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Dino-Life C02 Anomalous Materials
By Mr. Camel
Dino-Life
Anomalous Materials
Click to read previous chapter (Chapter 1 Active Catalyst).
The tram left the dock at the Dormitories (Section 3) and started forward on its track. The track went through the center of a large tunnel. The tunnel was twenty feet from the track in all directions here. This morning the tram only carried one passenger (this was the tram for anyone who’d slept in a bit—most people were already where they were meant to be). The tram went on into the dark tunnel for half a minute before reaching a steel wall that filled the tunnel. Five seconds later this gate retracted into the tunnel, allowing the tram to go forward again. After it was in it stopped. The gate behind it closed again and the tram descended a bit, spinning ninety degrees as it did. It stopped and reached another of the gates, which quickly opened and allowed the tram to go on.
“Good morning,” said a female voice over a speaker in the tram. It was the easiest way of getting new on what was happening in the facility every morning, “and welcome to the Silver Mesa Transit System. This automated train has been provided for the security and convenience of all Silver Mesa Research Facility employees.”
The tram car was now passing over a supply depot. There were many of them throughout the facility. Twenty men were loading crates onto a truck below. The truck was bound for the train yard, where the empty crates (only empty crates were loaded onto those trucks) would be transferred to a train. From there they would go to the station in Dearborn, about eighty miles or so north of the train yard, which was the northeastern most part of the facility. The crates would be refilled with new supplies and sent back. Silver Mesa received most of its supplies this way.
“Today is… Friday, July 21st, year 2000. The current time is….eight thirty-two AM. The current topside temperature is… eighty-four degrees. The estimated high for today is… one-hundred-and-two degrees. The Silver Mesa Research Facility is maintained at a comfortable sixty-eight degrees.”
The tram passed into another tunnel in the wall, leaving the supply depot behind. It came out of the tunnel and over an equipment testing room, where some a new machine was being tried out. It was large and yellow and looked a bit like a crab. The operator had been using the controls of the machine to lift various objects in the room and twirl them around. Now he used the left arm to wave at the tram. The passenger waved back, although the operator wouldn’t be able to see him. The tram rode along its track over fifty feet above the floor.
“This train is inbound from… Dormitories, Section 3 to… Sector C Level 4 Test Labs and Control Facilities. If your destination requires high-security level clearance you will need to return to the main station dock in Area A and wait for a high-security train to arrive to transport you to your destined location.”
After passing back into the wall, the tram reached a wall. It stopped and the floor opened up, allowing the rail (and the tram that was on it) to be lowered down. It went down fifty feet or so before the rail the tram was on reach the ground and connected with the existing track there. The tram was now in a cavern. Shafts of light streamed through small crevices along the right wall of the cavern. The tram slowly crossed onto the new rails and then sped up before entering a new tunnel. Wooden support beams equipped with fluorescent lights were spread every twenty feet or so throughout this tunnel.
“Because of the hazardous nature of many of the materials routinely used throughout the Silver Mesa compound, no smoking, eating or drinking are permitted on the trains of the Silver Mesa Transit System. Thank you for your cooperation.”
The tram exited the tunnel and into the morning light. On the ground was a green military helicopter. A security guard and two scientists stood just outside of the range of the helicopter’s slowing blades. Someone stepped out and then the tram entered another landform.
“Please do not stick limbs through the windows of the train. Do not attempt to exit through the door until the train comes to a complete stop at the destined station dock and a security guard opens the door. If an emergency arises, passengers are instructed to remain seated in the train until further instructions are made through the train’s intercom system or until the situation passes. If it becomes necessary to abandon the train, handicapped passengers should be evacuated first. Be sure to avoid the electrified rails while you proceed to the nearest emergency station.”
The tunnel opened up into a large concrete room. The tram got half way through before stopping. A large door to the right lifted up and allowed a giant vehicle carrying a rocket (marked USA) to enter the room. It crossed the room and entered a door opposite from the one it had originally left. The tram began to move again.
“The Silver Mesa Fitness Center has finished renovations and will be reopened on Monday, the 24th of July, year 2000. Silver Mesa personnel are encouraged to take advantage of this wonderful privilege to increase personal health. Remember—more lives than your own may depend on your fitness.”
The tram had by now entered another tunnel. It was now passing outside one of the cafeterias. There was a wall of windows between the tunnel the tram was in and the cafeteria. Only a few people were still there this late. And then the windows gave way to rock walls again.
“Do you have an acquaintance who would make a valuable addition to the Silver Mesa team? Employment opportunities are open in the areas of… supplies handling… security… and construction. Please contact the Administration Area, Extension 426. The Silver Mesa Research Facility is an equal opportunity employer.”
The tram emerged out into another room, this time a plant that was flooded with radioactive waste. Two yellow crab-like machines (older models of the one in the testing room) were cleaning up the mess.
“A reminder to all Silver Mesa personnel: biweekly physicals are a requirement of continued employment at Silver Mesa. Be sure to be present at your assigned medical station at the scheduled time and date. Missing a scheduled physical can result in immediate termination. If you believe you have encountered hazardous materials or are in any physical danger, please contact the closest medical station immediately. Work safely and according to procedure at all times. Your future may depend on it.”
Darkness engulfed the tram as it entered another tunnel. Fluorescent lights flashed on as the tram moved forward. It rounded a turn and the floor disappeared in the darkness below it. Ahead was a steel platform.
“Now arriving at… Sector C Level 4 Test Labs and Control Facilities. Stand away from the door and wait for security personnel to confirm your identity and log your location before exiting the train. Check your area for personal belongings. Any lost items can be found at the main station dock in Area A until the end of the month, when all lost items will be disposed of. Have a safe and productive day.”
The tram came to a stop next to the steel platform that came twenty feet out of the wall to meet with the tram. A security guard—Ted (he was there every morning)—approached. Ted looked in at the passenger and entered something into a laptop he was carrying.
“Looks like you’re a bit late this morning, Dr. Wright. Come on, they’re waiting for you in the test chamber.”
* * *
Jeff Long entered Security HQ (officially known as Area B) at eight thirty-six AM, six minutes late. It was the second time he’d been late. One more and there would be trouble.
Captain Wilcox affirmed this: “Long? You’re six minutes late. This has been the second time you’ve been late, now. Next time might be the last.”
“Sorry, sir.”
“Get your uniform and your pistol. Report back here when you’re done. I’ve got a special assignment for you, today, Long,” Wilcox sneered as he sat at his desk at the entrance of the area.
Jeff nodded sadly and took to walking down a hallway to the left of Wilcox’s desk. He had a feeling today was not going to be a very good day.
Twenty feet down the corridor he reached the door to the locker room, where he changed into his uniform. He emerged and continued down the path until he reached the service pistol issue center. He stood in a line of about three people and waited. That was one of the good things about being late—everyone else already had their pistol, so you didn’t have to wait in line too long.
Getting his service pistol reminded Jeff of getting tickets to a movie. There was a glass pane between the security officer and the guy handing out the weapons through a small gap underneath the glass.
It was his turn. “Hey, Jeff. Little late this morning, huh?” this was Curt, the guy who got paid to keep track of all of the weapons that came out of Security HQ.
“Yeah, this is number two. Apparently I’ve got a special assignment today,” Jeff said, watching as Curt typed into the computer.
“Okay… here you go. Good luck,” Curt said, pushing a Glock 17 and a seventeen-round magazine under the glass.
“Thanks,” Jeff said. He took the pistol and put it into a holster on his belt. He stuffed the magazine into a vest pocket. They weren’t allowed to keep the gun loaded unless they knew they were going into a situation where it might be needed. Jeff had only been here for two months, and he had no idea when such a situation might arise.
Jeff returned to the lobby of Security HQ, where Captain Wilcox was waiting with a hungry grin on his face. Jeff had an idea that Captain Wilcox didn’t much like him.
“Glad you’re back so soon. I’ve got two computer technicians here—Dr. Gates and Dr. Jobs—and they need to fix something. You can escort them to where they need to go,” Wilcox said. “It’s kinda far down, I understand. Once you’re done, you can come back up here—I’ve got another job for you, too.”
Jeff nodded. “Where can I find them?”
“Outside Security HQ, I guess. Go find them.”
Jeff left Area B and found two guys in white lab coats. Here at Silver Mesa, everyone had a specific working uniform—the scientists all wore white lab coats, button-up shirts, ties, and pants; security guards wore their blue uniforms and black Kevlar vests; Administration were dressed the same as the scientist, except for the lab coats; and everyone else on the job wore bright yellow jumpsuits. And sometimes you’d see someone wearing a special purpose outfit, like the clean suits or something. If you were off, you could wear whatever you wanted to, of course.
“Uh, hey, are you guys waiting for an escort?” Jeff asked.
“Oh, yes. We need to get to Sector B Level 2,” one of them said. “The computer mainframe is down there.”
“Yeah, I know. Follow me,” Jeff said, and he began to lead them to Sector C, Level 2. That was the main computer hub. It wasn’t too far away, and that was good. Well, maybe. Escorting was pretty easy, if you knew where you were supposed to be going. And right now he did.
* * *
Dr. Ron Wright followed Ted across the platform to a door at the end, set into the rock. Ted typed into a keypad in the wall next to the door. It beeped and the door opened.
“Have a good day, Dr. Wright,” Ted said.
“You, too, Ted,” Ron said. He passed through the door and into an airtight passageway. The door closed and a cleaning system activated. Air was blown out of the sides of the walls. It was quick. Shortly after, the door at the other end of the passageway opened. Ron stepped out.
“Oh, good morning, Dr. Wright. They’ve been expecting you down at the Anomalous Materials Lab. And I got some messages for you, too, but the system crashed. Just one of those days, you know?” This was Captain Miller. He sat at a desk in the center of the lobby, typing into a computer.
“Yeah, I’m a bit late for the test.”
“Yeah, they wanted me to tell you to get into a hazard suit before heading down. I think they were expecting you about… fifteen, thirty minutes ago? Something like that… you better go. Good luck.”
“Yeah, thanks,” Ron said.
* * *
It was about eight forty-five. Everyone was awake by now, and eating quietly. Everyone on the helicopter was anxious to get there… wherever there was. Phil had said that Michael, was the only on board one who knew, and he also threatened to throw Michael off the helicopter if he told. Kyle Warner hoped he’d been kidding, but his tone of voice didn’t really seem to encourage that hope.
Yvonne Bianchi finished her toast and decided to start some conversation. “So… what do you do, Mr. Prevett?”
Michael wiped coffee from his mouth. He was a tall man dressed in black—the guy Kyle had seen after waking from his dream earlier. He wore an incredibly long scarf. “Dr. Prevett. I’m a mathematician.”
“Sorry,” Yvonne frowned. Michael nodded. The helicopter was silent for a few minutes. Kyle glanced at Michael, who was playing with the tassels of his scarf.
“So…” Kyle began. Michael looked up at him. “You can do math problems pretty well, right?”
“Well… yeah… why?” Michael said.
“Um… so… what’s six times three?”
Michael blinked. “I specialize in chaos theory.”
“Oh.”
The interior of the helicopter was again stuck in silence. After a few minutes Phil stood and walked forward to the cockpit. Kyle, Michael, and Yvonne looked between each other wordlessly while they waited for him to return. After two minutes, he did.
“We’re almost there. Only three more minutes,” Phil said grandly.
“Joy! Three minutes until we reach the disaster area!” Michael exclaimed.
Phil rolled his eyes. “There will be no disaster.”
“Ha, we’ll see about that,” Michael grinned.
“Oh, shut up, you pessimistic fool.”
“Make me!”
Phil raised his cane—Kyle was fascinated by the piece of amber on the end, it contained a large mosquito—and looked like he was about to smash Michael’s head in. He thought better of it, though, and instead pointed out the window to a jungle which lay in a deep valley, surrounded by mountains and plateaus. The jungle looked outrageously out of place in the middle of the desert.
“That’s it! There it is! We’ll be going down in a minute!” Phil shouted enthusiastically.
“How did you manage to grow a jungle in the middle of the desert?” Yvonne asked.
“Miracle-Gro,” Phil laughed.
“I bet it’s not even real,” Michael said. “Probably a projected image or something.”
“Well, you’re wrong.”
“I doubt—”
The helicopter jolted as it began its descent downward. Phil advised them to put on their seatbelts, and they all did. Two minutes later the helicopter was on a helipad, its rotors beginning to slow.
“We’re here,” Phil squealed. He undid his seatbelt, opened the door, and ducked out. The rest followed him.
From here there was no way of knowing they were in a desert, other that the looming mountains in the distance. Everything around them was jungle. The helipad was in the middle of a small lake. A bridge connected the concrete helipad to the rest of the… park. An open-roof jeep was idling on the other side of this bridge. It was painted bright red. Phil motioned for the rest of them to follow him, and they crossed the bridge.
* * *
Ron Wright reached the HEV (Hazardous EnVironment) suit room after a few minutes of walking. They were orange and black, similar to an astronauts suit, except not quite so big. The suit would protect him from any hazardous materials that he might encounter. He donned it and made his way to the Anomalous Materials Lab. This laboratory was designated for testing unknown and potentially dangerous materials. Most were synthetic, but apparently they got extraterrestrial samples on occasion. This was the first since Ron started working here two months ago. He had been at Caltech learning theoretical physics before getting offered a job here.
“Dr. Wright? Weren’t you supposed to be in the test chamber half an hour ago?” asked a passing scientist. Ron increased his speed. He reached an elevator two minutes later. A security guard stood in front of it.
“Ah, Dr. Wright. I’ve been waiting for you. They’ve been getting impatient down there, you know,” the security guard said. He bent over and put his eyes to a retinal scanner next to the elevator door. It beeped and the door opened. The door was made up of a steel frame and glass panes. “Good luck, Dr. Wright.”
Ron said thanks and entered the elevator. The door closed and it began to descend. There were no controls inside the elevator; it only went between two places: the main area of the Sector C Level 4 Test Labs and Control Facilities above, and the Anomalous Materials Lab and Test Chamber below. It reached the bottom after about three minutes. Ron looked at the digital watch built into the left wrist of the HEV suit. Eight fifty-three. The door opened, and he took a deep breath before exiting the elevator.
Six men in lab coats who were waiting outside the elevator immediately snapped their heads in Ron’s direction.
One of them approached Ron and grabbed his arm. “Well, it’s about time, Ron. Another ten minutes and we’d have to postpone the test until noon. Let’s go.”
The scientist led Ron down a hall to a steel door. One of the scientists moved forward and put his head to the retinal scanner. It beeped and the door opened. The seven scientists entered the control room. Supercomputers lined the back walls and control panels and monitors sat in the front, under a pane of reinforced glass that looked out into the giant test chamber.
“Ron, we’re going to be deviating from standard procedure today, at the request of the Administrator. We’re going to run it at one-hundred-and-ten percent to get a more detailed analysis. The Administrator is very excited about this sample. We’ll give you instructions over the intercom, just like we always do. Pay attention and be careful.”
There was a beep and another door opened. Ron passed through the door into the incredible test chamber. It was a large domed room. On the far side, about twenty feet away, was a ladder leading up to the catwalk that would serve as his station for most of this experiment. There was a computer up on the catwalk, and he could only activate the giant anti-mass spectrometer in the center of the room. It was two separate parts; the substance would go between these. This machine would scan the sample with oscillating electromagnetic fields and beams of high-energy plasma. This would provide information concerning the atoms and molecules of the sample, allowing more detailed analysis of the material.
A slight hiss became audible from the ceiling of the room, where the intercom was located. There was a coughing, and then: “Dr. Wright? Are you ready?”
Ron nodded.
“Okay, go up and get ready to start the machine while we prepare to send the sample through.” The sample would appear through an automated door on the left wall. Ron moved towards the ladder and climbed up carefully. It was better to go slow than to fall and break his neck (according to one guy he’d talked to once, this had happened on one occasion). He reached the top and crossed to the other end of the catwalk.
“Okay, start it now.”
The computer was already on and right where it needed to be. It always was. Ron pressed “Go” and stepped back from the computer. The machine in the center of the room began to hum. Ron made his way back across the catwalk and began to climb back down the ladder. A sharp electronic crack rang throughout the dome as a visible green bolt appeared between the two parts. Ron reached the floor just as the sample cart was pushed through the door by a robotic arm.
“Wait a second, Ron. It’s not at full power, yet.”
Ron walked over to the material and waited by it for the go-ahead command from the intercom. The substance today was a cluster of large, glowing orange crystals. Somehow they were revolting.
The machine hummed very loudly now, and the bolt between the two parts of the machine had grown. “Okay, Ron, it’s safe to go now.”
Ron moved behind the sample cart and pushed it and its contents over to the machine. He hesitated a moment before pushing them into the bolt.
There was an immediate flash of fluorescent green throughout the test chamber. It was incredibly brilliant, and it blinded Ron. He started to back away from the machine. There was an incredibly loud crash, and it deafened him. He reached the wall and started feeling around for the ladder. He felt something strike him in the leg. After a minute he found it, and he tried to climb up.
His hearing came back abruptly. “—out of there, Ron! Get out! There’s not much time! Get—” A brief pause. Then screaming.
Ron’s vision began returning, then, too. Not very well, but he could sort of see the rungs of the ladder, now. He climbed up a bit faster. Another crash. It wasn’t quite as loud as the previous one, but it still left his ears ringing. He noticed more flashes of light as the shadows changed on the wall in front of him, but he didn’t dare look back at the machine and risk losing his sight again. He reached the top of the ladder and was on the catwalk. He no longer knew why he decided to come up here—it was a dead end. An earsplitting crack ripped through the testing chamber then. It was louder than thunder. A few seconds later he saw the brightest light ever. And then darkness.
* * *
Jeff Long and the two computer technicians boarded the elevator that led down to the computer hub. Jeff had learned that systems were going down all over the building, and these two guys had been nominated to go check all the servers and see what they could do. By the time they reached the elevator, though, there wasn’t much about the computer to talk about, anymore. The current topic of discussion was the renovated Silver Mesa Fitness Center.
“It’s reopening on Monday,” said the guy who had told Jeff to call him Bill. “I can hardly wait to see what it’s like, now.”
“Yeah, I used to use the old gym all the time,” said the other guy, Steve. “I’ve been really disappointed the past few months. How about you, Jeff?”
Jeff pushed one of the buttons on the control panel of the elevator and it began its descent. “I don’t know, it sounds neat. The old gym was already closed when I got here, I guess.”
“Really? How long have you been here?” asked Bill.
“About two months, now,” Jeff said.
The lights on the elevator flickered, then.
“Hmm… do you think the power station is going out, too?” Steve asked.
A thunderous cracking sound ripped through the elevator, shaking it around and killing the lights. Jeff reached onto his utility belt and grabbed his flashlight. He flicked it on.
“Oh, dear. This doesn’t sound good at all,” Bill remarked. He was badly frightened.
“It’s all right, I think we’re about a third of the way down, now,” Jeff said. “We should be down in five minutes and maybe you guys can fix the computers, then.”
The sounds continued, sounding more and more distant every time.
“I think it’s ending,” Steve said.
“Yeah, me too,” Jeff said. But he wasn’t really sure what to think, right now. About half a minute passed, and there were no more noises.
Bill used his tie to wipe the sweat off of his forehead. A tremendous expression of relief grew on his face. “Well, now that that’s over—”
He was cut off by the most outrageously loud noise, yet. The elevator shook again and then it began to descend more rapidly. The three men began to glance at each other nervously. The elevator was picking up speed. The cable must have snapped. There was nothing any of them could do about it.
* * *
The four of them—Kyle, Yvonne, Michael, and Phil—piled into the jeep. Phil nodded at the driver and the vehicle began to roll forwards down a dirt path through a jungle.
“So, where are we going?” Michael asked. “The end of the world?”
Phil ignored the last comment. “I have something I’d like you all to see.”
“Oh my,” Michael quipped.
The jeep continued on through the dark jungle before eventually emerging on a giant field. Some tall trees were placed throughout the field. The jeep came to a stop along the path about fifty feet from a cluster of about seven trees.
“Why’d we stop?” Michael asked.
Kyle looked up at the trees and gasped. He stood up in the jeep and removed the sunglasses he’d been wearing. Michael and Yvonne looked at him curiously for a moment before they saw it, too.
They were looking at a living, breathing dinosaur. Specifically, a grayish-blue brachiosaurus. It towered over the jeep and its occupants, reaching a full height of forty-two feet. It was magnificent. Brachiosaurs were sauropod—the type of dinosaurs that had incredibly long necks and tails. The brachiosaur’s front legs were longer than its hind legs.
It was magnificent. By now all three of the guests were gaping at it in awe. Kyle hopped out of the jeep and began moving towards the great animal. Yvonne and Michael joined him.
What the brachiosaurus did next was incredible: with apparently enormous effort, it managed to push itself up and stand only on its two hind legs. It ate off of some of the highest branches on the tree. It came back down then, shaking the ground as it did.
They heard honking and looked down to see a giant lake far in the distance. Hadrosaurids were everywhere. There were several species and probably over a hundred animals there at the lake. Kyle fell to his knees in astonishment.
Phil sauntered over to Kyle and stood next to him, grinning.
“This is incredible,” Kyle managed to say. “How did you do it?”
“I’ll show you,” Phil said.
* * *
Vinny Mendoza and Joey Chang sat near the Thorne Dock, waiting for the ship that was should have been appearing at any moment by then. They’d been waiting there since eighty thirty, just in case it came early. It was now shortly after nine.
“Ah, this is killing me. I can’t wait ‘till they get here,” Vinny sighed. He was drawing a picture of a boat in the sand with his pen.
“Yeah, I hardly slept last night. This is going to be really neat, I think,” Joey said.
“I didn’t sleep either. I hope the beds are comfortable. Will we get beds in our rooms, do you think?”
“Sure,” Joey said. He looked down the river. “Still no boat.”
“Yeah. They’re supposed to be here between nine and ten, so there’s still… fifty-three minutes left until they’re late.”
Joey nodded and glanced down the river again, and… “There it is!”
Vinny stood and looked down at the ship. It was a bit of a way down the river, yet. The two of them stood on the dock, carrying the suitcases they’d brought, watching the boat approach. It seemed agonizingly slow.
“Wait… this can’t be it,” Vinny said. “That thing looks like a pirate ship or something.”
“Yeah… it must be it, though. I can’t imagine two ships coming down this river in the same day,” Joey said. “The last one I saw was in ’94.”
A figure emerged on the deck and began waving at them. He was dressed in an open Hawaiian shirt and shorts. He had long hair and eye patch over his left eye. Vinny and Joey looked at each other and frowned as they waved uncertainly at the man on the boat. After a minute the man left their view and the ship began to slow down. It was only about fifty yards away, now.
“This isn’t looking very good, right now,” Vinny said.
Joey nodded and frowned. “I’m afraid of pirates, Vinny.”
The ship came to a stop then, and a rope ladder was lowered down to the dock. The guy they had seen before scrambled down, followed by two other men. One wore a suit and the other was dressed in a t-shirt and jeans.
“Hello, are you guys Dr. Vincent Mendoza and Mr. Joseph Chang?” asked the man in the suit.
They nodded.
The man extended his hand to Vinny and then Joey. “My name is Evans. Cameron Evans. Agent 11 of a secret government agency that you cannot know about. I’m here to assist you on your trip, should you run into any issues with security.”
The guy in the Hawaiian shirt with the eye patch stepped forward. “Hey, kids, I’m the captain of this ship. My name is Tom Lee, but you guys can call me Captain Dac, if yer want. Any questions?”
“Yeah, what’s the ship’s name?” Joey asked.
“This here’s the Humuhumunukunukuapua‘a. Says it right there on her, you see?”
“Yes, but I didn’t know how to pronounce it. What’s it mean?”
“Hoo-moo-hoo-moo-noo-koo-noo-koo-ah-poo-ah-ah. It’s the Hawaiian state fish,” said Tom.
“It’s better known as the reef triggerfish,” Vinny said.
“What’s it look like?” asked Joey.
“A fish,” said Cameron. “Anyway, this guy here is Seth Donavine. He’s a college kid in biology that they wanted sent along to help you. One of the rooms on the ship was remodeled into a small laboratory for this, so you should have most of the equipment you need to make your observations and all.”
“Sweet,” smiled Vinny.
“Yeah. Let’s get on board,” Cameron said, adjusting his tie. “We have some things to do on the ship. I want to be done and ready to start the mission by ten.”
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this. Comments, questions, and constructive criticism are welcome. = )
Sorry for the delay, I've been busy with doing a movie for TV class in school. Chapter 3 should be posted by 15 October.
9/30/2006 12:25:40 PM
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