|
Dark Dawn: Leviathans II - Special Edition (Feature Presentation Part 1)
By Vader
DARK DAWN: Leviathans II
PROLOGUE: PART A - Disaster
He sat at in a wooden chair, which was scarred with all sorts of scratches, carvings, and chips that had happened to it throughout the years, leaning over his desk, his fingers resting upon his warm forehead, his face hanging low to stare with deep regret, resentment, and remorse at a stack of bills that were placed before him as the gloom from outside showered over his hunched body.
He remembered when he had first started excavations up north, decades ago. He hadn’t gone to a college or a university for any formal training. Rather, he had chose to take a bold move by studying and starting out all on his own instead, beginning his digging by himself and gradually bringing in other young people to become part of his team. The result was that his work of paleontology began to bloom. While he was mainly concerned with the finding of ice age mammals, such as the woolly mammoth, he had taken a quick trip to Brazil to meet with a student that would possibly be interested in becoming part of his then-small organization.
It was in that trip that he had curiously ventured into the wilderness of jungles, rivers, and swamps. It was in that trip that he uncovered the single, most important find of his life - the discovery that literally changed his world forever. He had found several small nests throughout a remote area of the country, which contained already hatched eggs inside. After further exploration, he soon found that several species of a very unusual sort were beginning to prosper in that general location and he could only make an assumption as to where they had come from.
Astounded at the thought of being able to come here to research these creatures - live and up close - he had immediately set to work on building an on-site facility, knowing how important it was to keep it a secret for fear that the eventual result would be a forced shut-down. In an effort to conceal this massive project which his organization had begun to work on, he’d created a front to his entire excavating and researching business, establishing a fake company with a false name to handle all contact with other businesses and museums concerning the other ice age findings that were going on in the northern part of the world.
He had enthusiastically set out to recruit as many people with natural scientific interests as possible for his research facility in Brazil - built for the sole purpose of having studies on the behavior and lives of the beautiful, living, prehistoric creatures that had been revealed to roam in that area. Once gathering all the workers for the project, he had set strict borders to encompass the location for all research, instructing not to cage the leviathans, but to do their best at keeping them from escaping the grounds. A contract was signed to keep everyone in his team - both the workers in the polar north and those in Brazil - from informing anyone else outside of that inner circle. Once all was set, he called the Brazilian facility “Pangaea”, naming it after the single continent the Earth once contained in its extremely early stages.
He could remember vividly his feelings at that time. He had felt that his life was in total fulfillment, that the circle was complete, somehow, and that a void had been filled. He was so happy and so giddy to be the head of the entire organization, making trips between his luxurious home in Arizona and his two research sites in opposite ends of the globe. It was a life he wouldn’t trade for anything - being able to spend plenty of time with the family members he loved dearly, and being able to make a living, although in secret, by doing the job he adored most of all.
Troubles came and went frequently throughout the course. The failure of artificial intelligence inserts were a perfect example of just what kind of problems were going on - the pack of Deinonychus that had been experimented on with these inserts had been destroyed easily, only leaving one of its kind to exist in the research area that hadn’t been used. But that certainly wasn’t the end of several such serious dilemmas Pangaea experienced that needed to be corrected. Complications were piling up as he continued to use the fake company as a front to the rest of his dealings, making sure to mask himself to leave no opportunity for a government to uncover what was being done in Pangaea, while at the same time making arrangements for him to make profit from selling finds to museums throughout all kinds of technicalities. And in one, last, final effort to correct all those problems . . . it backfired.
His world, as he knew it, ended.
Tragic death counts were despicable.
His dream, even from boyhood, was brought to a close.
Pangaea was abandoned.
After the gut-wrenching experience of disaster, every single worker left in his organization and quit immediately. The false front company was disposed of after the complete halt of the work done. The entire project, as a whole, failed quicker that he could have ever imagined it. He had spent so many years building it up, yet it was torn down within a matter of days. There was no future for him in paleontology afterwards - he had gone broke, he was without any records of training in a particular field, and he had no evidence that he’d worked on excavation in the past due to his company’s machinations. Still, all that had happened at Pangaea was kept secret - yet he lived in fear that perhaps the secret would be revealed, paranoid that he had not covered his steps as well as he should have.
That all led up to the time and place he was sitting at now. Edward Drakon was inside his small bedroom, within his tiny house, which was enclosed in a rather poor neighborhood. They had moved in only recently, and he had been put in an especially glum mood by the current circumstances. Why did it have to be this way? Why did his dream have to die? Why did his life have to take such a drastic and negative turn?
Tears sprang to his eyes at the thought of all that had been lost - his job, his career, his research, his friends, his comrades, his life itself. Here he sat at a dead end, deep in debt and still unable to provide for his family.
His hands began to rapidly shake from exhaustion; beads of sweat formed on his furrowed brow; his breathing rate sped as nervousness and hopelessness overcame him. He leaned down, resting his forehead on the top of his desk, running his palms through his unwashed hair, closing his eyes and giving a long, uneven sigh as a lump came into his throat.
“Honey?” came the soft, feminine voice from the other end of the room. Drakon raised his head up, his thoughts interrupted.
“L- . . . Laura?” he gulped. His wife stepped forward, easing her hand across his back, and leaning close, giving him a warm hug, closing her eye-lids with a heavy exhale. “Laura, I will find a way . . .”
“There’s not much hope of going back to the old way, Ed. I’m sorry, but there just isn’t,” she told him in a whisper, bringing herself back just a bit to look at him in the eyes. “Maybe if we each took a job,” she suggested, trying to be positive, but only coming across as being depressed. “I hear that diner down the street is hiring now, and maybe you could find a job at the market, and maybe Nathaniel-”
“But that still wouldn’t be enough to provide for all of us,” Drakon told her, his voice beginning to collapse from the emotional torment. His wife shook her head, finally, lowering it.
“No . . . it’s not,” she admitted. “But there isn’t anything we can do, Ed-”
“Yes, I will find a way. I will!” Drakon shook his head frantically, refusing to except the inevitable.
“Edward, there just isn’t . . . there is no way,” Laura protested, tears beginning to creep into the edges of her eyelids. Drakon continued to shake his head to the side, taking her hands, his messy hair hanging over the top of his face, stained with the wetness of sweat and tears.
“No, no, no, no,” he demanded, turning her chin up to face him with his right hand, staring, “No, Laura. I will find a way, I don’t care what it takes. You and Nathaniel are the single, only reason I am alive right now. I swear . . . I would’ve thrown myself into that chasm after the trams to end it all - I wanted to, I was ready to. But I kept myself alive because I knew I had to take care of you and provide for you and love you. You two are the sole reason I am alive,” he told her with heartfelt words, emphasizing every syllable, leaning in close to her face, his own features turning into a mix of anguish and unsure determination to deliver his next words.
“And I promise, I will take any risks at all to find a way to take care of you . . . no matter how drastic . . .”
PROLOGUE: PART B - Coming Home
A sleek, silver-tinted Mercedes rolled up into the driveway of a blue-colored, two story home, located near Balboa Park in San Diego, California at ten o’ clock at night. The vehicle came to a stop and the headlights dimmed as the driver’s side door opened. Out stepped a woman of about twenty-nine years of age, strikingly beautiful, with slightly long, flowing blonde hair, and in extremely shapely figure. She was dressed in olive-green clothing, with the emblem of the Zoological Society of San Diego marked across her button-down shirt’s sleeve. The door was closed and the attractive woman made her way across the small stony walkway that led across her green lawn to the doorway.
She turned and reached into her purse, pulling out her keys in a jingle with a loud, tired, and exasperated sigh. Brushing the hair from her eyes, she squinted, staring at the lock, and placed the key inside. As she began to turn, the door opened with a small creak, and she looked up to see a familiar man with a rather muscular build, short brown hair, wearing a tank top and some boxers. They flashed each other smiles as the door opened wider to allow the woman to come in. “Hi, honey!” she told him with affection, slipping her arms around his neck to give him an appreciative hug, releasing another tired exhale in doing so. “I missed you today.”
“So did I, Piper,” the man replied with a smile, patting her on the back. “Why are you home so late? Did everything go alright today at the zoo?” Piper pulled herself backwards to look her husband in the eye, stroking her hanging hear behind her ear.
“Oh, one of the rhinos was giving birth. It took us forever to get it relocated from its paddock to the hospital and deal with the delivery,” she explained as he offered to start massaging her shoulders. “I swear, she must have kicked me three times. I’m not really hurt or anything, but all my muscles are incredibly sore . . .” she trailed off, her thoughts turning to the image of the infant that had been born that day. “Still, I must admit, it was satisfying to see that new life come into the world.” A smile streaked across her face as she continued to recall the image, when she was startled as her husband massaged an area that was incredibly stiff. “Ooh . . Gavin, watch it!” she flinched.
“Oh, sorry,” he replied, pulling her closer. They stared at each other for a moment, looking at each other with deep admiration. “You want to make it all better?” he smirked, motioning across the hallway with a tilt of his head. At that inquiry, her smile grew as she let out a small chuckle.
“Oh, yes,” she laughed as she pulled away and sprinted down the hall while beginning to unbutton her shirt, with Gavin spinning and running after her, taking off his shirt as he entered the bedroom after her. He closed the door behind him, watching Piper pull the rest of her clothes off, revealing her sensual body underneath. She jumped into bed with another giggle as Gavin crawled in after her, wrapping his arms around her abs and hips, bringing her closer. They immediately engaged in intense kissing, clinging to each other with strong passion.
“I love you,” she told him, suddenly stopping him as he begun to move his lips down her body. “Wait, wait a second, babe,” she told him, putting her hands on his head and turning it up to look at him. “Thank you for all the support - I know its been a little exasperating lately. I really, deeply mean it,” she insisted, “I love you more than you know.”
“And I love you just as much, girl,” Gavin smiled. “I am so glad we found each other, and I’m also so glad we could start a family together,” he continued, putting strong feeling behind his words. The two star-crossed lovers looked deep into each others’ eyes, clinging to every second of time that was passing. “No way I can live without you,” he emphasized every single syllable. She then moved in, giving him another, long, intense kiss on the lips.
They began to resume their experience, wrapping their arms and legs around each other again when the relative quietness was broken by and ever-so-small knock on the door. They stopped their motions and listened, wondering if they’d just heard something. Again, the timid knock on the door came. The husband and wife quickly slipped on nightgown and night shirt from the dresser beside their bed, propping themselves up on their elbows. “Yes?” Piper answered when they finished
The door opened forward slowly, a tiny little hand grasping the doorknob. In stepped a small, adorable girl of about three years old, dressed in pink pajamas, her hair tied in cute pig-tails. Her hand grasped a stuffed animal that was nearly her own size, while her lip was curled outward, clearly showing she was on the verge of tears. “Mommy, Daddy?” she asked in an intimidated voice. “I heard a dinosaur in my closet. Can . . .”, she gulped to hold back her crying, then continuing, “Can I sleep with you?”
Piper and Gavin pivoted their heads to look at each other. Their look of surprise turned into amused smiles as they gave a shrug. They looked back to their little girl and patted the bed, motioning for her to come up. Overjoyed, the girl skipped forward and lunged into the covers. “Cuddle up now, Jezelle!” Piper grinned as Jake pulled the covers over the child. Once she was tucked in, both the parents curled up with their wide-eyed daughter.
“Goodnight, sweety,” Gavin whispered, kissing her forehead tenderly.
“Goodnight, Daddy. Goodnight, Mommy,” she smiled. The small girl turned on her side, still clinging to her stuffed animal, falling asleep in no time. The husband and wife looked up at each other, rubbing their feet together, giving a look that suggested ‘maybe tomorrow night.’ Mouthing to each other one last ‘I love you’, the mother and father slipped onto their backs and rested their heads in the pillows. And each fell into sleep, lying peacefully under the gleam of the moonlight that streamed through the bedroom window.
PROLOGUE: PART C - The Adventurers
Joel Rockwell stood in front of the mirror in his small bathroom, in a gray t-shirt and sweat pants, his bare feet standing atop the white tile floor, his hands feeling his unshaven chin and side-burns. Afterwards, he opened the cupboard above the mirror, drawing out the shaving cream and spraying a handful of it into his left hand palm, placing the bottle back into its place and rubbing the smooth lather across his scratchy face, spreading it evenly and being careful not to get it too thick. He was a man of about twenty-six and had striking features. His head was full of short, brown hair, cut in a butch-style fashion, and a pair of thin glasses rested atop the brim of his nose.
From behind, another young man, a few years younger than Joel, entered the bathroom, dressed in tan, corduroy jeans, and a gray sweat shirt, his quite long, wavy blonde hair combed straight back. His face and physique looked similar to Joel’s, but his clothing and his style were distinctively different. The sound of rock music flooded into the bathroom from the room behind them as the young man entered, leaning forward beside the sink to reach for his toothbrush and toothpaste while Joel finished putting the cream on his face and picked up his razor.
“Well, little bro,” Joel spoke as he started to shave on the right side of his face, being careful not to cut himself, “Just because we’re getting ready to leave on our trip doesn’t mean we can’t review some points from our college classes.”
“Oh please don’t let it be Geometry,” the other groaned as he spread the toothpaste across his toothbrush, ran it under the spicket water, as began to clean his mouth.
“Course not, Hayden. Why on earth would I put you in agony like that?” Joel sarcastically remarked. “I was thinking more . . . in the paleontology area. It is our major, and you know finals will becoming up soon after we get back from Brazil.”
“Start the quiz,” Hayden replied, his mouth full of toothpaste as he said so. Joel nodded, running his shaver under the water and bringing it back up to his chin to continue.
“Alright - first step in excavation. What do you do?” Hayden was about to say something, but then stopped himself, reconsidered for a split second, and then spoke.
“Well, of course the entire process of excavation depends on the finer details of the exact specimen you are digging up - every situation is different. However, in terms of the basic instructions and rules, the first step you do it set up a grid system all around the specimen. That way, you are able to snap some more photos and pinpoint on maps exactly where the bones found.”
“Good, good. Then what?”
“You’ll have to clear away the sediments on the surface, but be sure to leave three feet of space between each bone. As each is exposed, cover it in polyvinyl acetates and document the findings with the camera.”
“Good job - nice to see you can remember something,” Joel teased.
“Yeah, well look who’s talking,” Hayden spat back in a playful manner.
“Okay, okay, back on track. What’s next?”
“Continue to dig around the bone until it is propped on sediment from underneath. Then, you’ll have to use either paper or aluminum foil to cover it in order to separate it from what will be put on next - burlap reinforced plaster of Paris.”
“Or?”
“Um . . . oh yeah a substance of linen products. And then you have to turn the specimen over and over again until you cover the entire thing using that process - the resulting amount of rock and plaster will determine how reinforcing will be needed in order to lift it safely.”
“You skipped something.”
“Huh? No I didn’t.”
“Yes you did. Remember - you must take samples of the sediment from underneath the bone where the rock hasn’t been exposed to air yet. Then you seal them in an airtight container to serve as your pollen samples.”
“Oh, yeah, right. I knew that.” Joel rolled his eyes and smirked.
“Next step?”
“Well, when am I going to quiz you?” Hayden balked as Joel finished his shaving and began to wipe his face off with a moist face cloth.
“You can quiz me later. Now what’s next?” Hayden spat out his toothpaste and rinsed off his toothbrush.
“Then you have to transport it of course. Generally, wooden planks are used to lift it up, but if the block is over 500 pounds, then you’ll need to use anything stronger.” Joel shook his head in affirmation, finishing wiping his face with water and was then drying it off. “Now,” Hayden began, putting his toothbrush back. “Let me grill you!”
“Fine - start spewing, General Inferiority Complex,” Joel laughed. Hayden couldn’t help but crack a smile at that tease.
“Oh you’ll pay for that one,” he chuckled, trying to maintain his outburst of laughter. He darted into the other room, sweeping up a pillow from one of the two separate beds in the room and pounding it over Joel’s head, slamming him to the floor.
“I can understand your feelings - I was always better at the paleontology orientations at the museum,” Joel continued to pick on him with a chuckle as he threw Hayden to the floor beside him.
“Yeah, well I always was better at remembering the sauropod names when we were kids!” Hayden shot back, laying a punch to the abdominal area in retaliation. At that, Joel stopped, suddenly out of the mood for a good old, light-hearted, brother brawl. Hayden looked at him, his attitude changing as he sensed his older brother contemplating something. “What is it?”
“You just made me remember all that fun we had when we were only in elementary school,” Joel gave a lop-sided smile, propping himself up on the side of his own bed. “Remember how we always used to try and quiz each other on the dinosaur names? And you could never could pronounce Carcharodontosaurus whenever you read it out of our book, you would always say “Car-churro-saurus” - and man, you some lisp back then too.” The two brothers both started to grin with amusement at the thought.
“And hey! Remember how we always used to play we were digging up fossils in the backyard with our shovel? And that one time, we were digging near the tree and hit one of the roots - we ran inside and told mom we found a T. Rex leg bone. She kept insisting it was only a root, but we refused to believe it,” Hayden recalled.
“Yeah . . . those were some good times. I never doubted I wanted to be a paleontologist when I grew up, back then.” As they sat there, thinking, Joel suddenly realized where the time was going. “Oh, damn,” he breathed, looking down at his watch. “We’d better grab our bags, almost time to go.” At that, both of them darted up in an extreme hurry, quickly whipping their bags into their arms and rushing out the door, leaving the dorm in silence.
Whenever I write a prologue for my stories, my main goal is to introduce the main characters in an intriguing way that will cause the reader to want to read more about them. The challenge that I was presented with in this particular story, was that each set of characters are in different locations, forcing me to break in between each setting, producing an opening with an incurable disjointed feel. At the time, all I was focusing on was to introduce and develop the personalities immediately, since starting in the next act, each person begins a journey (whether emotional or physical), and it was important to me to have the readers care about the main players right off the bat. Another level of work that was put into the characters: basing them on real people. Drakon, while the least reality oriented, is similar to my uncle. Piper and Gavin’s relationship was based on my girlfriend and mine’s union. And last but not least, Hayden and Joel were based entirely off of my brother and mine’s interaction when we were kids. In my opinion, doing this enhances the feeling of those in the story being genuine.
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 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. His 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 fairing 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 breath. 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 survival gear placed 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, exotic 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 cozy 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. Would you like some background information?” Joel and Hayden eagerly and curiously nodded.
“Well, 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, death, 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 . . . what’s the word, oh, ‘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 culture 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 off the engine and stepped out, waving to everyone, who returned 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 forward, 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 harsh 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 cracks 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 . . . um, 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 views it as a myth . . .” he trailed off, as if questioning his own perspective 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 mustered 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 survival 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 vehicle’s 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 lap. “We got up extremely early and we didn’t even see Manuel leave. He must’ve gone 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 the smell his 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 great to do some hiking over there, huh?”
“You bet.” The younger brother then stopped, looking at his siblinh, 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 hang out 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, 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 cost 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 in front 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 foliage.
“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 dead 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 to 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 scene so absolutely astounding, it caused 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 mysterious 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 was 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 abyss. 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, from a distance, resembled 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 individual 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 terminated, 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.
Writing this chapter was incredibly difficult, primarily because it required me to go back and review several pieces of literature before I began. In an effort to meticulously actualize my descriptions of the South American continent, I often times referred to an atlas to pinpoint cities, rivers, and providences. To fulfill my goal of inserting a sequence that would educate the audience about something they may not have known before (to parallel the well-known “evolution debate” in Leviathans), I spent hours researching the location, culture, religion, and lifestyle of South American native tribes. The third and one of the most important forms of research I did for Dark Dawn was going back to take an idea from an abandoned concept that had been in the original-draft-plan from Leviathans, and re-incorporate it into the sequel –a raptor sneaking onto the outskirts of a native village to attack one of its inhabitants, obviously revised to fit into the premise of Dark Dawn. Finally, I re-read the tram chase climax from the predecessor to refresh my memory of each set piece that was involved in the race to the helicopter landing pad. Next, while writing, I reversed the order in which these set pieces were seen in the original (since Joel and Hayden were following the path of the tram in a different order), and changed my descriptions of the locations’ features to visualize and older, aged, and dirtied world of Pangaea. All of this contributed to a accurate re-telling of Pangaea, harmonizing with the first story.
ACT II: PART A - Zoological Delivery
Piper Sealey stood in front of her kitchen sink, picking up a stack of dishes, cups, and bowls and lowering it into steaming, soapy water to soak. She reached over, putting the last of the clean dishes away into the cupboard, afterwards reaching for the clothe that hung on a ring above the faucet to dry her hands.
She’d gotten up quite early that morning, as she always did, to take a shower and get dressed into her clothes for work, then heading to her quaint little kitchen to prepare a good breakfast for her husband and small daughter. Gavin had ate up his food readily by the time little Jezelle had awoken, still clinging to her stuffed animal, which she slept with every night. Gavin had given her a kiss, heading into the bathroom to shave and then put on a suit and tie for his day at the office.
With an deep inhale and then an exhale, Piper hung the cloth back up and turned to look at her little girl, who sat atop a booster seat pushed to the edge of the table, leaning over to carefully dip her spoon into a bowl of milk and cereal, making sure not to spill even a drip. A small smile came to the mother’s face as memories then came back into her mind of when Jezelle had been born - the vision of that tiny bundle of brand-new life being handed to her just after the delivery, her heart swelling in a tremendous emotion of seeing her child for the first time. She’d glanced up at Gavin, who’d had the same look on his face as her, and then shifted her gaze back down the little baby. In that moment, all kinds of thoughts had gone through her head concerning how beautiful the infant was and how she would turn out to be in the future.
And now, three years later, it brought her such joy to see the child grow up. In fact, it was all passing by so fast - it was incredibly hard for her to believe that she had already turned 3 years of age. It seemed like the minute she’d told Gavin she was first pregnant was just yesterday. Time . . . it went by so fast . . . and life was so short . . .
She was at least glad that she could be a mother to such a wonderful girl. Then, she recalled a bit of news that she had learned yesterday and wanted to divulge to Jezelle. She walked over, leaning close to her toddler. “Hey, honey, I forgot to tell you some very good news,” she spoke, causing the little girl to immediately drop her spoon and turn to face her parent right away.
“What is it?” she asked eagerly.
“Well, in just a month, I get to take you to work with me at the Zoo!” Jezelle’s eyes immediately grew wide as she jumped out of her seat emphatically.
“You mean I get to work with you and the animals?!”
“That’s right, hon!” Jezelle leapt forward to give her mother a massive hug.
“I can’t wait, I can’t wait, I can’t wait!” she repeated, jumping up and down, abandoning whatever she had been thinking of previously. Piper knew how much her daughter loved to visit the zoo whenever she could, so it was expected that a full day working with her mother behind the scenes would be particularly special to her.
“Neither can I - promise you I’ll show you the best time you’ve ever had at the zoo,” Piper told her, rubbing the child’s back just as her husband entered the room from the hallway, slipping a file into his maroon, leather briefcase, and then snapping it shut to carry it at his right side.
“My, my, you look really handsome today,” Piper playfully told him, standing up from her stoop and leaning forward to put her hands on Gavin’s shoulder and give him a passionate kiss on the lips. She leaned close to his ear, so that Jezelle would not hear. “That was great last night,” she whispered, with the result of a chuckle from her husband and a slap on the lower back.
Gavin winked at her and then released himself from the hug, turning to his daughter to scoop her up in his arms. “Come on, hon. Time to drop you off at daycare,” he told her with a tickle to the stomach. He looked back to Piper, “I’ll see you tonight, babe.”
“Alright, bye, you two! Have a good day at the office, Gav,” she told them finally with a wave goodbye. She turned to take up the cereal bowl, putting it with the other dirty dishes, wiping off a few specks of milk Jezelle had dropped in her eating. After the final cleanup, she glanced at her watch, noticing that it was definitely time to leave for work.
Once double-checking she had her radio with her, hooked to her belt, Piper grabbed her car keys from a rack that hung by the back door and exited. She turned around on her doorstep to lock herself out, and then spun back to head down the sidewalk, under their trellis that separated their backyard from their driveway, and walked up to her Mercedes. She unlocked the door and the climbed in, turning on the engine once buckled up. After the whir of the cylinders started up, she slowly pulled out her property, turning to her right to drive across the street.
She took a turn onto the boulevard after waiting for a break in traffic for a second - it wasn’t entirely busy on the road that morning due to the earliness of the hour. She continued to drive along the street, entering the vicinity of Balboa Park, which was covered with green lawns, tall eucalyptus trees lining the roadway to her left, and several structures that had been built back in the early 1900's during the World Fair - whether it was theaters, museums, or visitor’s centers. As she drove, she looked out at the orange sunrise over the canyon to her far left, the black outlines of the trees etched across the brightly lit sky.
After a bit longer, the entryway to the San Diego Zoo came up, heralded by a rectangular sign standing among a bed of colorful flowers. She flipped her blinkers on, turning down the road and across the massive parking lot. Standing among the flat, wide area for the parking of vehicles was one, tall, newly-added, three-story parking complex - built to ensure more space for visitors. She drove past it, heading forwards, also bypassing two giant bushes trimmed to look like elephants that stood over the actual ticket booths and entrance inside the zoo. She finally pulled into a parking space especially reserved for workers, across from the Zoological Soceity of San Diego Administrative Building Facility - a two story, dark brown building that stood within a forest of ferns and palm trees, also placed alongside a back entrance into the zoo for employees only.
Piper exited her car and made her way across the sidewalk just as the mist from early morning in the immediate area began to fade. She pulled the radio up from its clinging to her belt, speaking into the receiver. “This is Piper Sealy, reporting in,” she said formally, pressing the button on the top-left corner near the antenna.
“Good morning. Firstly, please head to the western bird aviary for the checking up on the Kiwis’ faring,” came a reply, slightly obscured by static.
“Ten four,” Piper returned, placing the radio back on her belt as she reached into her pocket to pull out a large set of keys with a bright orange key chain hooked on to identify they belonged to her. She reached the back entrance after passing by the Admin building, and placed one of the keys into the hole on the gate, turning it, and unlocking it. With a buzz, the gate opened, and she entered inside. After turning a bend, she was faced with a small lot filled with patrol vehicles, worker trucks, and large cars with trailers hooked on. She headed for one of the patrol vehicles, which were white and each seated two. With another key on her set, she turned on the engine, quickly backing out, and heading down a narrow roadway that led back to the main public area of the Zoo.
Driving along a wide brim that broke off from the main, visitor entryway to the park, she passed by the Giant Panda exhibition and a wide, long, section of dirt, which was being reserved for a future aviary to be built there for monkeys, scheduled to arrive soon. She reached the western aviary soon enough, parking on a balcony that overlooked a low-lying tropical plant filled ledge, which in turn overlooked a waterfall that flowed into the rest of the giant aviary. She stepped out, unlocked yet another gate to enter an location marked “Authorized Personnel Only”, to step onto the ledge.
She ducked down among the ferns, simultaneously taking out the small notebook and camera from her pocket and bringing it up towards her head, resting on her elbows. She barely moved forward, sticking her head through a fern in front of her to see a pair of Kiwi birds - small, brown, furry animals with thin orange beaks and feet - gathered around a small nest, made from twigs and fallen leaves, nestled among the bushes. She gave a lop-sided smile, looking through the camera lens and snapping a few shots, just before she was interrupted by a voice from behind.
“Piper Sealy?” a man’s voice spoke. She was slightly startled, but nonetheless kept her cool, bringing herself up, trying to remain quiet to not disturb the Kiwi, and then turned to face a man, the one who had spoken to her, and a woman, who both stood in front of a worker’s tuck they had just pulled up in that was just outside the cage, recognizable as employees of the Zoo who mainly worked around the aviaries.
“Yes?” she replied. The two people reached behind to open up the truck and pull forth from its depths a long, metal cage, 6 feet by 6 feet, out into the morning light.
“This animal arrived this morning. It is something that may be of interest to the zoo,” the woman replied. Piper’s gaze immediately turned to the one slit in the cage that faced her, for standing out among the darkness within, was a single, gleaming, orange and yellow eye that was staring it her. A low, threatening purr began to resonate from inside, as Piper glowered for just a moment longer - in confusion, surprise, and wonder - and then gestured for the animal to be brought outside and be taken to the Administrative Offices.
ACT II: PART B – Meeting
Piper sat in on the side of a wide, oblong table, its wood polished to give reflection of the lights the shone from the ceiling of the room. Next to her sat several zoo employees, all in generally the same uniform, and the across the table sat two of the most important figures in this meeting - Jonah Crockford and Joan Westerfeld.
Crockford was the head of the Zoological Society of San Diego, overseeing most of its operations and had a rather large office just above that board room meeting place. He had black hair, which had begun to gray, and an already grey mustache, dressed in a blue suit and tie with a white button-down shirt underneath. Westerfeld was one of the Zoo’s main lawyers, and was often consulted when legal matters were of the utmost importance and would fight for the Society in court whenever such would be needed. She was rather pretty, around forty years of age, with short, brown hair, and wore a blue dress with a gold shirt underneath.
Both of them would prove to be essential in the arrival of the brand new animal they had received that morning. Piper still could not get that image out of her head of that one, gleaming eye staring out, threatening her with a haunting sound. That vision was broken as two more individuals entered the room, dressed in black jackets and pants with grey overcoats. They both immediately removed from their belt two leather cases, flipping them open to reveal law enforcement badges. “I’m Agent John Reno,” the older one of the men spoke, around fifty years of age with handsome features and grey hair, turning to his accomplice that stood next to him. “This is Agent Ronald Key,” he introduced the younger man, who had a cross between blonde and red hair, and looked to be around 30 years of age.
“Thank you for coming, gentlemen,” Crockford reached out to shake their hands, motioning at a pair of chairs for the newcomers to sit down. “Were you shown the animal by the guards waiting out front?”
“Yes, we did. Impressive,” Key replied with a nod.
“Good. Now let’s get down to business.” Westerfeld reached for several pieces of paper that had been resting in the center of the table, pulling it towards her, Crockford, and the agents.
“This is the contract that was sent to us with the animal. It actually starts with an explanation of where exactly they found it - they claim in the vicinity of Death Valley, California. From what they say in the document, it appears they do not know of the creature’s source, and that there was nothing there to indicate if it belonged to anyone or any company,” she explained. Reno raised his hand to scratch his stubble-covered chin.
“In what way, exactly, did they find it?” he asked curiously.
“In the same cage in which it was sent to us, here. They said it had been hidden within the sand dune areas in the eastern area of the Valley, but that they could not pinpoint the exact spot.”
“Huh,” Key shook his head. “I wonder what they were doing in Death Valley anyway.”
“Who knows,” Crockford replied. “They are a rather mysterious company - RiCorp Insurance they are called. They say they have no use whatsoever for such a beast, and are willing to turn it over to us for a fee of 2 million dollars.”
“I see,” the agent understood. But then, Crockford put his hand down on the table to denote something else.
“That isn’t all,” he then turned to Piper, gesturing in a forward motion. “Piper? Bring out the chip.” At that, she reached down into a protective bag that rested beside her, placing it atop the table, unfolding the bottom end, carefully reaching inside, grasping the feeling of cool metal to pull out the object. Everyone stared at what looked to be a computer ship, mostly silver, but displaying some shades of green and orange in the center, only 5 centimeters long and 3 centimeters wide. “This is what is called an Artificial Intelligence Insert - it was also found with the cage. The contract states that if inserted into the space behind the animal’s brain and if hooked up properly beside the veins, it could actually control the body’s actions!”
The two agents were immediately suspicious. “How?” Key asked.
“Well, it would take extremely technical surgery to place the insert into the spot it should be in. But once in place, they claim it will do marvels. Everything a life form does - jumping, running, even moving a finger - is done by lightning fast signals moving between the brain and the body part that is moved. Those signals can be halted by the A.I.I. chip, and the chip itself can actually send its own signals to different areas of the body. The bottom line is, that if the chip is inserted and activated, you may have complete control of the animal - all of its thoughts, movements, and actions.”
“At least that is what RiCorp says,” Westerfeld added.
“Yes, of course,” Crockford agreed. The two agents seemed to grunt at the same time, turning to look at each other knowingly, and then facing back at Crockford.
“Mr. Crockford, I shall get right to the question that I wish to ask: Do you want this animal and this insert for the Zoo?”
Piper’s eyes drifted between the agent and her boss, the head of the Society, in anticipation of the answer, until finally, Jonah spoke up. “Yes. I myself feel it would be an important and groundbreaking addition to the San Diego Zoo, and all of my colleagues I have consulted feel the same. Of course, before signing the contract, we would want to test out the insert first - actually RiCorp has made allowances for this.”
“Very well then,” Reno nodded, seeming to be not all that happy about the reply. “However, before signing, allow us and the FBI to look into this matter - I feel it would be important to search the general location they claim to have found the animal in and look into the background of the company itself. In that way, if any obstruction of the truth or criminal acts were found, you would know of it before crossing the “t”s and dotting the “i”s. But until we report back to you with the results, keep this entire matter out of the public’s eye. Understood?”
“Absolutely, Agent Reno. We are grateful for your help,” Crockford shook the gruff-looking man’s hand again.
Piper had watched the entire conversation take place right before her eyes. Everything about it - the animal itself, the insert, the exhibition - would be the most revolutionary feature any zoo in the entire world, both past and present, had ever experienced. She knew that nothing had been confirmed just yet, but she could not help feeling excited about the possibilities . . . the endless possibilities . . .
* * *
The room’s walls were completely white, having a faint blue lighting due to the lamps that had been stationed high above. The cold beams blared down upon the center of the room, where lying on a long, bright, cot, was the body of a creature about 11 feet long and 3 feet high at the hips. Its skin was scaly and dark orange, yet patches of feathers were found in places like the back of the arms, around the neck, and along the spine. The body sported a lengthy tale, strongly built legs, each having an abnormally-sized, lethal foot claw, and slender arms which carried their own set of thin claws. Its mouth was barely open, hardly revealing over sixty, razor-sharp fangs.
And yet, while appearing to be so incredibly dangerous, the animal, for the moment, was virtually helpless in its tranquilized state. Surrounding it were three medical assistants, each with tables full of medical tools at their side. At that time, the animal doctor entered the room through the door on the left wall as employees outside watched through a glass panel. The doctor, dressed in a light-blue robe and a mask to cover his face, lay a transparent, turquoise-tinted, protective bag upon the table, underneath the animal.
He motioned for the assistant at his side to hand him one of the tools from the platforms, and a sharp, metal device was plopped into his palm. He grasped the handle, bringing it forward and placing the tip of it on the top of the back of the neck, just under the actual skull. After waiting a moment, he pressed down, cutting into the skin, the gleaming metal becoming immersed in red liquid. He cut in a small circle, tearing the outer layer open carefully. Finally, he removed the tool, handing it back to his helper and tipping the cut flap of skin backwards, to reveal a sea of muscle tissue and nerves underneath.
He reached out again, expecting another tool, examining the life-form’s insides at the same time. After receiving what he wanted, he steadily lowered the device to the nerves, holding it above them just before snipping them apart, causing the feet, hands, and tale of the animal to suddenly go into convulsions. Quickly, his swooped up the bag he had brought, taking out the shining computer chip and carefully placing it in between the severed nerves. He mended the nerves together, bringing both sides into the front and back end of the chip and inserting them within small spaces provided.
He turned to the window panel, giving a thumbs-up to the men outside, and suddenly, there was a low hum, as a tiny, red light buzzed on the top of the chip to indicate its power having been erected. Within seconds, the convolutions of the animal had stopped, and stitching up of the cut skin began. The surgery was a success.
ACT II: PART C - Testing and Results
Piper sat in a comfortable, leather office chair among two other specialists, in front of a control panel, filled with all kinds of buttons, switches, levers, and monitors. In front of them, outside of the shed, through a window, was a wide, grey room, built for testing matters that would require specious area, but could not be done in an outside, public environment. The man to her left, moved his hand forward, pressing a button, several lights to begin blinking around them and a technical readout of a computer chip to come up on the screen before them - the A.I.I.
Piper gazed at it until her attention was drawn to a long, iron cage that was being lowered downward to the floor. Through the slits, she could make out the outline of the animal that would be used in the test. It stared hungrily at a slab of meat that had been placed far across to the other side of the room as bait, ready to sink its teeth into the tempting, mouth-watering, juicy morsel. Attentively, everyone watched in complete silence as the cage sat on the ground, the animal’s muscles tensing and contracting, preparing to sprint for the food.
All at once, the silence was broken, as the cage door slammed open, and the creature lunged out with a load, starved, shriek. It ran at an incredibly fast rate, almost near the food it so strongly desired. And then, all at once, the specialist flipped a lever downward, causing the animal to suddenly stop dead in its tracks, falling to the ground with forceful momentum as the readout of the insert blinked a red color on the monitor within the control room. The power of the A.I.I. had been activated.
All at once, the controller released his grip on the lever, allowing the animal to get up, albeit confusedly, preparing its muscles to pounce forward atop the meat. Once springing itself into the air, the controller flipped the lever again, making the animal fall flat on its face with a groan. After detaining it to the floor, the second specialist pressed several buttons in a flurry, and right before Piper’s eyes, the animal got up, trotting backwards to where it came from, into the cage. After the door was shut, the lever was released, freeing the animal of their ultimate control as the detaining device was lifted upwards once again.
Piper could not help but feel slightly . . . bad for the animal, denying it of its food as they had. “Make sure it gets a proper meal,” she told the man to her right, feeling a little less guilty than before as a result. Afterwards, all other concerns had been temporarily placed into the back of her mind at sheer amazement of watching what had been done. “It works . . .” she whispered to herself.
* * *
The Zoo had complied with the FBI’s wishes, promising not to sign the contract that had been sent from RiCorp until further notice. Days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months, Spring turned to Summer, until finally, a full thirty days after the first meeting in the board room had been held, a second one was called by Agents Reno and Key, requiring all participants and onlookers from the first get-together to return for the next discussion. At the news of such a request, all the Zoological Society of San Diego’s employees were struck with an instant wave of wonder at how the investigation’s results had turned out.
Nobody was more anticipatory than Piper Sealy, who had been awestruck and enchanted with the thought of displaying such a magnificent creature inside the most widely praised and famed zoo in the world. Of course, she was left in the dark as to the very origins of the carnivore, but she was more concerned about its fate - she desperately wanted the Zoo to own it. In her mind, the insert chip that had been included opened up a far larger opportunity than just having the creature put inside of a cage or aviary. As long as they could have complete control over that animal’s body they would not even have to set up fences - they could allow the people to see it without having to watch behind glass or bars. If that plan were as successful as she could see it being, then the same could be incorporated with every other animal in the zoo - from the lions, to the tigers, to the hippos. It could even happen within every animal park in the world - a worldwide revolution.
Yet, she kept these dreams to herself for the moment, as she sat at the table in the very same meeting room as before. Once again, Crockford, Westerfeld, and the other employees sat in the same spots. It was as if no time had drifted by since the last meeting. And then, the moment finally came, as the two, familiar agents strut into the room, stern looks upon their faces. They each took a seat, all pleasantries aside. “Thank you, everyone, for coming back once again - I wish to speak to all who were here the last time,” Reno began, to the affirmative nods of everyone else.
The senior agent paused, giving a long heavy sigh, causing everyone else to believe that the findings had been incredibly negative. But after such a bleak facial expression, he next words were a shock the employees of the Society. “Nothing was found to indicate that RiCorp was lying or had been involved in criminal acts. As far as our investigation shows, their story is true, and there is no way of telling how exactly the animal got to be in such a desolate desert. We’ve contacted several other agencies and businesses throughout the U.S. and have requested international support in doing the same - but nothing has turned up as to where the animal came from.”
“So this means we can sign the contract?” Crockford eagerly asked, leaning forward in his seat. The two agents did not look happy about the answer they were about to give at all, and Piper came to the conclusion they were strongly against the Zoo owning the creature.
“Yes, it does,” Key answered, to the relieved sighs and positive whispers from the Society’s members sitting across from him. “If you sign the contract, the animal legally belongs to you, as well as the A.I.I. insert.”
“Well,” Westerfeld grinned widely, bringing the contract forward once again, “Here’s to the Deinonychus!” Jonah’s eyes were twinkling like a little boy’s as he removed his expensive pen from his shirt pocket, spinning the top to cause the point to slip out of the curved bottom, and bringing it down atop the dotted line on the bottom of the legal document. Piper watched as he moved the point around, the ink etching into the grain of the paper the legitimate signature of the head of the Zoological Society of the San Diego, permanently. And that was it . . . it was done.
All at the table began to clap proudly at the new deal they’d made, a few even giving some cheers - everyone, that is, except for the glum and foreboding looking FBI agents.
This act really presented a mood and feel that wasn’t like anything in Leviathans, since the details of a scientific device and a legal matter had to be properly explained. For these scenes that involved technicalities of science, I wanted to give a very cold, heartless feeling to them, through descriptions of the location and the action, to contrast with later emotional & climactic scenes that would be described with vibrancy and passion. Also, since I live in San Diego, I visited the Zoo, and performed a walk-through of the path Piper would be taking in the story, describing my surroundings as I went. Once returning home, I incorporated it into the scene. Soon after, I began research, interviewing a law enforcement officer to discover the course they would likely take if presented with the type of situation which occurs in the story. Once again, this brought a certain level of reality I wanted for the plot, unparalleled by what measures I’d taken to do so in the first story.
~ Continue to Feature Presentation: Part 2 ~
4/18/2003 9:57:52 PM
(Updated: 4/18/2003 10:00:48 PM)
(Updated: 4/19/2003 1:12:20 AM)
Comment on this fan fiction!
|
|
|
