Clark's Logs, Session 15

VWS on CLARK, a relatively small figure against the expanse of grass dotted with grazing livestock.  He threads his way through the tall grasses to an area where the plants look to have been fairly well cropped down.  He carries his rifle over his shoulder and his vet’s bag in the other hand, and he gazes about his property with a fair bit of paranoia until he reaches ILYANA.  The prize Galloway is nibbling unconcernedly as her new young calf, ANATOLE, nurses at her udder.

CLARK

Hey, you two.  Look alive, there.

ILYANA takes a single step forward without lifting her head, forcing ANATOLE to scramble for a few steps or lose access to his breakfast.  CLARK gives a small grin, but then pauses again to scan the edges of the property.

CLARK

Sorry if I seem distracted.  Home invasions have way of making

us humans a little jumpy.  Thank Blake you all were safe in the

barn.  I don’t know what I’d have done if those mercenaries had

hurt you.  Poor Bailey sure got a scare.

CLARK waits patiently until ANATOLE finishes nursing, then steps over and gently catches the calf up in his arms.

CLARK

We might have to move soon.  All of us, I mean.  If those guys

know where I live, and they think we might know where to

find Shin, they could be back with more firepower.  I’m really

starting to hate this whole darn business.

ANATOLE
Meh!

CLARK

You too, huh?  You don’t know the half of it.  I was just at

work in my lab, minding my own business, and Alex left

to go get something.  Then, I heard a knock on the door.

I opened the door, and before I know what’s what, the guest

room Simon was staying in exploded!

ANATOLE

Snuff.

CLARK takes a stethoscope out of his bag and begins examining ANATOLE from head to toe. He looks in his eyes and ears, and prods him gently as he continues speaking.

CLARK

Sorry about this, but we need to make sure you’re in good

health so you’re strong enough to make the move if we have

to go somewhere, right?  There’s a good boy.  Now, as soon

as I heard that, I sprang into action.  Alex showed up with my

rifle, and not a minute too soon.  We got into a firefight with

the guys who had broken in through the windows.  They had

flash grenades and tranq darts.  Strange, isn’t it?

ANATOLE

Meh!  Moooo!

CLARK

Well, they were no match for us.  I was scared for Bailey, though.

Scared for Simon, too, but he got out of the room before it blew

up, and he had the presence of mind to get the fire extinguisher

from the kitchen and start putting out the fire that grenade started!

Between me, Shin, and Alex, those guys didn’t stand much of

a chance.  Sounds like Cho went out and found a sniper they had

hiding in the woods, too.

CLARK gives a weary sigh and a shrug.  He lets the squirming ANATOLE down, who trots over to rejoin his mother.

CLARK

At least you seem to be doing fine, boy.  I can’t help but

wonder what Shin did to make some people so angry

that they’d hire mercenaries to track him all the way to Terra

and get past WoB security to try to take a shot at him.  Should

I be worried?  Well, yeah.  I pretty clearly should be worried.

He’s moving out, that much is for sure.  I just need to figure out

if I’m moving also.  Might they just find me again?  Maybe

I’ll see what the ComGuard thinks.  Fighting off armed attacks

is supposed to be THEIR job, not mine.

CLARK gives a brief, humorless laugh.

CLARK

Of course, my job was supposed to be helping sick animals.

Not having my research used in bioweapons programs, or

taking bullets out of people.  Or putting bullets into people.

But that’s what makes us humans so damn successful.  We adapt.

CLARK puts his rifle back over his shoulder and stands in the center of the pasture as the camera zooms out, his expression grim and vigilant.