Chapter 2

The road back was surprisingly uneventful. Granted, there was a triceratops, she had to outmaneuver and trick into falling down a huge chasm, but otherwise uneventful.

Before long, Clara noticed a column, made up of people, cars and other vehicles, which signaled that the woman was nearing the city. That and of course, the massive walls which kept the large settlement safe from most things you do not want to enter. The big guns lining the top of those walls did the rest.

Clara's heart sunk in pity for these people, who had no doubt come here looking for shelter. President Cromwell's father had taken over the city and declared the entire former US state of California as the "California Republic". With himself as its president. The rather authoritarian reign of the Cromwell family had its own problems, of course. Chief among them was the refugees, which poured into the city, which was the last and best protected bastion of humanity for thousands of miles.

And the city could not feed them all. Just because Clara's powerful father ensured his family lived in nothing but luxury did not make her blind to the fact that almost half the city lived in poverty and misery.

But hey, at least they did live. They were safe. They did not have to worry about being waken in the middle of the night by the screams of their friends, who were being turned into food.

So they shouldn't really complain.....right?

Shaking her head, Clara turned her jeep's steering wheel to the right and moved past the queue, accompanied by some quite murmurs of dissatisfaction from the refugees.

"Sorry, but being part of the oligarchy has its perks." Clara muttered to herself.

She was stopped by two of the gate guards and she showed her I.D badge. "Clara Sanders, field agent with the Department of Science and Research. Let me in."

After verifying the badge's genuineness, they cleared a path for her vehicle and let her through. They knew who she was, of course, given that this was not the first time Clara went on such a quest. Definitely not the last.

After driving through the streets, which were packed with people so this was not easy, Clara went straight to the science department's building, where she wanted to deliver her findings.

The structure in question was a skyscraper, which appeared to have been sliced diagonally, as if a giant swordsman had assaulted it.

(Of course, it was actually something as simple as a massive earthquake, coupled with faulty construction, which did the deed, but the swordsman story is funnier to tell people.)

Upon entry through the yard's gate, she parked her vehicle and left for the doors, carrying her trusty backpack along with her. A soft greenish glow shined through the cracks of the zipper, indicating its cargo.

As soon as she entered the building, the woman who was waiting for her, her colleague - Doctor Takahashi, greeted her in her usual fashion.

"Hello." the Asian woman shouted as she jumped Clara and tackled her on the ground like a berserk gorilla. "Did you bring me anything?"

"Nice to see you too, doc." Clara groaned, long since used to such life threatening treatment.

"Izumi to you, Clara-chan." the juvenile genius giggled as she poked the redhead's nose.

Clara got Izumi off her and opened her backpack, revealing the time-affected toy.

"I got you a teddy bear. Fluffy and saturated with temporal energy."

The doctor observed the toy in Clara's hands like a child would their Christmas present.

"You know, I have never been so jealous of your powers till now. How I would love to cuddle with this cutie." The scary part of the doctor suddenly emerged, as indicated by the serious shift in her expression. "At least this time it's small enough to carry in that backpack of yours. Hey, slackers." Izumi shouted at her subordinates. "Somebody produce a few helpful limbs for me and get this toy to my lab."

"Yes, ma'am." A few of her assistants grabbed the bear, using tongs and put it in a special container. Then they took it upstairs.

"So...." Clara began. "Anything interesting while I was outside?"

"Apart from that bitch Tony's whining to her momma that she never lets her out?" Izumi chuckled. "Her mother brought her along with your father and brother here on a little inspection. Them and all the other fucking senators."

"Why?"

"Oh, no reason really. At least as far as I understood it. Just muddied my lab with their shoes, asking boring questions and what not. Your father puffed up his chest, looking important and all, while our madam president of the California Republic was praising my slaves for doing as I tell them."

"Yeah, they are your subordinates, Izumi. Not your slaves."

"Debatable. Tony looked as dumb as usual. Poor little thing, constantly trying to shift the subject to that boring gala, her mother is organizing in the weekend."

"And let me guess, all the top brass and their families have to attend. As if I want to meet any of these arrogant and boring people. Especially Tony. I so do not want to meet her. And can you imagine that Peter likes her. You would think that my brother would have a better taste."

"Just add it to the tiny, little pile of things I do not envy you about. By the way, did you know that your silly brother has proposed to her?"

"WHAT?"