I remember the horror stories my grandfather would tell me about how there once was a huge rubber boom decades ago that attracted a lot of people from all across the globe. The nightmares included stories of men offering gifts to the tribes that were infected with many lethal diseases, diseases that the tribes couldn’t possibly be immune to. Stories of babies and children dying slow and miserable deaths or stories where men would intentionally place eggs of parasites into the food of the tribes, where they would later hatch, infecting and paralyzing their host.
I was thankful that the L.R.R. was able to put an end to all of the oppression that was happening with the tribes. However, after the extinction, it would appear to be too little, too late.
The Chulele Tribe was the last known uncontacted tribe to roam the L.R.R. and the Ion Territory. Aerial drones that our scientists had programmed to navigate perimeter checks used their laser system to find the location of the Chulele Tribe. Visual footage from drones showed members of the tribe screaming and pleading for what appeared to be help.
Dr. Gruver sent a handful of our top scientists and doctors in with an abundance of food, clothing and medicine. Upon arrival, every man, woman, and child of the tribe were observed dead on the jungle floor. The actual cause of death was unknown but was believed to be a plague of some sort or disease.
As we closed the distance to the Ion tower, Donald’s voice was heard over the intercom. “Hey team, we will be landing shortly. Say twenty or thirty minutes.”
His voice was soft and calm. Abdi and Marina both had their headphones on, while my father gazed very intensely into his messenger bag that rested on his lap as he sat in the co-pilot's seat.
The tip of the Ion tower was finally visible after what seemed like forever. A bright neon red light shot out of the tower’s ceiling, exposing the location of the tower. The trees were so tall in this region, it was almost hard to believe.
The tower was covered by trees and vines, looking like it was entirely green.
Once we landed, it seemed as if I was the only person that was excited to be on this trip. The stories of the Chulele were still frightening but I found comfort in the team. I bit my lip contemplating whether it was an appropriate time to ask why everyone seemed to be upset. I decided to wait until we prepped for our hike.
Since we weren’t spending the night, we left the majority of our packs inside the chopper.
The view from the top of the Ion tower was enough to take your breath away. The jungle was so dense, I felt like I could literally walk across the jungle on the treetops.
We all immediately walked towards the tower’s entrance. I could hear Abdi’s music playing from his headphones. It was a language I couldn’t understand. I assumed it was music from his old home back east. I wanted to ask him if his ears were bleeding because of how loud the music was, but he seemed so peaceful, so I didn’t bother.
Marina was talking into a headset she had on. I assumed she was talking to C.C. by the subtle smiles she displayed.
Once the tower was unlocked, my father and Donald immediately worked together to program the aerial drones.
Marina and I started walking down the spiral staircase, making our way to the second floor to grab our suits. The preparation to leave the Ion Tower went a lot smoother than the previous four maintenance checks. Everyone was ready to proceed with the maintenance check, after what seemed like a short ten minutes.
As we exited the tower. I couldn’t help but stare up at the trees. They were so dense that not much of the sun penetrated the floor. It was a constant battle for sunlight amongst the trees.
The ground was soft like a warm beach towel; it allowed us to move in silence.
The mating calls of birds seemed to echo throughout the jungle. The Chulele village was roughly a half a mile away.
When the last tribe went extinct, C.O.C.A. ordered that all of their ancient artifacts remain untouched, allowing our scientists and archaeologists to always have access to ground zero when trying to understand the lives of the uncontacted tribes. After a series of tests, the root cause of the death of the Chulele Tribe remained a mystery.
As we inched closer to the old village of the Chulele, a very foul smell began to fill the air. The trail started to become damp and muddy.
I wondered if the decaying flesh of the jungle animals were responsible for the awful smell.
In an attempt to take my mind off the stench, I tried to imagine how it would have been to live out here in the heart of the jungle. No video games, no television, no phones. Just the earth and its beautiful resources. It had to be peaceful.
I’m sure the bonds within families must have been very strong, almost unbreakable. I also wondered how they governed things within the tribe. All they needed was the jungle.
Their huts were fascinating, as well. They all looked the same but were scattered around the territory. Each stood roughly six feet off the ground to protect themselves from the predators of the jungle. Some of them had ladders made of wood that hung from the entry ways, while others did not. I rubbed my hand on one of the huts that was made of wood and mud from the territory. It was mind blowing how these people were able to engineer such beautiful homes organically. Outside of the huts were tools that must have been used by the families for cooking and hunting. I tried to envision what it would have been like to live a life this deep in the jungle. My curiosity got the best of me and I slightly drifted from the team. I lightly began jogging to catch up.
We had to be fifty feet from the village when my father spotted an enormous boar, the culprit of the awful smell. My father signaled for us to remain still and quiet. The boar was massive! It had to have weighed at least a ton and been at least four or five feet tall. Each grunt it let out seemed to rattle my bones.
My heart was pounding, I was sure it was visible from the outside of my research suit. I took a deep breath as I could feel my research suit adjusting to control my breathing.
I have heard many stories of how wild boars weren’t afraid of humans and how often they attacked humans when their young were present.
The boar was covered in mud trotting around the village, unaware of our presence. Suddenly, it let out an enormous squeal before falling to the ground. Donald had shot it with his dart gun.
“Would you take a look at that? That thing is enormous!” yelled Donald.
Donald and my father began to immediately take tissue samples.
“I have never seen a boar of this size. It has to be a new species,” said my father as he placed his hand on the enormous stomach of the boar. “I wonder if this species of boar was responsible for the death of the Chulele? They have been known to carry dozens of lethal diseases.”
Marina and Abdi both had their dart guns drawn as they patrolled the village and gazed inside the huts of the Chulele.
“Let’s get a move on. This thing is going to charge after us the second it wakes up,” said my father as he took a final glance at the boar.
“I’m going to release an Ani-cam here. Maybe it’ll be able to get us more data about the boar,” said Abdi as he reached into his pack and unloaded an Ani-cam that resembled a snake.
Our final maintenance checks of the Ion Territory included observing the Rio de Sanctis or DeSanctis River along with assessing old burial sites of the Chulele. At each of the sites, we would collect water and soil samples.
I took one final glance at the remarkable huts of the Chulele Tribe. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever return to their village and if I did, I knew it wouldn’t be for years to come. As the village slowly disappeared from behind us, the tall trees that provided plenty of fruit and flowers were ever so present.
I could hear the hooting and hollering of spider monkeys as we approached the DeSanctis River. It was as if they were making the entire jungle aware of our presence. I could see some of them hopping from tree to tree following our every move, some even urinating and throwing seeds at us.
“I’m not a zoologist, Craigio, but I’m not
sure those damn monkeys want us here,” said Donald as he covered his head, exaggerating the situation.
We were soon met by the sound of the DeSanctis River. As I scanned the riverbanks, I spotted an assortment of animals coming to quench their thirst. We all stayed hidden behind some brush, careful to not expose ourselves. The sight was absolutely breathtaking, the world stood still within our group.
“This may be the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,” said Marina with her eyes and jaw both open wide.
There were an abundance of animals and flowers. In one tree I could see toucans and in another I saw parrots. The combinations of the birds and flowers of all colors painted the prettiest of pictures. Drinking from the river were anteaters, ocelots, jaguars, and capybaras. I could see caiman and a pod of river dolphins moving peacefully in the river.
If there was ever peace on earth, it was here at the DeSanctis River. An entire ecosystem in one place, pure beauty.
However, the peace and harmony that was present was short lived. Where there is capybara, there is sure to be Ngabe otters.
The distinct, high pitched calls of Ngabe otters were heard along the banks. They were led by a large alpha male and accompanied by two other males and two females, who were closely followed by three pups. Their spotted silver coats were an eyesore in such a pretty jungle.
The rest of the animals along the bank scattered as well, including the jaguars. The caiman and the dolphins submerged themselves under the water, hiding themselves from the Ngabe otters.
I suppose one jaguar was no match for a pack of Ngabe otters. I just found it to be a bit unusual. For so long, the jungle’s apex predator was the jaguar, a predator of predators.
As I glanced at Abdi an intense look filled his eyes. It was as if this same pack of Ngabe otters were solely responsible for the death of his family. I stared at Abdi as my heart ached.
“Let’s get a move on. I still want to complete the Electron Tower’s maintenance and maybe get some lunch,” said my father, also feeling the anger rise in Abdi.
“Well, what the hell is for lunch anyway, Craigio? My stomach is roaring,” Donald grabbed his belly.
“I packed corned beef and nita bread. So, you can make those sandwiches you like with the sauerkraut on them,” said my father as he winked at Donald.
“Well damn, let’s just head back to the tower now,” replied Donald.
As we pressed forward, the humidity of the jungle smothered my face like sap from a Joshua tree.
The last stop was an ancient burial ground that was believed to belong to the Chulele.
We continued to follow my father in a single file line, approaching our destination. The density of the jungle prevented little light from penetrating the jungle floor as we approached the burial site of the Chulele. Bones of monkeys, lizards, and various birds hung from dead branches. It was a haunting image.
The burial site was a green pit that was located in the center of about five of the largest trees I have ever seen in my life. Inside the pit were hundreds -- if not thousands -- of various tortoise shells of all shapes and sizes. I’m sure the carbon and nitrogen from the dead tortoises aided in nurturing the massive trees in their battle for sunlight.
It was believed the Chulele fed mostly on tortoise, lizards, birds and an assortment of fruit.
As I placed my hand on one of the enormous trees, I saw that Abdi released a tortoise Ani-cam into the jungle as he picked up an expired Ani-cam. Donald and my father scanned the perimeter a few paces away.
Marina was staring at the ground, analyzing where she should gather a sample of the jungles’ soil. I followed her to an area near the burial site, where she was kneeling down. Marina decided to gather a soil sample on the outskirts of the five giant trees.
“I love my job, Layka,” she said, placing her soil sample into a container.
I smiled in response as I nodded my head. I began to run my hands through the soil when suddenly I was startled by something moving in front of us. Marina and I both stood in silence. Marina drew her dart gun, preparing for a predator to reveal itself or perhaps a jaguar waiting to pounce.
I had nothing to protect myself and began to fear the worst. A jaguar would have no trouble making an easy meal of me.
After what seemed like an eternity, what came into view was a family of some species of howler monkeys. There were four or five of them, I couldn’t quite see.
In disbelief, I dropped the soil that was in my hand. I looked at Marina. Her jaw dropped, as shocked as I was. The family of howler monkeys were walking on two feet and had to be at least four feet tall! One of the monkeys was carrying a baby monkey that clung to his or her chest. Another was holding what appeared to be a stone.
Marina dropped her dart gun unintentionally, startling the monkeys. The monkeys then began to run into a dark part of the jungle, still on two feet and not making a sound.
“Are you two okay? You look like you just saw a ghost,” said my father as he approached Marina and I. Marina quickly grabbed her dart gun from off the jungle floor. It took Marina a second to gather her thoughts before speaking.
“Craigio, you’re not going to believe this. I just saw a family of monkeys walking like hominids across the jungle and one of them was holding a stone,” said Marina, as she pointed out the direction of the monkeys.
My father looked a bit puzzled but appeared to think nothing of it. “The soil over there must be really moist and muddy. Perhaps they hurt their hands, requiring them to walk on their feet or maybe they were chased out of the trees by another family of monkeys,” said my father as he and Marina continued to discuss what happened.
I could see Abdi and Donald walking towards us. They didn’t have their dart guns drawn and had their arms wrapped around each other's shoulders like old childhood friends.
“Let’s grab some lunch and knock out the Electron tower, team,” said my father, gathering everyone’s attention.
My father whispered something into Marina’s ear before leading the way back to the Ion tower. Marina trailed and I could tell she was in deep thought. I walked next to her trying to take her mind off whatever she was thinking about.
“Is everything okay?” I asked, nudging my elbow into the side of Marina as we walked.
“Yeah. Those monkeys just blew my mind. It’s extremely rare to see monkeys walking and running on two feet, not to mention holding a stone like a tool,” said Marina as she let out a little smile.
“Do you think they were maybe bonobos or chimpanzees?” I asked, in an attempt to pick her brain.
“No, they were definitely monkeys and not apes. Their heads were small, and I noticed they had tails. I am just wondering if it is competition that is driving them out of the trees. Maybe they’re a subspecies.”
As we approached the tower, the buzzing of the two drones we sent out earlier could be heard above us. They were flying back towards the top of the tower, arriving right on time.
As we entered the tower, each of us removed our boots. We washed our hands as the thought of food watered our taste buds.
“Team, eat quickly. I want to be up in the air in no less than an hour,” said my father.
Marina had a distant look in her eyes as she removed her research suit. Donald and Abdi immediately rushed upstairs, chatting about how hungry they were. My father whispered something into Marina's ear as I raced up the spiral staircase to make a sandwich. When I finished eating, I immediately prepared for our departure.
Chapter 13
Electron Tower
My father sat quietly in his co- pilot seat, gazing inside his messenger bag. He had a pale look that made me wonder if he was feeling okay. He normally had a clean-cut shave, but now appeared to not have shaved in a few days.
I unbuckled my seatbelt and leaned forward, placing the palm of my hand on my father’s shoulder, startling him a little.
He gripped his messenger bag, almost as if he was paranoid that I would rip it from his hands at any given secon
d.
“Are you okay, papa? You’re looking a little rough,” I joked as I rubbed his shoulder.
He nodded his head, but I couldn’t help but notice the bags under his eyes were growing darker by the minute.
“I have a migraine and haven’t been able to sleep much lately. I have a lot on my mind, sweetie, that is all.”
I began to wonder about the psychological effects this skull was having on my father, or if it was perhaps C.O.C.A. that was lingering in the back of his mind. He wasn’t sleeping, eating, or talking much at all. I grabbed a granola bar out of my backpack and tossed it onto his lap.
Donald, noticing I was unbuckled encouraged me to get back to my seat, as our destination was quickly approaching.
The entourage that surrounded the Electron tower was just as mesmerizing as the others. Marina grabbed her binoculars from out of her bag and pointed towards an enormous green cliff that had the tallest waterfall I had ever seen.
Immediately, I grabbed my binoculars from around my neck. Once I was able to get a closer look at the tower and the enormous cliff, I could see that the lower part of the cliff was covered in a variation of colorful orchids, housing beautiful shades of orange, pink, yellows, and blues that all added so much life and energy to the cliff.
The waterfall was so big that clouds covered the tallest point of it. I thought for a second that maybe the water was falling from outer space.
“Would you look at that. Absolutely breathtaking,” said Abdi as sleep dripped from his voice while his eyes were locked on both the Electron tower and the green cliff.
“This is absolutely beautiful!” I said out loud.
As we all stared outside the chopper, I could feel my father’s gaze on me. “It is the biggest waterfall in the world and one of the most beautiful places I have ever been,” he said softly, seeming to be reminiscing about old memories.
I couldn’t take my eyes off the enormous cliff that was home to the beautiful waterfall. My father told me that the cliff wasn't always green and that it wasn't until the jungle started thriving that plants and mosses started to grow on it. I was certain that this sight changed the lives of everyone who saw it.
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