The Extinction Trials

by S. M. Wilson

  Leif choked, put his head on his friend’s chest and let out a wail.

  Storm looked away in despair and gazed blankly across the loch. When her eyes refocused she noticed something. The last backpack, trailing in the water next to the boat which, with all the turmoil, had bobbed back out onto the loch. Lincoln must have noticed it too – because suddenly he darted forward with a yell.

  The T-rex had stopped thrashing her tail, obviously succumbing to the effects of being held underwater for too long. Lincoln dived onto his belly, straining to reach the strap of the bag, which slipped from his grasp. She could see the fury on his face, the rage at what had just happened. Nothing about what he was doing was rational. They should be in the transporter right now – getting as far away from this place as possible.

  “What are you doing?” yelled Storm. She couldn’t help herself. She couldn’t leave him in danger. She ran forward too, hoping and praying the deinosuchus would remain distracted by its prize.

  Lincoln reached out again, just as the body of the T-rex shuddered. Storm saw the black fathomless eyes of the deinosuchus lock onto Lincoln. She couldn’t breathe. Not for a second. She’d just seen one friend die. Was she about to witness another?

  The effect was instant. The deinosuchus unlocked its jaws from the torn throat of the T-rex. Lincoln reached just that little bit further, his fingers brushing against the strap and struggling to grasp it.

  She’d forgotten. Forgotten how quickly the deinosuchus could move. As Lincoln’s fingers grabbed the strap and pulled it sharply back, the creature swept round. It had won its first prey but there was another available. Storm didn’t hesitate. She grabbed Lincoln’s tunic with both hands and yanked hard.

  There was a flicker in the deep water nearby. A head and long thin neck reached upwards, followed by a broad body with thick front flippers. A plesiosaur, soaring out of the water in a way she’d never seen before. The front end of the body landed hard on the deinosuchus’s back, one broad flipper slapping it across the eyes.

  She darted backwards, amazed by the sight. The deinosuchus was momentarily stunned – stunned enough to allow Lincoln and Storm time to get to their feet and sprint straight towards the transporter. She reached down and dragged Leif away from the body of his friend as they passed.

  Storm got to the transporter first. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t driven before. She gunned the engine, waited ten seconds for the others to scramble in, then floored it. She wasn’t about to wait and see if the deinosuchus would pursue them on land.

  “You fool, what were you thinking?” she yelled at Lincoln.

  “I was thinking about the reason we were here in the first place!”

  A bump in the ground sent their heads crashing into the roof before they thumped back down onto the hard seats.

  Storm turned to glance back at the loch. She was scared to look. Would the thin neck of the plesiosaur be lodged between the deinosuchus’s teeth?

  She sucked in a breath and turned round quickly. The deinosuchus was feasting again – on the body of the T-rex. The plesiosaur was nowhere in sight.

  When she looked back, Lincoln’s green eyes were fixed on her. She couldn’t read his expression at all.

  “Tell me I didn’t just see that. Tell me one dinosaur didn’t just rescue us from another… Storm?”

  She had no idea what to say. She couldn’t even rationalize what had just happened in her head. She grabbed her backpack and thrust it against his chest. “Hold this. I need to concentrate on getting back to the beach. The last thing we need is to miss the ship.”

  She looked past him. The lush Pilorian vegetation was a blur of green. She picked a spot on the horizon to focus on – trying not to think about the events she’d just witnessed.

  Everything they’d been told about dinosaurs was a complete and utter lie.

  Unintelligent creatures didn’t track you for thousands of sectars across a continent.

  Creatures who only acted on instinct didn’t know how to put out fires.

  Tiny-brained dinosaurs didn’t put themselves in harm’s way to save a human life.

  And then there were three.

  The journey over the uneven ground rattled his bones. Rattled what few remaining nerves he had left. He imagined every flicker in his vision was something else that wanted to eat them. Every noise in the background sounded like a predator.

  Family. The last word that Kronar had said to his friend.

  Lincoln knew exactly what he meant. Kronar expected Leif to look after his family as well as Rune’s.

  It hurt Lincoln more than he could say – because he knew his actions would affect every one of them.

  Storm was tired. She was hungry. She wanted to taste fish again but was too scared to go anywhere near the sea. She wanted to do anything that would take her mind off the thoughts currently swirling around her head.

  Night-time on the beach had been colder than she’d expected. Between the noises from the jungle, and the noises from the sea they’d hardly had any sleep. Since morning they’d sat in the blistering sun for nearly six hours, watching the horizon anxiously for any sign of the ship.

  At first there were only three other people on the beach with them. Added together, it was the highest number of Finalists ever to have returned from an expedition. But none of the Finalists were happy.

  For some, Galen had been the ultimate competitor. Getting into a showdown with the T-rex had turned him into a mixture of hero, martyr and legend. A couple of the other survivors were people from his team and they glared at Storm and her friends as if they wanted to kill them.

  Frustration was evident. The pterosaur egg in Galen’s backpack had been lost when the T-rex got him.

  His team had nothing.

  None of the others had any spoils.

  Gradually a few stragglers appeared. In the end, there were ten survivors in total. One guy admitted he’d spent the whole week on the beach. He hadn’t even glimpsed a dinosaur on Piloria.

  Most were injured. All were filthy. But at least none were hungry. It seemed they’d all found food on Piloria. Some had even brought plants back with them.

  One thing was clear. None of the other Finalists had ever really rated Storm, Lincoln and Leif. It didn’t matter what they’d achieved to get here in the first place, no one had ever expected to see the youngest team again.

  There were a few whispers. A few calculating glances.

  But from the second they reached the beach, Lincoln, Storm and Leif stood guard over their prizes. They hadn’t lost two friends to be cheated at the last moment.

  Lincoln sat with a knife between his hands. Leif, with the gun. It was a clear message. No one was going to attack them and steal their treasure.

  But Storm couldn’t get the thought of what would come next out of her head. She didn’t trust the Stipulators. She didn’t trust them at all. They’d lied about Piloria. They’d left someone here who’d survived for nine years and they’d told no one.

  Piloria was terrifying. But wonderful too.

  There was a whole host of terrifying dinosaurs.

  But there was also beauty. Beauty in the plants – there were new foods, a vast expanse of land and vital supplies here – and beauty in some of the creatures. Whatever they did with this DNA stuff, could she really believe that harmless dinosaurs wouldn’t be put at risk? What if the plesiosaurs were affected? A plesiosaur had just saved their lives – of that Storm had no doubt. Surely they owed the plesiosaurs some loyalty? Part of her wanted to grab the eggs and smash them both now. Get it over with and get back home. Leave the dinosaurs with their own continent.

  But she’d left it too late. Both Leif and Lincoln were already guarding the eggs with everything they had.

  She could be about to make the biggest mistake of her life.

  Finally the ship appeared on the horizon. Its familiar grey shape filled them all with relief. They watched nervously as the small boats, each with a Stipulator on board, made their
way towards the beach.

  Lincoln whispered in her ear. “Funny, isn’t it? When we arrived there were ten boats. This time they’re sending only two. Did they already know how many would survive?”

  She licked her lips, watching the surface of the sea for any sign of disturbance. She wrinkled her brow. “The ship – where does it go? It can’t have time to get back to Earthasia. Where does it go while we are here?”

  Lincoln frowned as if he’d never given it any thought. “I have no idea.”

  Storm pressed her lips together. Leif stood up and stretched. “I don’t care. Just so long as it takes us straight back home.”

  The journey over on the boat was quick and uneventful. After their experience on Piloria that was a welcome relief.

  Once they were back on board one of the Stipulators wrinkled his nose – probably at the smell – then waved them all towards the servery and the dorms.

  Storm found Lincoln sitting in their dark corridor. The ship was being pounded by waves, but it was quieter down here. Less stormy.

  “What do you think will happen when we get back?” she asked as she slid down the wall next to him.

  He played with the laces on his boots. “What always happens. Celebrations. Parties. Prizes for the Finalists.” His voice had a strange, wistful tone.

  “We’re the only team with eggs.”

  “I know.” Things had been awkward; once they’d cleaned up the Stipulators had asked them to declare any eggs and unpack their goods. Leif, Lincoln and Storm had emptied all the backpacks together, leaving the contents on a large wooden table.

  The Stipulator had contained his excitement and just labelled the specimens, taking a note of the members of the team.

  After that, they’d been so exhausted they’d gone to the bunk rooms, ignoring the signs for male and female this time, and all going into one room together. It felt cold and empty with just the three of them in there.

  They’d fallen asleep instantly and hadn’t woken for two days. No one else had joined them.

  Leif had hardly spoken. Grief was etched across his face. They’d taken to escorting him down to the servery and back to make sure he was eating.

  “How do you feel about what we’re doing?”

  Lincoln looked at her. “I feel fine. Why wouldn’t I?”

  She shook her head. “After everything we’ve seen, everything we’ve done… Piloria isn’t our continent, Lincoln. We have no right to be there.” She started scratching at the skin on her back – it was bothering her again.

  He was indignant. “I don’t get you, Storm. I really don’t. Why did you even go to Piloria if you didn’t believe in what we were doing? Capturing the eggs was always the goal. How on earth can you have any sympathy for killer dinosaurs? Wouldn’t Piloria be a whole lot better without them? Wouldn’t you actually like to live there eventually – if the dinosaurs weren’t there?”

  “Do you really think that will ever happen? Blaine didn’t. He thought they were crazy to try and get rid of the dinosaurs. He should know – after nine years.”

  “But he’s spent nine years hiding there. And Blaine’s clearly crazy. Did you see that look in his eyes when he told Kronar he couldn’t stay? If he hadn’t said that, Kronar might still be alive.” Lincoln was getting mad. His voice was rising and echoing around their little corridor. If he didn’t quieten down he’d attract other people to their hideaway. That was the last thing Storm wanted. This was the only place on the ship where she actually felt she had some privacy.

  Her skin was irritating her more than ever. If she scratched again she would break the skin and the scar would bleed. The last thing she needed was more abrasions. Her toes and heels had finally begun to heal with the green gloop Blaine had given them. At least he’d been useful for something.

  “Stop that.” Lincoln grabbed her arm and pulled it away from under her tunic. He sagged back against the wall. “What is that anyway? What happened?” He was still holding her hand, stopping her from scratching again.

  This had been the longest few weeks of her life. In the last few days she’d started to think of these guys as family. She knew they didn’t see her that way – they had families of their own.

  But Storm didn’t. And these guys had broken into the little world that she kept protected around herself.

  Lincoln had broken into her world in a whole other way. She didn’t feel the same about him as she did about Leif, as she did about Dell. There was something more. Something different. Something she didn’t even want to contemplate.

  It was hard enough to let people in. Hard enough to talk. These guys had filled a void in her life that they didn’t have in their own. But she’d never tell them how she felt. They’d probably think she was being ridiculous.

  And to say anything more? She stared at her hand, the one Lincoln was holding. He couldn’t possibly understand how much that touch meant to her – the girl who had lost her mother years ago, who had no one. The sensation sent a warm glow through her body that she couldn’t even begin to put into words. It made her crave more. And the way he was looking at her pushed her even further. It made her want to trust him. To tell him the story no one but Dell knew.

  It was easier in the darkness. Saying the words seemed simpler. She couldn’t have said them if she’d had a clear view of his bright green eyes.

  “I had an accident.”

  “Where?”

  “At the loch.”

  He didn’t let go. But he moved, he slid his fingers over the top of her hand and intertwined them with hers.

  “What kind of accident?”

  “I was diving. I hit my head.”

  “Were you alone?” She could hear the rise in his voice. Hear his concern.

  “No. I was on a boat with some other people. But when I dived in I must have knocked myself unconscious. I got dragged underneath, caught in the nets there. That’s how I got my scars. The metal underside of the boat.”

  He flinched. “How did they get you out?”

  She sighed. “They didn’t.” There it was. That horrible feeling that always swamped her when she thought about this. The fact that no one had noticed. The fact that no one had cared.

  His voice was quiet. “So, who rescued you?”

  “Milo.”

  “Who?” He was sitting upright now. Probably staring at her through the darkness. His thumb was drawing imaginary circles in the palm of her hand.

  “The plesiosaur.”

  His eyes widened. “You gave it a name?”

  This part always seemed hard to believe. “Milo saved me. No one on the boat even noticed I was gone. When I came round I was lying at the side of the loch. I could barely move, the wounds on my back were so painful. Milo’s head was resting next to mine. I must have passed out again. But when I woke, Milo was still waiting next to me. He hadn’t left me. He hadn’t left my side.”

  “Plesiosaurs – rescuing humans.” Lincoln shook his head. “If I hadn’t witnessed it with my own eyes I wouldn’t believe it. It just seems so unreal. That these creatures can have intelligence, compassion…”

  She pulled her hand from his and stood up. “Think about what you’ve seen over the last few days. Was all of that really just instinct? Can you honestly tell me that some of that behaviour wasn’t intelligent? That T-rex tracked us for two days – far away from her nest. Those raptors used earth to put out a fire. Why? And a plesiosaur had the intelligence to get me to shore when I was unconscious.”

  She kneeled back down in front of him. “Are these really monsters? Or are they just creatures, like us, living their lives? I think what we’ve done was wrong, Lincoln. We should never have taken those eggs. We should never have stolen those babies from their mothers and I think, as beautiful as Piloria is, it’s not our continent. It’s theirs.” She was back on her feet again. “It’s time we took responsibility for our own behaviour. We’ve caused the problems on our own continent. And it’s up to us to solve them.”

  Her foot
steps echoed down the corridor, fading into the distance until all he could hear was the thudding of his own heart.

  He understood everything she was saying. It was an intelligent argument.

  But it wasn’t his. He couldn’t let it be his.

  There was a noise from the depths of the ship, voices echoing towards him.

  “It’s only three days. Reban’s anxious for us to make good time. We can’t afford for those eggs to hatch.”

  “They won’t. We’re keeping them at a low temperature. They should be fine.”

  “Only one team proved their worth. And it was the team he told us to watch. What was it about them that interested him?”

  “Who knows? One thing’s for sure – when we reach Earthasia they won’t be a team any more. Only one person can claim the rewards for each egg. Thank goodness they only found two. Resources are so scarce they’ll struggle to provide what they promised to more than one Finalist and their family. Three team members, two eggs. It’s going to get ugly.”

  The voices faded again.

  Lincoln pressed back against the cool metal wall. He’d hoped his suspicious would be proved wrong. That there might be a way… But there was no room for doubt now. He pushed Storm’s words from his mind, all thoughts of her. All thoughts of Leif, Kronar, Rune and their families.

  The time was getting closer. He was going to have to betray them all. If resources were already scarce – he couldn’t hesitate. He had to claim both eggs, had to claim the only prize, otherwise Arta had little chance of survival.

  His stomach twisted. The betrayal would be brutal. Leif had become his friend. And Storm, maybe something more.

  It made this even harder.

  But he knew exactly what he had to do.

  Storm was in the servery. She prodded at the fish on the plate in front of her. She’d never seen one like this before and probably never would again. It was good. But eating was difficult.

  Since she’d arrived back on the boat she’d been exhausted. Living on adrenaline for seven days had used every tiny bit of energy she’d possessed. And it seemed to have affected them all.