Terra Nova: A Second Chance

Terra Nova: Three

Flora

“Are you serious?” I looked at Sam with my jaw hanging down to the floor. “No way!”  It’d been two nights since we first arrived on Terra Nova and so far we’d been settling in and getting along pretty well. Everyone here seemed so happy and nice and overall it was just a great place to be.

“Yes way,” Sam said with a cheeky grin. “It’s a package deal with the house. Totally free.”

I turned the laptop in my hands over and over. It was completely flawless: no scratches, marks- nothing!  I never in my whole life would have expected to get my own touch laptop. Ever! It was just unreal. Being poor, laptops and quality technology was just something that never crossed my mind. But now that it was truly here was just amazing.

“So this is ours. For the keeping?” I asked Sam the question but my eyes were on the laptop.

“Pretty cool, huh?”

“Cool!? I think I’m in love!” I exclaimed, getting comfy at the small dining table.

Sam stood in the kitchen cooking chicken fettuccini for dinner- it was his night.  We’d made up a chores roster so our work was distributed evenly around the house. Home.  Already, Sam had gotten a pretty good job, working as assistant for the chief science officer on Terra Nova; Doctor Malcolm Wallace. He was an okay guy, but from what Sam has said he can be a little snarky and demanding at times. But Sam was paid well and his knowledge he picked up living on the streets came to be handy anyway.

Me? I’m yet to find a job I enjoy. I didn't really know what I 'specialized' in, because I never really had an all too fancy job. So my apparent hidden talent was yet to be uncovered.

I set the laptop on the table and gently opened the lid. “Mmmm…” I murrmured.

“Like the smell of dinner?” Sam asked a proud, smug look on his face. "I know, I am an awesome cook!"

“Actually,” I said attempting to sound formal, “I was marvelling at the wonderful smell of new laptop.”

The smug grin stayed on his face as he rolled his eyes and muttered, “Of course you were…” I let out a small laugh and focused my attention back to the laptop. My hands swept over its smooth surface and I pressed the small on button in the corner.

The blue screen lit up to life and a bright blue welcoming page lit up the screen. For a while, I poked around in every folder, giving myself my own little tutorial on how to use the thing and what amazing applications it had for me, until there was a weird quietness and I had to look up.

There was a loud clang! in the kitchen and discovered that Sam was out of sight. “Sam?” I asked, looking around. When I got no response, I stood up and walked over to the bench, “Sam?” I peered over the  wooden surface and saw Sam lying on the ground in a pool of water with a frying pan on his face. The scene was hilarious. I laughed for ages and eventually had to clutch my stomach it was so sore from laughter. When I finally gained my composure, I went around to remove the pan from his face, still giggling slightly.  He sighed, slowly getting to his feet.

“This is why I don’t cook!”

I laughed again and eventually he gave in and joined me. “Well,” I said in between laughter, “To be honest, it does smell pretty good.”

“I know,” he smirked. I punched him playfully and walked back over to the laptop while Sam resumed his cooking.

Suddenly, a low scratching noise made me look up. Living in a house alone all by yourself for so long has its effects. I had to always listen and look for even the slightest signs of danger, and right now my ears were picking up something. “Sam,” I whispered. He looked up to me, still smiling, saw my expression then turned serious.