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A New Beginning	By : MarianTheBlackadder Category: S through Z > Terra Nova Views: 2105 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Terra Nova characters, places, or copywrites. I make no money from writting this and it is for pure enjoyment of the writter and the readers of the Terra Nova FanFiction Fandom.

Chapter List
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- 11
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Biohazard
            “Dr. Shannon?” Taylor said coming into the infirmary having been called by the doctor. They had him put on a mask and gloves before going inside. “What’s the situation?”
            “I’ve had six cases brought in, in the last 24 hours and several more showing symptoms.” She reported.
            “So what are you saying? We have an epidemic?” He asked.
            “It’s starting to look that way sir. We’re already running tests and scans on all of them trying to find out what we can, but I don’t recognize this as any known disease we’ve encountered before.” The doctor said.
            “Alright,” Taylor was having flashbacks to the Cyncillic fever epidemic that wiped out a over a hundred Terra Novan’s when it swept through the colony. “Let’s get the infirmary on lockdown until we know how this thing spreads. No one leaves the facility, and no one comes in unless it’s absolutely necessary. I want all these people and the infirmary quarantined until we know how to control it.” Dr. Shannon nodded in agreement. “Try and keep the sick ones away from anyone who doesn’t have the symptoms yet.”
            “Already setting up a clean room for the affected, hopefully we caught this thing in time so it won’t spread any further.” Elizabeth explained.
              Taylor gave a nod and turned freezing in place. On one of the beds lay a sick young woman, maybe she was 13 or 14. Next to the bed sat Rayne, with no gloves, no mask holding her hand and smoothing her hand over her hair to keep her calm. “Rayne.” He could hardly say it as he starred at her. “What are you doing here?”
               “I was here for my exam. They told me a little while ago I couldn’t leave. Then they brought Chandra in, and she was scared.” Rayne explained keeping her voice down as she had finally gotten the young woman calm enough to doze off slightly. Taylor walked over and took her arm pulling her away from the bed.
               “Do you have any idea what’s going on here?” He asked, “That girl is one of the infected cases, and they don’t know how this disease is spread yet. You may have exposed yourself too it already!”
                “What was I suppose to do? She’s one of my best students who I’ve known since she was able to first walk and come into my lab. Let her lay there crying, by herself, terrified out of her wits?” She asked in disbelief.
                Taylor knew that wasn’t possible, Rayne had a certain mother instinct that was present way before he and she got together and started having children of their own. “You ask Dr. Shannon what you can do to help, and for god’s sake, get a mask on. I have to go get people on finding where this thing started.”
                Rayne nodded, “Alright.” She agreed. Taylor kissed her forehead through his mask and hugged her a moment before hurrying out. Now there was more incentive than ever to find out what was going on and how to stop it.

Investigations
            “We found a faulty water filter system on the north side of the colony.” Washington reported.
            “Of course, it has to be the most populated area of Terra Nova.” Taylor said with a sigh. “So it was contaminated water, it’s not going to spread as long as we replace the filter system and run uncontaminated water through the water works.”
            “Well that’s just it. Even without the filter systems, the water in Terra Nova doesn’t have many contaminates. It’s clean water, it shouldn’t have caused this kind of epidemic.” Shannon said. “I’m suspecting foul play. Until Malcolm and Elizabeth isolate the contaminate, we won’t know if there is going to be a long term affect on the colony.”
            “Sixers?” Washington asked.
            “Or their spy.” Shannon said, “But that would risk them becoming sick too.”
            “Let’s go out and take at that filter system before it’s replaced, see if we can’t find any clues to who did this and why.” Taylor said. Washington and Shannon agreed and they headed off to investigate.

Failed Attempts
            “It was sloppy, very sloppy.” Elizabeth said looking at Taylor and Shannon as they stood with her and Malcolm in the science lab. “If they were really trying to start an epidemic I doubt the symptoms would have become apparent so fast, half the population would have been infected before the symptoms would have started to show.”
            “Don’t sound so disappointed, would ya doc?” Taylor said.
            “Sorry.” She apologized realizing that might have come out wrong. “But this may have been a trial run, to see how it would play out if they did want to launch a biological attack on Terra Nova.”
            Shannon shook his head, “Biological warfare. It seems like that would be overkill, I mean they need us. If they have any hope of surviving they need our supplies, they need the skills and expertise that we have. Not to mention there is children in the colony and they don’t seem like they’d be the kind to callously murder children in such a horrible way.”
            “I wouldn’t put anything past them at this point, Shannon. For so long we were under the impression that Mira was the leader of the Sixers, but she’s not. There’s a more, unstable less scrupulous person behind their actions.” Taylor said.

Little Explorers
            Taylor was running a number of performance evaluations today, considering a few promotions. Several soldiers had come through his office and it had been a long morning. It was near lunch time when he felt the unmistakable feeling that he was being watched. He closed his computer screen and listened a moment before he stood and walked around the table to the midsection wall.
            Looking up at him were two bright blue eyes underneath dark hair. He put his fists on his hips looking down at the rosy cheeked youngster. “Hi daddy.” She said with a smile.
            “Hmmm.” He said crouching down beside her as he laced his fingers together. “This doesn’t much look like Miss Mary’s class to me Willow.”
            “It’s not, it’s your office.” Taylor smiled and couldn’t help but laugh slightly at her answer.
            “You snuck out when the teacher wasn’t looking again, didn’t you sweetheart.” Willow looked down having been told before not to do that. It was clear that she took after Rayne at the ripe old age of 7. He shook his head slightly, what could he do? On occasion when she got bored she would disappear from where she was supposed to be and show up again in his office, or he caught her once or twice following him through the colony. “You hungry?” Willow looked up at him and nodded a little and he reached out offering her his hand, “Lets head over to the mess hall and get something to eat.” A smile swept her face as she took his hand and he stood and they walked out of his office together. On the way over he opened a channel on his calm link, “Someone let the school know that Willow is with me before they hit the panic buttons.”
            “Snuck out of class again Commander?” Washington’s voice said coming over the com.
            “Following in her mother’s footsteps looks like.” The commander said, “Taylor out.”

Lovers Talks
            “She’s starting to make a habit out of this.” Taylor said looking at Rayne, “It’s bad enough when you do it, if she manages to sneak OTG without anyone noticing . . .”
            “Willow is smart; she’s not going to go outside the gate. She’s daddy’s little girl, Nathaniel, she just wants to be with you.” Rayne answered as she finished brushing her hair walking over to the bed and sitting on her side Indian style. Taylor half smiled when she said that knowing it to be true. To be honest, Willow had him wrapped around her little finger the day she was born.
            “She can’t keep skipping school whenever she wants.” The Commander stated.
            “I know.” Rayne agreed, “I think she gets bored. She’s very intelligent and the class doesn’t move fast enough to keep her interest. I had the same problem in grade school. But it’s not like we can send her to a specialized school here. We pretty much just have the one and it’s all the students in Terra Nova.”
            “Homeschooling?” He questioned.
            “Nathaniel, I am home schooling her, all the time. It’s not that she isn’t getting the information and education, it’s that it’s not coming fast enough for her.” Rayne said with a sigh. “Willow just has to learn some patience.”
            “It isn’t just that, it’s the sneaking out.” Taylor reminded her.
            Rayne half smiled, “You could always lock her up in the brig for a few days, like you did to me.”
            He smirked as he looked at her, “Didn’t phase you even a little bit, I doubt it’ll have much effect on her either.”
            “Well she isn’t being deliberately bad.” Rayne pointed out.
            “And you were?” Taylor said. Rayne just gave him a sly look a small mischievous smile crossing her lips.
            “Rules were made to be broken. Everyone knows that.” She said sticking out her tongue playfully.
            “Uh huh.” He said reaching over and turning off his light before turning back to her.
            “What?” She asked curiously as he reached out wrapping his arm around her as they settled down into bed.
            “I’m the Commander of the colony, charged with keeping order and everyone safe, and somehow I end up marrying the rebel anarchist in Terra Nova.” He said rubbing her shoulder as she wrapped her arm around him and rested her head to his chest.
            “I’m not an anarchist . . . I just . . . don’t like being tied down.” She said honestly.
            “Baloney.” Taylor whispered into her ear. Rayne started to giggle and looking up at him with a grin. After a moment they kissed softly once, then again. He’d taken off his shirt and was only wearing his pants baring his chest to her soft touches. She was in her pajamas, a thin crimson baby doll with short shorts more for modesty than anything else. Another moment of gentle kisses passed before Rayne sat up enough to straddle his hips before seeking out his lips as they began to kiss again.
            Taylor’s hands rested on her hips before moving up under her nightgown over her back and sides holding her against him before their kisses broke long enough for him to pull it off over her head and toss it to the floor wrapping his arms around her once more before he turned them over onto her back.
            Rayne grinned against his lips as she wrapped her legs around his waist pulling him harder against her. “Four kids and you still find me attractive?” She whispered looking into his blue eyes.
            “Only a damned fool wouldn’t be.” He said kissing her again as she returned his affections.
            “Mommy?” A small voice said stopping them both cold as they froze in place. “MOMMY!!!”
            Instantly they got out of bed and Rayne picked up her cover putting it on as they went into the kids’ room. Rayne went over seeing that it was William and quickly went over to his bed waving her hand over the light turning it on. “Alright,” She said taking his hands that were reaching out for her. He was only partly awake but there were tears streaming down his face. Instantly she wrapped her arms around him and picked him putting him in her lap. “Shh, it’s okay sweetheart, your having a bad dream.” She said petting his head and holding him close as he clung to her.
            Taylor checked on their other children finding them all still asleep, and came back seeing Rayne rocking William holding him against her humming to him softly. It seemed she’d calmed him down and went back to sleep. Rayne looked up at Taylor who gave her a nod and went back to their room.
            A while later, Rayne came back to their room where Taylor had fallen asleep as well and quietly went to her side, slipping into the bed beside him turning off her light. A moment passed and Taylor’s voice broke the silence. “He talk to you about this?”
            “Night terrors.” Rayne answered. “A bit more real then nightmares.” Another silent moment passed before Rayne spoke again, “Nathaniel . . . .” She began obviously nervous about asking. “Did Lucas have night terrors? When he was Nathan’s age?”
            Taylor thought for a moment, “I don’t think so. But I was a solider then too honey, I wasn’t always home at night. Ayonie never told me if he did.”
            Rayne sighed a little covering her eyes with her hand. Taylor opened his eyes seeing even in the dark how distraught she seemed to be. “What is it?” He asked.
            She didn’t answer right away before she finally gave up, “I need your permission to open Lucas’ medical files. Night terrors are an indication of deeper mental or neurological issues.”
            Taylor reached over and turned on his lamp before looking back at Rayne. “Interesting theory. Are you sure that the boy isn’t just going through a phase, like Willow and her sleep walking?” He asked.
            “If it was just nightmares about something in particular that he had been around or seen, then the other children would be having them too. He’s been with his brother and sisters, and with the other children in the colony for school, but no one else is exhibiting these sorts of symptoms.” Rayne explained. Taylor sighed as he looked at her, she knew he didn’t like it when she started talking technical about their children like that.
            “I don’t think you should be jumping to these sorts of conclusions on a hunch, Rayne.” Taylor said sternly. “What happened to Lucas, to his mind . . . it happened after we were in Somali and he was forced to witness his mother’s death. He was a normal little boy, and we gave him as normal a life as we could manage in the military service.”
            “I wasn’t trying to make you mad; I’m just worried about Nathan.” Rayne said.
            “That doesn’t mean I’m any less worried about him, I just think you’re looking in a certain place for the answers because of how Lucas has been since he came to Terra Nova, and it’s not where you are going to find any.” Taylor explained. “Now, Dr. Shannon is the finest doctor I’ve ever known, and I doubt that she’s going to be thinking the same things you are because she doesn’t know the extent of Lucas’ activities since he came to Terra Nova like you do. You take Nathan to see her, you sit down with her and have a talk and I’ll bet she has a different view.”
            Rayne looked hesitant for a moment before she gave a nod and Taylor nodded as well. He kissed her cheek before turning the light off. Rolling over he wrapped his arm back around Rayne and rested his head against her chest just holding her tight. She sighed and reached up running her fingers through his hair hugging him back.

Plans
            “Rayne.” Malcolm said walking into the lab where she was working by herself today. “Why is there a huge black chunk of data encryption in my system with your signature on it?” He questioned.
            “It’s some work I’m doing.” Rayne replied simply and generally.
            “You know how much I hate having secrets in my department, why are you pushing my buttons?” He questioned.
            “Malcolm,” She turned and looked at him, “The commander and I are working on something top secret and the less people who know about it the better. The only reason it’s on the system at all and not my private server is because I need our files and data to research the work. I’m sorry that it’s bothering you, but the Commander is aware of it and has signed off on it.” She explained as clearly as possible knowing no matter what he was going to be irritated with them.
            “If this really is a matter that requires the service of the science department, then he should have come to me. I’m the CSO and you’re . . .”
            “Unemployed?” Rayne said interrupting him. Malcolm had a brilliant way of sticking his foot in his mouth on occasion and he’d done it again. She just made it simple and quick instead of drawn out. “Look, I’m sure that eventually he will brief you on it, but right now we just can’t. I’m sorry.”

Sixers Plans
            “So, my fellow evil genius.” Lucas said when Jason came in the door, “How’s that little project of ours coming along?” He stopped his work and turned looking at him.
            “I think it’s ready.” Jason said a little reluctantly. “We won’t know if it works like we want until we test it.”
            “Oh yeah?” Lucas said. “Take your pick, we have a whole camp of volunteers.”
            “I doubt anyone’s going to willingly volunteer to be guinea pigs, Lucas. No one wants to fall victim to their own baser instincts. Us all living out here as long as we have? We’re closer to those instincts already then anyone living in Terra Nova.” Jason explained.
            “So what we need, are Terra Novains.” Lucas said, “To make sure it’s working properly.”
            “They don’t take to our kidnapping their people anymore then we take to them kidnapping ours.” Jason replied.
            “So, how about Mom and dear old Dad?” Lucas said. “Be epic to see what it does to them. What it leaves behind.”
            Jason looked away not liking the constant on flow of violence and vengeance that Rayne had become the target of, but he was in no position to stop it or even argue it. “How would we get them out of Terra Nova. Away from the soldiers?”
            “We don’t have to.” Lucas said, “They sleep together, in their own room at night. If they’re dosed while they’re sleeping, by morning we’ll start seeing results.”
            “It’s risky. Taylor or Rayne could wake up, your spy could be caught.” Jason warned.
            “Then I suggest you come up with a delivery system that’s hard to track.” Lucas said standing up and walking over to Jason. “Otherwise what’s the point in your making this stuff to begin with?”
            “It could hurt her.” Jason said. Lucas arched a brow looking at him, “Them, It could hurt them.”
            “Well then. I guess you better get the formula right. Huh.” Lucas patted Jason’s face slightly before walking passed him.

Researching
            “It still doesn’t help us.” Taylor said standing next to Rayne at the monitor. “They would have to be hunting that particular herd and get that particular animal.”
            “We’d have to give it to more than one, obviously. Besides, it’s a pretty good start working on this all on my own when no one else is around. Not very easy in my . . . .this lab or any of the others.” Rayne said with a sigh.
            “Keep working on it honey.” He said wrapping his arm around her and kissing her cheek. “We have to have some way of tracking them if we’re going to hope to find Lucas.”
            “He made me swallow my wedding ring, can’t we just make him swallow a transmitter?” She asked.
            Taylor smiled and patted her hip. “I’ll see ya at home.”

Late Nights
            Rayne sat cross-legged on her side of the bed working on her PLEX, it was close to midnight when Taylor came into their room. “You’re home late again.” She pointed out mostly because he complained when she came home late.
            “Yeah, I know. Just some things that couldn’t be put off until tomorrow needed to be seen too.” He answered. “What you working on?” He asked taking off his weapons and gloves then his jacket before walking over and sitting down on the bed taking off his boots.
            “Same thing I was working on last time you saw me.” She moved and stretched out on the bed laying on her stomach as she lay the PLEX down flat rearranging the information on her screen. “There are some flocks of winged animals that make their nests in the areas we were abducted in. Maybe we can use them instead of the ground herds to track the Sixers movements.”
            “What you drinking?” He said seeing her glass on the side table.
            “Hooch.” She said plainly. Taylor reached over and picked up the glass taking a sip. It wasn’t too bad, and was actually pretty good so he took a bigger drink.
            “Strong stuff.” He mentioned.
            “Not Boylin’s. Seems like there are more stills around this colony then are documented.” She said continuing to scroll through files.
            “Not sure how I feel about you buying black market bug juice.” He said taking one more drink. Taylor rubbed his feet and took off his socks and shirt before turning towards her and resting his hand on her lower back rubbing a bit as he looked over her shoulder at the screen. “How are the kids?” He asked.
            Rayne smiled and then logged off of her PLEX turning it off and rolling over. “Staying with Jennifer and her mother tonight. I know it’s been a while since we had some time together.”
            He grinned, “Two weeks, 3 days, 22 hours . . . .” She giggled and reached up pressing her fingers to his lips to quiet him. Taylor chuckled and she got up to her knees and kissed him as he wrapped his arms back around her returning it. A few moments passed and the affection became more passionate, more desperate as the two began to ravage each other.

Breakfast
            Taylor and Rayne woke up late, and both of them felt like they had a hangover that left them in some kind of fog. Rayne was up in the kitchen, and Taylor was soon to follow.
            “If you have any more of that stuff, throw it away.” Taylor said referring to the hooch they’d been drinking the night before. “Coffee?” He asked.
            “Should be up in a minute.” She said poking in the icebox. Taylor arched a brow and walked over to her wrapping his arms around her, smelling her hair.
            Rayne smiled a little, “Thought we got all that out of your system last night?” She said as she felt him rubbing against her from behind. Taylor didn’t respond as he started to nuzzle her neck under her hair. Rayne closed her eyes and leaned back against him.
            “You are so beautiful.” He whispered into her ear pulling her a little harder against him before his hand traveled up the length of her body, pausing at her breast a moment before moving up to her neck and grasping her face turning it towards him almost violently. Rayne looked up at him and at once they savagely kissed each other.
            Taylor spun her around to face him as she wrapped her arms around his neck and they began to consume each others mouths again, and the Commander wrapped his hands around her waist lifting her up onto the counter as she wrapped her legs around him pulling him closer. Rayne clung to him as she found herself running her tongue up his neck and tasting his ear. Nathaniel feeling her warm body against his held her in his strong arms, and then suddenly without warning bit into her shoulder. At first Rayne grinned at the sensation it caused her but then opened her eyes panting for air.
            “Nathaniel.” She said into his ear, “Nathaniel, something is wrong.” She said but he didn’t seem to hear her. She patted his back trying to get his attention, but his was to focused on what he obviously wanted from her. When she started to protest further, she found his hand clamped down tight over her mouth and she thought she heard him growl. Her eyes looked over her shoulder as she felt something wet on her skin and her eyes went wide as she saw blood. Before anything else could happen, she quickly grabbed his hand and bit down into the soft part of his hand between his thumb and forefinger.
            He yelled grabbing his hand, and she thought she’d finally gotten through to him, “Something isn’t right, can you feel . . . .” Suddenly his hand came across her face so hard she fell off the counter onto the floor. It felt like her eye was going to pop out of his socket and she reached up covering the side of her face.
            This was enough to snap him back from wherever he’d gone. “Rayne.” He said quickly kneeling down and helping her up. “Oh, God. . . . honey . . .” He said seeing the red mark forming on her cheek and his bite marks in her shoulder. Quickly he took out his com, “Someone get medical over to my house immediately. Get doctor Shannon.”

Power Play
            “This is getting absolutely ridiculous.” Malcolm said looking through the microscope, “Since when to the Sixer’s care about biological warfare?”
            “So it was the liquor.” Jim Shannon said standing by the two researchers.
            “Yeah, someone spiked it alright. With a peculiar agent I’ve never seen before. Well not in humans anyway.” Malcolm said.
            “What’s that mean?” The cop asked.
            “It’s found in prehistoric animals, a chemical in their bodies and brains that bring forward survival instincts. The very basic things of a living beings nature. In humans it would cause them to fall prey to their own basic instincts. Carnal instincts such as feeding, mating, asserting dominance, that sort of thing.” Dr. Shannon said.
            “So that was the reason for what happened between the Taylor’s?” Jim asked.
            “Pretty much. Had they gotten more of this agent into their systems I don’t think they would have been able to pull themselves out of it like they did before things got really out of control.” Malcolm said.
            “They should be better now, we’ve given them medication and treatment to flush their systems and counteract the agent.” Dr. Shannon reported.
            “I know Taylor’s completely gutted right now,” Malcolm said.
            “It wasn’t his fault, the chemical was affecting him, he wasn’t in control.” Dr. Shannon said. “He’d never hurt Rayne, she knows that.”
            “Doesn’t fix it, Liz. If I’d have hit or harmed you . . . .” Jim Shannon couldn’t even finish that thought.
            “Look, the fact remains we need to find out where Rayne got this liquor, others might be at risk of this still has been contaminated.” Malcolm said.
            “Taylor’s been on his com almost constantly directing Washington to find it while they’re in the infirmary.” Jim Shannon said.
            “You should probably go check on them, Elizabeth.” Malcolm said. “See if everything’s better and out of their systems.” Elizabeth nodded and headed back to the infirmary.

Failures
            “Apparently you did something wrong.” Lucas said looking at Jason. “They caught on before it even had time to take effect.”
            “It was the alcohol, it diminished the affects.” Jason replied. “I didn’t factor that in. Bootleg alcohol isn’t an exact science and it’s usually more than 100 proof.”
            “If we’re going to use this as a weapon, you need to find another delivery system. Not like we can all sit down and have drinks before a fight.” Lucas said annoyed with the blunder. “You’re going to have to make it stronger, and make it into something that can be used as a weapon.” He stepped closer, “I know what went wrong, don’t think I don’t.”
            “What are you talking about?” Jason said.
            “You didn’t want to use it on her. So rather than giving them the good stuff, you gave them the watered down version. Didn’t you.” Lucas said. Jason looked away more than answering the accusation. “That’s what I thought.”
            “Haven’t we already done enough to them, Lucas?” Jason asked. “Using them as lab rats too?”
            “The great Commander Nathaniel Taylor, and his whore are not above everyone else.” Lucas hissed at Jason. “They don’t get special considerations or free passes just because he’s the Commander, and she sleeps with him.” Jason quieted seeing the way he was almost spitting venom with every word. Lucas seemed as though he caught himself and was calming himself down and he looked at Jason, “Get the formula right, much stronger then that pathetic attempt you used last time, and find a different delivery system.” He demanded. Jason hesitated a moment before giving a nod.

Aftermath
            Taylor walked in seeing Rayne at her dresser looking for something in the drawers. “Hey honey.” He said walking over and resting his hands on her shoulders kissing her cheek, “Are you feeling better?” He asked.
            “Of course. I’m fine.” Rayne said resting her head back against his shoulder a moment before she looked up at him, “What about you? How are you doing?” He didn’t quite answer as his eyes turned away from her for a moment. It was obvious that he was still very unhappy with himself regardless of the circumstances, for ever raising a hand to her. “It wasn’t your fault.” She said reaching up and resting her hand over one of his.
            “That may be the case, but it don’t help much.” He admitted.
            Rayne thought for a moment and cleared her throat, “You know,” She began, “The bite wasn’t all bad.” Taylor furrowed his brow and looked at her. “We’ve been together for a while and we’ve never gotten into the really kinky stuff.”
            “You’re telling me you have?” He questioned.
            She smiled and half laughed, “I told you, I had a condition. The first time they let me off the leash . . . I dabbled.” She admitted.
            “Oh, Rayne.” He said looking at her, “Don’t tell me I don’t want to know.”
            “Nothing to extremely out there, or perverse . . . just . . . I wanted you to know I didn’t think you were hurting me just to hurt me or even because you wanted to. I knew something was wrong, we were both feeling the effects. I don’t blame you. I know you’d never hurt me intentionally.” Rayne explained.
            He gave a nod and kissed her cheek wrapping his arms around her, closing his eyes, and hugging her tight.

Memories
            Commander Taylor leaned on the hood of his Rover looking over a map that he’d marked out several spots on. This was day two of his trek OTG having left the day before to see if he could scout out a few good places to set outposts. He preferred doing it alone, he could move faster and knew what he was looking for.
            Taking a drink from his canteen he turned back to his map. “You know,” A woman’s voice said catching his attention as he turned seeing what looked like a pale, black-haired, Amazon woman leaning on a nearby tree. “As much as you complain at me about going outside the gates on my own, you certainly seem to do it an awful lot commander.” He smirked slightly taking another drink.
            “Hello Dr. O’Connell.” He said twisting the cap back on looking back at his map. She pushed off the tree and walked over to the other side of the hood of the Rover and leaned on it. “You know, I should probably arrest you for being out here like this without a com, without telling anybody. You haven’t been back to the colony in 3 weeks.”
            “You’re not going to arrest me Commander Taylor.” She said with a smile.
            “Oh yeah? What makes you think I won’t?” He said looking at her.
            “Because you need me out here. Doing what I do. Writing interaction protocols, getting information about the animals that live in this world so we can live with them instead of fighting with them and needlessly killing them every day.” Rayne said plainly. To be honest, she had him over a barrel there. Their science department was still getting on it’s feet, and they had researchers everywhere, but not as good as collecting accurate data quickly and getting it into the colony database to keep everyone safe.
            “Well,” Taylor said with a sigh, “Putting you in a cell every time you get back hasn’t made any impression on you whatsoever. I can’t imagine enforcing it now is going to produce a different result.” The Commander looked at his map before looking around and then up at the sky. “Little close to home for you isn’t it?”
            “Spawning season, Commander.” She answered, “My work is closer to the colony than usual.”
            “Spawning season.” He repeated looking at her.
            “Yes, and actually I should give you a few data chips to take back with you, because there are some areas you and your men will need to avoid for the next 6 weeks.” She said seriously.
            “It would be appreciated.” Taylor admitted. “So I take it since you aren’t bringing the information back yourself, you intend to stay out here longer?”
            “Until spawning season is over. It’s actually kind of fortunate I ran into you out here, I’ll trade you some of my data cores for some empty ones.” Rayne said.
            “Once again, I ask, what makes you think I won’t just take you in right now?” He questioned.
            Rayne smiled and stood walking around the car to him as he turned to face her. “Because, I’ll be gone again before the gate closes.” She said honestly. “And then you’ll just be mad and grouchy and those who have to work with you with suffer for it. Why go through all that when it can be so easily avoided?”
            The Commander and the young woman had been noticing each other for a while. Not in the same light that they had first seeing each other, both thinking the other was a huge pain in the butt for no logical or reasonable explanation. But the past few months, they had definitely been looking at each other in a different light.
            “I suppose I could give you a pass. This once.” He said with a stern look so she knew he was serious.
            “Mmm. Okay.” She said absolutely not putting any serious value on it. There was a silent moment as they stood looking into each other’s eyes before the Commander cleared his throat and looked up before looking at his watch. It was going to be sundown soon and he hadn’t made camp yet.
            “Just out of morbid curiosity, any severe predators in this area I should know about that like to hunt at night?” He questioned putting his map away.
            “Yes.” She said simply. Taylor looked at her noticing that she wasn’t telling him anything else and arched a brow.
            “And?” He asked.
            “I suppose that means you’ll need to make camp with me tonight, doesn’t it.” She said with a smile. Taylor gave her a look, before giving a slight nod. “Good. Grab your gear.” Rayne turned and started down the path she’d come through, and Taylor rolled his eyes slightly before going into his Rover and grabbing his pack, quickly following after her before he lost her trail.
            After sunset, Rayne was cooking an animal that she had caught, killed, skinned, and gutted over a fire on a spit. The commander just watched the way she seemed to be completely at home. Unafraid, and familiar with her surroundings and everything going on within the area.
            “How old are you?” He asked breaking the silence having gotten some more wood for the fire. He’d started to make defenses to set up a perimeter but she stopped him and basically told him to sit down and quit it.
            She smiled, “Haven’t said anything for almost an hour, and that’s what you blurt out?” She asked. “Haven’t you seen my file?”
            “Well I don’t exactly carry it around on my person as you can see. I do have to pick and choose what I carry with me.” He explained. “Why? Are you sensitive about your age?” The young woman just grinned and reached into her bag taking out a small container and sprinkling it over the meat before closing it and putting it back.
            “I’m 26, Commander.” She said plainly.
            “Only 26? With all your qualifications?” Taylor said in disbelief.
            “When you’re diagnosed with an extremely high IQ when you’re just a kid and learning comes easy to you, the qualifications tend to stack up pretty fast.” She explained.
            “Diagnosed. You make it sound like a disease to be smart.”
            “When you’re just a kid, it kinda feels like it sometimes.” Rayne admitted. “The truth is, I found I had a talent with animals before I knew I had a talent with books and numbers. All the high IQ got me was a chance to do what I love. I realize how lucky I am.” She looked around the small area, “This place is an absolute wonderland. I know I would have never been recruited and asked to come here, if I wasn’t some . . . weird geeky psycho-anomaly.”
            “Nothing wrong with that. We need good intelligent people if we’re going to make this whole thing work. The colony needs solid citizens like you dedicated to the good and future of Terra Nova.” He said.
            Rayne gave him a look and smirked slightly, “I heard the speech when I came through the portal Commander and the first 6 times you locked me up. You don’t have to give me an encore every time I see you.”
            “Well,” Taylor said admitting it was getting pretty routine, “I guess I just want people to remember why they’re here.”
            The young woman took the meat off the spit and began cutting it up giving him half before they both sat down to eat. Taylor was pleasantly surprised with how juicy and tasty the meat was. He’d been here a few years now and hadn’t quite tasted anything like it. Rayne grinned licking her fingers a little when she saw how much he was enjoying dinner.
            A bit later, Rayne was leaning against a fallen tree looking up at the star filled sky. It was beautiful, a sight that almost no one in 2149 could ever have claimed to see unless they were privileged and lucky enough to look through a major telescope. There were commits, shooting stars, meteors, and everything could be clearly seen with no obstructions.
            Taylor walked over and sat down next to her leaning back and looking up at her view. “Mighty pretty.” He said seeing a few shooting stars streak across the sky.
            “This was how the night sky was meant to look, to be seen.” Rayne replied. “You know, before we messed it all up. Beautiful and clean.” Another quiet moment passed before Taylor turned towards her just studying her beautiful features and raven black hair. After a moment Rayne turned her head looking into his eyes.
            “Not the only beautiful sight out here tonight.” He said gently. A grin swept across Rayne’s face as she laughed a little. “What?” He asked.
            “I cannot believe you just ran a line on me commander.” She said still smiling. Taylor looked a little sheepish. “Does it work?”
            “It’s been a while.” He admitted. “Didn’t sound so cheesy in my head.”
            “No, no it wasn’t cheesy.” Rayne said looking at the commander. “I’m sorry. I’m just not that graceful when it comes to human interactions. I tend to relate to animals more.” She was genuinely sorry for embarrassing him like that.
            “I’m not lying though.” He said as they both recovered from the awkward moment, “You are incredibly beautiful.” Rayne turned towards him and looked into his eyes that seemed to glow in the moonlight. They were such a bright and shining shade of blue. The truth was, she’d been noticing him too. His strong shoulders and arms, his take charge sort of way even though it was annoying at times. Something in his voice, the way he spoke, it was almost spellbinding when she listened to his words. Even when he was being extremely preachy.
            After a quiet moment, they both leaned in and kissed deeply. As though it was something they had both thought about, perhaps even dreamed about, but never dared to act on until this moment. Taylor’s hand reached up and cupped her face before he slid his fingers into her hair pulling her into a bit deeper kiss as she slid closer to him and pressed her body against his.
            The kisses became deeper, and a bit more aggressive on both sides however suddenly Rayne pulled back placing her hand on his chest to slow them to a halt. Taylor looked at her not understanding why she’d pulled away like that and hardly wanting to stop what they’d started. She smiled a little and stood up pulling away from him before she moved over to the fire and threw dirt onto the fire effectively putting it out as well as the coals.
            “Hey!” Taylor said getting to his feet, “What the hell are you doing?”
            “It’s late, about time to turn in.” She said walking away from the doused fire.
            “Oh. Great. Then as soon as we go to sleep, if the dinosaurs don’t get us then we’ll freeze to death before morning.” Taylor said not knowing how he was going to get another good sized fire going.
            Walking over, Rayne picked up his pack, “Come on,” She said walking passed him.
            Taylor frowned not knowing what she was doing. He was uncomfortable with the lack of defenses, but she didn’t seem to be bothered by it at all. He was starting to question the wisdom of choosing to stay with her for the night, but followed her just the same. When they came to a nearby tree, she disappeared into it with little trouble. Putting his hands on his hips he wasn’t sure where she’d disappeared to or why. After a moment her head popped out of the canopy. “You coming?” She asked.
            “Where?” He asked a little frustrated. Rayne smiled and after a moment she appeared next to him and it was a bit disturbing how she seemed to disappear and reappear like some kind of ghost.
            “This way.” She said indicating for him to follow her. Rayne showed him how she got up the tree and the foot and hand holds that she used until he found that they had climbed up a good 50 feet. Moving through a curtain of veins, Taylor saw she’d set up her own camp but it was up here in the canopy as opposed to down on the ground. “Don’t sleep on the ground when you can avoid it. You should know that already from the 118 days you spent here by yourself before more people came through the portal.”
            “Okay.” He admitted, “So that takes care of ground predators, what’s going to keep things away from us up here? Not to mention how are we going to keep from freezing to death?” He questioned.
            Rayne smiled and handed his pack back to him as she made her way down the narrow branch path moving into the next tree. He slung the pack over his shoulder and followed her, finding them crossing over into another tree that was hollow. It looked like something had burrowed out a hollow into the tree and the entrance was covered by another curtain of veins. “Better?” She said moving further into the tree and sitting down on a pile of leaves and brush that made up the bed where she slept.
            It was actually warm inside of this hollowed out notch in the tree, and he had to admit he was impressed. “What about whatever made this here hole?” He questioned.
            “Long gone. This is one of the places I stay when I’m out. Doesn’t leave me out in the open, especially when it’s raining, and it’s well hidden so it’s easily defensible.” She said with a smile.
            Taylor put down his pack and walked over sitting down next to her looking around. It seemed she had stashed some supplies here in case she needed them or she was hold up for a little while and couldn’t leave. Was a nice little base. “Cozy.”
            Rayne grinned, “The military branch of this colony tends to draw attention to itself when it’s out in the wild. Setting up ‘defenses’ and ‘perimeters’ and other such things that make noise and gets everything around interested in finding out what it is that is so strange and out of place. The noise, the smell, and the look of military personnel . . . it assaults every sense that they have. The truth is, most animals will leave you alone if you leave them alone. They don’t want trouble anymore then you do.” She explained.
            “I believe in keeping my people safe, controlling the situation.” Taylor said.
            The young woman looked at him a small smile to her lips, “You can’t always control the situation, Commander.” He moved closer to her on the soft leaves and looked into her eyes.
            “Some situations I can.” He said. Rayne smiled a little and Taylor leaned forward and kissed her softly, before kissing her again wrapping his arm around her and pulling her against him as she rested her hands against his shoulder returning the kisses. Before too long, he wrapped his other arm around her and lay her back down beneath him.

Researchers
            Rayne came into Taylor’s office and he quickly closed his journal he’d been reading putting it away in his desk. “It was the alcohol.” She said walking over too him.
            “What was?” He asked, “That we were dosed with? I know that already.”
            “No, the alcohol was the reason we didn’t have a stronger reaction to it. The alcohol greatly diminished it’s affects on us.” Rayne explained.
            “So then why would they put it in alcohol? They could just as easily put it in our water or something else.” Taylor pointed out.
            “I don’t know. Maybe that was the only thing they had access too they knew we would both drink?” She said not having worked that bit out yet.
            “What about food? We eat the same things.” Taylor suggested.
            “But so do the children. I don’t think whoever did this was trying to infect the kids. Just us.” Rayne said. “I’ve been working on this with Malcolm . . . he’s annoyed with me he says I’m getting under his feet, but there’s just something half hearted about it. Like they were trying to show us what was coming without actually hurting us.”
            Taylor sighed, “I think you’re putting too much faith in someone we don’t even know, that obviously wanted to use us as lab rats. Why would they give us such a nondescript and somewhat dangerous warning?”
            “Maybe it’s the only one they could give us.”

Lab Kits
            “What are you doing?” Taylor said coming into his house for lunch since he had a break and Rayne was cooking. She had been testing every bit of food and drink she was using for lunch.
            “Making sure we don’t make the same mistake twice.” She said finishing her last test. “Looks like all our food is clean today.” She closed the kit and put it away and turned looking at him with a smile.
            “So we’re just going to live in fear and paranoia for the rest of our lives.” Taylor said giving her a look.
            “No, just wanting to make sure we don’t fall prey to someone’s whim when they want human subjects again.” Rayne said.
            “Maybe for a little while, but let’s not make a habit of this, alright?” He said.
            “How long do you have for lunch?” Rayne asked checking on the food on the stove.
            “About an hour. What’s on?” He said sitting down.
            “Stew.” She filled him a bowl and walked over putting it down in front of him with a spoon, before going and getting him a drink then dishing her own and sitting down next to him. “Has Lt. Washington found the still yet?”
            “No. Which only makes me think that alcohol came OTG.” She said. “No more black market, back alley moonshine, alright?”
            “Yeah.” She said with a sigh, “Guess that means I’m going to have to go buy from Boylin from now on.”
            Taylor gave her a look as she knew how much he disliked Boylin. “Or you could just quit all together.”
            “Ha.” She said taking a bite of stew, “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, if I have to stop so do you.”
            “Just don’t be spending to much money and lining Boylin’s pockets. It just adds insult to injury.” Taylor commented.
            Rayne smiled, “He gives me a discount, on account of my helping to get his bar expansion. You’d be amazed how well behaved he is with me these days.”
            They ate in silence for a moment letting the subject dropped before Taylor looked up at her, “Are we going to the dance on Thursday?”
            “Are we?” Rayne asked. “Sort of depends on your schedule doesn’t it?”
            “I just wondered if you had planned to go. I know for a while you didn’t want to socialize very much. With the job change and all.” Taylor didn’t want to harp on it too much, she really had made herself adjust to the change but he had a good notion it still bothered her from time to time.
            “Everything’s fine, Nathaniel.” She said seriously, “The new zoologist has kept me notified of everything going on. Letting me go in and take care of the animals some days. And like you said, I can spend more time with the children this way.” She said with a small smile.
            Taylor smiled, “Well alright then.” He was genuinely glad that she thought so. “So, let’s go to the dance then.” She nodded and they went back to eating their stew.

To Be Continued . . . . . .
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A New Beginning