Dino Island 2

by J R Hogan

  She stared back with fierce green eyes for a long time before speaking. “We don’t blame you, Professor Swift. Men always leave.”

  Jessica offered a sad smile before turning away from me, her golden locks swishing back and forth as I told myself the situation was too serious for me to be staring at her ass this much.

  • • •

  “I can see why they’ve won over your heart,” Chastity offered as she approached me on the beach. She folded her arms and stood next to me as I stared into the ocean.

  I was tempted to tell her to fuck off, that I had come out here to be alone, and that her unholy Midas touch had turned everything to shit.

  “What I don’t understand is how they’ve won over your mind, Professor,” she continued, turning toward me. “Yes, they’re a walking wet dream, and that cheerleader is so stereotypically beautiful that it’s nearly comical. But who’s by your side now?”

  I faced her, hating how much I noticed that the lab coat couldn’t hide her feminine curves. Melvin sure could pick them; I wondered if he truly understood her intellect as well.

  “They’re shiny new things, Mark, but shine wears off. We have the potential to change the world. Throwing all that away would be an empty gesture, and these women simply don’t have the life experience to appreciate the complexity of that sacrifice.” She stroked my cheek. I lifted my hand to push her away, but she pushed back.

  Chastity was feisty.

  And I hated how her fingertips had given me not unpleasant chills.

  “Come with me, Mark, and let’s change the world together.”

  Then Chastity reached for my hand. I yanked it back. She shook her head and walked away, still balancing perfectly on the sand in her long, thin heels. “Have it your way. But if you do want to leave and return, the train’s pulling out of the station right now. Follow me if you want the answers.”

  “Wait – now?” I shot back, chasing after her. “I thought I was going to have time to prepare for-”

  “Mark, I realized that the less time you had to think about these girls, the better off you’d be. You’re welcome,” she responded, still moving deliberately. “I know you’ll follow, because you know it’s the right thing.”

  My head spun. “Chastity, I need to know what’s going on, but I also need to you to promise me that I can come back-”

  “Sure,” she answered, still facing away as she crossed the tree line into the jungle. “I promise you can come back if you follow and then decide you don’t like things at home after all.”

  “Good,” I shot back, “now wait for me while I go explain to the girls-”

  “There’s no time, Mark,” she answered, stopping at a random spot near where she’d first appeared. “The portal is only open in a very narrow time and space, for a very specific number of people.”

  Dizziness hit me as the jungle wavered.

  “Come with me now, or be stranded here forever.” She held out her hand.

  “I need to tell them I’m leaving,” I answered weakly.

  “It will close in just a few seconds. Now or never. Choose.”

  I glared at her as the dizziness grew stronger. “You didn’t want me to say goodbye. You did this to me on purpose.”

  She smiled widely, revealing a row of straight, white teeth. “Looks like you know me as well as I know you, Mark.”

  “I think I hate you,” I answered.

  Then I took her hand, and the dizziness overwhelmed me.

  CHAPTER THREE

  TOC

  I awoke face down in Melvin Stringer’s lab, surrounded by impossible machinery that shouldn’t have existed.

  Groaning, I looked over to see that Chastity was already getting to her feet. “Welcome back to your real world, Professor Swift.”

  She offered a hand but I ignored it, getting up without help. “Where,” I huffed, staggering as I tried to find my balance, “is Melvin Stringer?”

  Chastity stared at me shrewdly, waiting several seconds before answering. “You’ve just come back from hell, Mark. Your impulsivity will yield to the logical decision in soon enough. Take some time to collect your thoughts before doing anything you might regret.” She smoothed her lab coat. “You’re in a position to gain a great deal from Professor Stringer if you play your cards right. Don’t let your temporary anger get in the way of the most important research you’ll ever be a part of.”

  I let out a long, slow breath. Then I walked over to Chastity and placed my arms gently on her shoulders. “It was hard,” I sighed, “but I did the right thing in the end. I hate saying that you were right, so you’ll forgive my decision to articulate that specific sentiment at a later time.” I leaned in close, studying her eyes as they darted back and forth, reflecting mine. “I’m an academic, and this research is the most important thing I’ll ever do. It’s time to begin.”

  Chastity held me in her gaze a moment longer before lowering her eyes and nodding. “Well, I have some business that needs attending.” Then she looked up and offered the faintest genuine smile. “It’s good to have you back, Professor.” She squeezed the briefcase tightly in both hands, turned away, and walked out the door.

  I was alone in Melvin Stringer’s lab.

  What the hell was going on in this place? Somewhere in this morass of impossible technology lay the explanation to questions a thousand generations of humans had endeavored and failed to answer.

  It was hard to imagine anything more important.

  A door creaked behind me. I spun around.

  Slowly, timidly, the hunched figure of a greasy-haired Melvin Stringer stepped out. It looked like he’d aged a year in the week we’d been gone. His attempt to grin at me amounted to nothing more than a sneer as he shuffled forward.

  I smiled and walked toward him. “Melvin,” I announced, “have we got a lot to talk about.”

  He leaned away from me at first, almost as though he was afraid, but seemed more relaxed as I closed the distance between us.

  “I’ve changed the world, Mark,” he explained nervously, “I’ve changed the world!”

  “You sure have,” I responded with enthusiasm.

  Then I threw him to the ground and landed my first punch.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  TOC

  “Stop it!” Chastity screamed as she raced toward us. “Stop it, Mark, you’ll ruin everything!”

  I ignored her as I threw another right cross. His head bounced like a rag doll; it was pathetically obvious that he was no physical match for me.

  “Those two were for Sarah and Daisy,” I heaved. Then I took a disgusting, greasy glob of hair as he looked up at me in fear. I smashed the back of his skull against the metal floor. “That’s for Ling!” Then I reached back and slammed my fist into his diaphragm. “And Jessica!”

  He curled into the fetal position as he struggled to breathe. Chastity stuttered to a halt next to me as she realized that she had no idea how to stop me.

  “And this is for Chastity,” I added, gently slapping his cheek with my fingertips.

  He heaved as I stood and brushed myself off. “Circumstance prohibits me from delivering a truly fair retribution, Melvin,” I explained with academic calm. “So instead, you’re going to help me get what I want.”

  “Why should he help you?” Chastity screamed.

  “Oh, you’re worried that our little physical scuffle will derail things?” I frowned and shook my head. “We can ignore that in the name of scientific progress. After all, a little bodily harm is an acceptable cost for the greater accomplishment. Right, Melvin?”

  He gurgled.

  “He’ll be fine, Chastity.” I shook my head. “You’ve put up with much worse from him.”

  She stared at me, eyes and mouth both open wide. “I didn’t think you were capable of that, Mark, you an-”

  “An academic, and this research is the most important thing I’ll ever do. Yes, Chastity, I feigned passivity in order to co
ax Melvin from whatever hole he’d been hiding in.” I smiled. “It was the most practical choice. I lied about believing you were right; it was simply an efficient way to access Melvin and beat the shit out of him.”

  He whimpered.

  “I’m a very logical man, Chastity. Try to keep up with my class.”

  She folded her arms, three quarters angry and one quarter impressed.

  “Now here’s what we’re going to do. Melvin will tell me everything I need to know about rescuing the four women he stranded in that forsaken place, and we’re going to get them home safely. Chastity, you can fill in for him while his lungs struggle to start working correctly again.”

  “So you – you don’t want to be part of this research? You’re willing to throw it all away to go chasing some girls?”

  I smiled wider. “What did I say about keeping up with the class, Chastity? Stop asking questions with obvious answers.”

  She scowled. “Why should Professor Stringer help you?”

  I laughed. It felt good; I couldn’t remember the last time I’d laughed. “Two reasons. The first is that I’ll destroy everything if you don’t help me save the girls. A few household chemicals in the right proportions will start a raging inferno in this building.”

  “There’s no way you can-”

  “I don’t need to burn down the whole lab, Chastity. Once the FBI starts investigating the explosive that was built on a college campus, they’re going to be very curious about exactly what the fuck you two are doing here. At best, every academic in the world descends on this place, and your formerly secret project is the domain of the whole human race. At worst, you go to prison if they discover you’ve been up to less-than-scrupulous endeavors on the public dime. Judging by the reaction on your face, you’d prefer not to get the Feds involved.”

  Both were silent.

  “But the second reason, Melvin,” I explained, squatting down next to him, “is that you’re an academic, too.” I lowered my voice. “I want to get back to that island, and you want to watch what happens. You just can’t help yourself; you’re the cat that curiosity is determined to kill.”

  Melvin Stringer raised his head, bared his blood-coated teeth, and smiled.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  TOC

  “You’re a son of a bitch, Melvin Stringer, and I never liked you,” I explained, my voice calm.

  He laughed. It was raspy. “I never liked you either, Mark. You were a means to an end.”

  “It’s too bad we couldn’t get along, then, considering how much we have in common. Now,” I continued, pulling him to his feet, “you’re going to tell me exactly how we get those girls back.”

  He cackled. “I don’t know, Mark.”

  My blood boiled and froze at the same time. “Why, exactly, are you laughing?”

  He laughed harder. “Because you know I’m telling the truth!”

  I searched his beady eyes.

  He wasn’t lying.

  “Fuck!” I shouted, pushing him back. Chastity grabbed his shoulders and held him.

  “We’re just beginning to understand this phenomenon, Mark,” Chastity offered with a hint of fear in her voice. “That’s why we needed to experiment. We can’t know until we try.”

  I shook my head. “Cut the bullshit about what we don’t know, and tell me what we do.”

  She took a deep breath. “There might be a way to travel freely back and forth. We don’t know. We have figured out specific places where specific people can transport at specific times. Yours was the first instance of multiple subjects going on the same trip.”

  I grabbed my hair with my hands. “Subjects? So we’re your fucking guinea pigs, is that right?”

  “You were always supposed to come back and be part of something bigger!” Melvin spat. “If you just controlled yourself, Mark, you could see that it’s the sensible decision.”

  I looked at him like he was an idiot. “Did the repeated punches not make my position clear, Melvin?” I took three large steps toward the two of them. They cringed, afraid. “I am going back for those women, taking them home if I can, but bringing them resources and answers if I can’t. You’re going to assist me in this endeavor. If you resist, I will introduce your skull to the floor as many times as is necessary until you see reason.”

  Melvin looked like he’d eaten a particularly rotten half-digested egg and worm sandwich.

  “I thought so. Now. Bring me up to speed.”

  “You are up to speed,” he countered. “Well, almost.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “I’m missing 98% of this story.”

  He stepped away from Chastity, holding his arms toward me. “So am I, Mark. That’s what makes us academics. We live in a veiled universe, seeing only the tiniest sliver of light in Plato’s Cave. Most people are so happy to embrace ignorance and imagine order in the empty spaces of their understanding. Most people, Professor, are so intellectually inept that they’re unable to comprehend just how little they know. There was only one Prometheus, but he changed the world. Such men are distinguished by two things: an intellectual prowess capable of understanding more than the crude slop of sustenance before them, and the stomach to endure the cost of knowledge.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “So you’re saying, in a roundabout way, that you figured out how to turn on your new toy – but you don’t know how to make it work.”

  He gritted his teeth.

  “You’re an asshole, Melvin.” I sighed. “You said that I was almost up to speed. What’s the big secret I’m missing?”

  He smiled again. It was worse than his scowl. “We know the next time that you can travel back, if you really wish to do so. We can tell you exactly where and when it happens, but we cannot change it.”

  I closed my eyes and stifled a scream. “So that’s it? I can go back, but you don’t seem to know if it’s possible to return the women you kidnapped?”

  He folded his arms and remained still.

  “Is there any hope of getting me back home again, should I chose to travel?”

  “It’s hard to say what the possibilities are when our main source of experimentation doesn’t want to work with us,” Chastity responded, arms folded.

  Without looking at her, Melvin lifted his finger to silence Chastity. “We’ll learn from you regardless. If you sacrifice yourself out of an inability to control your emotions, it will not be a total loss, Mark. Let’s see what happens when you go through the door with no known way of coming home.”

  I tried to swallow, but my throat was too dry.

  Memories of every important piece of my life stabbed my gut. My childhood home, a lifetime of collecting old books, the moment I received tenure, my father’s grave – they hit me one after another as I considered never seeing them again.

  They were followed by the images of four women’s faces, and the way they looked at me when they thought I would leave them behind.

  “Let’s see what’s behind the curtain, Melvin.” I swallowed and nodded. “How much time do I have?”

  He looked around wildly before finally settling back on my face. “Six hours, Mark. The portal opens at exactly 10:03 p. m.”

  The breath disappeared from my chest. “Six – six hours?”

  “Well,” he huffed, “six hours from when you arrived, so a bit less than that.”

  I nearly fell as vertigo hit me.

  “If you have any preparations to make, you’d better do it now.” He licked his dry lips. “So tell me, Mark, one academic to another: what will you do with your last six hours on earth?”

  CHAPTER SIX

  TOC

  I stared at Chastity and Melvin a moment longer before turning to race for the door.

  “Don’t be late, Mark!” he called. “If you miss this trip, you can never go back!”

  I sprinted faster.

  I ran through the campus, across the parking lot, jumped into my car, and drove across town. I hoped that t
he urgency of the moment would keep me focused.

  Unfortunately, my mind decided to go hyperactive.

  I took in every tiny detail as I raced toward my apartment. Each building, every street, all the trees that had seemed so mundane in their permanence – I had never stopped to consider that there would be a last time we see every one, and that we almost certainly won’t consider it in the moment. Was I really ready to put every piece of my life at risk? Would I actually accomplish anything, or would my sacrifice be a meaningless gesture as I watched all four women die like Chad? Did Jessica have a point about men always leaving, and that it was unfair to blame our natures?