“The growth in this territory has been remarkable, everything is so enriched in comparison to the last time I was here. And now that you mention it, the stream is really all I hear,” replied my father.
We continued our route circling the Neuro Territory, venturing away from the stream. I saw an abundance of dart frogs resting near some decaying wood, their bright colors caught the corner of my eye. I had always wanted to catch one and keep it as a pet but ultimately didn’t think it would be fair to the frog, taking it from meters and meters of endless jungle, only to put it into a tiny terrarium. Plus, with my luck Àna would try to kill and eat it, ultimately killing herself because of all the toxins present inside the dart frog.
The vegetation was dense and thick, almost covering up our trails that had been made for the territory. My father and Donald led the way as I clutched to the soil sampling device Marina had me hold. I tried not to laugh at Donald. He was holding up his dart gun scanning the trail from left to right, as if we were at war and he was expecting some sort of ambush.
As we maneuvered through the trail with the heat sticking to our face, we came across a small river. It was much larger than the stream we encountered earlier in our trek, but just as quiet.
The riverbanks were mostly covered in vegetation. There was a patch of rocks and mud that was probably a mile long on both sides of the river. My father and Donald walked towards an abundance of bushes that had some type of berry on them. To collect a DNA sample, I assumed. I couldn’t tell from this distance if they were scorch berries or some new variation of berry.
While my father and Donald observed the berries, Abdi, Marina and I walked the rocky and muddy banks of the river. I could see the top of the Neuro Tower from where we stood. Marina stopped and collected a soil sample while Abdi and I began to throw small rocks across the river, trying to get them to skip. Abdi and I scanned the banks trying to find the perfect rock to throw. Suddenly, Marina walked towards us in a vigilant manner.
“Don't move!” she yelled.
Abdi and I didn't move a muscle as we stood on the banks of the river. I was frightened for a second, not knowing what Marina was getting worked up about.
“This is why you have to always keep your eyes peeled in the jungle,” said Marina. She pointed towards the ground as she inched closer and closer to Abdi and I. Camouflaged in the mud was a stingray, it lay motionless upside down and blended right in with the mud.
“I don't think it's alive, so I think we are okay,” I said as I dropped the rock I was holding.
“Actually, the venom and toxins are still present in the stinger long after death,” Marina said as she grabbed a wire cutter from her small pack.
Abdi and I both looked at each other, stunned. Our feet were inches from the stingray. Marina then began to crouch down next to the dead ray. Abdi and I backed up a few feet to give her some space. Then with one small motion with the wire cutter, Marina chopped off the stinger of the ray. She then proceeded to place it in a plastic bag.
The stinger was roughly the size of a ballpoint pen. “I want you to have this, Layka. The stingers are absolutely beautiful under a microscope. Just be careful not to accidentally sting yourself with it, your father would kill me,” Marina said with a warm smile on her face as she rubbed the top of my head
“Thank you, Marina,” I said as I observed the stinger.
“It’s so cool looking, look at all of the little jagged edges it has,” said Abdi.
I thanked her again, placing the stinger inside my small pack. “I just want to apologize,” said Abdi as he looked at Marina and I.
Marina looked at Abdi with a puzzled look on her face.
“I just feel that I haven't been as professional as I should be today, and I could have gotten Layka hurt. I just know how dangerous the rivers can be here and for that I am sorry. There could have been an anaconda or a caiman waiting in the river or she could have stepped on that stinger.”
“You don't have to apologize, Abdi. You were just having fun. We all just have to remember how dangerous the jungle really can be,” said Marina as she gently rubbed Abdi’s back attempting to raise his spirits. I couldn't help but empathize with Abdi. He didn't say it, but I knew he was thinking of his family and how he lost them to the jungle. I made my way towards Abdi and gave him a hug, then pretended that I was going to attempt a GEO-RADILLO choke by grabbing the lapels of his research suit.
“Thanks, Abdi, you're such a great guy,” I said trying to raise his spirits. Abdi hugged me and kissed the side of my head.
“Well what do you say? Should we collect these soil samples and head back to the tower?” asked Abdi.
“Sounds like a great idea, Abdi,” said Marina.
We began to collect soil samples along the riverbank. Each sample was placed in a separate research container and was marked with our initials and date. I couldn't help but wonder why Marina wanted to collect all this dirt, so I had to ask.
“Not to sound dumb, Marina, but why do you collect the soil samples at each of the sites?” I asked as I initialed my last bag.
“Oh, Layka, there is no such thing as a dumb question! The jungle has grown tremendously and has changed in a sense. I basically like to collect samples around each of the towers to test for nutrients, organic matter, and to test the pH level of different soils. It helps us get a better understanding of the ecology of the jungle. It's pretty remarkable what we can learn from the soil,” said Marina as she drove her soil sampling device into the ground.
As Marina reached down to grab the soil sample she collected from her device, my father could be heard yelling up the river.
“Team! Come and check this out!” he yelled as he waved us over.
We rushed over to the scorch berry bushes where my father and Donald were gathered. When we arrived, my father held up what appeared to be black cotton. It resembled hair or fur of some sort. My father placed it carefully into a research container and closed the lid.
“I found it stuck to the scorch berry bush,” said my father as he passed around the container. We each took a minute or two to observe the container. The sample was small, about the size of a wedding ring.
“It looks like it could be fur from one of those bears that you find near the Solar Tower and its territory,” said Donald as he observed the container, periodically closing one eye, as if it helped with his vision.
“I don’t think it is bear fur, mi amigo,” replied my father.
My father held the container up in the air and began analyzing the fur a little deeper. Suddenly he appeared to have an epiphany as his jaw dropped.
“I can’t wait to get back to the tower and analyze this a little more,” replied my father.
Chapter 11
Neuron Tower Part 2
“‘The story of any being is in their DNA,’” quoted my father. “I will never forget these words. One of my first research mentors would always repeat them any time we would analyze a sample of any kind. It is something that has always stuck with me and one I find myself always saying in the lab, regardless if I am looking at a plant or an animal sample.”
He placed the tuft of hair under the microscope. To the naked eye, the hair looked very coarse. It reminded me of a gorilla, bison, or possibly chimpanzee. Donald was convinced it belonged to a bear and joked that it came from a werewolf.
We all huddled around my father as he adjusted the focus knobs of the microscope. He used a few instruments to maneuver the hair as he began his observation.
“Wow. This is unlike anything I have come across my entire career,” said my father.
I tried to envision what he was seeing under the microscope. “What do you think it's from, papa?” I asked, filled with curiosity.
“I am not too sure, sweetie, that is what we are trying to figure out. Marina, come have a look and tell me what you think,” my father requested as he moved away from the microscope.
Marina was extremely focused as she observed the tuft of hair, as if she
were looking at some forensic evidence to solve a murder mystery. Abdi looked over Marina’s shoulder, as he too was anxious to get a look.
Donald seemed to be the least interested of us all. He left the table and immediately grabbed a beer.
“Well, it is definitely not human hair. It could possibly be a species of sloth or monkey. Do you want to place it in the DNA database to find out, Craigio?” asked Marina.
“I thought about it, but I prefer to wait until I get back to my personal lab. Once everyone has had a look, I will place it back into the collection container until we get back to campus,” replied my father.
Marina seemed a little puzzled at my father’s response. I figured the logical thing to do would be to place the hair into the database but figured my father probably had good reasoning as to why he didn't want to.
I was the last to observe the hair under the microscope. The thick, long black hairs resembled those of the great apes. I didn’t possess much knowledge when it came to the fur or hair of animals but knew enough to realize this tuft of fur was unique. As I gazed at the beautiful hair sample, I was suddenly overwhelmed by the warm stench of Donald’s breath. He was trying to look over my shoulder to get a view of the hair. The stench was so overwhelming that I ended my observation early to let Donald get a closer look at the tuft of hair.
“Craigio, you don’t think it could be that giant sloth that used to roam these areas, do you?” asked Donald, appearing concerned.
“No, mi amigo, those sloths have been extinct for thousands and thousands of years. I am guessing it's a sloth or perhaps a rare genetic mutation within one of the monkey species. Nothing to get worked up about, Donald,” said my father.
My father grabbed the tuft of hair from the microscope and placed it into a collection container. He placed the container inside the messenger bag that also housed the fossils from Chelene Cave. The more I thought about it, the more it irritated me that his bag never seems to be an arm’s length away from him.
“Craigio, what do you think of ‘The City of Monkeys’ or are you not a believer?” asked Marina as she wrote something down in a journal.
“It’s not that I am not a believer, anything is possible. I know ancient explorers have uncovered artifacts of stone that had monkeys carved into them. I know the city was located somewhere near the North Province of the L.R.R. I think the city is great for history like all of the other ruins and villages found across the L.R.R.,” answered my father.
Marina just nodded her head, continuing to write in her journal. Abdi grabbed his yoga mat and began to stretch, still listening to the conversation. Donald went and grabbed some chips and another beer.
I sat back in my chair, thinking about the possibility of a giant sloth roaming the jungles of the L.R.R. The thought terrified me and sent a thousand questions racing through my head. Was it carnivorous? How big were they? When did the last one die? Could they still be alive?
The daydreaming and deep thoughts were quickly interrupted by a video call to the tower. My father rushed to the satellite phone and answered. It was headquarters. I could tell by the conversation. My father nodded his head a couple of times and reassured whoever he was talking to that we were all safe. The conversation didn't last longer than ten minutes but felt closer to a half hour.
Marina helped me prepare some carne asada that my mother made for the entire team. Donald began to hiccup as he patiently waited at the table for dinner to be served. We gathered around the table waiting for my father to be seated.
When dinner was served, my father discussed a plan for our next maintenance trip of the Ion Territory. The unusual seismic activity had everyone a little on edge and worrisome.
“Do you all want me to grab you a board game or maybe some cards?” asked my father.
Silence filled the room as board games and cards drew zero interest from anyone on the team.
“Why don't we break out the telescope and look at the stars from the rooftop. Maybe we can still see the aurora” I suggested.
“That sounds like a great idea, sweetheart! Abdi, Marina, Donald? Are you in?” asked my father.
“I'm in,” said Abdi as he began to put on a hooded sweatshirt.
“Ohhhhh alright, but I am grabbing a couple more beers!” said Donald.
“I totally would love to. I just have to enter a ton of data that I have been putting off from my orca trip into the database. You all go ahead without me. Have fun,” said Marina with a smile.
The rest of us all began to put on hooded sweatshirts and sweatpants as we made our way upstairs to the 5th level. “Would you mind grabbing the door for us, Layka?” asked my father as he and Abdi made their way towards the door carrying the telescope.
I walked quickly up the stairs and opened the door for Abdi and my father. The buzz of the jungle was shocking. There were a few clouds in the sky, but the moon and the thousands of stars were simply beautiful. I felt that I was literally able to grab the moon. The moon was full of life and seemed to light up the entire jungle.
“It literally looks like a damn ocean of trees. It's so damn frightening!” said Donald clutching his beer.
“Ahh there it is...as beautiful as ever. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you The Alpha Centauri System,” said my father as he made his final adjustments to the telescope.
“I am not familiar, Craigio. What the heck is a Centauri anyway?” asked Donald as he began to look into the telescope.
“Believe it or not Donald, it's actually the closest star system to our solar system.
“Its..its...beau...no its breathtaking,” said Donald in a soft voice, as he seemed to be at a loss of words.
“May I see, Donald?” I asked.
“Of course, Layka,” said Donald as he waved me towards the telescope.
My father always showed me a variation of constellations whenever I would help him with the towers. I could just never really recall what they looked like under a fancy telescope. As I looked into the telescope, I made out what appeared to be a series of bright stars. The view was amazing, one of the stars looked like it could actually be another sun. Donald was right - it was absolutely breathtaking.
“It is beautiful, papa! Come take a look, Abdi. It is so awesome!” I said, directing Abdi towards the telescope.
Abdi made his way toward the telescope. His eyes were just mesmerized by the stars. He then crouched down and looked into the telescope. “Oh my! This is
unbelievable! I have looked at the stars with some of my old professors and colleagues, but I have never seen anything like this,” he said in amazement.
“It's actually not visible from the Northern Hemisphere; it's breathtaking,” said my father with a smile on his face.
“Alright Team, I want to show you one more constellation, then we should probably try to get some sleep,” said my father as he proceeded to adjust the telescope for a minute or two.
“Alright. Come take a look everyone. This one is known as the crux or the southern cruz. This too is only visible from the southern hemisphere,” said my father.
“It looks more like a diamond or a kite if you ask me,” said Donald.
I made my way towards the telescope, excited to see what Donald was talking about.
“All yours, Layka,” said Donald.
“Thanks,” I said as I began to look through the telescope. Donald is right, I thought to myself, it does somewhat resemble a kite or a diamond.
“It's beautiful. Outer space just fills me with wonder. It makes me feel so small,” I said as I backed away from the telescope. Abdi then proceeded to take a final look through the telescope.
“Wow, that's beautiful. Thanks a lot, Craigio, I appreciate you showing us this. So fascinating!” said Abdi as he gave my father a fist bump.
“Well team, why don't we head inside and get some rest?” said my father as he and Abdi proceeded to carry the telescope together.
Once we were inside, we all made our way down to the fourth level. Donald must ha
ve been pretty tired. By the time I finished brushing my teeth, I heard him snoring a few feet from me. It was rather loud. I debated on going down to the third level to sleep, but I was exhausted and confident that I’d fall asleep immediately. I gave my father a hug and said “goodnight” and laid down and fell asleep immediately.
Chapter 12
The Ion Tower
I woke to Marina lightly rubbing my shoulder.
“Rise and shine, pretty lady. It’s almost time for takeoff,” she said as she handed me a granola bar.
The smell of her perfume lingered in the air as she raced up the spiral staircase to meet with the rest of the team.
I placed the granola bar into my pack and quickly began brushing my teeth. I gathered my belongings and rushed to the roof of the tower, where I was met by Donald. He was holding the door for me, anticipating my arrival.
“Are you ready, slowpoke?” he asked.
He winked and let out a slight chuckle as I passed by. I replied with a smile, a friendly roll of the eyes, and a fist bump.
As I entered the chopper, I glanced over at Abdi. He already buckled his seat belt and was fast asleep with his mouth wide open. I couldn't help but let out a slight smile. He looked so exhausted and it seemed as if the late nights and early mornings were finally catching up with him.
Marina just sat peacefully with her eyes closed while she twirled her thumbs. The watermelon smell from her bubblegum filled the cab of the chopper.
I quickly fastened my seatbelt as Donald did his normal lap around the chopper to make sure we were clear for takeoff. It wasn't long before we were airborne and en route to the Ion Tower.
The Ion territory was filled with so much beauty, yet it was also the location of some of the most horrific stories I had ever heard. Stories of how dozens of the Indigenous people of the uncontacted tribes were mistreated in the past and often killed for sport by members of the former drug trade and illegal logging companies.
A part of me wondered if everyone was remembering those stories as we sat inside the chopper. Perhaps it was the root cause of the piercing silence that left everyone, for the most part, speechless.
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