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Dark Dawn: Leviathans II (Act I)
By Vader
~ Continued from the Prologue ~
ACT I: PART A - Brazil
The sun's bright yellow rays were glaring down upon the small town of Gurupi, not being hindered or encumbered by clouds, since it was a day of a pure blue skies over the country of Brazil. A small charter plane, shaded all over with silver, and marked with white and red streaks across its underbelly, came soaring downward from the northeastern direction, the loud whir of the propellers and engine catching the attention of any in the town that were not expecting the arrival, its landing gear unfolding. The vehicle soon found itself rolling down a dusty lane that was winded alongside the town itself, passing by a medium-sized shed that contained a long pole with a weather sock blowing with the cool breeze in the air.
After a few more moments, the aircraft came to a stop, its wheels halted their turning. The blades stopped spinning as the whine of the motor died. In another second, the hatch unfolded, the tip of it touching the ground to serve as a small staircase. The two passengers, their luggage in hand, fitted with fedoras atop their heads, descended out of the plane, giving a short thanks to the pilot in doing so. They did their best to wave goodbye, but were unable to raise their hands very high for fear of dropping the heavy bags they were carrying.
They stepped down onto the ground, their boots kicking up a short puff of dust as the pilot leaned out of his vehicle, reaching for the hatch and pulling it closed with a lock. As the two young men walked across the strip towards the nearby marketplace and houses that could be seen behind a few patches of trees, the motor started up again, and the plane made a u-turn to take off down the runway once again to head to yet another destination.
Almost as soon as the two of them entered the outer rim of the community itself, a man of a brown complection, slightly handsome, with short black hair, tan shirt and pants with pockets seeming to be placed in every space imaginable, and dark brown boots, came running forward. He arms were widespread as he approached the travelers, his mouth widening to a huge smile and chuckled. "Joel! Hayden!" he heartedly laughed with a strong Brazilian accent. The two brothers dropped their luggage for a moment to each give their friend a hug.
"Great to see you again, Manuel!" Joel enthusiastically told him.
"Ah, you two have grown so much since I last saw you! When I had been a foreign exchange student, you were only around 16 or 17! I can't believe it!" Manuel continued to greet them, motioning with his hand how their height had increased. "Here, let me take your bags!"
"Oh, no, no!" Hayden insisted. "We can manage it. Just tell us how you've been faring down here!" The two brothers reached down to pick up their luggage again as Manuel turned in the other direction to lead them into the town.
"Oh, I've been doing great! That foreign exchange student trip back then when I'd stayed with you and your parents really helped me out - it prepared me so much for my job down here. I'm . . . oh, what's the word . . ."
"Happy?" Joel contorted his face to a smirk.
"No . . . overjoyed, that's it," Manuel finally chose. The two Rockwell brothers couldn't help but glance at each other knowingly and chuckle under their breathe. Their friend's English had been choppy at certain times since the first time they'd met him, no matter how long he'd spent around Americans or how many numerous classes he'd taken in the language. "I've had very enjoyable times studying the local mammals and birds. Everything is so colorful and full of life!"
"Well, we're glad you've been enjoying yourself. Nothing like having a career in the field you love," Joel emphatically returned. They continued into the small Gurupi marketplace, bustling with the townsfolk and their chatter. Several wooden stands had been set up along the rim of all the buildings, carrying fruit, vegetables, meat, and homemade tools featuring fine craftsmanship. The smell of the fruit was pleasant and sweet, however the stench of certain kind of raw meat was definitely not. A few of the flies that had previously been buzzing around the food zipped over to fly around the Rockwells' faces.
"Hey, Manuel, no offence, but . . . think we could get to your home right now?" Hayden questioned, swiping at the insects as he continued to walk forward. Their Brazilian guide laughed with hilarity once again at his friend's annoyance.
"Sure thing," he agreed. "But you're going to have to get used to those kind of bugs if you plan on excavating dinosaurs for a living."
"I, for one, have no problem with it - I understand its part of the turf. Hayden here, though, is another story," Joel motioned to his little brother.
"Ah, shut up," Hayden demanded under his breath, glad that he at least put bug spray on.
They rounded a corner, passing under the cool shade of a structure for just a moment before walking back out into the blazing hot sun. Awaiting before them was a dirty, white, pick- up truck, with several backpacks and gear placed in the back underneath a tool box fitted atop the rim of the trunk. Manuel motioned for them to get in as he unlocked the driver's side door and sat himself into the cab, leaning over to unlock the door on the other side.
Joel and Hayden climbed in, grabbing their seat belts and buckling up as Manuel stuck his keys into the hole besides the steering wheel, turned, and started the engine. It sputtered to life and finally became steady as he stepped on the gas and began to drive through the rest of the neighborhood, kicking up some dirt behind him. In a short time, the small houses disappeared, and they entered a terrain of wilderness, filled with jungles, sounds, and the calming noise of the river close-by.
As the vehicle neared the completion of its journey, the massive South American sun eventually sank beneath the horizon of lush, green landscape that spanned across the land, painting a pastel of orange, purple, and pink hues throughout the sky. The heavens eventually faded away to a navy blue, and then a complete blanket of blackness, showered with several gleaming, white stars that hung over the three adventurers when they arrived at their destination.
ACT I: PART B - Native Village
The village was quaint. Made up of several little small huts enclosed together in a circle around a campfire, the atmosphere was cosey and closely-knit. The sound of the wind rustling through the trees was peaceful and lulled everyone into a calm and relaxed mood as dinner for the tribal members was prepared in the center of the homes, spreading an attractive aroma through the air.
"This is an Arawete tribal community," Manuel began to explain as he turned the steering wheel to twist along a curve in the dirt road that neared the collection of houses concentrated just ahead. "I am good friends with the tribe, and the leaders in particular.
"The name Arawete itself does not mean a thing in the language of the tribal members. They believe that in the beginning, the humans and the gods, whom they call Mai, all lived together in a world that contained no work, , fire, or plants. Then one day, the wife of the god Aranami insulted him and decided to abandon their world. Then, Aranami and his nephew took up their rattles and started to sing and smoke, bringing up the soil and rocks of the ground to firmament - the underneath side of it being the sky that we see today. The separation of the sky and Earth caused a major disaster, for without its rock formation, the earth dissolved itself in the water and the sea animals, such as the alligator and piranha, gulped up all the humans. Only two men and one woman survived the catastrophe and hid up inside of a tree, becoming "the branches origin", or tema ipi - the ancestors of all humanity. Also, some Mai that were desperately trying to escape from the monsters of the water sank into the depths and created and inferior world, which they inhabit today in the islands of a great subterranean river. As you can perhaps tell, this tale is in a way, slightly similar to the story you and I know of Noah and the Ark.
"Arawete believe that we, humankind, are located in the middle of both worlds. Evidence of this division of the cosmos are everywhere, they believe - the bunch of sharp rocks that are in the middle of their territory are fragments of the sky that was raised. The plants grown and art of cooking were revealed to the humans and gods by a little red bird of the forest. The Mai are currently living in a bigger and better world than ours up above, and have abandoned our world for such splendor, being immune to growing old and dying because of their taking the science of eternal youth. Humans are to meet the Mai in the sky after they die, and after all of the mortals have lost their life on Earth, they shall all together be at the same height as the Mai.
"Now the social and economic life of the Arawete is always depending on the rhythms of forest and village, and hunting and agriculture. In the rainy season, they grow corn and disperse themselves in the forest for three to four months, while they hunt and collect fruits and honey. In the month of March, they get together in the village to celebrate the party of green corn, which begins the stage of village life that lasts through the dry season.
"The leaders, or owners, are always a couple that moved to a new place and opened the first plantation of corn, therefore founding the village. The leader is in charge of initiating the group movements I've just told you about. The Peye, or the chiefs, are the chosen communicators between the mortals and the gods, and songs are the sole core of the ceremonial rituals that the Peye oversee. Maybe you'll witness a ceremony of that type tonight," Manuel smiled.
Joel and Hayden were glad that they had been given a good background of the tribe - this way they would enter in having an idea of their history, what to expect of their ure and actions. As their vehicle pulled up into the circle of huts, the passengers noticed several small children, laced with colorful beads on their necklaces and earrings, running in circles around their mothers, who wore long, flowing, brown robes with bright feathers and flowers in their hair and a streak of read across their forehead and eyes, preparing the meal. There were also some warriors scattered among the homes, carrying large, feathered bows and arrows, wearing loin cloths, and sported short black haircuts with bright, yellow necklaces.
Manuel parked his vehicle as curious young ones ran up to investigate it. He turned of the engine and stepped out, waving to everyone, turned the gesture. As the Rockwells took up their bags with them, they noticed up ahead that an elderly man and woman, dressed more extravagantly than anyone else they'd seen, approaching, their giant headdresses looking as if they would be too heavy to carry upon one's cranium. "My visitors! Welcome!" the man said, obviously being one of the leaders, or owners, Manuel had talked of. "We are so happy to see you-"
His greeting was interrupted when one of the male warriors came dashing forwards, spraying out words at an incredibly fast rate to the two leaders in their native language. Soon, emerging from the jungle behind him, came another warrior, who carried the limp body of a fellow male in his arms, drawing gasps and tears from other members of the tribe as they gazed in horror. He bent low, to one knee, placing the body onto the ground, near the feet of the leaders and the Rockwells, giving a ritualistic gesture in doing so.
Instantly, it was noticed that the stomach of the warrior had been brutally torn open, appearing to be done so by a single, large, maw. Bite and slash marks, some being deep, others not, were found across the man's face, arms, and legs. It was a gruesome sight, instantly making Joel and Hayden feel sick to their stomach, but feel even more horrible for the victim of such a brutal attack.
The leaders, as well as everyone directly encircling, bent down to examine the wounds. The Rockwells half expected them to take a quite a long period of time, but quickly after looking over the body, they rose up to full height once again, staring down at the unfortunate warrior with deep pain. The male owner sighed, passing his hand over the warrior's battered face. He uttered something in their distinctive language, causing Manuel to lean over and translate his words to Joel and Hayden: "He is with the Mai now."
After a moment of silence, the leaders whispered something into the ears of a few of the tribal men that stood next to him, and then motioned for the warriors to bring the body up again and carry it to the other side of the camp. "They're taking him to the Peye for a burial ceremony," Manuel solemnly stated as one of the warriors who had been whispered to by the leaders approached them.
"A hut has been reserved for the guests, I shall now show it to you," he said in a formal tone, yet appearing to have his own thoughts dwelling on his now lifeless comrade. He turned, holding his brightly painted, feathered spear in a strict pose, and led the three visitors to a nearby home, small yet suitable, which contained doorstep that was covered over by a curtain that their guide lifted in order for them to enter inside.
Within, there lay two cots to the right of the entryway, the structure appearing to be made of wood and the mattress made of strong leather. In the center of the room there was a colorful and festive rug, which ran to the left side, where there was a large chest, supposedly to be used to keep the guests' belongings. Manuel thanked the guide, giving a short bow, and then turned back to the brothers, who put down their bags and stretched to the sound of a few s in the back and knuckles.
Manuel folded his arms together on his chest, appearing to be disturbed by how their conversation with the leaders had been interrupted just before. "What could have done something like that?" Hayden asked, oblivious to any animal that had that large of a jaw to rip into a belly as it did. Manuel simply shook his head, unfolding his hands and rubbing his face up and down.
"I don't know," he replied. He lifted his head up, wondering about something else that he'd previously forgotten. "Actually, there have been rumors of episodes such as this happening in the other native tribes nearby. They've formed a conclusion that the Mai have sent an angry, bloodthirsty monster to finish is us off. Of course, everyone outside of their religion simply view it as a myth . . ." he trailed off, as if questioning his own view on the matter.
Finally, after Joel and Hayden had stared at him for a moment, Manuel snapped out of it, rubbing his face once more and replacing his disturbed look with one of anticipation. "Well, I'm sure you're going to have a great stay here. I'm determined to show you a good time," he smiled. "Although tomorrow, I'm afraid I have an appointment with one of my fellow researchers back in Gurupi - he'll be picking me up early tomorrow. However, I'd be happy to leave my truck to you so you can get some exploration in!"
"That sounds great!" Joel enthusiastically nodded. "Maybe we could go in the northern direction. From what it looked like up above on our flight, there appeared to be some really spectacular jungles in that area."
"I'm sure you'll have a good time. Now, if you'll excuse me," Manuel waved, stepped backwards out of the hut to leave the siblings to unpack their baggage for the evening's stay against the peaceful background sounds of crickets, frogs, and the babbling brook of the forest at night.
ACT I: PART C - Unexpected Exploration
Manuel's truck, with Joel at the steering wheel and Hayden in the driver's seat, made its way up a hill through the use of a narrow dirt road, heading in a northwestern direction. The tool box that had previously been in the truck was now absent, for Manuel had taken it with him for his appointment that morning. However, he'd left the gear to the brothers to use on their expedition in exploring some of the most beautiful wilderness they'd ever seen in their lives.
Inside the vehicles cab, Hayden had a loud yawn, not bothering to cover his mouth. He brought up his wrist in front of his pupils and glanced at his watch, then resting it back in his lamp. "We got up extremely early and we didn't even see Manuel leave. He must've left at four in the morning," he told his older brother.
"Manuel's always loved getting up bright and early. Don't you remember how he'd always be up before dawn when he'd spent his time in America with us? He'd always wake us up with his footsteps and making breakfast in the kitchen," Joel replied with amusement. "Besides, when you're in a place like this for research, its always best to get an early start. You see more and make more of the day that way."
"I know," Hayden said drearily. "So where exactly are we going?"
"Nowhere in particular. I'd at least like to reach the area that you and I had thought was great from above. It appears to be like a secluded paradise. It would be fantastic to do some hiking over there, huh?"
"You bet." The younger brother then stopped, looking at his brother, and the environment outside, a smile forming on the edges of his lips. "Hey, Joel?"
"Yeah?" Joel returned, focused on the driving.
"I just want to say that, well, I'm really glad you thought of taking this trip. It's great to be able to spend time together like this before our college courses end. Because, you know, after that . . . who knows where we will end up? We may be excavating on different ends of the globe and not see each other again for quite a while. So, I'm just glad we have this chance to hang out on a vacation, you know?" Hayden asked him with appreciation and admiration. Joel, who'd been completely attentive to driving, began to turn and smile at Hayden after his talk.
"You're right, little bro. This is great, isn't it?" he agreed, patting him on the back with brotherly affection. "I'm glad I had this idea too. And I'm also grateful that Manuel made arrangements for us to stay somewhere. It would have costed us way more if we-"
Hayden suddenly stopped him, pointing straight ahead at something peculiar. "Look at that," he announced. Joel turned back to look ahead and was also incredibly surprised. Just ahead was something that was so completely out of place in such a jungle, that it instantly made the observer wonder of its origins - a single, light-grey tram car, big enough to fit two people, resting atop an orange track way under the branches of the trees above. It had been parked just to the side of a small landing pad, which could only have been landed upon if the pilot had been extremely precise in controlling the movements of his vehicle so as not to hit any trees.
"What in the world is this?" Hayden asked, dumbfounded. Joel's eyes were also glued to the scenario.
"I have no clue," he said. "It certainly doesn't look brand new - looks as if the tram and the car are both battered pretty badly. With all those leaves covering everything, I'd say its been parked here for at least a month or so."
"Who could have put this here? It looks like the builders didn't want it to be seen from above." At that, the brothers' attention turned the bend that the track rounded, leading off into the thick, dark jungle ahead of them. "The car must have come from up that a way," Hayden pointed.
"Let's just see where it came from," Joel curiously stated to Hayden's approval as he eased on the gas again, taking a final look at the tram car before leaving the landing pad and driving alongside the tramway. They rolled along at a steady rate, ready to react anything, as if expecting something to leap out at them from nowhere.
On and on they rolled along, their heads turning every which way, attentive to their mysterious surroundings. At the turn of another bend, they were immediately faced with a seen even absolutely astounding, causing their jaws to drop right open. In front of them lay two massive skeletons, one slightly larger than the other, both resting on the ground, left-over meat clinging to their bones and rotting away with the buzz of flies constant. Though it seemed to be such an impossible idea, the paleontologists recognized the bone specimens immediately - Giganotosaurus and Tyrannosaurus. "No . . . way," Joel breathed, unable to so much as even blink an eye. "We can't be seeing this . . . it's not possible!"
"Two dinosaur skeletons above ground!" Hayden exclaimed. "And there is still flesh upon their bones!" It definitely looked as if the two predators had been going head to head in a brawl, somehow resulting in the destruction of both of them. After further staring, they noticed that the Giga's neck was bent in an unusual position, likely to have been snapped, and the Rex's skull had been bashed in, laying nearby a boulder which was splattered in a certain spot with dark red. "This can not be."
"I'm getting the feeling that there is an explanation for this at where that tram car came from," Joel told Hayden, beginning to drive past the massive beasts and onward. The two had been left absolutely breathless. Suddenly, Hayden nearly jumped out of his seat with a new notion.
"Could one of them have attacked that Arawete warrior?" Hayden proposed, his eyes widening. Joel slowly shrugged, more attentive to their jungle surroundings now that before.
"I don't know . . . but if that is the case," he gulped, "Then that means that living . . . breathing . . . dinosaurs are roaming Brazil." Before they could even speak another word or contemplate it, they came to a great chasm, directly in the middle of the tramway. The track had been broken in two over the huge, rocky gap in the ground, which appeared to be an earthquake fault, from the looks of it.
"That small car back there must have made it over this shaft before the track broke. I wonder if some other cars had fallen down there," Joel spoke, leaning out of his window to investigate the black pit. "We'll have to bypass it." He turned his steering wheel to the left, taking off into the trees so as to avoid the fault. Branches and leaves slapped across their windows as he hurried along, anxious to get to the other side. After a few more moments of driving to the left direction, he made a sharp right, turning alongside the very end of the chasm, and driving straight, now on the other side of it.
In another second, they found the tramway again, continuing to follow alongside. Within just another minute of speculation of what they would find, they reached the end of the track, and to their very left was the behind of several, gray, two story buildings, one giant dome standing out in particular. They fixed their eyes upon it, attracted to the mysteriousness of it all, ready to turn into the tiny city to explore everything. As they were about to, their thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of loud clangs and voices from inside the circumference of the complexes. "Someone is here!" Hayden denoted.
Joel immediately put on the brakes and turned in his seat, shifting to reverse to back up behind the foliage to hide their arrival. "I'm not sure if I want them to see us just yet," Joel whispered. After easing into the bushes and palm trees, his turned off the engine, quietly placing his keys into his pocket. He made the gesture for Hayden to be quiet as he carefully opened his door and shut it without a slam. Hayden did likewise, walking towards the back of the trunk to meet his brother.
Together, they moved through the jungle to the edge of the buildings. By this time, it was quiet, and they no longer heard noises, and it was silent as a tomb, save for the scattering of birds from trees in the immediate area. "Do you think they left, or some-" Hayden had no time to finish his question, for it was answered midway through by a clamor from just to their right. Immediately, the two of them dove behind a dismembered sign that was propped against the side of a patch of ferns, which was so muddied and dirtied, it was nearly impossible to make out its words that read "Pangaea".
Once behind it, they raised their heads up over the sign just far enough to see what was ahead, but so as not to be seen themselves. And then, they realized what the source the clangs had been: a large, metal cage, 6 feet by 6 feet had been unlocked and opened in the front, making way for a group of four men, lethal rifles hooked to their belt, to carry what looked like, from a distance, to resemble an animal the Rockwells were now very familiar with from their studies - Deinonychus. It appeared that the creature was covered with feathers in certain places on its body, but it was impossible to get a good look at any details, for it was soon placed inside by the men, who had been dressed in camouflage gear. As the lifters began to close the door, the siblings moved in for a closer look, hunched down and crawling behind one of two, thin, tall buildings which appeared to be communications towers, leaves and mud encrusted on the knees of their pants from kneeling on the ground.
Now closer than before, they were able to just barely make out the words of a man that was standing in the bed of a long vehicle with a crane, which was attached to the top of the cage. This man appeared to be overseeing the capture, and had raised a radio from his belt pouch to his mouth to exchange dialogue with someone on the other end of the line. Eager to understand exactly what the head of the group was saying, the Rockwells crawled just a little closer, still wary not be seen or heard against the sound of the cage being locked. They perked their ears up, managing to hear the final words of the head's conversation.
"I'll send it to the location you previously disclosed," he said in a gruff voice. "Just be sure to have the chip arrive on schedule to meet the animal." At that, the radio contact was ended, and the cage was quickly loaded into the behind of the vehicle as the brothers stared in confusion as to just what was going on, eventually deciding to return to their hidden truck and leave before being spotted.
~ Please Comment ~
6/29/2002 12:22:35 AM
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