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Evolution: Change in Times - Chapter 3 - Theories and Reality
By Hero(Raptormark
“A swift change in nature may be all the human race needs to realize that they are no longer at the top o f the food change.”
The computer’s screen was filled with messages of explanations of theories and the reality and truth of what has been going on. Laurence read over each of them carefully, dismissing some just as quickly as they had popped up. After the news report had aired on local television, Mark was seen as both an idle and as the anti-Christ. Only the bravest or most idiotic of men would go in front of a public access news network which aired to every Christian in the entirety of his own home town, and speak of the evolutionary process. He knew it was a mistake, but it was one that had to be made.
The messages began to get rough and nasty, and that’s when Mark decided it was time to get off the computer and accomplish some real work. Booting down the machine that he had once thought would take over the world, Mark rummaged through the papers on his desk. Various pictures of the genetics and skeletal structure of the everyday pigeon were scattered along his desk, printed out from some biologist website. He wasn’t sure why he had printed them out, it’s not like he knew what the skeleton of a bird would look like compared to that of a skeleton of one of those beasts that now lived in his town.
“Mark, you’ve got to come see this!”
His mother’s voice rang from the stairwell leading to their newly refurbished kitchen. Grumbling slightly, Mark complied and made his way through the mess of his “working room”, which he had called it. From the living room he could hear the voice of a well-endowed reporter. It didn’t sound like anyone he had heard before from the local stations.
“Scattered reports of small two-legged lizards have been made by the people of Rockland, Maine. Reports similar to these have also been made in Bakersfield, California; Lagrange, Kentucky; Long Island, New York; and Cape Cod, Massachusetts. People are being asked to stay inside their homes for the time being. We…”
Mark turned to his mother, who had the remote in her hand. “Why’d you mute it?”
“Our town hall is having a meeting tonight. You’re presence has been requested by the science department’s head of your school…” his mother went on to explain, “…I think you should go.”
“Why? So I can make an even bigger fool of myself in front of a live audience this time? Nobody prescribes to my theories.” He hung his head, acting as if he weren’t even considering the idea.
“Just go hon. You never know what will happen.”
Mark shrugged slightly and looked up, a hint of glee in his
eyes. “What time?”
“It starts in twenty. Go get ready.”
The boardroom was full of people Mark had seen before. The local locksmith, the school’s principal, and even his best friends were there; all debating over the plan of action to be taken against the new “invaders”. Mark moved in slowly, his ears catching every argument in the room. One debate that was going on seemed utterly interesting, so the others were drowned out from his mind.
“What you are saying is preposterous. Seagulls and pigeons absolutely can not change their genetics and end up being something completely different.” One of the debaters hollered out.
“Then can you tell me why the population of birds in this area has dropped drastically. In fact, I haven’t seen a bird in the sky for the past day!” The other snorted back, nearly leaping from his seat.
“Okay… if you are so sure of this then why did they change? Were insects starting to become too much of a hassle, so now they are coming after us?”
“Maybe it is just their time to change, again.”
“Actually, gentlemen, ever since homosapiens have taken their place upon Earth, the environment has been changing, drastically. What is going on could very well be a message from Mother Nature. One saying that we should watch what we do before we destroy ourselves.” Mark had stepped forward, joining in on the intriguing argument.
“Get out of here kid. I doubt you even know what’s going on.” The elder, it seemed, of the two arguers snapped.
“I’m sure I know a lot more than everybody here will think… but when I take that mic I will open up a whole new world to you two.” Mark smiled to himself, and made his way for the podium.
Two officials sat on either side of the podium, arguing between themselves. The surprised looks on their faces led Mark to believe that nobody had respectively taken the stand yet. They greeted him with nods, not even asking for his purpose or anything. Man… everybody’s afraid to voice their opinions. Mark tapped gently on the microphone, checking its power status. After having to turn it on, he spoke clearly into it.
“Good evening ladies and gentlemen.” He looked around the room as, gradually, everybody’s attention was turned towards him. “I’m sure you all are extremely curious toward what has been going on the past few days… Unfortunately I can not help you there. All I can do is throw out theories and science experiment results, and hope that you will take in what you hear from me today.”
“Get on with it kid!” Mark heard a voice yell from the back of the crowd. Ignoring it, he continued onto his presentation.
“Most of you, I’m sure, think that the creatures we are seeing now are a result from waste dumped by man. I can’t assure you that it is not… but I can give you other ideas behind it all.” Mark took a deep breath of air, his hand shaking slightly as it rested against the podium. “Over sixty-five million years ago, a species we have come to know as dinosaurs walked the earth. What we know about these animals is scarce, being found only in the remains of them. Even what brought them to their demise is a great mystery to us. Was it the meteor that crashed into Earth… or perhaps over-indulgence… or did they actually evolve into greater beings then themselves. Not meaning greater as… fiercer… but more prone to survive in the environment soon to come.”
Mark took another breath, his eyes scanning the town hall, catching each bored look in the room. Twenty, he had counted. That left ten people to be the least bit intrigued by his speech. Either way, he pushed on. “If dinosaurs had evolved into birds, then it is very well possible that birds could evolve back into dinosaurs when their environment suites them none more.”
Just as he was about to get to the interesting part, one of the officials looked up at him, a look of idiocy on his face. “Are you trying to dig into our minds that what is going on here is de-evolution?”
“Not de-evolution, sir. It is just plain old evolution.” De-evolution? What the fuck is that? Mark smiled slightly, a bit happy that at least someone was awake.
A chuckle rose from the back of the room. “So Laurence… what you are saying is that our birds are evolutionizing into dinosaurs?”
“What I am trying to say, Bill, is that it is very possible that our presence on earth has changed the environment so much that birds must change into something that can survive.”
“And dinosaurs can survive?” Bill snorted, his elbow nudging his drunken friend next to him.
“Just think of it this way… this is mother natures way of getting back at people like you.” The fact that he had snapped at someone told his conscience that it was time he left. This wasn’t going to be easy, and he knew that. Yet he also knew that it had to be known.
Silently, Mark walked down the middle isle of the meeting hall, his eyes sneering at Bill as he passed him. He’d known Bill Dexter ever since he had moved into Rocky Point. Bill used to be the jackass next door until his wife had kicked him out, telling him straight to his face that he was a “no good wasteful piece of crap”. At first the town had felt bad for Mr. Dexter. That pity lasted all of a week when Bill started to drink by the corner of the local convenience store. It was at those times that Bill would criticize everyone that walked by. Unfortunately, after he had quit drinking, that was a trait that had stuck with him.
Mark sighed, placing his hand over the door-knob. He took one last look at the people around him, wondering if he would see them again. The knob began to turn under his hand. It jerked the way it would if someone was extremely anxious to get in. Mark turned the door knob against the other force and pulled the door open. Gasps from men and screeches from women filled the room as the local policeman, Officer Christ, stumbled to the ground.
Chester’s hands were grasping his stomach tight. His eyes looked up at Mark, who was a bit more than stunned. Kneeling down, he rolled Chester over on his side, slowly pulling away the officer’s hands. Mark turned away and gagged, as when the officer’s hands were released from his stomach, his innards spilled out onto the floor.
Everybody screamed, the larger of the men rushing to the officer’s side. One of the men, Rocky Point’s local walk in medic Dr. James Vansen, pressed his index and middle fingers against Chester’s neck, getting no sign of a pulse. Vansen lifted his head to the rest of the crowd, his lips parting as he was about to speak.
The growl was heard loud and clear, cutting off the doctor before he could start speaking. A second growl followed, the low grumbling coming from deep within the throat of the beast outside. Small consecutive huffs of air blew close to the door.
The people inside waited, cowering slowly towards the back of the hall. Mark could just hear their thoughts now. How many could there be? Are they dangerous? What could have killed an armed officer? He smiled to himself, listening closely to the killer outside, its small growls grew closer and louder.
“Would somebody shut the god damned door?” A civilian exclaimed from the back of the meeting hall. The response, though, was not the one he was looking for.
Slowly, the snout of a small lizard poked through the door frame, two yellow cat-like eyes staring straight into the room. The snout rose into the air, taking several small inhaling breaths, its nostrils flaring as it did so. The creature’s head snapped back down, its mouth opening and letting out a scratchy yelp which caused the occupants of the hall to jump slightly. Slowly the rest of the beast came into view. The small three foot tall body of what looked like a bipedal lizard stepped into the building, causing those close to the door to stumble backwards and away from it.
Its length reached five feet from the tip of its rounded snout to the end of its straight tail. The lizard walked slowly, two muscular legs pushing it forward with the aid of two-toed feet. A third talon was present on the feet of the creature, being placed on the inside of each foot. The thin nature of its arms made them seem weak, but the three inch talons at the end turned it back into a vicious look.
Mark’s eyes stared at the lizard in front of him as he crawled backwards, the slow forward movement of the lizard giving it the feeling that they were being stalked. Oh my god. Mark caught sight of the creature’s legs and feet, his memory quickly putting together the pieces. Three-toed feet… third toe being a jagged talon. His mind clicked.
“Velociraptor.” His voice was a mere whisper that only he would be able to hear in normal situations. Yet being this not a normal situation, the head of the lizard snapped in his direction, its lips curling as it snarled.
Slowly the creature approached him, its claws extending outward as its legs pushed off the ground harder, giving it speed. When the creature reached a partial run, Mark got onto his hands and knees and turned, pushing himself up to his feet. Before he could even begin to run, his pursuer leapt off the ground, lunging for him.
A massive sound filled the air and the creature fell onto its prey, pinning him down. Mark struggled, not noticing that the carnivore did not. The town’s locksmith, Johnny Tilton, made his way to Mark, touching his shoulder gently.
“It’s dead...” His voice broke off as he pushed the beast onto the ground.
As Mark began to rise, his eyes caught sight of the gun in Johnny’s hand. “A gun?” He asked.
“’Ole Chest still had it in its holster… I don’t think he knew he was attacked before it was too late.” Johnny sighed softly, turning back to Chester’s body.
Bill’s voice broke the silence in the cowered crowd. “What the fuck is that damn thing!” He demanded to know, the thought that nobody would even know not crossing his mind.
Clearing his throat, Mark spoke quietly, but loud enough for all to hear. “Velociraptor… Lived about eighty-five million years ago. Sharp claws… fast speed. Anything you could ever want in a carnivore.” He coughed, brushing himself off.
“Wait a second… That’s a fucking dinosaur?” Bill snapped.
7/9/2002 3:13:36 AM
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