by Frank Cereo
Dinosaurs could be seen moving at the entrance. Some were a little bit leery to enter and cross as the jagged rocks that remained at the entrance.
“Come on let’s get the cave picked up and organized.” Amanda says.
“What about the dinosaurs?” Josef asks.
“We’re safe inside the cave.” Huey replies.
Each person began in a certain spot to straighten up the cave. Josef and Amanda picked the kitchen area as Stephanie and Huey picked up the bedroom area. Captain Laird cleaned up the shower as Jennifer noticed something at the rear of the cave.
“Hey everyone come here quickly.” Jennifer yells.
All five came to the aid of the distressed Jennifer. As they arrive she is standing towards the northwestern wall. She is standing motionless as the others surround her.
“Whoa, the earthquake must have opened this,” Captain Laird says.
“You think,” Jennifer replies.
There in the northwestern corner the earthquake has opened a crevasse into the underworld. Inside the hole its dark and cooler air can be felt as it rushes towards the surface.
“Get me the rope and a flashlight. I’m going down to investigate.” Captain Laird says.
Stephanie retrieves the rope and flashlight. The rope is tied to large stone as the loose rope is thrown down into the four foot opening. The captain ties the rope around his waist as he begins his descent into the hole. As he gets through the hole he hangs there and he takes the flashlight out. He shines the light around the large open area.
“What do you see?” Josef yells down to him.
“It looks like a large cave with numerous entrances coming from all directions. The floor is about thirty five feet down. I’m going down to see where these passages lead.” Captain Laird says.
“I’m coming down to assist you.” Stephanie answers.
“No you stay up there.” Captain Laird replies.
“Over my dead body captain, who is the geologist here? I can tell you what formed these caves by looking at the walls. Can you?” Stephanie adds.
“You’re right, get the other flashlight and wait for me to reach the bottom.” Captain Laird responds.
The captain descended to the bottom of the cave. He shines the light around the large cave. Stephanie ties the rope around her waist and descends down the rope to the cave floor. As they shone the flashlight around they noticed five tributaries that entered into this large crevasse.
“I wonder if these are underground lava tunnels.” Captain Laird says as he touches the walls.
Stephanie moves in a little closer to the wall and she touches and smells the wall. She then proceeds to dig her fingernails into the wall. Stephanie looks a little closer and she takes a sample of the rock.
“This is definitely not an underground lava tunnel.” Stephanie responds.
“How do you know?” Captain Laird asks.
“Because if this were a magma chamber there would be igneous rock formations throughout this chamber and there aren’t.” Stephanie rambles on.
“Speak English,” Captain Laird asks.
“Okay igneous rock is rock that is form by pressure and heat and the hardening of molten lava. You see it’s melted into liquid rock and when it hardens you have igneous rock. The walls here are that of a sedimentary rock. A rock formation deposited from erosion. From what I can tell this is siltstone.” Stephanie adds.
“Then it was eroded by water to create this cavern system.” Captain Laird says.
“No, I see no evidence of water erosion because the walls would be smooth not rough like this.” Stephanie replies.
“Then what the hell carved out this cavern?” Captain Laird asks.
“It’s man made.” Stephanie answers.
“That’s impossible,” Captain Laird explains.
“Look at the walls there is evidence that this was dug with some type of laser.” Stephanie responds.
“Okay let’s climb back up the rope. Tomorrow we are coming down with an exploration party.” Captain Laird says.
Both Stephanie and Captain Laird climbed out of the cavern. They briefed the rest of the crew about what was discovered. Many questions were asked that Stephanie didn’t have the answer for. It was determined that Captain Laird would head the expedition. Stephanie, Josef and Amanda would be part of the exploration team. Stephanie was picked because of her geological background. She could figure out different things with the rock formations. Josef was chosen because of his microbiologist background. He could take samples and figure out if there are any micro organisms living there. Amanda was chosen because she was the doctor and she was there in case anyone needs medical help.
Jennifer and Huey would stay back at the camp and hold down the fort. With the peak gone, the camp could be subject to intrusion by the dinosaurs and other creatures especially for the food that was planted in their garden and the nuts and potatoes were now exposed to local wildlife. Most of all they needed to find way to keep their camp safe from those intruders.
Chapter 15 – The Cavern
As morning arrived the crew ate a hearty breakfast that included scrambled triceratops eggs, a slice of smoked fish, fresh fruits and berries with a cup of tea. The tea was some type of leaf that resembled the tea leaves with a similar taste.
“It’s going to be an exciting day,” Captain Laird says with enthusiasm.
“Don’t wish for something that may not happen.” Huey says with a serious look.
“Come on Huey this could be the world’s most famous find.” Captain Laird replies.
“For who?” Huey stammers back.
“Us of course,” Captain Laird replies.
“You’re forgetting one thing we’re sixty-five to seventy-five million years in the past. What you discover today will stay here with us and die with us.” Huey hammers back.
“Can you two save this pissing match for another day?” Jennifer says as she stands between them.
The captain walks away and drops the rope down into the cavern as begins his descent. The supplies that they brought along were two flashlights, two canteens full of fresh water, and some dried Triceratops jerky. For weapons they had a couple of spears and an axe because the pistol was lost with Commander Rescott. The second person down the rope was Stephanie followed by Josef and lastly Amanda. The temperature was about twenty to twenty-five degrees cooler in the cavern than on the surface. As soon as Amanda reached the floor of the cavern they started their exploration of the vast underground system. Stephanie moved over to the wall of the cave to see if she could figure which direction the cavern was dug.
“What do you see?” Captain Laird asks as he shines his flash light on the same spot where Stephanie is shinning hers.
“From what I can tell the scrapes on the rock show that the cavern was dug in this direction.” Stephanie replies as she points north.
The group of four begins moving down the tunnel in a northern direction. They moved slowly but carefully with every precaution. As they walked down the tunnel, there was a slight decline in the direction they were moving in. The temperature was cooling a degree with every one hundred feet they moved. When they entered the cavern the temperature was hovering around seventy-one or two degrees. It was refreshing when they first entered but now it was getting cold due what they were wearing. All they were wearing was their space coveralls. Since landing the pants were cut into shorts and the sleeves were cut off the shirts. The white uniforms were now dingy, tattered, and torn due to the lack of being washed properly.
As they moved Stephanie dragged her hands along the side of the wall to feel the grooves were still moving in the northern direction. For every one hundred feet they walked the decline went down about ten feet.
“Are we still moving in the right direction?’ Captain Laird asks.
“Yes, I would tell you if we weren’t.” Stephanie answers.
“Hey listen, do you hear that?” Josef asks
Everyone quiets down to listen and t
here is a faint but constant humming sound coming from the direction they are walking in.
“What do you make of it?” Amanda asks.
“From the sound it’s mechanical.” Captain Laird adds.
The group continues with more caution as they slowed their pace. The further they walked the louder the humming sound got. After another one hundred feet or so you could feel the ground vibrating.
“The sound is definitely mechanical but it resembles nothing that I ever heard before.” Josef says.
“Should we keep going or should we go back?” Amanda asks with a shutter in her voice.
“I think we should proceed with caution. We need to know what this is.” Captain Laird reiterates.
“I’m not going any further.” Amanda exclaims.
“Okay you and Stephanie stay here. Keep one of the flashlights.” Captain Laird orders.
The two men continue down the large dark shaft. The smell is musty and heavy with dirt. The girls sit on the ground as Stephanie picks up a hand full of dirt that is on the floor of the cavern. She sifts it through her hand to feel the texture of the soil. Amanda sits on the ground with her knees up and her head tucked into her lap. The lights from Josef and Captain Laird slowly fade away as they continue to walk deeper into the cavern. Stephanie turns off her flashlight to conserve the battery.
“Amanda, take a look at this.” Stephanie says.
“Wow, what is causing the light.” Amanda replies.
“I don’t know but it’s really cool.” Stephanie answers.
There seemed to be a speckled substance that was on the wall that was glowing. The glowing would only take place if it was completely dark. So with the flashlights on the substance it would not glow. Stephanie looked at her hands and the speckled substance was on her hands.
“From looking at my hands it is not a living organism but some type of mineral that is glowing from the light it absorbed from the flashlight.” Stephanie says with a smirk on her face.
As the girls remained safe, the men worked their way down the dark corridor. They moved about five hundred feet away from the girls as the tunnel veered towards the left in a western direction. The temperature was now around sixty degrees and dropping one degree for every one hundred feet they descended. The humming noise was now getting so loud that the two men had to talk very loud to hear each other. Then their flashlight began to flicker as the battery was beginning to die. Captain Laird slapped the flashlight against the palm of his hand to try and revive the battery.
“Come on, don’t quit on me now.” Captain Laird says as he continues to slap the flashlight against his hand.
The flashlight quit on Captain Laird as the glowing minerals starts to light up the tunnel where they are located.
“Hey take a look at that.” Josef says.
“It’s like being guided home.” Captain Laird says.
As both men look around there is something located in the tunnel about two hundred feet in front of them. Both of them headed toward the large item with caution. With only the glowing minerals which provided a soft light, it made it difficult to focus on the large item.
At one hundred feet the large item could be seen to be constructed from a metallic substance. It was now discerned that the noise was coming from the large metallic item.
“What do you think it is?” Josef yells into Captain Laird’s ear.
“It looks like some type of tunneling machine from the back side. We need to get closer.” Captain Laird responds.
At fifty feet the humming sound was deafening as both men put their hands over their ears for protection.
The back side of the metallic item looked like four large rocket engine bells for thrust. The large metallic back looked like a network of tubes and pipes. As the men reached the machine, Captain Laird took his right hand off his ear and touched the back side of the metal. The humming sound halted as the captain pulled his hand away in haste. Then the humming sound continued again and once more the captain touched the metal item and the sound stopped again. Both men took their hands off their ear and looked at each other with a puzzled look.
“The humming sound could also be a warning device.” Josef says as both men let go of the metallic item.
“This is so weird.” Captain Laird says to Josef.
“If you touch the machine the humming sound discontinues, but when you take your hand off it continues again. That means it could be touch activated and it’s manmade.” Josef says with a smile.
“Ahhhhh.” A voice screams from the front of the metallic item.
“What or who in the hell is that?” Captain Laird says.
“I don’t know and I’m not going to stick around either.” Josef answers.
They both turn around to high tail it back to camp when all of a sudden everything goes black for both men.
Chapter 16 – Strange Happenings
Deep down inside, the surrounding area was cold, wet and dark, as Captain Laird felt cold water sloshing around him. The cold was sinking into his body. His hand and legs were bound and he could feel a metal floor underneath him. He tried desperately to untie himself but the rope was too tight.
“Josef are you there?” Captain Laird whispers.
There is no answer from Josef as the captain tries to move around. He pushes himself across the floor until he reaches a wall. He turns and goes in another direction until he hits another wall. It feels like a small confined cell that he is trapped in but it’s hard to discern due to the complete darkness.
“Where the hell am I?” Captain Laird says to himself.
Captain Laird struggles with the ropes that are bound around his hands. He struggles as he tries to free himself. The ropes give a little because they are wet and slippery. Just as he is about to free his left hand there is a loud sound and then a voice comes over a PA system.
“You can struggle all you want but even if you get loose from the ropes you will not escape the metal confinement unit. I have been expecting you and your crew.” A hoarse raspy voice says.
“Who the hell are you and what gives you the right to hold me hostage?” Captain Laird yells at the top of his lungs.
“All in time good Ccaptain, all in good time you will understand who I am.” The voice says.
“Where is Josef? Is he all right?” Captain Laird yells.
“You are in no position to demand anything. I will be with you shortly so sit back and relax.” The voice says.
Captain Laird continues to maneuver the ropes until his left hand slides out followed by his right hand. From there he begins to untie the ropes around his ankles. It’s a slow process due to the darkness as he unties the knots. The three quarter inch rope is heavy because it is water logged. As soon as he finishes escaping from the ropes, the Captain gets up and feels his way around the small structure that he is confined in.
“It’s a metal shell structure with metal beams covering over a metal shell. It feels like the inside of a submarine.” Captain Laird says to himself.
As the captain reaches what feels like the front of the cell there is a large circular metal bar. It resembles a stirring wheel. The captain spins it in a counter clock wise direction until it unlocks. He ties to pull the door open but is locked on the opposite side.
“What did you think I was going to leave the door open for a murdering son of a bitch?” A man’s raspy voice says.
“What are you talking about? I’m the captain of a space vessel. You must have me mixed up with someone else.” Captain Laird yells back.
“Are you Gerald Elliott Laird born July 21, 2222? Your parents are Stephen and Gracie Laird. You were born in Syracuse, New York. Must I go any further?” The raspy voice says.
“Okay you have my attention. Now that you know who I am tell me who you are?” Captain Laird asks.
“You will get all the answers you desire soon enough.” The raspy voice responds.
Captain Laird continues to walk around in the water as he begins to knock on the meta
l walls. He was checking to see if there were any flaws or weak spots in the metal. Then he hears a knocking sound coming from the right wall. So Captain Laird knocks again and there is a return knock.
“Is that you Josef? If so knock twice to confirm.” Captain Laird says.
The response was two knocks.
“Can you talk?” Captain Laird asks.
The response was one loud knock.
“I take that as a no.” Captain Laird says.
Then Captain Laird hears a loud bang and then the wheel to the door begins to spin. The latch unhooks as the door opens slowly. The light from outside the door is blinding as the captain’s eyes try to adjust. He covers his hands over his eyes to protect them from the bright light.
“Listen carefully I have a laser rail gun on you and if you do anything stupid I will blow your head off. So exit slowly and do as I say.” The raspy voiced man says.
Slowly and carefully Captain Laird exits the water cell. His eyes are slow to adjust to the light as he keeps his face down towards the floor. Captain Laird cannot make out his captor but he feels the butt of the rail gun against his lower back.
“Move you piece of shit. Straight down the hall towards the red light.” The raspy voice says.
The captain moves slowly as his feet hurt from being in the cold water. The short trip of fifty feet feels like a mile as the captain struggles to hold his footing. It takes him about five minutes to complete the journey as he walks into what looks like the bridge of a ship. It’s really hard to make out as his eyes begin to adjust. Then the butt of the rail gun rips into Captain Laird’s lower back again and this hit puts him on the ground.
“Get the hell up. I’m just beginning with the agony I’m going to put you through. I’m going to make the rest of your life a living hell just like you did to me.” The raspy voice says.
“I don’t even know what I did to you?” Captain Laird pleads.
“Sit right there and hand cuff yourself to the chair arms.” The raspy voice says.
The captain sits down slowly and hooks his left hand to the handcuffs and clasps it to the chair. The man grabs his right hand and clasps it to the right arm of the chair. The handcuffs were already latched to the arms of the chair. The captain looks around as he tries to get a look at where he is being held prisoner. His eyes adjust slowly as he looks around the surroundings that resemble that of a bridge of a submarine. There were no windows and the red emergency lighting was being used as running lamps. As he looked around a little closer he could see that this was the bridge of a prototype Time Traveler. This was a ship that NASA was working on during the twenty-third century and he got a chance to visit and tour the ship a year or so before the Jupiter mission.