Primeval fic: Seeking Answers
Title: Seeking Answers
Author: knitekat
Word Count: 4556
Characters: Nick Cutter, Stephen Hart, Abby Maitland, James Lester, Jenny Lewis, Danny Quinn, Tom Ryan, Connor Temple, Blade (OC), Finn (OC), Ditzy (OC).
Rating: 15
Disclaimer: Primeval belongs to Impossible Pictures. Certainly not me. Writing for fun and will replace. All the SFOCs belong to Fred.
A/N: For my Primeval Bingo Card prompt: Desert and a sequel to Unearthing An Anomaly. Thanks go to the wonderful fifi for the beta. Any remaining mistakes are mine.
Connor was... well, he was like no one Stephen had ever met before. A genius from what Captain Ryan had said, but Connor was... to say the least, a little odd. He was full of crack-pot theories and had the worst dress sense Stephen had ever seen, and considering he worked at the Academy with students... Stephen shook his head, Ryan respected Connor and Lester must have believed he was capable or the spook would have disposed of him long ago.
At the moment, Connor was almost flapping around the room and babbling at what sounded like a hundred words a minute. None of them intelligible and Stephen was beginning to get both a headache and a suddenly fondness for Nick's sometimes impenetrable lectures.
“Mr Temple.” Lester's cold voice cut through Connor's babble like a hot knife through butter.
“Lester?” Connor almost seemed to squeak before falling silent.
“Have you anything to report?” Lester enquired before holding a hand up to forestall any babbling. “In English and slowly.”
“Um... yes?” Connor took a deep breath before shooting Lester a nervous smile. “On examination of the artefact and looking over Professor Cutter's notes...”
“My notes!” Nick broke in before subsiding when Lester cleared his throat.
“Please continue, Mr Temple.”
“Yes, sir.” Connor shot Nick an apologetic glance before turning his attention back to Lester. “The artefact pre-dates any known Martian civilisation or, well, any known Martians. The numbers are definitely English and the metal itself shows all the chemical and magnetic hallmarks of being manufactured on Earth.”
“But...” Stephen started.
“That's impossible,” Nick finished.
“Precisely,” Lester murmured. “Do you have an explanation, Mr Temple?”
Connor shifted nervously. “Only one and you won't like it, sir.”
Lester sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Humanity didn't descend from the Martian peoples, Mr Temple.” He sounded long suffering and Stephen could only assume this was a long standing point of contention between the two men.
Connor nodded. “I agree.”
“Mr Temple...” Lester paused and blinked. “What did you say?”
“Humanity isn't descended from the Martians, sir.” Connor almost seemed to bounce on his feet with excitement. “The artefact is from Earth but... the age pre-dates humanity.”
“Pre-dates?” Nick asked, leaning forward eagerly.
“Are you sure you dated it correctly?” Lester enquired.
Connor nodded. “I don't do mistakes.” He shot a look at Lester before adding, “Often. Not in this case.” He paused before grinning, “Don't you see?”
Lester sighed theatrically. “Why don't you explain, Temple?”
“Time travel. The only way it could have reached the past is time travel.” Connor stared in awe at the artefact. “You know what this means? I've solved the Martian Anomaly.”
“The what?” Stephen asked, wondering what the hell Connor was babbling about now.
“Stephen, I knew you slept through that lecture.” Nick glared at Stephen and it was only long years of knowing the man that Stephen saw the fondness and not the anger in that look.
“If someone would care to explain before we start to draw our pensions?” Lester drawled softly.
“The Martian Anomaly,” Nick began as if lecturing his students before Lester cleared his throat. “All life on Mars shares a common pattern - they are all egg-laying reptilians with a body plan of six-limbs, even if some have lost some or all of those limbs. The anomaly is that one native Martian species doesn't fit that pattern - the Martian people themselves, who are live-bearing, four-limbed mammals. There is no explanation in the fossil record of how the Martians evolved and it has long been thought that for some reason their ancestors were never fossilised, but...”
Lester gave a quiet groan and Stephen felt like echoing it. If Nick and Connor where right... fuck! Humanity's ancestors weren't the Martians, Martians were descended from humanity. That would put the cat amongst the pigeons when it came to Martian/human relations.
“Time travel?” Lester queried and when Connor nodded, he added, “Find out what the artefact is and then... we need to find out where it came from.”
“Why?” Nick asked, his voice full of suspicion.
“Do I need to tell you what our enemies would do if they could travel in time?”
“Bugger!” Stephen muttered.
***
Stephen found himself back in Connor's lab several days later to find the younger man almost bursting with excitement, Nick looking amused and Lester looking like he was fighting a losing battle with a migraine, probably from an overdose of Connor-babble. “Con?”
“I've done it.” Connor grinned widely.
“Congratulations.” Stephen blinked. “Done what?”
“I've activated the artefact.”
Ah, that probably explained Lester. “Are we in danger?”
“What? No.” Connor waved a hand dismissively. “As I've explained to Lester, it's a map.”
“Of what?”
Connor shrugged. “I'm not sure.”
Lester sighed. “Best guess?”
“Possible time portals?” Connor said, before quickly adding, “They're definitely locations of something.”
Stephen nodded and looked at his three companions - Connor almost bouncing on the spot, the look of discovery in Nick's eye and the long suffering 'I'm going to regret this' look on Lester's face. “What happens now?”
Lester looked aggrieved as he stated, “We search the locations and see what, if anything, is there.”
Nick nodded thoughtfully. “Which one first?”
Lester rolled his eyes. “I do have men for that, Cutter.”
“Experts in prehistoric Mars?” Nick countered.
Stephen interrupted before they could start another round of snarking at each other. “Any idea which one to start at, Con?”
Connor nodded. “The one here.” He opened the holographic projection to show an area that looked familiar. Stephen racked his brain to remember where he'd seen it before when he heard Lester groan softly in recognition. Connor shrugged before pointing to a mesa in the centre of the deep desert. “If I've understood the information correctly, this site was the most used.”
Lester glared at him. “Are you absolutely sure, Temple? This isn't one of your wild goose chases after some crackpot theory of yours?”
Connor smiled nervously before shaking his head. “No sir, the artefact clearly shows this is the most used site.”
Lester sighed. “Fine. Gather your supplies, we leave in two hours.”
“We?” Nick queried only half-a-second before Stephen would have asked the same question.
Lester quirked an eyebrow at them as if the answer was obvious before turning on his heel and leaving, and Stephen knew it was. The spook wouldn't, couldn't leave such an important - and potentially dangerous - discovery in the hands of scientists.
Stephen waited until Lester left before turning to Nick. “Where the hell are we going?”
Connor replied before Nick could. “It's the Face of Mars. Isn't it brilliant?”
Stephen exchanged a glance with Nick, understanding Lester's reaction. “That really is the most used site?”
Connor looked so pathetic Stephen almost apologised. “Yes.” He scuffed his boots before looking up, an earnest expression on his face. “Look, I know I have a reputation, but I'm not lying about this.” He glanced at the entrance and shivered. “I wouldn't dare, not to Lester.”
***
Stephen stared at the heavily armed Carrier and turned to look at Lester. “Bit obvious, isn't it?”
“Do you really think our enemies will let us travel unheeded to that site?” Lester asked in a tone that suggested he doubted Stephen's intelligence, before he strolled onto the Carrier, nodding at the soldiers loading supplies.
Stephen sighed before grabbing his kit and following Lester, he could just imagine the arguments that would occur in that confined space and knew he'd have to do his utmost to keep Nick and Lester apart... he smiled, it would be fun.
***
Stephen soon regretted his flippant attitude, no matter how many times he and Nick made love, his lover was still grumpy and Lester's attitude was the main cause. The spook rubbed Nick the wrong way and Nick returned the favour 110%. The only saving grace was that Ryan seemed to have Lester's ear and... Stephen sometimes wondered if he had more. Maybe having that bloody stick removed from his arse and replaced by something far more fun would be good for Lester... Stephen quickly squashed that thought, especially when he had better things to think about than Lester's love-life.
The tension on the Carrier grew to such an extent that Stephen found himself down in the hanger, staring at the jetbikes and wondering if he could use one to escape, if only for an hour or two.
“That bad, mate?”
A cocky and mock-cockney voice asked and Stephen looked up to find a ginger-haired jetbiker watching him. He shrugged. “It could be worse.”
“It could?” The jetbiker shook his head before holding his hand out. “Danny Quinn.”
“Stephen Hart.” Stephen shook Danny's hand.
“So...” Danny asked, his gaze flickering around the hanger. “What's going on?”
Stephen grinned. “Lester says its need to know.”
“Yeah, he would.” Danny almost pouted before pointing a finger at Stephen. “But, you know, right?”
“Danny!” A second voice had Stephen jumping and then swallowing as he met the cold green eyes of another jetbiker. “If the boss wanted you to know, you'd know.”
“You're no fun, Richards.” Danny grinned at Stephen again. “Call me if you want some fresh air... I probably owe you for your professor distracting Lester.”
Richards snorted. “That's your own fault.”
“True.” Danny grinned unrepentantly. “But it's fun.”
“Most people don't think it's fun to annoy Lester.” Richards nodded to Stephen before turning to leave.
“Yeah, well most people don't get off in bloody combat,” Danny shot back before following Richards out.
***
Stephen groaned as he collapsed onto the hard chair in the cramped quarters he shared with Nick. His head was thudding from having to listen to Nick and Lester argue, even with him trying to keep Nick under control and Jenny doing the same with Lester. Although they'd managed to keep the two men coming to blows, the atmosphere had been tense with Nick demanding scientific investigation within the Academy and Lester refusing to even consider involving any more outsiders than he already had.
He sighed as he glanced at the holographic map he was charting their course on and sighed heavily at the distance they still had to travel to the site Connor had identified. He was seriously considering taking Danny up on his offer of a spin, it might help clear his head.
Stephen stood up to make his way to the hanger in the hope that Danny would be present. He had only just reached the hatch when a dull thump sounded before the Carrier shook and dropped sickeningly and he could hear the engines straining to regain height. He cursed as an alarm began to blare and he struggled into the corridor, needing to find Nick now. He had to flatten himself against the wall as several crew members charged down the corridor, noting that the soldiers were armed.
Stephen recognised Finn but before he could ask the young soldier what was happening - other than the obvious - another explosion ripped through the Carrier and it lurched, throwing him hard against a wall and he blacked out.
***
Stephen groaned as he woke and uttered another as the burning sun blazed down on him. That brought him to full awareness and he squinted around to find himself laying in the shadowy lee of a rock, the vast expanse of desert stretching out all around him.
“Stephen?” Nick asked as he held out a canteen of water. “How's your head? Does it hurt? Any blurred vision?”
Stephen raised a hand to stop Nick and reached out for the water with a wince. “What happened?”
“Someone sabotaged the Carrier,” Lester's annoyed voice replied. “And before you ask, they've also destroyed our communication equipment. We're stranded in the middle of the bloody desert.” He turned away before calling out, “Ryan, a word.”
“What is he planning now?” Nick growled out as he watched Lester and Ryan.
“Hopefully a quick shag to improve his temper.” Stephen had to grin at the shocked look on Nick's face. “Sorry. Are we going to hike home?”
Before Nick could reply, Ryan called out, “Quinn, Richards, check your bikes for flight capability. Owen, I want a report on all injuries. Everyone else, check what supplies we still have.”
Nick pursed his lips thoughtfully, “They're up to something.”
Stephen couldn't help his chuckle. “Lester's a spook, of courses he's up to something.”
***
Stephen sighed as he sorted through Nick's pack, how many years had his colleague and lover been excavating in the desert and he still included things he didn't need and left out what he did. He quickly removed the e-reader, trowel and testing kits, knowing they could be picked up by the replacement Carrier and making a note to ask Owen to ensure they would be or he'd never hear the end of it. Instead, he packed rope, a torch and extra batteries for the night vision goggles they'd been supplied with. He nodded with satisfaction when he hefted it to check its weight.
“Stephen.” Nick's distraught cry drew Stephen's attention from sorting out his own pack.
“I'll ask Owen to bring the kit, Nick, but its too heavy to carry it all through the desert.” He kissed Nick, his tongue asking for entry as he sought to distract his lover before he could start stropping. A heavy clang on their closed hatch had them jump apart as Ryan called out, “Time to go, gents.”
***
Stephen's boots crunched on the frost-covered sand as he stepped out of the Carrier and walked over to wish Danny and Richards good luck before they took off to go for help. He just hoped they didn't run into any trouble on their way to the hush-hush base Ryan had ordered them to. He waved goodbye before walking over to join the group waiting for him and Nick - Lester, Ryan, Connor, Finn and several soldiers he didn't recognise.
“If we're finally ready...” Lester muttered before turning when Ryan touched his arm.
“Finn, take point. Everyone else, keep alert,” Ryan ordered.
“Jenny?” Lester called out and waited until his assistant poked her head out of the hatch.
“I know, sir,” Jenny replied, “I'm in charge, don't do anything I shouldn’t and don't let anyone on to the Carrier without the correct passwords.”
Lester nodded. “Take care, Jenny.”
“And you too, sir,” Jenny called out as she ducked back inside.
Owen stepped around Jenny and walked towards Ryan. “First aid kit, sir.”
“Can you spare the supplies?” Ryan asked before Stephen tuned out their discussion of injured crew.
“Boss.” Owen nodded before calling out to Nick. “And I haven't forgotten your kit, professor.”
The small group moved off into the chilly night, Finn leading with two soldiers flanking him, Lester, Ryan, Connor, then him and Nick, with the remaining two soldiers guarding their rear.
***
Stephen felt they made reasonable progress in that first night, considering Nick and Connor weren't used to marching and, by the look of it, Lester wasn't as fit as he or the soldiers were. The night vision goggles painted the desert an eerie green, but at least allowed them to avoid the rising heat that indicated the pit of Martian Sand-Lions. Nasty armoured creatures that built complex traps in the sand for the unaware to walk into.
When the sky started to lighten with the first signs of dawn, Ryan called a halt and Stephen helped to set up their camp for the day, digging into the sand before rigging neoplastic sheets to provide cool shelter from the unforgiving sun.
“Alone at last,” Nick murmured before nibbling down Stephen's neck and untucking his shirt to allow his hands to roam over Stephen's skin.
Stephen moaned softly before turning to press kisses against Nick's lips, his own fingers seeking Nick's warm skin. He gasped into Nick's mouth as his lover's fingers grasped his cock, stroking teasingly. “Fuck yes, Nick.”
Nick grinned at him as he continued to stroke Stephen. “Can I make love to you?”
Stephen nodded, frantically dragging his clothing off and biting off a groan when Nick's fingers pressed inside him, crying out softly when Nick entered him, thrusting deeply. It was heavenly as they sought their mutual pleasure and then they cried out as they crested together.
“Keep the noise down.” Finn's amused voice sounding nearby had both men laughing.
“Time to eat and then sleep, Nick.” Stephen quickly cleaned himself up before grabbing two quick-heat meals and pulling the tabs to set them cooking. He passed one over to Nick and opened his own, sighing at the taste of roast beef dinner hitting his taste buds.
“This isn't bad,” Nick mumbled around his own mouthful of chicken curry and rice.
***
It was on their third night of travel that they ran into trouble when Finn raised a hand and dropped to his haunches behind a boulder. Stephen crept up to him and swore as he followed Finn's gaze, easily spotting the form of a large Desert Shrieker directly in their path. His eyes noted the vicious spines rising from its back, each tipped with paralytic poison as were the claws on each of its six legs. Its jagged teeth could shear through flesh and bone like butter and it was bloody quick on its feet. It was one of the most feared predators on Mars and the only good thing was that it was only found in the deep desert. Unfortunately, they were in the bloody deep desert.
He noticed Finn carefully easing backwards, no doubt to report on the problem to Ryan, but decided to remain and keep an eye on the dangerous predator. He winced when he heard someone kick a rock behind him and noticed the Desert Shrieker lift its head, its large eyes turning towards him as it sniffed deeply. A low growl erupted from its throat as it began to move towards him and Stephen quickly slid down the sandy slope, calling out that the predator knew they were there and was quickly approaching.
“Fuck!” Ryan growled as he swung his pulse rifle from his shoulder and aimed it up the slope, his gaze flickering around for a more defensible position. “Cutter, Hart, Temple, Lester, get up behind that boulder on the left. Everyone else, spread out and prepare to engage.”
Stephen noticed Lester pause for a moment before nodding to Ryan and moving quickly to the boulder, drawing his pulser as he went. Stephen started to follow before pausing when he realised that Nick and Connor hadn't moved, their attention still on the ridge that the creature would soon crest. He quickly pushed Connor towards Lester, noticing the spook had come back to herd the young scientist towards the boulder. He turned back to Nick and grabbed his arm before dragging his lover towards Lester and Connor, pushing Nick behind them and drawing his own pulser.
The Desert Shrieker gave its trademarked shriek as it charged into their midst, spiked tail whipping around and drool dripping from its teeth. The first pulser shot bounced off its armoured hide, scattering back to strike the boulder that sheltered Stephen, Nick, Connor and Lester.
Stephen dropped to his knee and aimed, hoping to catch the beast in its unarmoured mouth when it shrieked, but it spun quickly and leapt at one of the soldiers who fell with a cry even as he fired point-blank into its face. The man quickly fell silent even as the beast's claws tore into his body.
Ryan yelled and fired at the creature, trying to draw it away from the fallen man and it turned with an almost deafening cry and charged towards him. Ryan only dived out of the way at the last moment, although when he collapsed on the ground it was clear that he'd been caught by a spine.
“Fuck!” Lester snarled, before snapping out orders. “Finn, aim for its eyes and distract it.” He waited for Finn to fire before darting out towards Ryan.
Stephen sighed before following him and they grabbed Ryan under the arms and dragged him back to their boulder. He and the remaining soldiers fired at the beast when it lunged towards Finn's position and Stephen had to duck when the beast spun around to face him. He fired into its eyes and heard the dull pulse of another weapon discharging beside him. The beast shrieked in pain and turned away, shaking its head as its tail lashed out and had Lester and Stephen diving to avoid it as the beast turned and charged towards the soldiers firing at it. Its head swung to the side and Stephen winced as its jaws closed around one of the men, picking him up before tossing him aside as its clawed forelimb struck out at another of the soldiers.
“Fuck!” Lester gasped as he climbed to his feet, and Stephen had to agree with his summation of the situation. The Desert Shrieker held all the cards and they were more than decimated, already down four of their six soldiers. Things didn't look good and Stephen couldn't see how they'd defeat the beast and withdrawing wasn't an option when they had paralysed but still living soldiers to worry about.
A loud shriek sounded and the Desert Shrieker paused in its attack, its head raised as it sniffed the air. Its claws dug into the desert sands and it snarled before shrieking back at the intruding Desert Shrieker. The cry repeated, sounding as if it came from a beast of similar size to their own attacker, and the Desert Shrieker paused for a moment before charging off to defend its territory from an intruder.
Stephen collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath, before he heard Nick's worried voice ask if he was OK. He turned and pulled Nick into a kiss. “I'm fine, Nick.” He rested his forehead against Nick's before he remembered what had just happened. “How's Ryan and the others?”
“Ryan's fine, a tail spine just clipped him. He's already starting to recover and...” Nick grinned, “Lester's being very attentive.”
Stephen grinned before sobering as he slowly got to his feet. “And the soldiers?”
“Not so good. Two have deep claw wounds on top of being paralysed.” Nick sighed softly, “The third bled out before we could help him.”
“Fuck,” Stephen breathed. “We need to get somewhere safe.”
“You shouldn't be walking in the deep desert in the first place.”
A young and female voice spoke up, one that Stephen didn't recognise. He spun around and saw the blond haired woman standing before them, dressed in the clothing of the Martian nomads.
“And you would be?” Lester asked as he stepped towards the young woman.
“Abby Maitland,” she replied, a smirk on her lips as she looked at the group. “You're lucky the Desert Shriekers are so easily distracted.”
“You distracted it?” Connor asked as he emerged from behind the boulder he'd been hiding behind. “Are you a nomad? You don't look like a Martian...”
“Temple, not now,” Lester barked out.
Stephen smiled at Abby as he asked, “Can you help us?” He gestured at the wounded soldiers. “Our friends are injured.”
Abby dropped beside the various soldiers, quickly checking their injuries before opening the pouch on her shoulder and applying a sickly yellow paste to their wounds. When she reached Ryan, she paused when Lester's fingers twitched before nodding to him. “The paste helps the wound heal and counteracts the poison.” She waited until Ryan squeezed Lester's fingers and the spook relaxed before she tended to Ryan's injury.
Once she finished, Abby stood and glanced towards the horizon. “They will not recover before sunrise and the local Shrieker will return soon. I have a dwelling nearby you are welcome to recover in.”
“How far?” Stephen asked, knowing they would be hard pushed to carry the wounded far.
“Sid and Nancy can carry them, carry all of us,” Abby lifted her fingers to her lips and whistled. Two Plain-Strider appeared, harnessed in the style of the Martian nomads. “Lift your friends up and I will tie them on.”
***
The Plain-Striders weren't the most comfortable of beasts to ride, but they crossed the desert easily and, Stephen knew, far faster than they would have managed to walk it. They stopped at a sheltered valley, a small spring providing fresh water for the vegetation clinging to the rocks. It didn't take long to settle the injured men and help a still somewhat wobbly Ryan to sit down, although he still leaned against Lester.
Stephen found the water refreshing and he happily munched on the selection of ground nuts, blue-stemmed cactus, and the succulent flesh of desert blood apples. “These are excellent,” he murmured in both appreciation and thanks.
“Yes,” Lester added after a moment. “Thank you for your rescue.. although I find myself wondering what you're doing out in the deep desert?”
Abby tilted her head before she answered. “My parents were anthropologists, seeking to understand the Martian nomad way of life. When they died, the local tribe took me in.” She raised an eyebrow before enquiring, “What are you doing in the deep desert?”
Nick opened his mouth before Lester muttered, “Cutter.”
“No, Lester, she helped us,” Nick informed Lester, proceeding when the spook sighed and nodded. “We're heading for the Cydonia Region.”
“Why would you want to go there?” Abby asked. “There's nothing there but Desert Shriekers and Sand-Lions.”
“We've a map.”
Several voices chorused “Connor!”, almost overridden by Lester's bellow of “Temple!”
“A map of what? There's nothing there...” Abby's voice trailed off. “Although the stories of the Tribe speak of the Lost City of the Ancients.” Her eyes widened and she turned to Connor. “Tell me, do you know where it is?”
Connor shot Lester a quick glance before nodding. “Maybe. The map indicated the Face of Mars is important.”
Abby smiled. “I must come with you.”
Lester scowled. “I don't think that's appropriate.”
“I know the best way to the Face mesa, avoiding Desert Shriekers and Sand-Lions.” Abby smirked at him before adding, “And I have transport...”
Stephen grinned. “She has a point, Lester.”
Lester sighed before nodding. “Fine. You can come, but you obey without question any order I or Captain Ryan give you.”
“Once we reach the Face.” Abby echoed Lester before adding, “But in the desert, you obey my orders without question, unless you want to meet another Desert Shrieker...”
Lester stared at her before smiling. “Deal, Ms Maitland.”
“Deal.” Abby stood and walked over to check on the injured soldiers. “We will leave at dusk, eat and rest while you can.”
“My men?” Ryan asked, trying to stand before Lester gripped his hand to keep him on the ground.
“They'll be fine, Ryan.” Abby informed him. “I'll send a message to my tribe for someone to look after them while we are gone.”
Author: knitekat
Word Count: 4556
Characters: Nick Cutter, Stephen Hart, Abby Maitland, James Lester, Jenny Lewis, Danny Quinn, Tom Ryan, Connor Temple, Blade (OC), Finn (OC), Ditzy (OC).
Rating: 15
Disclaimer: Primeval belongs to Impossible Pictures. Certainly not me. Writing for fun and will replace. All the SFOCs belong to Fred.
A/N: For my Primeval Bingo Card prompt: Desert and a sequel to Unearthing An Anomaly. Thanks go to the wonderful fifi for the beta. Any remaining mistakes are mine.
Connor was... well, he was like no one Stephen had ever met before. A genius from what Captain Ryan had said, but Connor was... to say the least, a little odd. He was full of crack-pot theories and had the worst dress sense Stephen had ever seen, and considering he worked at the Academy with students... Stephen shook his head, Ryan respected Connor and Lester must have believed he was capable or the spook would have disposed of him long ago.
At the moment, Connor was almost flapping around the room and babbling at what sounded like a hundred words a minute. None of them intelligible and Stephen was beginning to get both a headache and a suddenly fondness for Nick's sometimes impenetrable lectures.
“Mr Temple.” Lester's cold voice cut through Connor's babble like a hot knife through butter.
“Lester?” Connor almost seemed to squeak before falling silent.
“Have you anything to report?” Lester enquired before holding a hand up to forestall any babbling. “In English and slowly.”
“Um... yes?” Connor took a deep breath before shooting Lester a nervous smile. “On examination of the artefact and looking over Professor Cutter's notes...”
“My notes!” Nick broke in before subsiding when Lester cleared his throat.
“Please continue, Mr Temple.”
“Yes, sir.” Connor shot Nick an apologetic glance before turning his attention back to Lester. “The artefact pre-dates any known Martian civilisation or, well, any known Martians. The numbers are definitely English and the metal itself shows all the chemical and magnetic hallmarks of being manufactured on Earth.”
“But...” Stephen started.
“That's impossible,” Nick finished.
“Precisely,” Lester murmured. “Do you have an explanation, Mr Temple?”
Connor shifted nervously. “Only one and you won't like it, sir.”
Lester sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Humanity didn't descend from the Martian peoples, Mr Temple.” He sounded long suffering and Stephen could only assume this was a long standing point of contention between the two men.
Connor nodded. “I agree.”
“Mr Temple...” Lester paused and blinked. “What did you say?”
“Humanity isn't descended from the Martians, sir.” Connor almost seemed to bounce on his feet with excitement. “The artefact is from Earth but... the age pre-dates humanity.”
“Pre-dates?” Nick asked, leaning forward eagerly.
“Are you sure you dated it correctly?” Lester enquired.
Connor nodded. “I don't do mistakes.” He shot a look at Lester before adding, “Often. Not in this case.” He paused before grinning, “Don't you see?”
Lester sighed theatrically. “Why don't you explain, Temple?”
“Time travel. The only way it could have reached the past is time travel.” Connor stared in awe at the artefact. “You know what this means? I've solved the Martian Anomaly.”
“The what?” Stephen asked, wondering what the hell Connor was babbling about now.
“Stephen, I knew you slept through that lecture.” Nick glared at Stephen and it was only long years of knowing the man that Stephen saw the fondness and not the anger in that look.
“If someone would care to explain before we start to draw our pensions?” Lester drawled softly.
“The Martian Anomaly,” Nick began as if lecturing his students before Lester cleared his throat. “All life on Mars shares a common pattern - they are all egg-laying reptilians with a body plan of six-limbs, even if some have lost some or all of those limbs. The anomaly is that one native Martian species doesn't fit that pattern - the Martian people themselves, who are live-bearing, four-limbed mammals. There is no explanation in the fossil record of how the Martians evolved and it has long been thought that for some reason their ancestors were never fossilised, but...”
Lester gave a quiet groan and Stephen felt like echoing it. If Nick and Connor where right... fuck! Humanity's ancestors weren't the Martians, Martians were descended from humanity. That would put the cat amongst the pigeons when it came to Martian/human relations.
“Time travel?” Lester queried and when Connor nodded, he added, “Find out what the artefact is and then... we need to find out where it came from.”
“Why?” Nick asked, his voice full of suspicion.
“Do I need to tell you what our enemies would do if they could travel in time?”
“Bugger!” Stephen muttered.
***
Stephen found himself back in Connor's lab several days later to find the younger man almost bursting with excitement, Nick looking amused and Lester looking like he was fighting a losing battle with a migraine, probably from an overdose of Connor-babble. “Con?”
“I've done it.” Connor grinned widely.
“Congratulations.” Stephen blinked. “Done what?”
“I've activated the artefact.”
Ah, that probably explained Lester. “Are we in danger?”
“What? No.” Connor waved a hand dismissively. “As I've explained to Lester, it's a map.”
“Of what?”
Connor shrugged. “I'm not sure.”
Lester sighed. “Best guess?”
“Possible time portals?” Connor said, before quickly adding, “They're definitely locations of something.”
Stephen nodded and looked at his three companions - Connor almost bouncing on the spot, the look of discovery in Nick's eye and the long suffering 'I'm going to regret this' look on Lester's face. “What happens now?”
Lester looked aggrieved as he stated, “We search the locations and see what, if anything, is there.”
Nick nodded thoughtfully. “Which one first?”
Lester rolled his eyes. “I do have men for that, Cutter.”
“Experts in prehistoric Mars?” Nick countered.
Stephen interrupted before they could start another round of snarking at each other. “Any idea which one to start at, Con?”
Connor nodded. “The one here.” He opened the holographic projection to show an area that looked familiar. Stephen racked his brain to remember where he'd seen it before when he heard Lester groan softly in recognition. Connor shrugged before pointing to a mesa in the centre of the deep desert. “If I've understood the information correctly, this site was the most used.”
Lester glared at him. “Are you absolutely sure, Temple? This isn't one of your wild goose chases after some crackpot theory of yours?”
Connor smiled nervously before shaking his head. “No sir, the artefact clearly shows this is the most used site.”
Lester sighed. “Fine. Gather your supplies, we leave in two hours.”
“We?” Nick queried only half-a-second before Stephen would have asked the same question.
Lester quirked an eyebrow at them as if the answer was obvious before turning on his heel and leaving, and Stephen knew it was. The spook wouldn't, couldn't leave such an important - and potentially dangerous - discovery in the hands of scientists.
Stephen waited until Lester left before turning to Nick. “Where the hell are we going?”
Connor replied before Nick could. “It's the Face of Mars. Isn't it brilliant?”
Stephen exchanged a glance with Nick, understanding Lester's reaction. “That really is the most used site?”
Connor looked so pathetic Stephen almost apologised. “Yes.” He scuffed his boots before looking up, an earnest expression on his face. “Look, I know I have a reputation, but I'm not lying about this.” He glanced at the entrance and shivered. “I wouldn't dare, not to Lester.”
***
Stephen stared at the heavily armed Carrier and turned to look at Lester. “Bit obvious, isn't it?”
“Do you really think our enemies will let us travel unheeded to that site?” Lester asked in a tone that suggested he doubted Stephen's intelligence, before he strolled onto the Carrier, nodding at the soldiers loading supplies.
Stephen sighed before grabbing his kit and following Lester, he could just imagine the arguments that would occur in that confined space and knew he'd have to do his utmost to keep Nick and Lester apart... he smiled, it would be fun.
***
Stephen soon regretted his flippant attitude, no matter how many times he and Nick made love, his lover was still grumpy and Lester's attitude was the main cause. The spook rubbed Nick the wrong way and Nick returned the favour 110%. The only saving grace was that Ryan seemed to have Lester's ear and... Stephen sometimes wondered if he had more. Maybe having that bloody stick removed from his arse and replaced by something far more fun would be good for Lester... Stephen quickly squashed that thought, especially when he had better things to think about than Lester's love-life.
The tension on the Carrier grew to such an extent that Stephen found himself down in the hanger, staring at the jetbikes and wondering if he could use one to escape, if only for an hour or two.
“That bad, mate?”
A cocky and mock-cockney voice asked and Stephen looked up to find a ginger-haired jetbiker watching him. He shrugged. “It could be worse.”
“It could?” The jetbiker shook his head before holding his hand out. “Danny Quinn.”
“Stephen Hart.” Stephen shook Danny's hand.
“So...” Danny asked, his gaze flickering around the hanger. “What's going on?”
Stephen grinned. “Lester says its need to know.”
“Yeah, he would.” Danny almost pouted before pointing a finger at Stephen. “But, you know, right?”
“Danny!” A second voice had Stephen jumping and then swallowing as he met the cold green eyes of another jetbiker. “If the boss wanted you to know, you'd know.”
“You're no fun, Richards.” Danny grinned at Stephen again. “Call me if you want some fresh air... I probably owe you for your professor distracting Lester.”
Richards snorted. “That's your own fault.”
“True.” Danny grinned unrepentantly. “But it's fun.”
“Most people don't think it's fun to annoy Lester.” Richards nodded to Stephen before turning to leave.
“Yeah, well most people don't get off in bloody combat,” Danny shot back before following Richards out.
***
Stephen groaned as he collapsed onto the hard chair in the cramped quarters he shared with Nick. His head was thudding from having to listen to Nick and Lester argue, even with him trying to keep Nick under control and Jenny doing the same with Lester. Although they'd managed to keep the two men coming to blows, the atmosphere had been tense with Nick demanding scientific investigation within the Academy and Lester refusing to even consider involving any more outsiders than he already had.
He sighed as he glanced at the holographic map he was charting their course on and sighed heavily at the distance they still had to travel to the site Connor had identified. He was seriously considering taking Danny up on his offer of a spin, it might help clear his head.
Stephen stood up to make his way to the hanger in the hope that Danny would be present. He had only just reached the hatch when a dull thump sounded before the Carrier shook and dropped sickeningly and he could hear the engines straining to regain height. He cursed as an alarm began to blare and he struggled into the corridor, needing to find Nick now. He had to flatten himself against the wall as several crew members charged down the corridor, noting that the soldiers were armed.
Stephen recognised Finn but before he could ask the young soldier what was happening - other than the obvious - another explosion ripped through the Carrier and it lurched, throwing him hard against a wall and he blacked out.
***
Stephen groaned as he woke and uttered another as the burning sun blazed down on him. That brought him to full awareness and he squinted around to find himself laying in the shadowy lee of a rock, the vast expanse of desert stretching out all around him.
“Stephen?” Nick asked as he held out a canteen of water. “How's your head? Does it hurt? Any blurred vision?”
Stephen raised a hand to stop Nick and reached out for the water with a wince. “What happened?”
“Someone sabotaged the Carrier,” Lester's annoyed voice replied. “And before you ask, they've also destroyed our communication equipment. We're stranded in the middle of the bloody desert.” He turned away before calling out, “Ryan, a word.”
“What is he planning now?” Nick growled out as he watched Lester and Ryan.
“Hopefully a quick shag to improve his temper.” Stephen had to grin at the shocked look on Nick's face. “Sorry. Are we going to hike home?”
Before Nick could reply, Ryan called out, “Quinn, Richards, check your bikes for flight capability. Owen, I want a report on all injuries. Everyone else, check what supplies we still have.”
Nick pursed his lips thoughtfully, “They're up to something.”
Stephen couldn't help his chuckle. “Lester's a spook, of courses he's up to something.”
***
Stephen sighed as he sorted through Nick's pack, how many years had his colleague and lover been excavating in the desert and he still included things he didn't need and left out what he did. He quickly removed the e-reader, trowel and testing kits, knowing they could be picked up by the replacement Carrier and making a note to ask Owen to ensure they would be or he'd never hear the end of it. Instead, he packed rope, a torch and extra batteries for the night vision goggles they'd been supplied with. He nodded with satisfaction when he hefted it to check its weight.
“Stephen.” Nick's distraught cry drew Stephen's attention from sorting out his own pack.
“I'll ask Owen to bring the kit, Nick, but its too heavy to carry it all through the desert.” He kissed Nick, his tongue asking for entry as he sought to distract his lover before he could start stropping. A heavy clang on their closed hatch had them jump apart as Ryan called out, “Time to go, gents.”
***
Stephen's boots crunched on the frost-covered sand as he stepped out of the Carrier and walked over to wish Danny and Richards good luck before they took off to go for help. He just hoped they didn't run into any trouble on their way to the hush-hush base Ryan had ordered them to. He waved goodbye before walking over to join the group waiting for him and Nick - Lester, Ryan, Connor, Finn and several soldiers he didn't recognise.
“If we're finally ready...” Lester muttered before turning when Ryan touched his arm.
“Finn, take point. Everyone else, keep alert,” Ryan ordered.
“Jenny?” Lester called out and waited until his assistant poked her head out of the hatch.
“I know, sir,” Jenny replied, “I'm in charge, don't do anything I shouldn’t and don't let anyone on to the Carrier without the correct passwords.”
Lester nodded. “Take care, Jenny.”
“And you too, sir,” Jenny called out as she ducked back inside.
Owen stepped around Jenny and walked towards Ryan. “First aid kit, sir.”
“Can you spare the supplies?” Ryan asked before Stephen tuned out their discussion of injured crew.
“Boss.” Owen nodded before calling out to Nick. “And I haven't forgotten your kit, professor.”
The small group moved off into the chilly night, Finn leading with two soldiers flanking him, Lester, Ryan, Connor, then him and Nick, with the remaining two soldiers guarding their rear.
***
Stephen felt they made reasonable progress in that first night, considering Nick and Connor weren't used to marching and, by the look of it, Lester wasn't as fit as he or the soldiers were. The night vision goggles painted the desert an eerie green, but at least allowed them to avoid the rising heat that indicated the pit of Martian Sand-Lions. Nasty armoured creatures that built complex traps in the sand for the unaware to walk into.
When the sky started to lighten with the first signs of dawn, Ryan called a halt and Stephen helped to set up their camp for the day, digging into the sand before rigging neoplastic sheets to provide cool shelter from the unforgiving sun.
“Alone at last,” Nick murmured before nibbling down Stephen's neck and untucking his shirt to allow his hands to roam over Stephen's skin.
Stephen moaned softly before turning to press kisses against Nick's lips, his own fingers seeking Nick's warm skin. He gasped into Nick's mouth as his lover's fingers grasped his cock, stroking teasingly. “Fuck yes, Nick.”
Nick grinned at him as he continued to stroke Stephen. “Can I make love to you?”
Stephen nodded, frantically dragging his clothing off and biting off a groan when Nick's fingers pressed inside him, crying out softly when Nick entered him, thrusting deeply. It was heavenly as they sought their mutual pleasure and then they cried out as they crested together.
“Keep the noise down.” Finn's amused voice sounding nearby had both men laughing.
“Time to eat and then sleep, Nick.” Stephen quickly cleaned himself up before grabbing two quick-heat meals and pulling the tabs to set them cooking. He passed one over to Nick and opened his own, sighing at the taste of roast beef dinner hitting his taste buds.
“This isn't bad,” Nick mumbled around his own mouthful of chicken curry and rice.
***
It was on their third night of travel that they ran into trouble when Finn raised a hand and dropped to his haunches behind a boulder. Stephen crept up to him and swore as he followed Finn's gaze, easily spotting the form of a large Desert Shrieker directly in their path. His eyes noted the vicious spines rising from its back, each tipped with paralytic poison as were the claws on each of its six legs. Its jagged teeth could shear through flesh and bone like butter and it was bloody quick on its feet. It was one of the most feared predators on Mars and the only good thing was that it was only found in the deep desert. Unfortunately, they were in the bloody deep desert.
He noticed Finn carefully easing backwards, no doubt to report on the problem to Ryan, but decided to remain and keep an eye on the dangerous predator. He winced when he heard someone kick a rock behind him and noticed the Desert Shrieker lift its head, its large eyes turning towards him as it sniffed deeply. A low growl erupted from its throat as it began to move towards him and Stephen quickly slid down the sandy slope, calling out that the predator knew they were there and was quickly approaching.
“Fuck!” Ryan growled as he swung his pulse rifle from his shoulder and aimed it up the slope, his gaze flickering around for a more defensible position. “Cutter, Hart, Temple, Lester, get up behind that boulder on the left. Everyone else, spread out and prepare to engage.”
Stephen noticed Lester pause for a moment before nodding to Ryan and moving quickly to the boulder, drawing his pulser as he went. Stephen started to follow before pausing when he realised that Nick and Connor hadn't moved, their attention still on the ridge that the creature would soon crest. He quickly pushed Connor towards Lester, noticing the spook had come back to herd the young scientist towards the boulder. He turned back to Nick and grabbed his arm before dragging his lover towards Lester and Connor, pushing Nick behind them and drawing his own pulser.
The Desert Shrieker gave its trademarked shriek as it charged into their midst, spiked tail whipping around and drool dripping from its teeth. The first pulser shot bounced off its armoured hide, scattering back to strike the boulder that sheltered Stephen, Nick, Connor and Lester.
Stephen dropped to his knee and aimed, hoping to catch the beast in its unarmoured mouth when it shrieked, but it spun quickly and leapt at one of the soldiers who fell with a cry even as he fired point-blank into its face. The man quickly fell silent even as the beast's claws tore into his body.
Ryan yelled and fired at the creature, trying to draw it away from the fallen man and it turned with an almost deafening cry and charged towards him. Ryan only dived out of the way at the last moment, although when he collapsed on the ground it was clear that he'd been caught by a spine.
“Fuck!” Lester snarled, before snapping out orders. “Finn, aim for its eyes and distract it.” He waited for Finn to fire before darting out towards Ryan.
Stephen sighed before following him and they grabbed Ryan under the arms and dragged him back to their boulder. He and the remaining soldiers fired at the beast when it lunged towards Finn's position and Stephen had to duck when the beast spun around to face him. He fired into its eyes and heard the dull pulse of another weapon discharging beside him. The beast shrieked in pain and turned away, shaking its head as its tail lashed out and had Lester and Stephen diving to avoid it as the beast turned and charged towards the soldiers firing at it. Its head swung to the side and Stephen winced as its jaws closed around one of the men, picking him up before tossing him aside as its clawed forelimb struck out at another of the soldiers.
“Fuck!” Lester gasped as he climbed to his feet, and Stephen had to agree with his summation of the situation. The Desert Shrieker held all the cards and they were more than decimated, already down four of their six soldiers. Things didn't look good and Stephen couldn't see how they'd defeat the beast and withdrawing wasn't an option when they had paralysed but still living soldiers to worry about.
A loud shriek sounded and the Desert Shrieker paused in its attack, its head raised as it sniffed the air. Its claws dug into the desert sands and it snarled before shrieking back at the intruding Desert Shrieker. The cry repeated, sounding as if it came from a beast of similar size to their own attacker, and the Desert Shrieker paused for a moment before charging off to defend its territory from an intruder.
Stephen collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath, before he heard Nick's worried voice ask if he was OK. He turned and pulled Nick into a kiss. “I'm fine, Nick.” He rested his forehead against Nick's before he remembered what had just happened. “How's Ryan and the others?”
“Ryan's fine, a tail spine just clipped him. He's already starting to recover and...” Nick grinned, “Lester's being very attentive.”
Stephen grinned before sobering as he slowly got to his feet. “And the soldiers?”
“Not so good. Two have deep claw wounds on top of being paralysed.” Nick sighed softly, “The third bled out before we could help him.”
“Fuck,” Stephen breathed. “We need to get somewhere safe.”
“You shouldn't be walking in the deep desert in the first place.”
A young and female voice spoke up, one that Stephen didn't recognise. He spun around and saw the blond haired woman standing before them, dressed in the clothing of the Martian nomads.
“And you would be?” Lester asked as he stepped towards the young woman.
“Abby Maitland,” she replied, a smirk on her lips as she looked at the group. “You're lucky the Desert Shriekers are so easily distracted.”
“You distracted it?” Connor asked as he emerged from behind the boulder he'd been hiding behind. “Are you a nomad? You don't look like a Martian...”
“Temple, not now,” Lester barked out.
Stephen smiled at Abby as he asked, “Can you help us?” He gestured at the wounded soldiers. “Our friends are injured.”
Abby dropped beside the various soldiers, quickly checking their injuries before opening the pouch on her shoulder and applying a sickly yellow paste to their wounds. When she reached Ryan, she paused when Lester's fingers twitched before nodding to him. “The paste helps the wound heal and counteracts the poison.” She waited until Ryan squeezed Lester's fingers and the spook relaxed before she tended to Ryan's injury.
Once she finished, Abby stood and glanced towards the horizon. “They will not recover before sunrise and the local Shrieker will return soon. I have a dwelling nearby you are welcome to recover in.”
“How far?” Stephen asked, knowing they would be hard pushed to carry the wounded far.
“Sid and Nancy can carry them, carry all of us,” Abby lifted her fingers to her lips and whistled. Two Plain-Strider appeared, harnessed in the style of the Martian nomads. “Lift your friends up and I will tie them on.”
***
The Plain-Striders weren't the most comfortable of beasts to ride, but they crossed the desert easily and, Stephen knew, far faster than they would have managed to walk it. They stopped at a sheltered valley, a small spring providing fresh water for the vegetation clinging to the rocks. It didn't take long to settle the injured men and help a still somewhat wobbly Ryan to sit down, although he still leaned against Lester.
Stephen found the water refreshing and he happily munched on the selection of ground nuts, blue-stemmed cactus, and the succulent flesh of desert blood apples. “These are excellent,” he murmured in both appreciation and thanks.
“Yes,” Lester added after a moment. “Thank you for your rescue.. although I find myself wondering what you're doing out in the deep desert?”
Abby tilted her head before she answered. “My parents were anthropologists, seeking to understand the Martian nomad way of life. When they died, the local tribe took me in.” She raised an eyebrow before enquiring, “What are you doing in the deep desert?”
Nick opened his mouth before Lester muttered, “Cutter.”
“No, Lester, she helped us,” Nick informed Lester, proceeding when the spook sighed and nodded. “We're heading for the Cydonia Region.”
“Why would you want to go there?” Abby asked. “There's nothing there but Desert Shriekers and Sand-Lions.”
“We've a map.”
Several voices chorused “Connor!”, almost overridden by Lester's bellow of “Temple!”
“A map of what? There's nothing there...” Abby's voice trailed off. “Although the stories of the Tribe speak of the Lost City of the Ancients.” Her eyes widened and she turned to Connor. “Tell me, do you know where it is?”
Connor shot Lester a quick glance before nodding. “Maybe. The map indicated the Face of Mars is important.”
Abby smiled. “I must come with you.”
Lester scowled. “I don't think that's appropriate.”
“I know the best way to the Face mesa, avoiding Desert Shriekers and Sand-Lions.” Abby smirked at him before adding, “And I have transport...”
Stephen grinned. “She has a point, Lester.”
Lester sighed before nodding. “Fine. You can come, but you obey without question any order I or Captain Ryan give you.”
“Once we reach the Face.” Abby echoed Lester before adding, “But in the desert, you obey my orders without question, unless you want to meet another Desert Shrieker...”
Lester stared at her before smiling. “Deal, Ms Maitland.”
“Deal.” Abby stood and walked over to check on the injured soldiers. “We will leave at dusk, eat and rest while you can.”
“My men?” Ryan asked, trying to stand before Lester gripped his hand to keep him on the ground.
“They'll be fine, Ryan.” Abby informed him. “I'll send a message to my tribe for someone to look after them while we are gone.”