by Kay Woodward
‘A theory,’ Cutter corrected him. ‘The boy’s experience proves there’s a concrete landscape on the other side of the anomaly. I think it’s the Earth, many millions of years ago.’
‘This anomaly, as you call it, is a door between time zones in the world’s history?’
Cutter nodded.
‘Suppose your theory is correct…’ said Lester. ‘What are the immediate risks?’
The professor looked at him in exasperation. Did he really need to spell it out? Seeing Lester’s expression, it appeared that he did. ‘Famine, war, pestilence, the end of the world as we know it,’ he said, before suddenly exploding with anger at the sheer ludicrousness of this conversation. ‘I could do without standing in a corridor in Whitehall talking to a civil service pen-pusher when I should be exploring the most significant phenomenon in the history of science!’
He and Lester locked eyes – Cutter bristling with fury, while Lester was icily calm.
‘Technically, I’m not a civil servant,’ Lester said coolly. ‘More troubleshooting without portfolio in the PM’s office.’
‘A government hatchet man,’ said Cutter.
‘Colourful,’ Lester replied, ‘but surprisingly accurate.’
Cutter took a deep breath, mustering all his patience. ‘The risks are incalculable,’ he explained. ‘Creature incursion, modern viruses polluting the primitive environment, decisive changes in evolutionary development… And there’s one thing you should know. I intend to find out what happened to my wife, whatever the risks. I’m going through the anomaly. If you want to stop me, you’ll have to shoot me.’
‘Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,’ Lester said dryly.
Stephen and Connor tramped through the Forest of Dean, examining the flattened foliage.
‘So… what do you think of Abby?’ Connor asked awkwardly.
‘She’s OK,’ replied Stephen. ‘Why?’
‘Do you think she liked me?’
Stephen shrugged. ‘Why don’t you ask her yourself?’ he said, avoiding the question.
‘I might,’ said Connor. ‘It’s not every day you meet a potential girlfriend and find a dinosaur.’
The lab technician didn’t reply, bending down towards the forest floor instead. There, in a patch of sticky mud, was a huge reptilian footprint. He gestured urgently to Connor, who rushed over. Together, they stared at the footprint with growing unease.
‘What is it?’ asked Stephen.
Connor turned even paler than usual. ‘I think the scientific term is Really Bad News,’ he said, delving into his rucksack and pulling out his trusty laptop. He trawled quickly through his database, looking increasingly nervous. ‘My best guess is that the creature we found was some kind of Scutosaurus. Late Permian era. Two hundred and fifty million years ago, give or take a week.’ He looked at the footprint again and compared it with the images flashing past on his computer screen. ‘This footprint definitely doesn’t come from the same animal. If we’re talking Permian, this little charmer is the prime suspect.’
Stephen leaned closer to look at the laptop.
‘The Gorgonopsid,’ said Connor. ‘One of the most lethal predators ever known. Stupid and bad-tempered. A compact killing machine of incredible power. If it’s still out there, you have to find it. Fast.’
‘Me?’ said Stephen. ‘What about you?’
Connor grinned. ‘You, mighty hunter,’ he said. ‘Me, logistics and backup.’
Abby looked through the glass wall in dismay as the Home Office scientists examined her beloved Rex. ‘They shouldn’t handle a lizard like that,’ she muttered, wincing with every poke and prod. ‘He’s frightened.’
‘Let the experts do their job,’ sighed Lester. Honestly, even if it was prehistoric, it was only a lizard.
‘But they don’t know what they’re doing,’ said Abby, watching as Rex was plonked on the table of an MRI scanner. The little creature hissed angrily. ‘Do they even know he can fly?’ she asked.
‘Fly?’ asked Lester.
At that moment, three things happened: a scientist opened the door to the forensic lab; the MRI belt whirred into life; and Rex decided that he’d had enough of being a specimen. He spread his scaly wings wide and took off, hurtling at astonishing speed through the open door and zooming along the corridor. In seconds, he’d vanished.
‘Rex!’ cried Abby, racing after him.
But Rex was free. He dodged, ducked and dived his way through the huge building until he reached an open window on an upper floor. He landed gracefully on the window ledge, staring at the outside world with huge, uncomprehending eyes. In a second, he would be gone.
Gasping for breath, Abby and Cutter skidded to a halt a few feet away.
‘Don’t do it, Rex!’ Abby whispered urgently. Cautiously, she drew closer, and thought quickly. It was a long shot, but it might work… She reached into her pocket and pulled out a bar of chocolate, snapping off a small piece and offering it to Rex. ‘Trust me,’ she said. ‘You’re going to love it.’
Rex stared at the blue sky and then back at the chocolate. To everyone’s dismay, he spread his wings and took off, but then at the very last second he veered away from the window and headed back to Abby. The little lizard landed on her arm and licked at the chocolate.
‘Good decision, Rex,’ said Abby softly. ‘It’s not your world out there any more.’
Sighing with relief, Cutter glanced at Lester. Then he began to smile. ‘Those risks you were asking about,’ said the professor. ‘That’s one I forgot.’ And he pointed to the splodge of prehistoric green goo that was trickling slowly down the government official’s pristine suit.
Lester reappeared a few moments later, his angry face daring anyone to make fun of his little mishap. He got straight down to business. ‘The lizard’s DNA appears to confirm your theory,’ he said to Cutter. ‘The creature is a living fossil. Given the circumstances, I’m going to allow your exploratory mission into the anomaly.’
This was unexpected. ‘What changed your mind?’ asked Cutter.
‘I’m not insensitive to your personal situation,’ said the official. ‘And the bonus is that you’re well qualified to analyse what you see.’
‘I’m taking the lizard,’ said Cutter quickly. ‘Creatures that don’t belong here should be returned to their original habitat.’
Lester nodded and slid a document across the table. ‘It’s a disclaimer,’ he explained. ‘We don’t want any nasty lawsuits if you don’t come back.’
Without hesitation, Cutter signed on the dotted line.
When they’d left, Lester took out his mobile and made a call. ‘It’s done,’ he said. ‘If he comes back, we’ll know exactly what we’re dealing with. If not, we’ve solved a potential problem.’ He smiled grimly. ‘I’d say that was a win–win situation.’
Ben stared out of the tall, classroom window at the playing fields and the wood beyond. It was after school, and he was the only student left. He was supposed to be concentrating on his lines, only Ben couldn’t think about anything but the dinosaur that had attacked him in his bedroom. Would anyone ever believe him?
The sound of his teacher’s voice made him jump. ‘The sooner you finish your detention,’ she said, ‘the sooner we can both go home.’
A tiny flicker out of the corner of his eye alerted Ben. He swivelled his head to see the mighty Gorgonopsid stalking past the window. At once, he rocketed to his feet, pale with terror. ‘Miss!’ he cried. ‘There’s a dinosaur in the playground!’
The teacher rolled her eyes. ‘Really, Ben,’ she said. ‘How old are you? Sit down, now!’
∗
The Gorgonopsid slipped through the main entrance, crouching slightly because of its vast bulk. It padded down corridor after corridor, peering into empty classrooms as it went.
Thud!
Hearing a noise in the corridor, the teacher got up to investigate.
‘Don’t open the door, Miss!’ warned Ben, terrified now. He watched as a huge s
hadow appeared behind the glass. ‘Don’t open it!’
The teacher paused for a split-second, her hand on the door handle… And then she pulled it wide open, to see the Gorgonopsid leering down at her. Screaming, she slammed the door in its face, leaning against the wood as it trembled with the angry dinosaur’s onslaught. The door splintered, but held – just.
‘I told you not to open it!’ wailed Ben.
The Gorgonopsid flung itself repeatedly against the door, as the teacher and Ben frantically tried to barricade themselves in, but –
Crash!
The classroom door burst inwards, revealing the dinosaur in all its fearsome glory. It opened its great jaws wide and roared so loudly that the room trembled.
Ben and his teacher scrambled backwards, away from the monster, desperately flinging books in a vain attempt to halt its progress. It advanced, furious.
Doink!
A bright orange basketball zoomed through the air and bounced off the enormous creature’s head. It turned in confusion.
‘Hey!’ shouted Stephen. ‘Pick on someone your own size!’
It hadn’t taken him long to follow the Gorgonopsid’s trail through the Forest of Dean and to the school. Now he saw that it was up to him to save the boy and his teacher. Taking a deep breath, Stephen hurled another ball at the monster’s head. Then he sped away.
Enraged, the dinosaur thundered after him, stumbling over the obstacles – tables, bookcases, desks – that the lab technician pushed into its path.
Stephen sprinted onwards, satisfied that the dinosaur was following the human bait. It thundered after him, chasing him down endless corridors until he reached a dead end. Luckily, there was a fire door up ahead – a way out.
It was locked.
The beast reared above Stephen, roaring in triumph, its jaws opening to slice him in two… But at the last second, Stephen leapt to one side, grabbed a fire extinguisher from the wall and sprayed it right in the dinosaur’s face. It lurched back in panic and there was silence. Then, infuriated and half-blinded, the beast charged again, bursting open the fire door and flinging Stephen out of the building.
The young man crashed to the ground and was still.
Huge floodlights bleached all colour from the clearing. Scientists were carefully analysing data while the SAS stood guard. There was a tense excitement in the air.
Cutter stood in the midst of a group of scientists, who fussed over him like mother hens. Claudia and Connor watched anxiously from the sidelines.
‘The predator’s still out there somewhere,’ Cutter said under his breath. ‘Call Stephen again.’
‘He’s not answering,’ replied Connor.
‘You’ve got enough to think about,’ said Claudia in a soothing voice. ‘Let us worry about the creature.’
Reluctantly, Cutter gave way. The anomaly was waiting for him – and who knew what was beyond.
Claudia checked her watch. ‘It’s 18:55. I want you back no later than 20:00 hours. If the first contact works out, we’ll take it from there.’
The professor nodded. Then, as a burly soldier dressed in full battle gear approached, he looked at Claudia in surprise. ‘What’s he doing?’ he asked.
‘Captain Ryan is a Gulf War veteran with extensive desert experience,’ she said. ‘No argument, Cutter. He goes as well.’
Cutter saw her determined expression and realized that he wouldn’t change her mind. If that was the way they wanted to play it, he wouldn’t argue. Just as long as they didn’t stop him from reaching Helen – if she was there.
Abby walked towards him, holding Rex. ‘Take care of him,’ she said softly. ‘And watch out for yourself too.’ She smiled as she handed over the lizard. Impulsively, she hugged the professor.
Claudia spoke quietly to Ryan. ‘Whatever happens, bring him back,’ she said.
The soldier nodded.
Cutter took a deep, steadying breath. He was excited and terrified in equal measure. It was almost too much to take in. He was about to do what every scientist, every zoologist, surely every person in the world had always dreamt of doing. He was about to travel 200 million years into the past, when dinosaurs ruled the Earth…
Giving himself a shake, he glanced briskly at his watch. It was time. Together, he and Ryan walked towards the sparkling, swirling anomaly. The clearing went deathly quiet. Everyone was watching, horribly aware of the significance, the awe-inspiring strangeness and – above all – the danger of this mission.
The two men paused on the threshold of the glittering gateway. Edging forward, they were bathed in flickering light as the anomaly shivered with energy.
And then they vanished.
In the clearing, you could hear a pin drop. As Connor stared at the twinkling shards of light, his pen slipped from his fingers. It was only when he bent to pick it up that he realized what it meant.
‘My pen!’ he cried. ‘The magnetic field didn’t take it…’ He looked at Claudia in horror. ‘The anomaly’s getting weaker.’
Cutter and Ryan emerged into a rocky landscape of shale and sand. They gazed around them, breathless at the speed of the transition between present and past.
The professor quickly checked his pulse. It was normal. ‘Did you feel anything?’ he asked the soldier.
Ryan shook his head.
In the fierce daylight, the anomaly was nearly invisible. Ryan opened his rucksack and planted a marker so they’d find it again. Meanwhile, Cutter placed Rex carefully on the ground. The lizard paused quizzically for a second, then scurried between nearby rocks.
‘At least someone’s happy to be here,’ said Ryan with a wry smile.
Cutter gazed around at the bleak landscape. He felt no fear, just a sense of wonder at this unbelievable view of the planet in its infancy. In many ways, it reminded him of the remote corners of present-day Earth – fresh mountain air, stunning scenery, a sense of space and calm – but in other ways it was totally different. Here, everything was raw, new, untouched… Stones were sharper, the sun was brighter and the air was so clear that distant mountains were razor-sharp. He wandered down into a valley and over a rise, not even sure what he was looking for. Now that he was actually here, the search for Helen seemed absurd.
And then he saw the dinosaurs.
Vast herds of prehistoric creatures were dotted about the hills, grazing like cows. Cutter felt suddenly privileged beyond belief to be here.
The professor had no idea how long he’d been staring at the curiously calming landscape when the soldier’s voice interrupted his thoughts. ‘You need to see this,’ he called from the top of a nearby ridge.
Reluctantly, Cutter turned his back on the view and clambered up a scree of loose stones to reach Ryan. As the professor drew closer, he realized that the shapes in the sand were too precise and geometric to be natural. He wiped the sand off the nearest hillock and found himself staring at a camouflage net. Next, there were boxes, weapons, tents and radio sets. It was a military camp, abandoned long ago. Cutter prised the lid from a box and found tins of food stacked inside. The labels were all in English.
‘Who were they?’ he asked. ‘Where did they go?’
Ryan gestured towards something in the sand nearby. ‘Whoever it was, they didn’t get very far,’ he replied. It was a skeleton, a few tiny scraps of clothing still clinging to the bones. Beside the remains was a weather-beaten camera case.
With trembling hands, Cutter picked it up. Inside, the camera was perfectly intact. And engraved on the leather were two letters that made his heart turn over. ‘HC,’ he read aloud. ‘Helen Cutter.’
‘Is it her?’ asked Ryan, staring back at the skeleton.
Cutter bent down to look. After a second, he shook his head, overwhelmed with relief. ‘It’s a man,’ he said.
‘How did he die?’
The professor shrugged. He stood up and looked around helplessly at the huge, empty desert. Where was Helen? Lost in time?
The burly soldier glanced at his watch. ‘Time to
go,’ he said briskly.
Cutter couldn’t believe the hour they’d been allotted had gone so fast. And one thing was certain. He wasn’t about to leave now. ‘I’m staying,’ he said calmly.
‘My orders are that we go back together.’
‘I can’t help that,’ said Cutter stubbornly. ‘I’m going to find my wife.’
Ryan’s reply was brief and blunt. ‘Face it – she’s dead.’
Cutter didn’t even bother to reply. As he turned to go, Ryan picked up his gun. With one practised movement, the soldier brought the rifle butt down on the back of Cutter’s neck. He groaned and sank to his knees.
‘Sorry, Professor,’ said Ryan, grabbing the unconscious man under the arms. It was time to get back to the anomaly.
Rex looked up curiously as the two men approached. Ryan was half-carrying, half-dragging Cutter, who suddenly came to his senses and struggled to get away. As the soldier fought to restrain his charge, he scanned the area for the anomaly marker. There it was, just where they’d left it.
But the anomaly had disappeared.
‘Where’s it gone?’ Ryan cried.
All thoughts of fighting evaporated. Cutter followed the soldier’s anxious gaze. It was true. Not even the smallest glimmer of light disturbed the still air.
And then, just as they had begun to think they were stuck in the prehistoric past, the anomaly reappeared, flickering feebly. Ryan rushed to the brink of it, feeling frantically in the air. When his arm vanished, the soldier knew that he’d found their escape route. ‘Quick!’ he yelled, staring wildly at Cutter, who hadn’t moved. ‘You want to be trapped here forever?’ he cried.
The professor shrugged. ‘Maybe it’ll open again one day,’ he said calmly. ‘I’ll find Helen and wait.’
But Ryan had made a promise to Claudia – and he wasn’t about to break it. He stepped away from the anomaly. ‘You stay,’ he said grimly, crossing his arms, ‘I stay.’
Cutter knew when he was beaten. It was one thing to risk his own life, but quite another to risk someone else’s. ‘All right,’ he said reluctantly.