from my lungs. I choked on the toxic air that burned my throat and lungs as I gasped for air, coughing harshly as my eyes watered. I clamped my handkerchief over my mouth and nose, hoping it would help, and peered around to see where what hell I had landed in. I already had a horrible suspicion, and the barren landscape which surrounded me, together with the toxic air, told me exactly where I was. I scrambled to my feet and turned to start up the slope, only to curse softly when the anomaly I'd tumbled through winked out of existence. Leaving me stranded in this hellish world.
I choked as the toxic air seeped through my handkerchief and burnt the back of my throat. I looked around for any sign of life or shelter, and found myself hoping I was in Anderson's time. At least then I would have a chance for survival, if I could find one of the shelters Temple, Maitland and Anderson had mentioned in their post-Convergence reports.
I almost smiled when I spotted something glinting in the distance, something metallic, and I hoped it was a trapdoor to one of those shelters. I took a step towards what I hoped was my salvation before freezing, the hairs on the back of my neck rising, and I swung around, my eyes darting around as I tried to spot whatever had spooked me.
My heart skipped a beat, the blood freezing in my veins, as I noticed something moving across the barren sands towards me. Something fast and lean, something humanoid but not human and something which had haunted far too many of my nights. The memory of those claws slicing deep into my chest, the agony which had followed, had me rubbing at my chest and the still sore scars that lay beneath my suit.
Oh, I knew I was unlikely to outrun it, especially as I was slipping and sliding as the treasonous sands shifted beneath my feet, threatening to send me back to the ground. To the ground and at the future predator's mercy. I ran, my scars pulling, my lungs burning and my eyes streaming, refusing the urge to look behind me. I knew that if I did, it would only slow me down or worse, as I barely avoided a hole which would have twisted my ankle at best. I knew it had to be close behind me, and gaining ground with every step. I could almost feel its rancid breath on my neck but still I ran. I ran and stumbled and staggered and I felt the world begin to grey out, but I refused to give up. I knew it was hopeless, that I would die here but I refused to surrender even when I crashed painfully to my knees. I dragged myself forward inch by desperate inch, hoping my questing fingers would encounter the metal of a trapdoor but I knew I was out of luck.
I sank to the ground, my energy spent and I could do nothing but turn and face my death, to look it in the eye and smile as it took me. I swallowed as I got my first good look at my hunter, I knew the suppurating sores which covered its body would do little to slow it down, most likely, they would cause it pain and make it far more dangerous. I could only watch as it prowled closer to me, cautious for now as I was an unknown threat but I knew it would soon strike and there was little - nothing - that I could do to stop it. I watched as saliva dripped like a necklace of pearls from its fangs, gleaming in the sunlight, as it snuffled and sniffed at me.
I swallowed as it raised a clawed hand and I couldn't suppress the flinch as its arm arced downward towards my chest, my heart beating nineteen to the dozen and no doubt acting as a siren call to the bloody predator. I hated to admit it, but panic gripped my being and I tried to threw myself backwards, scrambling for purchase in the sand, every instinct screaming at me to run, to hide, to do anything I could to survive...
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
Author: knitekat
Word Count: 1775 words out of 5473
Characters: James Lester, Stephan Hart, (Hilary Becker, Jenny Lewis, Jess Parker)
Rating: 12
Disclaimer: Primeval belongs to Impossible Pictures. Certainly not me. Writing for fun and will replace.
A/N: For TLI's secret santa and her prompts: 1) Coming home for Christmas; 2) 'X' marks the spot; 3) Movie night and 4) Anything set post series. Hope you're having a wonderful Christmas.
A/N 2: Thanks go to the wonderful Fififolle for the beta. All remaining mistakes are mine.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
“Bugger!” I muttered when I drove into the private parking of my apartment block and discovered an anomaly glinting in the gloom. I quickly reversed only to find my exit blocked by something large and dinosaur-shaped, and swore again as I spun the wheel and stamped on the brake to avoid it. I doubted my insurance company would accept a claim for a collision with a dinosaur, even if the whole bloody world now knew about them, courtesy of Convergence and the damnable press.
In the flickering light I could distinguish that my unwelcome guest was large, quadruped and had a number of plates standing up on its back... And I breathed a sigh of relief that at least a Stegosaurus wasn't going to eat me before it swung its tail in an arc and the spikes on the end smashed into the side of a car belonging to a neighbour. I winced when I recognised the flashy vehicle, Nathan 'I-work-for-an-international-bank-you-know' Foster was an annoying man at the best of times and I knew he'd blame me for the damage. Just because I was the Director of the ARC didn't mean the bloody dinosaurs listened to me... although life would be so much easier if only they did.
I shook my head at my musings when the Stegosaurus bellowed at the blaring car alarm and swung its tail again, pulverising the back of Foster's car and causing the alarm to give a feeble squawk before it died.
When the Stegosaurus turned towards me, taking a step towards my car, I quickly put my Jaguar in gear and, barely in time, remembered something Ms Maitland had mentioned when tearing one of Becker's motley lot a new one. There really was no need to startle the Stegosaurus now it was within tail-range of my car, and I slowly pulled forward and into a space as far from the Stegosaurus and the anomaly as I could. Unfortunately, that wasn't as far as I would have wished, but it was either there or through the bloody anomaly.
I killed the engine and the lights, hoping the lack of stimulation would help settle the Stegosaurus and, well, I could always hope it got bored with the garage and head back home... Which reminded me, with the ADD still not detecting anomalies, I really needed to call this in.
I kept an eye on the Stegosaurus as it nosed around the cars, snorting in amusement when it tried to mount an old-style Mini - no doubt believing it was a fellow Stegosaurus - and dialled the ARC. As I waited impatiently for my call to be answered, I considered my options. I could remain with my car - although I hadn't quite worked out how I'd protect my car if the Stegosaurus decided to thagomize it - or I could retreat to a safe distance and wait for my team to arrive. “Come on, Ms Parker, answer the bloody phone,” I muttered, before recalling I'd sent her home for the night after the hectic day we had all endured. Who did that leave on duty? I wasn't sure and cut the call, instead tabbing through my contact list to find the number of one ex-Captain Becker.
“Sir?” Becker's voice sounded loud in the silence and I couldn't help glance up in alarm at the Stegosaurus in case it reacted badly to the sudden noise. “Is there a problem, sir?” Becker asked, his voice sounded somewhat worried when I didn't immediately reply.
Bloody hell, allow someone to give you a neck rub and they think they can worry over you. “No, Captain,” I replied out of habit, “What could possibly be wrong?”
“Then why are you calling me at eight in the evening, sir?” Becker asked, rather perceptively.
“Ah, yes,” I muttered, annoyed at myself before I replied, “I believe you know my address, Captain. Bring an EMD and contact your team, I appear to have an anomaly in my garage.”
“Sir!” Becker sounded even more worried now. “Please tell me you aren't still in your garage.”
“I'm not leaving my car down here with a dinosaur,” I snapped back.
“It's only a bloody car, sir.” Becker sounded as if he'd bitten off a sigh. “Please leave it and get somewhere safe.”
Although I rolled my eyes at Becker's insistence, I wasn't an idiot. Just because the Stegosaurus was a herbivore didn't mean a carnivore wouldn't join our little party and considering how the bloody anomalies attracted creatures like a flame did a moth... I slipped from my car, my voice low as I spoke to Becker. “I'll wait for you outside. Don't be long or any damage is coming out of your salary.”
I quietly used my keys to lock my car, not willing to risk the bleep and flashing lights of my central locking upsetting the Stegosaurus. Not that I needed to worry about that considering it slammed its tail spikes into Foster's car once more, the now considerably less valuable vehicle letting out a loud boom as one of its tyres blew.
The Stegosaurus let out a bleat and swung around, causing me to dive to the ground as I barely avoided its tail, the force of its passage ruffling my hair. I stayed on my knees, ignoring the oil and God knew what else was soaking into my trousers as I considered which exit to aim for.
I was cautiously making my way towards the exit to my apartment block, edging around the Stegosaurus, when it let out another bleat and something roared in response. I froze, swallowing my fear, and kept an eye on the anomaly. It was giving the tell-tale flicker of something coming through and, from the roar, I'd hazard a guess that whatever it was would be rather more fond of meat than my current squatter.
I threw caution to the wind and took my chance to run for the exit while the Stegosaurus was distracted. I swore when another anomaly opened in my path and I tried to stop, cursing once more when the smooth sole of my shoes slipped in a patch of oil and I found myself skidding straight through the anomaly.
I lost my balance on the other side of the anomaly as I tumbled down a slope, landing with a thud with all the breath knocked from my lungs. I choked on the toxic air that burned my throat and lungs as I gasped for air, coughing harshly as my eyes watered. I clamped my handkerchief over my mouth and nose, hoping it would help, and peered around to see where what hell I had landed in. I already had a horrible suspicion, and the barren landscape which surrounded me, together with the toxic air, told me exactly where I was. I scrambled to my feet and turned to start up the slope, only to curse softly when the anomaly I'd tumbled through winked out of existence. Leaving me stranded in this hellish world.
I choked as the toxic air seeped through my handkerchief and burnt the back of my throat. I looked around for any sign of life or shelter, and found myself hoping I was in Anderson's time. At least then I would have a chance for survival, if I could find one of the shelters Temple, Maitland and Anderson had mentioned in their post-Convergence reports.
I almost smiled when I spotted something glinting in the distance, something metallic, and I hoped it was a trapdoor to one of those shelters. I took a step towards what I hoped was my salvation before freezing, the hairs on the back of my neck rising, and I swung around, my eyes darting around as I tried to spot whatever had spooked me.
My heart skipped a beat, the blood freezing in my veins, as I noticed something moving across the barren sands towards me. Something fast and lean, something humanoid but not human and something which had haunted far too many of my nights. The memory of those claws slicing deep into my chest, the agony which had followed, had me rubbing at my chest and the still sore scars that lay beneath my suit.
Oh, I knew I was unlikely to outrun it, especially as I was slipping and sliding as the treasonous sands shifted beneath my feet, threatening to send me back to the ground. To the ground and at the future predator's mercy. I ran, my scars pulling, my lungs burning and my eyes streaming, refusing the urge to look behind me. I knew that if I did, it would only slow me down or worse, as I barely avoided a hole which would have twisted my ankle at best. I knew it had to be close behind me, and gaining ground with every step. I could almost feel its rancid breath on my neck but still I ran. I ran and stumbled and staggered and I felt the world begin to grey out, but I refused to give up. I knew it was hopeless, that I would die here but I refused to surrender even when I crashed painfully to my knees. I dragged myself forward inch by desperate inch, hoping my questing fingers would encounter the metal of a trapdoor but I knew I was out of luck.
I sank to the ground, my energy spent and I could do nothing but turn and face my death, to look it in the eye and smile as it took me. I swallowed as I got my first good look at my hunter, I knew the suppurating sores which covered its body would do little to slow it down, most likely, they would cause it pain and make it far more dangerous. I could only watch as it prowled closer to me, cautious for now as I was an unknown threat but I knew it would soon strike and there was little - nothing - that I could do to stop it. I watched as saliva dripped like a necklace of pearls from its fangs, gleaming in the sunlight, as it snuffled and sniffed at me.
I swallowed as it raised a clawed hand and I couldn't suppress the flinch as its arm arced downward towards my chest, my heart beating nineteen to the dozen and no doubt acting as a siren call to the bloody predator. I hated to admit it, but panic gripped my being and I tried to threw myself backwards, scrambling for purchase in the sand, every instinct screaming at me to run, to hide, to do anything I could to survive...
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3