Return To Primordial Island Read online

  Tracey swallowed hard. “The island affected some people in rather peculiar and…unnatural ways. The previous team leader, Mike Deluca, found something in a temple, deep underground. It changed him. It allowed him to raise the dead. He…he created zombies.”

  “This is ridiculous,” said someone in the room. “You expect us to believe all this?”

  “Believe it,” said Nielsen. “Your life literally depends on it. If anyone wants to back out, now is the time. If you’re not on board with all of this, you’re a liability. You have one hour to decide.” He closed his laptop and thanked Rudy, shaking his hand. “Prep your team. We go in exactly one hour.” Then he turned to Tracey. “Are you sure you’re still up for this?”

  “Do I have a choice?”

  “You do, as a matter of fact. What do you think of our preparations?”

  Tracey paused a moment. “Your intel is spot on. Do you think Collins and his men can handle it?”

  “Short of using the actual military, his outfit is the best there is, and they are better equipped than Torres’ men. We spared no expense this time.”

  Tracey’s eyes narrowed. “What’s Poseidon’s interest in all this? You got paid for recovering the flight recorder.”

  “We still have people on the island. You still have people on the island, Dr. Moran.”

  “That’s exactly what David Lennox said.”

  “He’s correct.”

  “Come on,” pressed Tracey. “There has to be something else. Some other reason.”

  Nielsen smiled, a strange departure from his permanent scowl. “You mean first dibs on the exploration of another dimension?”

  “Yes, but to what end?”

  He winked at her. “That’s for us to worry about. You worry about bringing your friend home and helping keep our team safe.” He bowed his head slightly and left the cafeteria.

  Marcy approached cautiously, eyes wide in awe and apparent admiration. “Holy smokes. I had no idea it was you. I mean, you were her. Uh, you were you.”

  Tracey smirked. “Who else would I be?”

  Marcy cocked her head sideways. “Come on. You know what I mean.”

  “Marcy, you don’t have to do this. Go home.”

  Marcy raised her eyebrows. “No way. Are you kidding? This sounds…”

  “Dangerous,” said Tracey, finishing her sentence.

  “I was thinking like an experience of a lifetime. Come on, Tracey. You’re going.”

  “I have unfinished business on the island. I left someone behind that I care about very much.”

  Marcy gasped. “The other paleontologist?”

  Tracey nodded. “You have your whole life ahead of you.”

  “Yeah, but I want to be a part of history. Another dimension, dinosaurs. This is huge.”

  “That island changes people. You may not like what you find out about yourself.”

  That remark clearly confused Marcy.

  Tracey threw her hands up in exasperation. Her appeal was falling on deaf ears. “Listen, you stay close to me and do as I say. Understood?”

  Marcy grinned from ear to ear and her eyes lit up. “Yes. Whatever you say.”

  “You know that nephew of yours?”

  Marcy nodded.

  “You might want to say goodbye to him.”

  * * *

  Peter entered a large stone structure with impressive pillars in front. While the other buildings had windows, this one did not. He marveled at the architecture, which was amazing for a species with only three clawed fingers and no opposable thumbs. It was cold and dark, multi-colored orbs casting peculiar light. A strange, discordant music piped in from an unknown source. They passed through a large antechamber stocked with around a dozen guards, and he was led to a crude staircase. Two of the guards he followed stood aside, allowing everyone else to climb the stairs. When Peter passed them, they stood in front of the staircase, guarding it. Peter wasn’t sure if it was to keep others out or him in.

  When they reached a landing up above, they turned left and marched down a long hallway. On the walls, runes were arranged, set in the stone. The pattern, if there was any, seemed haphazard to Peter. At last, they brought him to a set of double stone doors. One of the guards waved a claw over a rune, and the door opened to the sound of stone grinding on stone.

  The guards stepped aside, gesturing for Peter to enter. Not wanting to be rude, Peter did as he was asked and stepped into the dark room where the strange, almost cosmic music was louder. As the door closed behind him, he was enveloped in darkness. In the pitch black, Peter was unsure how large the room actually was. He focused on his power from the orbs embedded in his chest, and in response they grew in illumination. However, his light was snuffed out by the darkness around him, as if it was alive and hungry, devouring his light.

  “Hello?” His voice echoed, indicating that the room was of significant size.

  As if in answer, a single purple light emanated from twenty or so feet in front of him. It looked to Peter like one of those crystal orbs. He nearly jumped out of his skin when a figure stepped into the light.

  Peter caught his breath, touching his hand to his chest where he found his heart beating like a drum. “You…you frightened me.” He cursed himself silently as soon as he had said it. He was supposed to be a god, or at least a reasonable facsimile of one. He needed to project more confidence. He hoped whatever it was didn’t understand English.

  The reptilian man standing by the orb beckoned him over, curling its fingers towards itself. Peter stepped forward toward the crystal orb. As he drew closer, he saw that it was placed on a small pedestal, waist high. The reptilian man was shorter than the others, and dressed in a shimmering purple fabric. At least Peter assumed it was a man, but he wasn’t certain.

  The figure watched him with emotionless black eyes. Peter saw his own reflection in them cast in a purple hue. The cosmic music lowered in volume as he approached. The lizard humanoid gestured for Peter to touch the crystal orb. Peter knew it wanted to communicate, and he was sure this was going to be the modality.

  He reached out with his right hand and lay his palm on the crystal orb, wincing as he braced his mind for a flood of images. He was surprised when none came. He took his hand off the orb and looked at his palm bathed in ethereal purple light.

  Peter startled when the figure gently grabbed his hand and placed it on top of the orb. It then placed its claw on the bottom. A voice entered Peter’s mind, or rather it was an idea. ‘Why do you come?’

  Peter opened his mouth to speak but figured it was unnecessary. He stared into the creature’s eyes and thought. ‘Peace.’

  ‘No war with you.’

  ‘You hurt my friends. Want it to stop. Peace.’

  The lizard being cocked its head sideways a bit. ‘Not me. Others.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘They feed. They conquer. They take.’

  ‘Are you their leader? Their chief?’

  ‘I am…’ Several notions without translation entered Peter’s mind. He was unsure of their exact meaning, but he got the sense that this being wasn’t a warrior or marauder. He was some kind of thinker. Suddenly the room around him transformed, like a dark movie theater when the projector came on, only the entire room was the screen. Peter knew simultaneously that what he was about to see was going to be projected from this being’s mind, and the projection wasn’t actually all around him but in his own mind.

  The creature conjured scenes of the lizard men hunting other animals, bovine as well as reptilian. It also summoned scenes of being hunted by the larger dinosaurs, namely the Tyrannosaurus rex. Peter thought it was good they had a common enemy, an apex predator, that it might aid in diplomacy. The scene shifted, evaporating, replaced by one where the lizard men warred with a society of apes. The apes appeared muscular and fierce, wielding simple weapons like spears and clubs. However, on the battlefield they clearly communicated with each other. The scene was savage and bloody as the two races slaughtered each ot
her.

  Peter looked at the reptilian figure before him. ‘Why do you show me this?’

  However, there was no answer. Rather, the figure removed its claw from the bottom of the orb, terminating the playback.

  Peter took his hand off the crystal orb. ‘I…I don’t understand. Help me understand.’

  The door opened behind him, casting faint illumination into the room. Peter held his hand up over his face to shield his eyes. Several guards marched inside and seized Peter by his arms. He wriggled to escape, but their grip was tight. Claws dug into his skin, stinging him, as he cried out. “What? What happened?”

  A figure strode into the room. It walked right up to Peter and glared at him with cold, lifeless eyes. It then turned to the figure in the purple tunic, and in some kind of display of emotion flared the flap of skin under its chin, extending it like a small sail. It hissed at the other creature. The two of them communicated in a most peculiar way, their bodies becoming rigid as they hissed at each other and whipped their tails behind them. Peter only watched in stunned silence. After this carried on for several minutes, the one that had barged in made guttural sounds at the guards, and they dragged Peter from the room.

  “What? What did I do? What’s wrong?” Peter cried out as he was dragged away.

  Chapter 3

  Mary and Jason crouched outside, waiting for their friend to emerge from the temple. Night had fallen on the island, and the moon was high and full. Jason checked his wristwatch and sighed.

  “Are you kidding me?” chuckled Mary. “You know your watch is useless here.”

  Jason shrugged. “What? Old habits.” He looked at the mouth of the temple. “He’s not coming out, is he?”

  “Dammit.” Mary stood up and paced around. “I knew this was a mistake.”

  “No, you didn’t,” said Jason. “You told him it was the right thing to do…the only thing for him to do.”

  “I didn’t see you try to stop him.”

  Now Jason stood up and faced her. “No, but I offered to go with him. Maybe if I had gone, he’d be back right now, and in one piece.”

  Mary balled her fists at her side, and she was about to deliver her retort when there was a stomping of feet and rustling of vegetation off to their right. They both instinctively froze, drawing their shoulders up to their ears and gritting their teeth. Jason grabbed Mary by the arm and pulled her down into the underbrush, shushing her. They crouched next to a large tree with a massive trunk and large, thick roots protruding from the ground, offering them cover.

  A large animal ambled out of the bushes, hobbling along, casting a strange silhouette against the moonlight. Plates jutted from its back, and it swung a tail tipped with large spikes behind it.

  Mary and Jason both released the breaths they were holding and sighed deeply in relief.

  “It’s a Stegosaurus,” said Jason, rolling his eyes at how foolish they had been.

  “We were lucky,” said Mary, admiring the majestic creature as it mulled around, chomping on plants.

  “Kind of like a big cow,” winked Jason, trying to lighten the mood.

  Mary put her hands on her hips. “It’s nothing like a cow, you jackass.”

  Jason looked around. “Well, we should go before something nastier than a Stegosaurus decides to pop out and say hello.”

  They both stood up. Mary turned to head back to the tribal village on the plateau when Jason placed a firm hand on her shoulder. She wheeled around. “What now?”

  Jason cupped a hand over her mouth and pulled her back against the tree trunk. “Shhhhh,” he whispered into her ear. Her body went rigid against his as her eyes darted around the surrounding area. He knew when she saw it, because she held her breath. He released his hand from over her mouth and whispered directly into her right ear, “It’s over there, in the shadow of that big tree.”

  Jason smelled it right before he saw it. He wouldn’t have seen it unless it had shifted a bit, altering the contour of the tree’s shadow ever so slightly. It stood, crouched, arms hanging down in front of it. A low, faint snort carried on the island breeze, barely masked by the wind.

  Fortunately, it didn’t look like it was facing them. At least Jason hadn’t hoped so. “Be very still.” He couldn’t unshoulder his rifle without attracting its attention, so instead his hand moved to his handgun in its holster on his hip. He unsnapped the strap and grabbed the handle very slowly. Mary began to tremble against his body. He ever so slowly slid the handgun out of its holster, slipping it behind Mary’s body for concealment. “If it runs at us,” he whispered, “just run. Don’t look back.”

  He thought it might have been a T. rex, but he knew they weren’t ambush predators. Not like this. Its arms hung low and were too long for a T. rex. It was too big to be a velociraptor. It moved its head, and large, hornlike protrusions gave it away. It was an Allosaurus.

  It darted out from the shadows, claws extended and spread, lunging past them. It was going for the Stegosaurus.

  Jason watched as the Allosaurus opened its mouth at an insane angle. It collided with the Stegosaurus, blindsiding it, sinking its teeth into the flesh of its haunch. Mary tried to run, but he pulled her close into a firm embrace, his back against the tree. “Not yet,” he whispered. He slid his back laterally along the tree trunk, positioning them so that they weren’t visible. Then he pulled her into another crouch. “They can be pack hunters, remember?” he whispered.

  Mary nodded. Jason’s eyes darted around, searching the shadows for others.

  The Stegosaurus cried out as the Allosaurus worked its articulated jaw, sawing back and forth with its teeth. The Stegosaurus bucked, turning and swinging its spiked tail.

  The massive tree trunk behind Jason and Mary shook, and strange seed pods rained down from above, pelting their heads. Something had struck the tree. The head of the Stegosaurus jutted out to the right, as if it had tried to run for it, but it stopped, its right eye wide in horror. Its body jostled as the Allosaurus tore into its side with its jaws.

  There was a loud thump, and the Allosaurus let out a high-pitched yelp. The Stegosaurus lunged forward as its tail swung around, this time missing its assailant and wrapping around the tree trunk, shaking the tree some more. The Allosaurus limped past the left side of the tree and cut right in front of Mary and Jason, lunging at its prey with massive jaws, only to get a mouthful of bony plates. Its own haunch was gored and its tail whipped behind it, just missing Mary and Jason.

  Jason side-stepped, sliding his back along the rough bark of the trunk, dragging Mary with him, until they were on the other side of the tree, leaving the scuffle behind them. Crouched in front of them was another Allosaurus, and he was looking right at them.

  “Oh, hell.” Jason shoved Mary back around the tree trunk as it sprang at them, jaws open wide, just missing them and getting a mouthful of bark. Back around the other side, the first Allosaurus and Stegosaurus battled, shifting their feet and kicking up dirt and dust. The predator snapped its massive jaws, and the prey swung its spiked tail, each only finding purchase part of the time.

  Jason now ran around the tree trunk, narrowly ducking a swipe of a spiked tail, pulling Mary behind him by the hand. The second Allosaurus sniffed the air. Smelling blood, it quickly became interested in the Stegosaurus. Forgetting about the two small morsels, it joined its fellow hunter in taking down the now outnumbered herbivore.

  “Now we run,” Jason muttered to Mary, and they took off in a mad dash away from the brutal scene and toward the tribal village.

  * * *

  Tracey lay in her cot in the cafeteria, trying to fathom the notion of getting rest before the expedition tomorrow. She turned on her side and stared at all of the other cots arranged in rows, filled with Poseidon Tech personnel. Collins and his men must’ve been passing the night somewhere else on the rig, as they were nowhere to be found.

  Marcy turned over on her cot and smiled when she saw Tracey was awake. “Can’t sleep?” she whispered.

  Trac
ey shook her head.

  “Me neither. Nervous?”

  “Terrified. You?”

  “A mixture of nervous and excited. What made you want to go into paleontology?”

  “You’ve got to be kidding.”

  Marcy shrugged her shoulders. “Why? It’s so interesting. I bet you’d never thought it’d lead you here.”

  “You got that right.” Tracey saw that Marcy wasn’t going to let it drop, and her interest seemed sincere. “I always loved dinosaurs since I was a little kid. When I was three, I was able to identify them by genus, species, and period.”

  Marcy giggled. “Holy crap. You read about dinosaurs at three? That’s impressive.”

  Tracey shook her head, and a wistful smile crept onto her face. “No, my dad read it to me, repeatedly, because I asked him to.”

  “Is he proud that you became a paleontologist?”

  Tracey smiled. “He told me he’d be proud of me no matter what I’d become because he knew I’d become something great.”

  Marcy slipped her arm, bent at the elbow, under her head as a pillow. “Your dad sounds cool.”

  “He is. How about you? How does a data analyst end up in a situation like this?”

  “Data engineer.”

  “Oh, sorry. Data engineer.”

  Marcy smiled and shrugged. “I was always good with computers, and I’m super organized. It seemed like a good fit, and the pay isn’t bad either.”

  Tracey smirked. “Pays better than a paleontologist. That’s for sure.”

  The smile faded from Marcy’s face, and she bit her bottom lip. “Is that why you signed on? For the money?”

  Tracey sighed. “To be honest, it was a major factor the first time around. That and the adventure of it all. Now, I’m doing it for another reason.”

  “Dr. Albanese?”

  “Yeah, but that’s only part of it. The first time, I wasn’t very principled or heroic. In fact, I was kind of a coward.”

  “So, you want to prove to yourself that you’re not a coward?”

  “Yeah, but it’s not just about the dangers and pitfalls of the island.”