Dragon Dawn (Dinosaurian Time Travel)

by Deborah O'Neill Cordes

  “Unfortunately,” Mem said, “Fey and I wonder if Da is bored because of his captivity. Many deadly beasts live in the rainforest, so our associates on Shurrr designed a protected living area for him, for his own safety. It’s big – some six square kilokecs – a natural, living laboratory in which to observe him. But he cannot travel beyond the boundaries of the compound.” He sighed. “In that regard, I suppose he lives in a zoo and is like any other caged animal.”

  Dawann looked into Mem’s eyes. “I remembered something about him.”

  “What?” Mem asked quietly, the intensity of his gaze betraying his excitement.

  “In his previous life, he had a different name.” Dawann heard her own voice grow soft with feeling, and her body trembled in anticipation of what she was about to reveal. “I’m certain his predecessor – the one who donated the tissue sample for the amber fossil – was called Lex. From what I can remember, he was some kind of physician. And he was my good friend.”

  “I see,” Mem said as they started to move through the room. When they reached the door, he turned back to face Dawann, his gaze clear and bright. “I would like to know more about this previous life of yours, Your Royal Highness. And also more about the one we call Da, whom you call Lex.”

  Quietly, she hooted, and then she said, “So would I.”

  ***

  The Sun was setting, taking on a characteristic pale yellow as it traveled below the ruddy Moozrabian horizon. It had been a memorable but exhausting afternoon, and Dawann felt tired. At this time of day, the palace gardens were almost certainly deserted, for most members of the royal court had started partaking of the banquet-supper.

  Dawann looked around, satisfied she was alone. The Keeper’s meal had been delayed because of his trip to Mem-rax Labs, so she had time for a brief stroll through the magnificent gardens.

  She looked up through the huge plastine bubble protecting her from the thin atmosphere of Moozrab. With a little sigh, she watched the falling dusk, saw the pale, pinkish gray sky, the first faint lights of the evening stars winking into view.

  Out there, somewhere, on the third planet from the Sun – on Earth – lived the Lex clone. Dawann didn’t know when she would be able to return to Mem-rax Labs, but she hoped it would be soon. Lex was tantalizing, absolutely amazing, the one tangible link to her former existence. And she realized his promise, what he could do for her; that he might be her savior, the one who could somehow set things to right.

  She halted, expelling the thoughts from her mind. You must save yourself, she decided. Save yourself, if you can.

  Dropping her gaze, Dawann considered the Keeper’s exotic garden. Despite its grandeur, the profusion of plants with the occasional butterfly, bird, or snake, it seemed but a weak imitation of the riot of life on Shurrr, the Earthly paradise, a living world.

  Her eyes fell on a magnolia tree in full bloom, but the sight of its pale flowers gave her no real pleasure. For the first time in her life, she knew with certainty she must escape this Moozrabian – no, Martian – colony, this artificial dominion of plastine bubbles, pumped-in atmospheres, and imported plants and animals. She wanted to flee from here, to travel through space, to find Lex and live in the midst of the verdant abundance of the Shurrrian rainforest in the...

  Amazon.

  She trilled, pleased to be remembering more and more.

  Dawann glanced back at the palace, realizing she was as much a prisoner here as the Lex clone was in his tropical zoo. Oh Lex, she wondered, how will I manage to escape? I want to find you, to talk to you and try to make sense of things. Perhaps, with your help, I’ll discover what happened to me.

  No, she suddenly thought. Not just to me.

  Looking out, she felt a curious sense of belonging as she caught a blue speck shining in the heavenly blaze.

  Not just to me.

  In bittersweet reflection, she sent her thoughts into the cosmic night. As her mind stretched across the expanding universe, she whispered, “To us, Lex. It happened to us.”

  Chapter 8

  Look like the innocent flower,

  But be the serpent under ‘t.

  ~William Shakespeare, Macbeth

  The cloning of the Keeper had been successful, and Dawann-dracon now used the developing embryo as an excuse to visit Mem-rax Labs on a daily basis.

  Standing in the cloning lab, she watched with regret as the new life grew in a transparent, artificial shell. The embryo rested there, barely longer than a thumb claw, a tiny, twitching thing, yet if all went as planned, she knew she would never see it hatch. She would be far away by then, far, far away in the rainforest with Lex.

  A chill passed down Dawann’s spine as she pondered the audacity of her plan.

  “Your Royal Highness?”

  She turned, welcoming the disruption of her thoughts. Fey and Mem’s assistant, Vash-dracon, stood at the door.

  “I’m sorry to disturb you, Your Highness.”

  “What is it, Vash?”

  “Mem-rax awaits you in his office. He asked to speak privately with you.”

  “Fey is not there?”

  “No. She’s been delayed because of Jool.”

  Dawann followed Vash down the hallway, through Mem and Fey’s outer office and into their inner sanctum. What could Mem possibly have to say to her in private?

  Mem-rax stood with his back to the door. He stared at the paneled wall concealing the room where she had watched the clone.

  “Her Royal Highness, Dawann-dracon,” Vash brightly announced.

  Mem turned and greeted Dawann with a short bow. His eyes were hooded, as if he’d been in deep thought. Dismissing Vash, he said nothing until the door clicked shut and they were alone.

  “I have something to tell you, Your Highness.”

  Dawann’s heart fluttered in nervousness. “Yes?”

  “It may give you the answers you’ve wanted.” Mem moved forward and took Dawann by the hands. The familiarity of his gesture surprised her, for no one save the Keeper or Tima touched her without permission. She fought down the instinctive urge to pull away.

  “A paleoarchitect named Eshlish-dracon specializes in ancient Moozrabian structures,” Mem explained. He glanced down and then, with a self-conscious start, let go of her hands. “She was commissioned by the Keeper after last winter’s dust storms to work on clearing the debris around the entrance to He Who Watches.”

  “What?” Dawann asked in puzzlement.

  “Ah, forgive me, Your Highness. It is an archaic name. You might know it as the Great Eye, or the volcano Karesh. The Keeper’s kind named it He Who Watches, for they thought it resembled an eye when viewed from space. It houses the stasis-vault where the Keeper was found, but also, recently, Eshlish discovered a previously unknown network of tunnels and rooms. They were carved out of solid igneous rock by those who came before our species founded the colony on Moozrab and perhaps long before the Keeper’s kind lived here as well. Eshlish told me about it,” he lowered his voice,” because she thought it might help you.”

  “Eshlish knows about me?” Dawann anxiously asked.

  “Yes, I told her about you.”

  “But––”

  “Please, listen to me, Your Highness. Eshlish believes she’s stumbled upon something remarkable, something she wasn’t supposed to see, possibly a portal to another world, or, perhaps, many worlds. It may provide us with the means to travel without spacecraft, or even allow us to go to other times and universes. She calls it a wormhole.”

  “A wormhole?” Dawann realized another thought had supplanted her previous anxiety. She’d often wondered how she would escape from Moozrab and voyage to Shurrr to meet Lex. Maybe now she had the answer.

  She grabbed the arm of the nearest nano-chair and sat with an audible thump.

  Mem slid into the seat beside her. “I’m not a physicist or engineer, but I know someone who can explain the wormhole to you. His name is Dev-rax, and he was the chief physicist on the gravity lens experiment in the o
uter Solar System. I have arranged a meeting with him and Eshlish this afternoon.”

  “I fear too many are becoming involved in this, Mem. How do you know Eshlish and Dev can be trusted?”

  Mem gave a soft trill of amusement. “Because they are my parents.”

  “Oh?” Dawann’s nictating membranes rolled over her irises. The concept of someone actually being raised by his own progenitors was still unusual enough to give her pause. She cleared her throat. “Does the Keeper know about this wormhole?”

  “It is interesting you should ask that. The answer is we cannot be certain. The fact that the Keeper’s stasis vault was built nearby leads us to believe it may be so. However, the wormhole appears to have been dismantled millions of years ago, perhaps well before the Keeper was placed in the vault. Mother knows she risks her life by keeping such a secret, but she is determined to study it without interference. Only a few of her most trusted aides and my father are privy to her discovery, and they are working with her to see if it can be used in our struggle against the Keeper.”

  The rebellion is much more complex than I ever imagined, Dawann thought, barely able to contain her emotions. “When will I meet your mother and father?”

  “Ah, my dear,” he said, patting her hand, “you’ve already met them.”

  “When?” Dawann asked in surprise.

  “When you were a hatchling at the royal court, during your presentation ceremony to the Keeper.”

  “But then, were they loyal to the Keeper? I know they are your parents, but are you certain they can be trusted?”

  “Do not worry. Representatives of the rebellion are always present at court, hidden among the courtiers and sycophants.”

  This shocked Dawann. “Really?”

  After giving a snort of affirmation, Mem’s gaze grew soft with memory. “My parents were always secretly sympathetic to the rebellion, but now, as they’ve grown older and wiser, they yearn for a new era of self-determination. They are hopeful they'll see it happen before they die. As you know, many look upon the Keeper as The One, as the Savior of our race. My parents do not. Admittedly, the Keeper has provided us with much knowledge, with technical expertise far beyond what our scientists could have developed.”

  “But at what price?”

  “Exactly. The Keeper is a tyrant.” Mem grew silent, his face now sober. “There is something else, something that troubles me greatly. There is a dangerous movement growing on Shurrr, a new group hatching what I consider a wretched plan. They have broken away from the rebellion. Like us, they believe the Keeper is a false savior, but they also believe another alien will soon come forward.”

  Dawann felt a stab of apprehension go straight to her gut. “Lex?” she asked in horror. “Do they think he is The One?”

  “No one knows, but I fear if they have indeed learned of his existence, they plan to use him to further their cause. The rebels have waited a long time, perhaps too long in their eyes. The Keeper took the throne some fifty years ago. I believe this group wishes to act soon; we may actually have a revolution brewing on Shurrr right now. Fey and I are greatly concerned about it. Last month, someone tried to break into our compound in Sagamish. Our guards killed two of the intruders. The rest fled and were never found. Security was tightened, but we fear the intruders were part of this new group and that they would use the clone with no thoughts for his own safety, or his right to self-determination. Fey and I will do everything to protect him. We would never harm him, even if it means abandoning our rebel friends.”

  Dawann looked into his eyes, discerning his firm resolve, his protective nature. “You are wise and good, Mem-rax,” she told him.

  “Yes, well...” Mem faltered, clearly embarrassed by her praise. “I do what I can. But perhaps, it is up to you now.”

  “Me?”

  “I believe you will travel to Shurrr and somehow help Da, er, Lex, and save him.”

  Dawann’s breath caught, for Mem’s thoughts bolstered her own.

  “Do you have the heart for this, Your Highness?” he added. “Do you have the resolve to give up your life of privilege? Fey has discussed this with me, and she is also concerned. I ask you again... do you have the heart?”

  Dawann-dracon touched herself on the chest, thinking of the future, remembering the past. “Yes,” she said without hesitation. “The path before me will be hard and maybe,” she swallowed, “quite dangerous, but in the end it could save my life. But this isn’t just about me, is it, Mem?”

  “No, it is not.”

  “Still, I can’t help feeling so small and lost. I am but one saurian. How could I possibly change things?”

  “If your heart is great, it does not matter how small you feel.” He took her hands again and this time she welcomed his touch. “Fey and I started down this path long ago. I see it in your eyes, your determination to help us free the saurian race from tyranny.”

  “Thank you,” Dawann said, feeling a renewal of hope as he gently squeezed her hands. “And if I can also help Lex, then the risks will be worth it.”

  ***

  Seated at a table in Mem and Fey’s private corporate dining room, Dawann studied the faces of Dev-rax and Eshlish-dracon, Mem’s parents. They were older saurians, their bodies having gained the girth associated with age, their facial skin slightly sagging at the jawline. Yet their eyes held a bright, childlike sense of wonder, the true mark, in Dawann’s opinion, of all scientists.

  Dev had already explained the concept of the wormhole to Dawann. It was believed huge gravitational fields in black holes curved space and time, perhaps punching through the fabric of the universe and forming tunnels called wormholes. Dev thought the wormhole gateways in He Who Watches had been created by an ancient alien civilization, predating the Keeper’s own species. The aliens had harnessed mini black holes to create their wormhole tunnel network, generating a magnetic dampening field to protect travelers from contact with the devastating tidal forces associated with black holes.

  In other words, Dawann-dracon thought, if someone enters the wormhole, then he or she won’t be crushed out of existence!

  “Your Royal Highness, would you like something to eat?” someone said through a full mouth.

  Dawann turned, amazed by the hearty appetite displayed by Mem’s mother, Eshlish-dracon, as she wolfed down a large nano-filet.

  Meanwhile, Fey took a place at the table, sitting beside her voracious mother-in-law. She exchanged a swift look with Dawann, her eyes twinkling as she watched Eshlish consume another succulent filet.

  “This is marvelous food,” Eshlish went on as she glanced at Fey. “You young ladies will waste away, I fear, if you do not eat.” She held up some food to Dawann, offering it anew.

  “Thank you, no, not now,” she demurred. Despite Fey’s amusement, her own thoughts were in turmoil. Dev-rax had indicated she might soon be able to travel through the wormhole. It was an exciting, yet frightening, prospect. How could anyone possibly eat at a time like this?

  “I have much to tell you, Your Highness.” Eshlish wiped her mouth on a napkin as she studied Dawann.

  Dawann said, “Mem and Dev told me of your work inside He Who Watches.”

  “And did they also tell you what the interior is like?” Eshlish asked. “Of course, some of it was explored by the astronauts who found the Keeper, but the rest was unknown before this time. Several cavernous chambers are located inside, including one deliberately sealed from the outside world eons ago. Its entrance is filled with rubble and still impassable, but I found a side door, which could have served as a utility passageway. This chamber is a huge room filled with doors and tunnels.” She leaned closer. “Do you know about the test?”

  Dawann exchanged a look with Fey-dracon, who gaped in surprise. Dawann realized Fey was also hearing about this for the first time.

  “What test?” Fey interjected.

  Mem piped up, “I was waiting for this moment.” He looked apologetically at Fey. “I’m sorry, my dear. I thought it best if
Mother told you and Dawann at the same time.”

  Dev-rax, still intent on his food, gnawed on a nano-bone. He grunted, then dropped it onto a nearby plate. “Ah, your mother always enjoyed keeping things from me, son,” he said, his eyes twinkling at Mem. “Now it seems you’ve inherited that trait as well.”

  Good-naturedly, Eshlish waved her hand through the air and then turned to Dawann. “As I was saying about the test... we were able to activate several of the doors.” She straightened her back, her gaze triumphant. “It took a long time, but we finally did it. Yesterday, we sent a hunta bird through the first portal of the wormhole, equipped with a virtual reality/radio tagcollar.”

  “My Goddess!” Fey said.

  “Do you have any idea where the bird went?” Dawann asked.

  “Shurrr,” Eshlish replied.

  “Does the portal open to our own time?” Fey asked.

  Eshlish said, “Yes, because we received the transmission. If the bird had gone to another era, there would be no way to get the transmission, so we know with certainty this first portal goes to southern Mera, to the plains of Xanderoo.”

  Dawann suddenly heard a voice in her mind. Xanderoo? it asked in drawling English. “Don’t you mean Texas? Well, what the hell do you think of that!”

  Texas? Of course. Dawann held her breath, feeling the speaker’s ghostly presence, envisioning the human male named Gus. Gus had been raised in Texas, hadn’t he? Was it true then? Had Eshlish actually found a swift way to Shurrr, a hidden way? No desperate attempt at escape from the Keeper, no long, grueling space flight? Was this the path to freedom?

  Dawann abruptly realized the Texas of her memories did not exist. She looked down at her lap. Gus was only a memory, too, a remnant of a life in another place and time.

  She knew there was only one human she would encounter in this universe, the Lex clone of Shurrr’s southern continent of Sagamish, with its Amazon.

  “And what of Sagamish, Eshlish?” Dawann asked. “Is there a passageway?”

  Eshlish grunted. “We don’t know, Your Highness. We haven’t tried the other doors. Testing resumes tomorrow. Remember, we still have much to learn about the Xanderoo portal.”