Terra Nova: Reformed
Characters/Pairings: Elisabeth Shannon + everyone one else in TN in later chapters.
Word Count: This thing is 1'302 words long.
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Nope.
Warning: None.
Summary: A termination order was sent to Hope Plaza 3 months after the 6th Pilgrimage. All colonists and personel are presumed dead. That is, until a communication between Lt. Washington and Dr. Wallace is intercepted, and a Dr. Shannon is mentioned as a necessity to proceed in the making of something that will save a significant someone’s life.
I’ve rewritten Terra Nova loosely based on ThisA
A/N: I'm terrible, I haven't been here in ages. I hope this is interesting.
Elisabeth hasn’t been inside a properly filtered building besides the hospital for eighteen months. The last time was for an important Health Care Conference. She holds her rebreather loosely in her right hand as she follows behind the uniformed man leading her down a very long hallway. She’d been invited here yesterday evening, in person by another uniformed man with little to say about why she’s being asked to a powerful political hub, but the ‘important’ was stressed quite a bit. The uniformed man stops beside a door and slides a key card through the lock.
“Go right in, Dr. Shannon.” He says and she does so with a resigned curiosity. She’s in an executive office; she’s met with four men, two in suits, one in a lab coat, and one in military garb.
“Dr. Shannon, please, have a seat.” One of the men in suits motions with his hand.
“What have I been invited here for?” She asks as she sits, looks each man in the eye.
“I assume you’ve hear of the Terra Nova Project?”
~
“It ended three years ago.” She says. Lab Coat and Military nod.
“General Anderson, Dr. Remington, Mr. Conalee, and I am Anthony Helms.” The Suit at the head of the table introduces. “We know who you are, Dr. Shannon.”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand.” Elisabeth says folding her hands on the table.
“The information we’re about to share with you is classified.” Helms says, nodding to Remington, the squirrely man hands Elisabeth a Plex.
“Mr. Helms, I don’t-”
“Dr. Shannon we’ve called you here because you are one of the best in your field. You’ve been requested specifically.” She nods at him to continue.
“Communications with the leaders of Terra Nova ceased almost four years ago. Lieutenant Washington the second in command sent a termination order through to Hope Plaza. No reason was given.” Helms recounts, Elisabeth nods, glancing down at the Plex.
“I believe you’ve met Lieutenant Washington before.” General Anderson inquires.
“Yes.” Elisabeth certifies. “2138, she’d been medically evacuated from Somalia with three gunshot wounds to the abdomen. I was in residence and she was being transferred to my hospital after she’d been stabilized in a hospital in Africa.” The Suits and Military look surprised.
“You remember it well.” Mr. Conalee states, impressed.
“It was a very long surgery, Mr. Conalee. And to be clear I was her doctor for a short period of time. I doubt she even remembers it.” Elisabeth says, tone implying she’d like them to move on.
“Scientists at Hope Plaza intercepted communications on two very separate occasions, once between the Lieutenant and two of her soldiers, and the second between the Lieutenant-whom until now had been assumed dead-and a Doctor Wallace.” Elisabeth’s eyes widen at the familiarity of the name.
“You have history with Doctor Wallace.” It isn’t a question. She nods.
“We went to university together, yes.” She says.
“There are possible hostile forces in the area known as Terra Nova. It hasn’t been determined whether or not the forces are human or not. But from the communications we’ve intercepted, we believe they are trying to make a vaccine of some sort.” Mr. Helms continues; Elisabeth's interest spikes.
“What do I have to do with this?” She asks.
“You were mentioned, Dr. Shannon.” Says Dr. Remington. “Dr. Wallace stated that you were needed to make the vaccine. That you were, and I quote, ‘more than qualified’.”
“What are you saying?” Elisabeth frowns, the last thing she’d heard about Terra Nova was on the news when the Seventh Pilgrimage has been cancelled.
“We understand your husband is serving at Golad Prison.” Mr. Conalee states.
“Yes.” Elisabeth says curtly.
“For the death of a Kurtis Gravsel.” He continues. Elisabeth starts to correct him but his raises his hand in a pacifying manner.
“We also understand your frustration with the law, Dr. Shannon. As it says here, he’d gone to Gravsel’s usual hang out to confront him about assaulting your daughter Madison Shannon, fourteen at the time, and Gravsel struck out. Your husband defended himself, causing the deceased and your husband to exchange several injuries. One of those injuries resulted in Gravsel’s death later that night from-”
“I know the rest.” Elisabeth interrupts, Conalee nods. “What does my husband have to do with why you’ve invited me here?”
“James Shannon has seventeen more years on his sentence.” Conalee says, looking at his own Plex.
“Get to the point please, Mr. Conalee, my children are waiting for me at home.” Elisabeth says flatly.
“You’re children can wait, Dr. Shannon.” Helms says.
“We are offering to cut your husband’s sentence short if you agree to join the salvage team preparing to enter Terra Nova.” The room is silent for a long moment.
“We can assure you that the people on this team are some of the best train in their divisions you would be in little to no danger.” General Anderson informs. Elisabeth looks incredulous.
“I was under the impression that the portal to Terra Nova is only one way.” She says, raising a brow.
“It is; however there is an individual in Terra Nova who will be able to fix that, should you go and he be recovered.” Dr. Remington says, shying back a bit when her sharp gaze falls on him.
“If this individual is alive to fix it.” Elisabeth is unimpressed and dissuaded.
“We have reason to believe he is alive.” General Anderson says, with no doubt in his voice.
“This team will go through first, set up a perimeter and a camp, you and your family will be perfectly safe.” Mr. Helms insists.
“My family? You aren’t seriously telling me that I’d be bringing my children with me into an environment you only just told me may house a hostile threat.” She’s been completely dissuaded, and shakes her head in distaste.
“It may very well be that the threat is gone, and the remaining colonists simply have no way to communicate with Hope Plaza.” Anderson presses. Elisabeth doesn’t buy it.
“With that fact in place,” Helms continues, Elisabeth bites the inside of her cheek as not to correct the man on his mistake; there are no facts, “you will be able to remain in Terra Nova, if this person of significance is found or not.”
“This is supposed to persuade me, how?” She fully intends to leave any moment, but Helms seems to have already guessed this reaction.
“The air quality, Dr. Shannon, causes so many young people to be hospitalized these days.” This has Elisabeth’s attention. “I understand Madison was on a ventilator for three weeks some five months ago.” Helms keeps going. “Terra Nova is 85 million years in the past, Dr. Shannon, the air quality far exceeds any filter currently in existence.” She nods once, regrets that this man has played her, but can’t shake away the image of her big girl unable to breathe on her own.
“How long do I have to decide?” She asks. Helms smiles, but the look is false.
“You have two weeks, Dr. Shannon. But by the look on your face you’ve already decided.” She’s one away from glaring as she rises from her seat.
“I’ll have my answer by then, Mr. Helms.” She answers stiffly. He nods.
“You will be put in touch with your husband sometime early this week.” On cue the door opens to reveal the same uniformed man from before, she walks past him; she remembers the way back to the lobby. The man falls into step with her and they walk away from the office in silence. When they reach the lobby the man nods at her. She puts on her rebreather and starts toward the exit.
“Thank you for your time Dr. Shannon.” He says, she doesn’t reply.