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Into The Past
By Tyrant_Attack
Into The Past
By Josh Halpin
Jon Keller sat clutching the arm of the leather seat. He could see the wall no more than two feet away from his face. He glanced up to see the ceiling sloping upward. He was nervous, and he could tell that his partner, Henry Weston, knew he was nervous. This wasn’t your average scientific field experiment. This was the first time that time travel had ever been performed, and somehow he had volunteered without-
“Jon, Jon,” Weston interrupted, “you okay? You look a little nervous.”
Keller turned in his seat to face Weston who seemed calm as usual. He was always calm. It gave him the chills.
“Yeah,” Keller said hesitantly as he wiped the sweat from his forehead, “just nervous.”
The truth was that he was terrified about this experiment. Keller had never been a risk taken, and he had chosen the wrong day to become one. He thought back to the dreadful day when he agreed to participate. Keller thought that he’d be helping set up equipment, and other machinery. But what they failed to tell Keller was that he would be inside the experiment. They had also failed to tell him that the technology that was being used had never been tested with humans. Sure you could transfer an apple from one time to another. That was small. That was simple…but what of the concept of a human? Could it be done...What if couldn’t?
Reality hit Keller in the face and he heard one of the head scientists begin the initial countdown.
Thirty
Twenty-Nine
Twenty-Eight
The numbers passed by as Keller closed his eyes and the fond memories of his family collected in his mind. Keller remembered his wife and three wonderful children. He remembered their ages...Eight, five, and two. He remembered promising them that nothing was going to happened, and that he would be all right. Keller had lied. Keller knew that he’d be sent back some-odd million years, and collect plant and animal specimens...They wanted dinosaurs.
Three
Two
One
Keller screamed in absolute fear, the sound drowned out by the machines motors. He opened his eyes to note that all the equipment had been slammed against the far wall. Keller looked to the right to find the time meter rolling backwards. Then the G-Forces increased and Keller lost all conciseness.
Keller awoke feeling the floor’s cool surface. His head pounded, his hands shook uncontrollably, and his breath came in short ragid gasps. Keller crawled over to the large
leather seat, and grasped it as he rose to his feet. Keller looked at his hands. They were still shaking. ‘It must be a side-effect of time travel into the past.’ He Thought
“Hullo,” Keller yelled as he approached the opening of the machine, “anybody here?”
Nothing
The landscape was quite only the sound of his boots hitting the dull metal floor could be heard. Keller walked out into the morning sun. He shaded his eyes to look at the landscape of the prehistoric world. He sniffed the cool morning air. It was fresh, with the faint scent of rotting flesh. It was beautiful, it truly was. Keller turned to face the south.
There in front of him was a small, yet well prepared camp. To his right were tents, along with pine-green, electrical powered jeep.
“Damn,” Keller said as he observed the remaining area of the camp, “These guys really mean business!”
Keller continued to walk examining the equipment. Large wooden crates were stacked in groups of three, or four. Smaller crates were stored in crème-colored tents.
“Hey,” Weston yelled, “look at this monster!’
Keller turned to see Weston carrying a pale-green animal smaller than an adult human; the animal covered in fine green scales.
“What the hell is that,” Keller questioned sarcastically,” A featherless chicken?”
Weston laughed hard nearly losing his grip of the animal.
“No, Weston chucked his face still red from laughter, “This is a Micropachycephalosaurus.”
Keller walked closer to look at the small creature. He noticed that the creature was a small herbivore, and even though it was small, he could still see the small, crude claws on its limbs. Weston half ran, half stumbled over to a small cage covered by a tarp. He removed the trap, opened the cage door and gently placed the dinosaur in it, and shut the cage door quickly.
"Ugly little monster,” Weston said as he walked past Keller and into one of the cream-colored tents, "According to the book...we got ourselves a Chinese shit," The two broke into a light laughter and Weston continue to read.
"Also says that's it's one of the world smallest dinosaurs."
Keller wasn't a dinosaur fanatic, and didn't pay much attention until he thought about Weston said.
"What," Keller questioned as both of them looked at one another," you said it was a what?"
"I said it was one of the smallest dinosaurs," Weston said annoyed, “ Why?"
Keller sighed and walked over to the cage where the animal was kept, bent down, and looked at it.
"No, no," Keller said as he stood and stretched his back," you said it was a Chinese dinosaur?"
Weston closed the book and placed it in his pocket before realizing Keller's point.
"No, It can't be, "Weston said franticly searching for answers, "It can't be can it?"
He looked up toward Keller who shook his head and walked off into the distance. Weston jogged to catch up with Keller.
You're telling me, "Weston said, "that we not only-"
Keller stopped and bent down and grabbed a handful of dirt.
"Yes," Keller sighed, "We not only traveled into the past, but we also travel across the world from the United States to China."
Suddenly Keller froze, stricken with fear his veins filled with adrenaline.
“Weston, He muttered, “Do ya fell that?”
“Fell what?” he rasped.
Then Weston felt and he stood up and waited. It came again and again, the low “THUD” impact from all the tonnage of a certain creature still unknown to them.
“Weston,” Keller sputtered not taking his eyes off the landscape in front of himself,” what other dinosaurs did that book of yours have in it?”
“I dunno” he replied.
“Well,” Keller snapped licking his lips, “ Hurry the hell up and look before we become lunch.”
Weston flipped through the tattered paperback guide to dinosaurs. Searching for the ‘Dinosaurs of China’ section.
“It says that the only large creature here is a relative of Tyrannosaurus,” he said,” Why? Is that a bad thing?”
“Oooh Shit,” Keller groaned,” We’re about to find out.”
A small group of Micropachycephalosaurs ran frantically out of the trees and onto the open grassy plain. Then came a deep roar and Keller glance up to lock eyes with the predator.
“It’s huge, Keller screamed as he backed away, “better start running.
The Tarbosaurus had frozen focusing its reddish eyes upon them; then it bellowed and charged in their direction. Keller glanced back in toward the Tarbosaurus and noted that Weston was just standing there.
“Weston,” Keller Shouted as he slowed his pace, “Run damnit, Run!”
Weston had made up his mind and would not run; he had chosen to stare death in the face and wait for it to come. Keller bid farewell to his good Friend Henry Weston for the last time. Keller sprinted forward. Then with out warning the screams erupted and Keller turned to see Weston dangling from the Tarbosaur’s mouth. Weston struggled in agony attempting to free himself from he animal’s grip. The animal turned and bent over its prey and lowered it head a final time. The screaming had stopped and Keller knew why.
“Must reach the machine,” Keller muttered as he stumbled through the dense jungle; leaves slapping at his side, “I see it.”
Jon Keller reached the camp and made a mad dash for the machine. He didn’t care about the equipment, nor did he care about the effects it might have. He just wanted to get the hell out of this doomed era. Keller clambered into the machine’s interior and slammed the heavy metallic door behind him. He punched in the time he so dearly wished to return to, and slumped back in the chair as the motors whirled to life. He was returning to his own time…So he thought.
1/3/2005 5:23:08 PM
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