by Adam Carter
It was something which certainly could not hurt her case.
A roar shuddered through the trees then and a great mass appeared on their side of the river. Allen watched as the albertosaurus thundered through the trees, bearing down angrily upon them both. Allen and Garrel sprinted once more, keeping to the river, although the creature was too fast, the cover too sparse, and Allen knew in seconds its jaws would snap down upon them. A million thoughts rushed through his mind. He had made the decision to concentrate upon the living, not the dead, and so far as he was concerned Garrel was the epitome of living passion. She had a daughter she was fighting for, and she had to return home to win her back. Garrel was alive and knew how to live her life, while Allen had only just rediscovered what life was. When compared to Sara Garrel he had nothing, only promise, and that was not a good enough reason to lose Garrel to a dinosaur’s jaws.
He stopped running and turned around, standing his ground against the monster. It slowed as it reached him, perhaps expecting a trap, and stopped, staring down at its chosen prey. A moment later Allen heard Garrel screaming at him to move, although he could sense she was still hanging back out of the beast’s reach. He looked back to her and smiled.
“Just go,” he told her. “I got this one.”
Garrel stared back with tears to her eyes, her chest heaving in panic, her gaze darting between Allen and the dinosaur. She went to say something, but her words died in her throat.
Allen looked back to the albertosaurus and felt a strange sensation of having done the right thing. Then he balled his fists as though he was going to box the animal, and dropped into a crouch.
The mighty Titan had hesitated long enough and widening its massive jaws did it snap down upon its hapless prey.
The woods exploded, birds hurled in every direction from the trees, and the albertosaurus staggered back, blood arcing from its nose. Allen blinked, not understanding why he was still alive, and then heard the booming laughter behind him.
“Right on the chops!” Monroe enthused as he levelled a massive cannon in his grip. “Take that, you magnificent beast, you.”
For a moment Allen thought he had indeed died and gone straight to hell. Then he remembered Garrel was still nearby and that no matter what he needed to save her.
Running for her, he grabbed her by the arm and made to flee downriver, and she looked at him with confused, panicked eyes which revealed something of her he had never seen before. Respect, admiration even. He pulled her arm again, more forcefully, and she ran with him several paces just as Monroe moved ahead of them, between them and the dinosaur. The albertosaurus roared in pain and anger, not having understood the attack, and Monroe laughed, ramming another shot into his gun and shoving it down with a stick and a mixture of powder. Allen knew nothing about loading a gun but was sure that wasn’t the right way to go about things.
“Go on,” Monroe urged. “I’ve finally met a dinosaur and I’m not about to run away from it.” He fired again, the shot striking the dinosaur in the thigh and sending up an explosion of blood. It took a step backwards, uncertain what was happening, but Allen could see the rage building within it.
“Come on,” Allen urged. “That albertosaurus is about to explode.”
“Albertosaurus?” Monroe laughed. “Well, I never. Albert Monroe verses an albertosaurus. Extraordinary.” Even while he spoke he was shoving in another shot. “You two still here? Toddle off and let me have my fun. Go make beautiful babies or something. Miss Garrel: I’m not sure you’ve noticed, but the lad’s a mite sweet on you.”
Allen shook his head in wonder at this man. He was the same old Professor Monroe, yet in a bizarrely different fashion. He went to say something, to argue with Monroe, but Garrel grabbed Allen’s arm this time and tried to drag him from the area. “Come on, Tom.”
Allen ran. He did not know why, but he ran with Garrel, leaving Monroe to whatever he thought he was doing. He could hear the man laughing still, and another shot tore through the woods. It was all intermingled with roars from the dinosaur, although Allen could no longer tell what was happening.
He pulled his arm back, feeling suddenly guilty for having abandoned him. He and Garrel were exhausted, dripping with sweat and mire, and his mind was racing with what they had just done.
“Monroe’s going to get himself killed.”
“We don’t have any weapons,” Garrel said, her breathing ragged, her eyes wild. “What do you expect us to do? Wave our arms in the air?”
“We didn’t have any weapons before and still managed to outfox both creatures. I’m going back.”
“If you do you’ll die too.”
“At least I’ll die with a clear conscience.”
“Tom.” She grabbed his arm then, and he tried to shake it off, but her grip was too strong. Their faces were close enough now that he could see the genuine terror in her trembling eyes. He could also smell her natural odour, her body washed clean of perfumes and scent, and found it oddly pleasing. “Tom, I don’t want you to die.”
“Well, nor do I, oddly enough. But I’m not leaving a man behind in the woods.”
She released him, her back held straight, and he could see she was reaching a decision, could see he had touched her in a way he had never meant to. “You’re right,” she said. “God, you’re right. I never thought I’d learn anything from you, Tom, but ... You’re not the man I always took you for.”
He smiled, waited for more, although she made no move towards him. His grin faltered slightly. “You’re not going to kiss me are you?”
“No.”
“Oh.”
Garrel punched him playfully on the arm, which seemed to be her odd way of showing affection, and Allen watched as she headed back the way they had come. She had only taken two steps, however, before the trees parted and the albertosaurus lunged through. Its skin was pockmarked with injuries, and as it opened it jaws it was to reveal a sticky wet mess of torn flesh. There was intense hatred in its eyes now, for it had long passed the curious or even wary stages and had fallen into pain and rage. Allen hurled a rock at the thing, but the albertosaurus did not notice, mainly because the rock missed and fell in the river to hide from the monster. Garrel drew to a halt before it, indecision flashing in her eyes.
Allen froze, with no idea what to do. He watched as Garrel backpedalled, narrowly evading the first lunge of the beast. It was moving with a slight limp now, and Allen knew the pain was the only thing which had caused it to miss its first attempt upon her. He fought to think of something which might help her, but he had nothing upon him aside from his torch and very much doubted that would prove a potent weapon against the behemoth. His mind shot back to something Garrel had said earlier and realised it was the only thing he could do.
He began waving his arms and shouting.
The albertosaurus glanced his way in irritation, but it was only a momentary pause. It proved enough for Garrel to clamber another few metres away, although Allen could see she wasn’t going to make it. He needed something else and he needed it now.
An infuriated screech filled the air then and Allen saw something crashing through the river from the other side. The deltadromeus was marginally smaller than the albertosaurus, but it was not wounded and just as angry. This section of the river was narrower, only perhaps seven metres in width, and the deltadromeus tore through it as though it was a puddle. The water rose only to its thighs, splashing against the mighty creature in a vain attack which could cause no harm, and within moments the deltadromeus was across the river and snapping at the albertosaurus.
Allen was shocked, staring at the twisted scene as the deltadromeus roared with razor fangs at its wounded rival. The albertosaurus lost all interest in Garrel at this point and snapped back at its assailant. Garrel dropped low, throwing her hands over her head as the two Goliaths danced about her, their attention focused solely on the fray.
The deltadromeus was the first to make a lunge, tearing its teeth across the already wounded thigh of it
s foe. The albertosaurus made a lunge for its opponent’s exposed throat, but the deltadromeus pulled back, its statement made. Bellowing in indignation, the albertosaurus took a step forward, its claws almost tearing through Garrel where she desperately tried to regain her footing.
Taking a deep breath, Allen threw himself forward and ran until he reached her side. She stumbled and he could see she had twisted her ankle, so he threw her arm over his shoulders and hobbled with her as best he could. Allen had never won any prizes for his strength, but when the world about him was afire with furiously combatting monsters it was certainly an incentive which could get him moving.
“We’re not going to make it,” Garrel said through gritted teeth.
“I’m not leaving you.”
“Wasn’t asking you to. Go left.”
Allen looked to the left, but all he could see was the river. Then he jolted as Garrel pushed him and the two fell into the water. Allen gasped as the surprisingly strong current seized him. He glanced back at the two enraged animals tearing chunks out of each other, and realised they had not even noticed the departure of their prey. And then water sprayed in his face he felt himself go under. He came up spluttering, floundering with his arms, and was aware of something coiling around his chest. He strained to look behind him and saw Garrel was clinging to him. It increased their weight but he doubted it would slow them any.
Just as he was fearing they were going to drown it was all over and they were rolling in the grass, sputtering and coughing. Garrel had seen a bend in the river and had thrown the both of them free.
There were no trees ahead, for the woodland rose menacingly behind them. There was something there, however, and Allen looked upon it with a heavy heart. The copter which had brought Monroe to their rescue.
“We should still go back for him, you know,” Allen said.
“I know. But you also realise he’s dead, right?”
Allen did not like to think that, even though he knew it was true. “What he did for us was a good thing,” he told her.
“I never really liked him, but he made good in the end, Tom.”
Allen knew what had happened was terrible, but whenever Garrel used his first name it still sent a thrill running through him. He looked at her freezing body in her dripping, torn clothes, some of the mud washed from her face and hair now, and he was at once reminded why he had become so infatuated with her to begin with.
“Before we leave,” he said, “I just want you to know I love you.”
“I know you do, sweetie. But I have enough problems to worry about without adding you to them.”
Allen would have preferred it had she just slapped him in the face: at least it would have made physical contact between the two of them.
Garrel boarded the copter and started the engine. Allen followed, glancing back but once to the woodland. He heard a terrible cry resound from somewhere lost within the trees and wondered whether a victor had emerged from the horrific duel. It did not matter which survived, though, for they had lost Monroe regardless.
The copter rose into the air and Allen watched the woods recede. He could not help but feel a chapter in his life had ended and from hereon in things would be different for them all.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
It was with a heavy heart that Garrel and Allen walked back into the camp. Together they explained to Professor Travers everything that had happened. She seemed agitated even before they had told her about Monroe being killed, and that was news which she took with a twinge of uncharacteristic sadness. Garrel did not think much of Travers, did not think anything of her in all honesty, but she could not fault her for the way she was. Travers held a strong work ethic, and if not for people like Travers no one would ever discover anything. It came as something of a shock, therefore, when Travers listened to all they had to say and said, “I think we need to leave Ceres. Right now.”
Garrel exchanged a surprised look with Allen. “But we still have a while left on the excavation, Professor,” she said. “Unless you’ve found something really bad in the ground?”
“It’s not what I’ve found, it’s what you found.”
For a moment Garrel did not understand; then she remembered the disc she had handed to Monroe. “You looked at the information I took from the temple. What was it?”
“Nothing good,” Travers said. “I don’t know who those people were, whether they were government sanctioned or not, but they weren’t researchers in the way we are.”
“How do you mean?”
“They were experimenting on the dinosaurs. It was research, yes, but nothing humane.”
“I want to see.”
“I don’t think you do.”
“I need to.”
Travers slowly nodded and indicated the console behind her. Garrel approached and sat before the monitor, keying in the necessary sequence to get the video started. She had found her faith in that temple, had discovered something about herself she had thought long buried. She did not like to think that by pressing just one more button she would be destroying everything she had regained since coming to this world.
But there were some things she simply could not take on faith. Whatever was going on in that underground temple, she had to know.
Images appeared on the screen then. There was a display in the corner, showing her a time and date from only five years earlier. The video was shaky, held by a manual operative, and there was a female voiceover detailing processes which Garrel did not understand at all. But she could see an albertosaurus on the screen, a heavy chain bound to its leg. It fought to move, but was too tightly packed into the room to be able to do much of anything. Garrel physically jumped as the dinosaur screamed, a visible electric charge flowing through its body suddenly.
“Test subject albertosaurus,” the voice said, “still shows resistance to electric current. Increasing voltage by two per cent.” A few moments thereafter the creature cried again, and Garrel cut off the image entirely.
“Good lord,” Allen said behind her, his eyes wide with fear and shock. “No wonder those carnivores were so determined to chase us.”
Garrel had heard tales of rhinoceroses seeking revenge on people who had harmed them years earlier. Nor was it exclusive to mammals. It seemed dinosaurs had more in common with non-extinct animals than anyone had ever thought.
“Mankind has to exploit everything,” Travers said evenly. “Every animal they can find.”
“But what are they doing?” Allen asked rhetorically. “I mean, why run a charge through a dinosaur?”
“Maybe someone’s looking to colonise Ceres,” Travers said. “Maybe our government has always been here, underground.”
“And they didn’t think sending in a team to dig around in the dirt wouldn’t uncover their secrets?”
Travers said nothing. Garrel could see she had nothing else to say. Allen was angry, but more than anything he was confused. She could not blame him that. As for Garrel herself, she felt nothing. There was nothing to feel in situations like this. But Travers was right. They could hardly stay on Ceres with what they knew. If anyone came back to that outpost and found out Garrel had taken the disc they would come to silence them. But what would they do if they were to leave Ceres? They could claim they had cut short their mission because Monroe had been killed, and none of them could ever mention what they had discovered. It was the only way to safeguard their lives.
She could see Travers already understood this, so it would just be a case of explaining it to Allen, to make him see that if he spoke a single word they were all doomed.
“Pack up your things, Professor,” Garrel said. “Tom, why don’t you give me a hand gathering up all our stuff?”
Allen nodded, his mind elsewhere, and as they departed the room Garrel could see Travers offering her a silent wish of good luck.
They went first to clear out Garrel’s room since she hoped it would give Allen a sense of achievement that he was even there at all. She had only a scattering of
possessions and knew it would only take a few minutes, and as she removed her poster from the wall and rolled it up, she asked if Allen could grab her suitcase from the wardrobe and fold up some of her clothes. She watched him while he worked, absently folding all her shirts while his mind was awash with the horrors they had just witnessed on the screen. There was a time when he would have gone straight to her underwear drawer, and she wasn’t all that certain any more the change was necessarily good. She had always found Allen annoying, but at least she knew who he was and what he was capable of. Just as she had always known the parameters of her religion.
“We can’t tell anyone,” she said, deciding to just be blunt about it. “If one of us does, we’re all dead.”
“Monroe already is.”
“I know. And I’m sorry. But I have to think of Jeannie here. You do understand that, don’t you?”
Allen looked at her with a soulless expression. She had never before seen him so despondent and a part of her heart wanted to take him in her arms and hold him close. But this was important and she could not afford to let the moment pass.
“We don’t know who those people in the video were,” she continued, “and we can’t afford to make assumptions, but nor can we take risks. They were running experiments for a reason, Tom. If we talk, we’ll just disappear.”
“I know. I don’t like it, but I know we can’t say anything.”
Garrel felt her body relax slightly, although she could see in his eyes there was something he was not saying, some plan he had. “What are you thinking?”
“That I need to find out what they’re doing. I’m staying here on Ceres, Sara. I’m staying until I’ve found out what’s going on.”
Garrel was momentarily speechless. Whatever she had expected to hear from him, that most certainly had not been it. It was a good and decent thing to do, yet all Garrel could picture was the face of her daughter. The dinosaur being electrocuted had been horrific, but the thought of not seeing Jeannie again was a constant nightmare.
