Last Train to Pangea: Death by Dinosaur

by Robert Turnbull

  “Yeah he asked me to go exploring with him year before last. Think he figured that it would take my mind off grieving.” Wes smiled “John was always the one I was worried about the most…he was a jerk at times. But you know back then I wasn’t ready to leave Cassy.”

  Red frowned “Would have been much safer than this idea.” Again Red nodded toward the train and Wes could now see it clearly.

  “Holy crap! Red is that…”

  Red chuckled “Yup, the passenger car that arrived with us. All cleaned up and refitted. Aw, hell, I know its old compared to what we have now, but thought ya’d get a kick out of seeing it one more time.” He stopped momentarily and looked at Wes.

  “Oh and Kurt said he had a wagon ready for you in Bastion just south of the carrier. Dai wanted to go, but he tripped and broke his ankle.”

  “That sucks.”

  Red began walking again and slowly shook his head.

  “My friend, are you certain I can’t talk you out of this? You know Cassy’s gonna be crushed when…”

  “Enough Red! She has you and Mary, and any of the lads that are chasing her.”

  “Still the same…”

  Wes held up his hand and Red knew it was time not to push it further.

  “Look pal, since Proff retired you and Mary are on the ruling tribunal and are needed here.” Wes looked at the line of cars and grinned.

  “Hell, I got Kurt to load up a few horses and send them to Bastion, and I’ll have the wagon, tons of supplies and…” he looked and started counting the boxcars “Heeeyyyy…there’s extra boxcars.”

  A hand slapped Wes on his shoulder and a familiar chuckle came from behind.

  “That’s because we need extra supplies for all of us volunteers.”

  The two spun to see Kurt. Snake, Boots, and Luke were stepping quickly to catch up to Kurt.

  “You really think you could leave us behind?”

  “Whoa!” Wes waved his hand as if to flag them off “I’m not coming back guys. This is a mission to keep going as far as I can, as long as I can. To find every village and town, learn what I can about other communities and settlements…if there are any and teach them what we know.” He chuckled “Or at least tell them what’s to come and prepare for it.”

  Kurt nodded “I know, I told them Wes. With me, I guess it’s about making up for being a Nazi pilot.” he sighed “It was so long ago, but I feel I still owe humanity something.”

  Snake laughed “So telling the rest of the world it’s gonna end in about two hundred million years is being repentant?”

  Boots laughed “Earlier…remember the asteroids we have to be ready for…”

  “…or the ice ages.” Luke reminded them.

  “Ok get your asses on the train and let’s get out of here before Cassy starts looking for me.” He looked sadly over his shoulder to the part of town they had just left. He slowly climbed the stair as the rest fell in behind their beloved leader.

  “I left her a nice long letter explaining everything. She spent the night over at Sarah’s and they were going shopping this mor…” Wes froze as he entered the old passenger car to see Cassy sitting mid-way with her feet propped up on the seat across from her.

  “Oh come on dad,” she smiled sweetly “did you really think that I’d let you vanish from my life? Christ all mighty, I’m still the best scout around and know more about ‘out there’ than anyone other than maybe Kurt and his waggoneers…” she grinned “Nawww…I know more about surviving than they do.”

  Wes started to open his mouth in protest, but the lass leapt to her feet and dashed over to the man she called dad. She slid her arms through his arm and began to walk him down the narrow aisle toward her seat.

  “Besides you don’t have a choice…I want to know what the hell the banshees are too.”

  “Whoa…”

  Her small finger sealed his lips.

  “No buts about it! I’m going.”

  “I never said a damned thing about banshees or…”

  Cassy smiled as she laid her head on his shoulder and walked toward their seats in the rear of the car.

  “I know you dad. Red can’t get tracks between Bastion and Blackwood because everyone is afraid of the stories…nor further east where the plains are flatter and there are less dinos.” She giggled softly “I know my daddy.”

  Wes’s shoulders slumped and his face showed there was no use in arguing with Cassy, she always won anyhow. She had figured it out despite all his effort to hide it from her, Wes gave a snort.

  “Always know every move I’m going to…heeeyyyy…what about all your boyfriends?”

  Now she giggled like a little girl “Oh them? Like someone I know…” she pulled out the long letter Wes had left on their kitchen table “I left them all notes.” She pushed Wes down into his seat “And told them someone needed to look after my daddy.”

  Cassy gave Wes that little girl pout and curled her lip…before breaking out in a huge burst of laughter; along with the rest of their friends.

  They all slid into their seats as Red headed toward the engine. As Wes sat looking at his friends, the door behind them opened…

  “Didn’t think I’d let you leave without me, did you?” Proff muttered as he sat across from Wes and Cassy.

  “Ok, I’m pushing eighty in my past timeline years, but here I’m probably closer to fifty? Hell, I still can ride a horse, and damned sure can sit in a wagon. Hell I can teach, write papers about future events and…” he patted a large backpack “have prepared papers on our technology.”

  Wes grinned “Glad to have you aboard Proff. If anyone can explain things to others, it would be you.”

  The train jerked as it began to move forward and headed through the tunnel out through the walls of Boulder for the last time. Cassy laid her head on Wes’s arm and sighed. This would be the last time either of them would see the city they had begun to call home.

  The train clattered as it ran over the switches that steered them due south to Bastion and new adventures…or death.

  Wes looked over to his friends and the tiny lass he called his daughter and wondered how many of them would make it past what had become known as the Banshee Death Lands. An area with flat terrain covered in sporadic marshes and trees similar to weeping willows. Of areas of year round fog and swamp gasses…and if one could believe the stories…of certain death.

  He gave his girl a gentle hug and smiled at his friends as he looked out the window at the passing prairie and sighed deeply.

  Beyond the windows were various dinosaurs grazing in the distance, most of the meat-eaters had been wiped out in this area but he knew they were all over where they were headed and just as deadly. Wes leaned his head against the window and sighed again as he watched the speeding panorama go by.

  “Dad?” Cassy laid her head against Wes’s chest and looked out the window as she spoke.

  “What’s really out there other than the obvious?”

  “I don’t know sweetie, but I’m sure we’ll find it.” he softly muttered “We have to…whomever, whatever…”

  “Whatever?” Sarge asked.

  “Answers as well as information Sarge.” Wes replied never taking his gaze from the window.

  “Proff has the focal, but we never found the rest of the portal, he has educated guesses and theories, but what really happened? What the hell are banshees? Too many questions, not enough answers.”

  Sarge snorted “Yeah about those banshee bastards, why?”

  “Why there?” Wes asked as Sarge nodded and Cassy chuckled under her breath as she struggled to get the words out.

  “Because it’s an unanswered question Sarge.” she smiled and winked “And because dad has to have answers.”

  Cassy and Wes slowly closed their eyes as her dad held her gently and she somehow knew things would be alright as long as they had each other.

  Sarge slid over and put his head on the window and stared out in the direction of the banshee lands to the east.
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br />   “Sure banshees scare the bejesus outta every living thing in Pangea” he glanced over at his two napping friends and grinned as his gaze turned back to the window and the prehistoric landscape that was rushing by.

  “Let’s just go and knock on their fuckin’ door…Keeeerist!”

  There was a slight muffled giggle from the young lady nestled in her father’s arms. One of her pretty blue eyes opened as she smiled.

  “Welcome to Pangea.”

  The End.