New Pangaea 90-102

Day 3

The unexpected has to happened.

A herd of Brachiosaurus came to near the farm and may be an issue which we need to handle. There were marching up from the South which we hardly explored. Major Shaw counted ten of them and four are large adults. This creature can grow up to forty feet and eighty feet in length; they are the biggest among the biggies. Its a moving block and when collided, it normally win. So we decided to use the flame machine and the incendiary gun.

Major Shaw and her Air Wing took off to the air while the LTV pulled the machine near to the creature. I followed suit on the bike armed with the incendiary gun. We want to change their course to the far west. I started off by firing some clips from the incendiary to create a wall of fire. The machine was used to scare them with the long streaks. Air Wing came in formation to shoot over their heads to scare them with the noise.

Initially it did not work, the creatures just stopped and stomped their feets, bringing down young trees. Then the leading one gave out a call when the fire was getting intense. The creatures turned their directions and went east instead. But they are moving away, and that was a relief. Then we realise we could had created a fire in the jungle, even though its not burning fast and big, but it need to be taken care of. This where Heavy Metal came in clearing the land which is burning and clearing some corridor so that the fire does not spread. In the end, we came up with a streak of burned jungle that ran for about two hundred and fifty feet in length and thirty feet across. Plus the stomped land, we had enough to create a small village or a farm.

‘Commander, you are needed in BASE’

I met Doctor Rashis Alim who came to enquire about his son, Ben Alim. I told him the whole event and he was silent for a while.

‘Ben Alim is a good man, Commander. Its difficult for me to accept his death as suicide. Our faith does not sanctioned suicide. You could be mistaken or there is more to it than what was said here. But I am a man of the faith and I will not push the issue. God will decide the justice later.’ Then he got up and left without a word.

It was then BASE told me that Margaret Welch wants to see me. Her timing is impecable to the point of being troublesome. I rode over there to see her and she went on the last issue she raised to me and then she dropped the boulder on me.

‘I would like to see your father, Micheal Bent.’ I looked at her with the concerned expression.

‘Scott, you either take me to see him or I will do myself.’ I am never good at dealing with women. I told her I would had him brought over here soon. He is busy at the new Eden Village.

I had enough of ‘I want to see’ issues, so I joined the expedition to go upriver into the swamp in the MSV. We are travelling in two of these units. There are five of us, two specialist and two scientist plus myself aas passenger. I board the unit and find myself enclosed inside the unit like a space shuttle. We took off on the river surface at five knots in a single row and then slowed down to entered the swamp. This area is permanently covered in standing water. It lies on the edge of the open water zone and gives way to marsh behind it, where the standing water levels vary and the sediment is not permanently covered by water. The scene above the water line the substrate is composed of a deep fibrous tangled mass roots and old leaf bases. The underlying below the water line is murkey and spots of dark green dead vegetation covered the top.

We sailed by the swamp reptiles as they got about their daily routines. Besides the large creatures, we saw the smaller ones that does not go on lands. Thre is the Eurypterids (sea scorpions); a group of arthropods. It was about 8 inches in length. They are formidable predators that thrived in warm shallow water, in both seas and lakes; and was called 'sea scorpions' but they were not true scorpions. We also saw the Meganeura; the giant dragon flies, and a group of the Vieraella; frogs of about an inch across laying around the swamps. Where there are forgs, there are bound to be the slittering predators like the Najash and Sanajeh. There was the rare Metoposaurus, fish from a different era of the rest but this one is swimming here. And its not one but a few. So much for the Earth theory, this is a new Earth altogether.

We were chased a couple of times by reptiles like crocs, but we used the electric gun on them to deter them. We complement each other like if my unit is under attacked, the other craft will intercede and run off the creature. But we did not bargain for the giant like turtle named Psephoderma or ‘rough skin’ as its hard shell does resemble a rough shell. Its about five feet in length and weighs heavier than two men. That one probably swam into the wrong channel to be here.

‘It can’t be here. Its an older species. We know that from Earth achives.’ One of the scientist commented. But the other was to out the records straight;

‘This ain’t Earth and its not the same although there are similarities. Just keep following that chap, pilot’.

Its went down into the water and we followed suit. The MSV system was changed to submerged mode, and the driver glass viewwer was closed and a 3 dimension screen appeared. The propulsion converts itself for submerged conditions and the fins became the steers. The other MSV followed suit, and we find ourselves moving on the river bottom.

There’s a living myriad of new creatures appeal to us, with their sizes and colors. We did had to manouver from below some sauropods webbed feet as they plod through the river. And of course we had the company of the mosasuars who loved to take a bit on our titanium steel hard hull. The giant claws of the MSV also acts both as a deterent and collector of samples. Quite a number of times we used that to smack the curious and hard pressed ones in the head where the eletrical prod does not deter.

We learned two things; in the water there are more nasty creatures and they are difficult to handle as they are more agile in the water. So we need to reinforced the defenses if we want to go exploring again. Soon we turned back and went up to the waterline.

Its close to dusk and I rushed back to BASE. There is an urgent matter to be discussed.

‘This is Fruitadens; smallest dinosaur known, and its a pest if you understand that its eats everything it can find; food or otherwise. It attacked the farm at the Village in numbers yesterday and almost killed one colonist; Sam Velia and if not the fast thinking of his peers, he would had been pecked to death, in a manner of speech.’

That was from Doctor Leong, the zoologist who loved to add a word or two to his comments. The creature is a small one and it probably weighs two pounds and looks like a small dog. I picked at at its hind legs and note the tight muscles.

‘Its runs well as its biggest predators are the T-Rex. They are called ‘zippies’ by me.’ Doctor Leong was nice to demonstrate the ‘zippiness’ to us. He was swinging the legs as if they were running.

‘Okay, so you want me to spank them or what? I wished I have my traps but they are back in Earth.’ I was being sarcastic and the panel around me disliked my statement.

‘Traps? Thats’ a good idea. We shall trap them with morsels of meat and that will prevent from destroying the crops. And we can.....’

‘To the zoo outside, so they won’t eat us instead, Doctor Leong.’

I interrupted the good doctor with my inquisitive look. Doctor Leong stepped back and said; ‘no, we freed them in another part of the land.’

‘You sure Junior did not takeover your brains.’ I was refering to his pet chimp. He took insult and refused to speak to me. I am fine with that. In the end, by near midnight; we agreed. We will only chase them off if they invade the farm like the old day when we shoot predators who harass the domestic breeds.

And we thought it was over.

Day 4

The turkey shoot was at early dawn. We had to as there were scores of them Fruitadens running in the Village and Farm. The colonist climbed on top of their units and shoot from there. It was a loud morning, that also come with the carnivores on the outside shrieking away on the smell of blood.

‘Commander, do you think we are getting them or we are still wasting charges? I looked at the colonist Tim Blake, who is aiming his way to his sixth kill on an average of one kill to five charges. I refused to answer him as I trained my PH900 on the critters running across the yard. They came in through a series of walls crack asw a result of the large dinosaurs knocks on it. As those repairs are ongoing, and there are temporary blocks but these creatures know to sidestep them and ran in. Bloody creatures are smart to do so and their early morning presence tells it.

We counted forty five dead and we fired close to three hundred shots; not bad for a bunch of amateurs. But the zoologists’ were in dismay over the loss, including Doctor Leong. I guessed we cannot satisfy all the folks all the time.

But we have a new problem.

Professor Main Brown, famed zoologist is missing from the village. No one saw him during the shootout and he could be out there in the jungle. He is known to wandered off at the farm for hours alone. I called a search team with the colonist and my bikers. We searched the farm and village and he cannot be found. So we assumed the worse, he is in the jungle.

The bikers set off for the search.

Special Report from Specialist Pedro

Day 4 Week 16

1616hr

I found the Professor after an exhaustive search in the sector assigned. He was found near some clearing nursing a Fruitadens. When I saw him, he had the creature on its side and was bandaging the hind leg. The creature was unconscious but breathing. According to Professor Brown, he followed the creature on seeing it was injured to here, before it collapsed. I advised the Professor to go bck with me, but he insists on taking care of that creature. He was taking blood samples and other stuffs which he said can tell a lot of this creature.

As it was getting dark and with his refusal to move, I had constructed a shelter and a big fire place. I placed stakes around the place to deter any predators, and had burning lamps around us. I should had radio back and got help but as the Professor sais it, we have a responsibility to the creature.

I unpack my survival kit and handed over my PH350 to the Professor. He declined it saying he is a pacifist. I removed the PH900 and PH762 to put them in the shelter within reach. I also unpacked my three grenades to out them near the guns.

Then it was time to wait for the Professor to come to his senses.

I shot two raptors which came to dropped by with his five cousins, one sanajeh as I did not want that around; they are too silent on the ground and scared off a Thylacoleo or "marsupial lion”. I saw the lion at the fring of our shelter and I decided not to shoot it. I took up the burning branch from the fire place and approached it. I swing the branch across to scared it but it stood its ground. I looked to my surrounding in case of a second pair lying to pounce on me. But there was none. It used its paw to shrug off my fire interception, and at one stage actually moved towards me with menacing fangs. It was then the paw of the lion managed to hit my branch and caused me to drop it. It growled at me and I slowly backed away. It was then I heard the PDW fired at the branches above the lion. The shots tore off some branches and they fell on the lion, causing it to retreat. I went back for my PH 900 but there was no more lion.

Another observation I had was the apes which came by and looked at us for a while before proceeding. I had the feeling they were studying us.

Day 7

The inevitable has to happened; the fugitives has taken some scientist hostage. It was a routine exploration down the river and on their return trip, one of the scientist claimed he saw something in the river banks. He told the pilot to divert and checked it out. The other MSV was told on the detour and will catch up soon. The thing the scientist saw was a jacket belonging to the fugitive. He got off the MSV to retrieve it and the fugitives caught him. The fugitives took him hostage and demanded supplies including ammo for the ransom. The trade off is at this afternoon at 1600hr.

The scientist is Doctor Leong.

I assigned a rescue team, comprising me and the bikers. I had them using a MSV submerged to land them in the opposite river banks. All four of them are assigned to shoot on sight any fugitive. I was the courier in the exchange.

Special Report from Specialist Pedro

Day 7 Week 16

1555hr

I had the Commander in sight on my PH900. He is standing there doing nothing except to wait. He is standing by the cases of supplies including the ammo. It was then I saw a mosasaur surfacing behind the Commander, and I was about to shoot it but the shots came from in front of him. The PH900 sound can be heard by at over three hundred yards. It did not kill the creature but injured it for it to swim to the water. There its met by the others who took chunks of it apart.

‘Lovely creature; like us does not deserved the treatment which we just did. Hello, Commander.’ It was PP10207 Mathew Burns.’I see you bought the goodies.’

‘My personnels, Mathew. You got three seconds to tell me.’

‘Opposite banks. He is there.’ I can see PP10207 pointing to the opposite bank. There is Doctor Leong on a leash held by PP10233 Mongol.

Its a fragging checkmate for now.

I shoot PP10207 and PP10233 shoot the doctor. I comms Melon in her position on Plan B.

She took it.

She shot Doctor Leong.

I shot PP10207 but he has ran off into the jungle. I looked over at PP10233 and he is running too into the jungle. The Commander was on his way to chase PP10207. I cleared my position and signaled the Bubble. Major Shaw was in the vicinity and she dropped me a line for me to ride on her piggy back. She got PP10233 on the visual and she dropped me near him. I dropped down on the jungle armed with the PH925 and I am running to the last point.

I ran and hopped over the roots and bushes. I caught him up at the river bank. He was reaching for his raft the same one he came over with. How he managed that without being devoured by the reptiles baffled me. He stopped untying the vine rope when he saw me. I walked towards me and looked at me.

I unslung my rifle and dropped my gun belt.

He did the same.

We have a rematch on. The last one ended in a draw. There will be no whistle now. No more pains in my chest.

We circled each other and looked at each other, watching for the opening to hit on. He lashed out with his right leg round house kick, which I blocked with my elbow. He stepped back and then step in for another frontal kick which I did a upper block. He circled somemore and I took my initiative; I stepped forward to do a double punch but he stepped back in time. He lashed out a left side kick and it caught me on my chest. His kick threw me back a few feet and he followed through with another right side kick but I evaded that. I grabbed his leg and swung him off his feet to the side.

When he was still down, I did a kick into his guts and one into his head. He rolled over in pain and slowly got up. I ran forth and land a knee kick into his side ribs. He fell forward on his chest and I walked over. My mistake there as he has grabbed a broken branch on the ground and lashed it at my left knee. I kneel over in pain from the blow on my knee, but he was adamant on following through his fight. PP10233 stood up and raised the branch to hit me on my back. The second time he did that, I forced myself to rolled away and got up half crouched. He is raising up the branch for another blow, but I am ready. I swung out my right leg and caught him off his feet. I got up and went over to him to place another key into his head causing him to rollover in pain.

He has his hands on his head and groaning in pain, while I am nursing an injured knee which has seen one too many blows. I can see his nose is bleeding and he is trying to stop it. That was when the other convict walked into our fight ring. It was Senior Guard Kim Toh, armed with the PH762 and he is looking healthy. He saw me and PP10233, and he raised his gun on me.

‘You shoot and I will blow your brains off.’ I heard Major Shaw at the nearby tree with her PH350. She has it aimed at the ex-Guard. He has the drop and she has on him. PP10233 got up and staggered on his feet. I also got on my feet and looked at my unfinished opponent.

PP10233 walked to his gear and picked it up. He did not put it on but just slung it over his shoulder. He walked over to his compatriot and motioned him to walked away. I watched as both of them walked out to the raft and board it.

‘Mongol, we will do it again. And this time no cheering crowd.’

He nodded at me and rubbed his nose with his arm. Its still bleeding.

Special Report from Commander Bent

Day 7 Week 16

1602hr

I ran after PP10207 Mathew Burns, and for a man of his age he is quite agile in jumping over those bushes and branches. I was about to catch up with him when he cleared the trees and I got caught in a crossfire. They must had planned the ambush and I walked into it.

I let my emotions got into place. I should had consider options.

When it was over, they have left. I walked back to the rendevous point and find the cases opened and scattered. In fact, it was empty except for some medic aids. I was being kind and considerate to them.

Doctor Leong survived the shot as Specialist Melon hit him on his right shoulder and Mary Jessie shot skim his left thigh so he will fall down. It was a well timed shot with precision to make it appear as one shot. Doctor Bashir was nearby to assist Doctor Leong and I had my ears drummed out by the Scientists.  But it was a needed call.

We do not negotiate on New Panagea.

But I had Junior for company during Doctor Leong incapacitated in Medic Hall. The chimp eats more than three of me.