▲Time Dilation▼ Terra Nova (English Version)

Chapter 2: Stroke of Fate

Bright light hit Jill's closed eyelids as she slowly regained consciousness. A painful groan escaped her as her senses overwhelmed her in a rush. Everything seemed to be happening in the distance. The sound of shattering glass, the buzzing of nature, and movement happening nearby. She made a great effort to open her heavy eyelids. Her brain seemed too foggy for that, so she had to imagine it first to help her motor skills. Her body throbbed with piercing pain too much for her to move it. Even when she tried to perform the simplest tasks, like lifting her head or moving her fingers, her body didn't obey. Instead, she felt the unpleasant sensation of vomit crawling up her throat. Her eyes felt like two loose balls in her head, rolling in different directions with each attempted movement. She was confused and didn't understand why everything was taking so long to function. The only thing she actually realized was the approaching dizziness. Barely noticing the voices around her along with the hot and dry air filling the interior of her car once the driver's door had been opened.

Jill managed to open her eyelids after a long struggle for a short while. Her tired gaze caught the shining green eyes of a deeply tanned man in daylight, whose radiant brown skin stood out against his olive green sweatshirt. She couldn't deny that he looked attractive even in this state. When he leaned down beside her side of the car, she let her eyelids fall weakly closed and succumbed to sleep. Her body had struggled enough with her consciousness for the time being.

When she woke up again, she initially felt no sharp pain. Yet, every fiber of her body felt heavy, and her head felt hot. Her fingertips felt a blanket underneath them, providing warmth. Completely disoriented, she opened her eyes and looked down at the gray fabric blanket. She realized she was in a tent instead of a hospital as expected. Some noises from outside drew her interest, so she slowly leaned her head to the side. She saw two men loudly arguing, but the exact words were unclear from the distance. She turned her head to the other side and saw another man in a military uniform approaching. He placed a cool hand on her forehead, and she felt a sense of relief. She could tell by the moving corners of his mouth that he was saying something, and just as she was about to speak, her vision went black again. She had once again been plunged into a state of unconsciousness.

Three days later, Lucas entered the makeshift medical station to check on his latest "responsibility." Hooper had become a real royal pain in his rear end since he had determinedly brought the young woman back to her camp. The officer repeatedly expressed that she was seriously injured, and they couldn't afford to waste resources on someone unplanned to keep her alive, even if she had recovered from her wounds. Lucas cared little for the miser's opinion. Hooper could have said the same thing a thousand more times, and it wouldn't have stopped him from his mission. The man had no specialized knowledge and continued to pass off even the slightest thought as fact. Lucas knew it was his duty to save her or at least try. Because if not his, then whose? Ultimately, he was responsible for her landing in his time dimension in the first place. He ordered the camp's senior doctor to provide the necessary medical help to keep her alive. He emphasized the seriousness of his words with his authoritarian gaze. No one dared to stand in his way on any of his plans.

Lucas had entered the medical center, consisting of a tent and several cots, and now stood by the young woman's bed. Her blonde hair lay golden on the pillow, her cheeks devoid of color, and her eyebrows furrowed. Jill Cord, 21 years old, 1.75 meters tall, had lived in California until the current time, had studied for a Bachelor's degree in Business Management at the state university in Berkeley, and had O negative blood type. She had an international driver's license, her university ID, and her American passport with her. Lucas had to ensure that his suspicion about the year in her time dimension was correct, and it was. He reviewed this information again to make Jill seem more human and real to him, yet he couldn't fully absorb it. He couldn't be sure if he was taking care of her only because it was his fault she had landed in his time dimension. He came to see her at the medical center every day, as if trying to get to know her better. He eventually had to prepare for the time when he would have to tell her, "The life you know is over."