If you were invited to this secret meeting, please read the telegram carefully.
If you were
invited to this secret meeting, please read carefully.
SPRING 1977
ROOVER UNIVERSITY’S FIRST QUARTERLY SCIENCE REPORT-TOP SECRTET MEETING BY INVITATION
DR. WALTER PRIM AT THE MICROPHONE:
30 MINUTES PAST HIS INTRODUCTION
So it is
with great pleasure that we announce tonight, at this top secret meeting, that
some of Dr. P. Oswald’s log entries from his 1974 expedition have been found. As
we have already discussed, most of you know Dr. Oswald as my biology lab colleague
at this institution, but most of you don’t know that he was a very serious
gentleman. He never laughed at anything. As a matter of fact, he went several
times for psychiatric therapy for a remedy to gain back his sense of humor.
Nothing seemed funny or humorous to this man. He was also a man who read Joseph
Conrad’s books while he took his morning shower, ate his breakfast, and even
while he washed his clothing.
Not only
can we pursue science today as Dr. Oswald once did, but we also can remind
ourselves of his spirit of discovery and caring for humankind as reasons why we
are all here today. Let’s judge whether we will follow in his footsteps or
merely take his last pages of research and exploration as another entry in a
scientific magazine meant
to increase sales , or else. And I
will be very brief now so that you can have some more time to walk through the
exhibition this evening.
Only some
pages from his expedition log still remain with us today. They were found during
this year inside his beloved 1950 classic black MG, a vehicle that was stolen
from the parking garage for the science department laboratory here at Roover
University, specifically the day before they set sail on this unforgettable
exploration. Meaning that it was never seen here since 1974.
Without
the finding of his log, it would have been simply impossible to know about
these last days of his endeavor in his career. Now we can really grasp the
importance of this grandiose discovery. We had to reconstruct many of this old notes
by using the latest technologies that this institution has available. Much of
these pieces were rotted by moisture and other weathering.
Some
other skeptical scholars may say that Dr. Oswald and his team were led by
me—without warning—to a place where toxic minerals never before seen might have
been secretly mined. What a clever ruse to mislead the public from the
importance of this finding! A possible dinosaur track site, filled with
footprints from undiscovered species.
It is
very gratifying to us that ice caps at the exact region where these logs were
written have melted, but we are not joyful over the fact that they have melted
because of fumes thrown in the air by the many industries located near the
site—which is the subject of another theory and symposium this institution is
planning.
Peak
Mountain, as Dr. Oswald called it, was finally revealed this year, thanks to
many top secret Air Force reconnaissance missions certifying the coordinates as
written in one of the remaining logs. This event led this paleoscience
department to move very quickly in order to find the resources needed for the
recovery expedition to the site. It was a place where science and evolution had
to meet in a very disappointing way.
And now
with the full endorsement of the Oswald family, given on the day of his
funeral, I will unveil to you this expedition’s reconstructed last log entries.
Some were written by Dr. Oswald, though most were composed by his colleagues.
We encourage you on this day to carefully examine these notes so you can
approve or disapprove of what this paleoscience department is about to do at
this site in the next coming months to recover the expeditions equipment or
possible missing body of Dr. Oswald.
Now, if
you can carefully approach the front of the stage, you will see on display a
series of glass-covered frames. First of all, I would like to say something
about the first frames, which hold Dr. Oswald’s exploration vest and what we
suppose to be his personal pocket compass. This vest came in to the campus
teacher’s mailroom stamped by the federal mail service. No signature was needed
to receive the package, so, I say that we cannot relate this item to Dr.
Oswald. He always wore a kaki vest not a green one. He wore long cargo green
pants, soft kaki hat, long sleeve kaki explorer shirt and his beloved soft back
pack, light green. No one knows what he carried in it.
I want to
make clear to all of you tonight that I myself know that Dr. Oswald wasn’t
wearing this vest the day he left the campus and that I am against the
certification of this evidence as one that relates Dr. Oswald to the mysterious
finding of his lost MG, which was found this year right here, hidden under a canvas
at the science department garage. It was inside the trunk of this vehicle that
the remaining logs that you are about to see were also found.
Also
found inside the vehicle were tranquilizing darts, another piece of evidence
that clearly shows a discrepancy with the team’s equipment checklist. A chain
pin, the size of a hammer was also found. It also was not mentioned in the
equipment checklist. Hair samples were taken from the vehicle and sent to the
lab. An analysis led to the conclusion that a strand of hair, found lying stuck
to the left rear of the car, belongs to some kind of predator never before
catalogued.
Then you
will see a backpack checklist, also recovered from inside of this vehicle.
One last
note before you walk through these exhibits. There are reports, spoken of by
people who live many miles away from this site, of a glacial river that goes
under this mountain and reappears many miles away, down at the base of the
jungle. We will send a team of scientists and speleologists to investigate this
theory. We will do so by placing colored goldfish at the glacier’s top, and
then after some days we’ll try to recover them again at the aforementioned
base. It would be most interesting if we can prove the existence of a cave
formation that travels downward from the mountain all the way to the base. Just
imagine the millions of years without humans wandering in this habitat. Just
imagine the possibilities for survival in this scenario of animals that were
thought to be extinct.
TOP
SECRET- COVERED GLASS FRAME #1: BACKPACK CHECKLIST
SAME ON
ALL BACKPACKS
Flap pocket: maps, notebook-pencil,
Swiss Alps exploration permit, U.S. exploration permit, African exploration
permit, Gobi Desert and Argentinian exploration permits, world hunting license,
ID card with medical allergies and restrictions
Back pocket: plastic bowl, plastic cup,
waterproof matches, sunglasses, snacks and meal packs
Upper left pocket, upper right pocket:
one-quart canteen
Upper compartment: mini
grill, food bags, GI can opener, cook kit, sugar, coffee, tea, rubber bands
Lower compartment: foam
mattress, tarp tent, 15 yards of nylon cord, underwear, socks, wind deflector jacket
Lower right pocket: first
aid kit, sunblock, lip balm, whistle, matches, candle, pack of needles, thread,
mirror for signaling, safety pins, water purifier
To be carried on oneself: knife,
compass, waterproof matches
TOP
SECRET-COVERED GLASS FRAME #2: DISCOVERED LOG EXHIBIT 1
DATE: 01-03-1974
SITE NAME: Arag Valley
LOCATION: Conti Alps
EXTRA DIRECTIONS: Cross
valley; head to river crossing
EXPLORATION OBJECTIVE: Locate
possible hadrosaur tracks, Upper Cretaceous Period, Cantwell Formation
ALTITUDE:
1,500 feet
EQUIPMENT NOTES: Replace
plaster compound with camera due to weight
TEAM MEMBER’S NOTES: No
injuries, cedar forest not in map.
Exploration narrative
We had to
tackle a side of the cedar forest for an hour. These cedars were giants, Dr. Oswald
says they were eight hundred years old, and possibly three hundred feet tall.
Each of our figures at the distance had become a mere speck. We feel fascinated
by their volume, astonished by their presence at this altitude. At 10 a.m. we
manage to cross the last canyon valley and that leads us right to the front of the
river crossing.
All of
our donkeys have been set free. For the next 10 kilometers, we
carry all of the equipment by ourselves. The journey is harsh during this
stretch of land. Edmund is bitten by a rattlesnake during the crossing of the
valley. We use most of our antibiotics just to treat Edmund’s leg. We are also
running very low on aspirin.
We stop
for a meeting of team members and make sure that we have a good plan before
starting the river crossing. The currents seem to settle every four minutes;
they are not trustworthy. We keep Edmund’s leg dry by using all of the
wrappings that were left behind when we set the donkeys free. We don’t know
what lies ahead on the river. We’ve heard only short tales by old miners, the
last generation who lived 10 miles away from the valley. They told us how harsh
that stretch of land will be ahead—that the ground is going to be so rocky
between the river and Peak Mountain that it will be almost impossible to find a
spot anywhere to set up camp.
Eight
hours pass; we cross the river. It is a dangerous situation for the team. My
leg is stuck for five minutes under the water. We all have to reach down to
loosen rocks in the riverbed to set my leg free. After some minutes, the
currents are stronger. We make it to the other side of the river. Edmund’s leg
remains dry. We have met the so-called rocky surface. It is not easy to stride
on top of these formations. They are almost like sharp black metal boxes, the
size of an icebox—all full of sharp edges thrown on top of each other. It seems
a maze of traps reaching toward the horizon for almost a mile.
Four
hours pass, during which we manage to hike at a very slow speed over these rock
formations. All the while, we have to look forward to keep our balance and
react swiftly to sudden sways of loosened rocks. Some of us fall repeatedly, so
badly on three occasions, that we take several minutes to regroup before
continuing on. At different points, the rock formations change into a single
hallway, like trails, and we can only see our nearest companion’s shoulders in
front of us, disappearing and reappearing from sight. We manage to set up just
one of the tents inside one of these hallway-like openings. Mary’s leg has a
three-inch cut, a bit deep in my opinion. The temperature has dropped from 62
degrees at the valley to 38 degrees past the river crossing. We cover ourselves
fully with our remaining cold weather equipment.
Nighttime
camp: we take a vote on whether to keep going forward, considering several
questions: Do we believe in the coordinates we carry with us? Is it safe to go
on with no antibiotics? At 10 p.m., before going to bed, we detect a suspicious
odor around the campsite. Edmund and I stay awake for almost five hours because
of it.
Exploration narrative
Breakfast,
7 a.m.: Mary feels better; there is no swelling on her leg. Edmund has to stay
here at camp; he can’t walk anymore. That rare smell we noticed last night
seems even more fresh and sour this morning. The second campsite ahead is a
trek of about five miles over these box-like rock formations. Mary completes
the equipment check and we head out to the trails. Silence strikes its wrath
upon us. Even the smallest slip of a loosened rock can be heard as we make our
way along the top of this river of rocks, abandoned by any friendlier signs of
nature in our peripheral view. We make it to the second site.
We can
see Peak Mountain from this second campsite. It looks foggy, and we can predict
that it will be even colder as we get close to its base. We decide to go on.
After one
hour of hiking, we can clearly see our goal, and we can estimate the volume of
this snowcapped mountain; it is the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza. It is so
full of snow that we decide to have a quick meeting to get ready for any
possible avalanches we may face as we get closer. We also double-checked that
everyone is carrying waterproof matches and pocket compasses. We decide to go
forward.
At 7:30
p.m. it’s getting darker, we are 400 meters in front
of the mountain’s base. Poor visibility. The rare smell is more present at this
distance. An emergency meeting is called to decide who will scavenge around to
look for soil samples that may lead us to this mysterious odor.
Dr.
Oswald wants to be the one chosen. We decide that the team shouldn’t spare him
for this purpose in case of an avalanche. After more than an hour of
confrontations with Dr. Oswald its already nighttime, we decide to talk about
this important matter in the morning hours. Dr. Oswald grows enraged during
the meeting and demands several times, “We must find out what this odor is
tonight; right now I say!”
Next day,
around 7:30 a.m. we are awake and have breakfast. We decide to walk some meters
around the site to see if we can spot something unusual. A couple of minutes go
by, and Dr. Oswald gathers us to tell us about something unimaginable. Instead
of the source of the odor, he has found some tracks. We then walk to this
position and wonder at these perfectly preserved footprints, the size of an
open baseball catcher’s glove. Some of them are so detailed that they reveal
the creature’s skin texture. He then gets very serious and tells us, “These footprints belong to herds of
duck-billed dinosaurs called hadrosaurs, which thrived in the high-latitude,
polar ecosystem in the Late Cretaceous period between 66 and 100 million years
ago.” He tells me to keep writing everything I can; there is more in this
mountain that needs to be explored.
The coordinates take us to this old mountain mine, topped with an abundance of snow. We double-check our maps. Dr. Oswald says that it is impossible that this is the place. Now with the morning’s sunlight we can clearly see the entrance to the old mine at the base of the mountain. We don’t have the gear we need to climb even half of the distance to this site. We camped very close to the entrance of the mine without noticing last night. We take pictures of the footprints.
The coordinates take us to this old mountain mine, topped with an abundance of snow. We double-check our maps. Dr. Oswald says that it is impossible that this is the place. Now with the morning’s sunlight we can clearly see the entrance to the old mine at the base of the mountain. We don’t have the gear we need to climb even half of the distance to this site. We camped very close to the entrance of the mine without noticing last night. We take pictures of the footprints.
We decide
to walk towards the mine entrance. We pack up all of the gear and hide it under
some rock formations. As we get close to the mine we notice some old and rusted
rails that are hidden under the snow and dirt. We also locate to the side of
the entrance an abandoned 1960 Chelsea gray Range Rover. It is frozen to the
side of the old wooden entrance. The entrance, rotted by time, looks very
dangerous. The Rover has sunken into the wall; no human remains are inside the
vehicle. It is loaded with equipment, frozen all around its body.
We can
see all sorts of kitchenware on its roof racks, water and gasoline tanks on its
front grill, a spare tire on top of its hood. There is a peculiar thick rope
that goes all around the roof racks. On its end, it holds a big metal bucket
that can easily hold more than eight gallons of liquid. We also see all sorts
of mining equipment frosted to the vehicle. Huge stakes and hammers are hidden
inside a red metal box below the trunk.
A dozen
kerosene lamps, two shovels and two picks, and a camera tripod are tied
together on top of the racks. At the end of the rack is a huge wooden chest,
very old in appearance, very similar to a pirate’s treasure chest. Dr. Oswald
cautions us regarding the opening of this chest and about touching the huge dinosaur
teeth that hangs on a necklace from the rear view mirror.
There is
also a whaling spear tied up really well to the right side of the roof racks.
We have a loud discussion about this gear and the reasons that may make us
rethink turning back from this exploration. Will we need this gear? We figure
out that we shouldn’t waste more time opening and uncovering all that is inside
the metal boxes near the Rover and decide to go on with entering the mine.
There is
an airborne supply package still tied up and frozen, just outside the entrance.
Decks of shoe size boxes the colors of bricks are stacked on top of each other
as tall as four feet. On its base a white support plate, a bunch of frozen
white nets cover the cargo. Dr. Oswald prohibits anyone from opening it.
We light
some torches by using some old cloths found inside the Rover. We decide to go
inside the mine for a planned 150-meter expedition.
Our thoughts about climbing the peak are over for the present time. Minutes
later we notice that there are no more rails or tracks along the first 15
meters from the entrance. At the 25-meter mark, we discover a huge cave
formation opening on the floor, possibly 15
meters in diameter. We assume that opens into a dark saloon. There are no other
saloons in this cave formation level, so we decided that it is down that we
will go.
We go
back to the Rover to get the old ropes and a bucket, and also a rotten pulley
that was frozen inside the bucket. We warm up all of this gear with the
torches; only one remains lit by the time we go back to the cave entrance. All
afternoon is lost, looking for a pole or post to place on top of the opening to
get the rigging down. There is nothing around the premises. So a meeting is
called, and Dr. Oswald takes over again. He says that whoever is mining or
experimenting inside this cave must’ve hidden a huge pole somewhere inside the
mine. And that it must be lying around the dark corners of this saloon. We
decide to go forward with Dr. Oswald’s plan. We put our last remaining
batteries in two of our flashlights and go back to send their beams into the
corners of the saloon in the hope that we will find the pole.
It is
getting dark, and the team has just one flashlight remaining inside the cave.
Just when all of our hopes are lost, we manage to decode Dr. Oswald’s Morse
code flashing inside the saloon… “FOUND HUGE WOOD POLE…” Dr. Oswald makes it to
the entrance, and we go back in, walking very slowly and gripping each other’s
arms.
Then we
manage to place the heavy pole with the dim light of the lone flashlight that
we luckily still have, as we follow Dr. Oswald’s instructions. When we finish,
we walk back the same way, very slowly, and decide to have a quick meal. Back
at the camp over some rice noodles and hot tea, we discuss the many reasons this
site was used for, and we realize that rumors of the possibilities of any
dinosaur tracks were more than we have bargained for. We decide to talk over
the matter strictly until 9 p.m. The flashlight battery is dead by then, so we
open our last pack of candles and light one to discuss today’s last matter.
Topics are as follows: Whose equipment is this, and what is it doing here? What
is inside this air-dropped
cargo? How long
can we stay here before we head back to the first campsite to reunite with Edmund?
Could the metal boxes have been brought here in the Rover? But there are too
many. How did the Rover get here?
The Land
Rover topic was much more than bizarre. Specially so as to cause in all of us
an amusing interest in just exposing our own theories and opinions. At the end,
Oswald had the last word. “The Rover had to be air-dropped here, or maybe was
brought under the belly of a military transport helicopter. That’s why you see
all those huge tie-down straps laying all over the place. But why so many? All
I can say is that they needed to use this vehicle as some kind of power
generator, maybe for a mini lab. And their expectations where aimed at trapping
something very-very big.”
At 8 a.m.
we are already at breakfast and eager to find out what is lying at the bottom
of that pit. The mission is simple: to get down there and check everything
inside of the planned perimeter. We are out of batteries, and there’s only one
box of candles left. Mary and Dr. Oswald will lower me down, as I kneel inside
the bucket found on top of the Rover. Dr. Oswald wants to stay out of the cave.
We are
very afraid of the chances that the old rotten pulley will not hold for the
descent. If it fails, whoever is descending to the pit may free fall on top of
some sort of structure left behind by the miners, like old rotten rails, metal
boxes or carts. Dr. Oswald points out the potential dangers of falling on top
of broken bones lying around the area. Even possibly some with sharp points.
Around
8:30 a.m. I am wearing my all weather coat and my old desert hat to prevent any
bats from exploring my flesh. I am rigged and holding onto just one lighted
candle, which I grip with my bare hands. Wax drips all the way to the bottom of
the cave as I dangle from side to side during the descent. Oswald doesn’t know
it but I stacked some dynamite inside of the bucket.
 |
| Who knows what this is... |
As I am
making my way down, I notice another wave of acrid odor rising from inside the
opening. And finally I touch ground with both feet. Musty old air mixes with
the odor inside the saloon. It is horrible—unbearable to get used in those
first minutes. I just stand stock-still, grasping my half candle. Then a strong
current of cold air strikes me by surprise, almost taking the fire out of my
small piece of candle.
My own
murmuring echoes so loudly inside the saloon that I don’t want to speak even to
myself. I know that the crew upstairs are worried, so I take a big chunk of
breath and organize my thoughts to scream or shout out something to them. “Get
the rest of the candles bundled up, tape them together and rig them down here
before you even think about coming down here,” I yell to them. “I am walking
some meters ahead to find some place where I can have a private moment; this
cold is all over me.”
I walk like a man in a firewalking ritual,
step by careful step. When I finish, I turn around, thinking I am now in a dark
corner.
Then I
realize the bundled candles are already dangling in the middle of the saloon,
fully lighted still, and I also notice that I have walked some yards inside a
small arched opening. I start to walk very slowly towards the lighted room
again.
As the
light chases away the darkness, the first thing I notice is that the floor is
littered with huge locks and chains. And these locks are not common; they are
the size of a grown man’s shoebox. The chains and pinlocks could easily be used
to dock a medium-sized cruise ship. This is the moment I start to think about
those huge tranquilizer darts we found tucked under the front seat of the
Rover, and my back feels chills. I start to shrivel. I go over my thoughts
about these things … about their owners … about where they came from, … and
nothing else streams inside my mind. Then I see some copper helmets with
candleholders attached to their front sides, and a leather gas mask with copper
goggles. This gas mask also has a candleholder, but it is on top, with a small
round mirror on the back of the holder. A pressurized oxygen tank with copper
fittings is lying beside it; the breathing hose is still attached to the
inhalation port.
Then I say to myself, “I’ve got to get the
heck out of here. Raise your head and take a look around and behind you; look
at the small cave opening which you came out of.” Unwillingly, I turn around
very slowly, still standing in the same place, as a sense of a childish
loneliness overtakes me this time around. I think then and there that I need a
fully loaded firearm. Then I realize that some of the rock formations above and
around me are ice. With the shining of the candlelight the saloon gleams as if
I were inside a huge gem the color of artic blue ice. I finish my 180-degree
turn and end up facing the small cave opening I came out of.
Then in
surprise … shock … amazement, I cover my lips with my left hand, and my eyes
widen. Both of my hands join together like a French love affair, sailing close
to my chest, close to my heart. I see something beautiful. There is an entire
T. REX skeleton frozen at the top of that transparent blue ice wall. I start
shivering. I want to walk back to the rope and bucket, but I am frozen in time
just like the Tyrannosaurus. And we stare at each other for some time.
When a sudden
elephant-like odor strikes me again, it awakens me from my trance, and I tell
myself again, “I have to walk back; I have to get the heck out of here.”
DATE: 01-05-1974
SITE NAME: Peak Mountain
LOCATION: Conti Alps
EXTRA DIRECTIONS: Go past
rock formations to the base of Peak
EXPLORATION OBJECTIVE: Locate
possible hadrosaur tracks, Upper Cretaceous Period, Cantwell Formation
CONDITIONS: Harsh: no water on site;
skies partly sunny; temperature 40 degrees
ALTITUDE: 1,500 feet; cave opening, 35 feet down
EQUIPMENT NOTES: Replace
plaster compound with camera due to weight
TEAM MEMBER’S NOTES: Tim is
OK; Edmund still waits at the first campsite. I fainted yesterday inside the
cave.
Exploration narrative
Next
morning I wake on top of my mattress inside the camp’s tent. I have been
rescued from the night’s darkness. Mary takes me out of the site. She tells me
that Dr. Oswald, Panner and she met to decide who would go in for me. And they
also discussed who would be first to go inside the site today to explore the
interior of the cave.
When we
wake up today we notice that Dr. Oswald has left the campsite; he has taped a note
to the side of the tent.
Dr. Oswald’s note: “After
turning over my foam pad countless of times during my sleep, I realized that I
had been awake for more than three hours. Not only did I stand up and go for a
walk, trying to recover my sleep by taking some fresh air, but I also thought
about the exploration. It was while I was out there that I felt that the powerful
odor had become even more despicable. I tried to muse over various topics of
science and paleontology, like the resuscitation of species through a process
to be called cloning. All of a sudden a soft growling sound, such as some kind
of a beast from the feline family might make, came from beyond the mine’s
entrance. I decided to go inside, equipped with my firearm. I would go into the
saloon without the team’s approval, not because I wanted to turn this into a
personal discovery, but rather because I didn’t want any more casualties in
case there was a small mountain predator trapped inside the cave. If you heard
two gunshots from inside the pit, then please try to get close to the entrance
and see if you can manage to see where I am and rescue me.”
Last night, Dr. Oswald told Mary how he had
felt the presence of some kind of an animal—a big one—when he was cataloging
some soil samples, but she laughed. What a fool he was! But who has had similar
experiences?
So I go
to the cave’s entrance, just to see if he wants to join us for breakfast. I ignore
his instructions about rescue procedures if there are gunshots. I count my
steps toward the opening as we had practiced and make it there with no
setbacks. I peek inside the opening where I see a dim light. But what seems
crazy is real. I see a huge tail lying in the center of the saloon, and when I
lower my torch from the opening, it slips from my hands, and and I run back to
the campsite.
This is
what I say to the team: “We will need to get Edmund back here and all of the
rope that we can carry to pull the beast or to move it away from the side of
the saloon where I saw Dr. Oswald’s flashing candle. The truth is I don’t know
if the monster is sleeping or simply lying dead. We will discover that as we
try to put the ropes around its thick and furry tail.” I notice something else.
Dr. Oswald is using Morse code by covering and uncovering the light from his
candle. He is telling us: “He is sleeping; act cautiously. It looks like a
living Ankylosaurus.”
Do you know what that is? A twenty foot long quadrupedal
animal, bigger than a Rhino. With a broad robust body. It has two horns
pointing backwards from the back of the head, and two horns below these that
pointed backwards and down. Covered in armor plates, or osteoderms, with bony
half-rings covering the neck, and had a large club on the end of its tail. Is
thought to have been a slow moving animal, able to make quick movements when
necessary. The tail club is thought to have been used in defense against
predators or in combat related to food resources…
My God
its tail club! … his motor ability … his feeding strategy… And if my life has
to be at risk for what I will do now, it will be for the good of all. Do you
hear that? Then I hear an annoyed animal growl: braahhhhhhwwwl!
Bring me
the tranquilizer darts and the ropes, I tell Mary. Then I run to see what has
happened. Panner is standing in shock when suddenly Mary slaps him on the face.
We make it together to the danger area, Mary and I are down at the same time,
using two different ropes and assisted by Panner. Our torches flare light all
over the place and in all directions as we sway above the back of the creature.
Mary’s rope is torn apart, and she free falls on top of the darkness. I climb
up as fast as I can.
Suddenly
Dr. Oswald’s candlelight, which has served as a point of recognition is lost
inside the cave. The strong odor returns and takes over
everything. Mary’s torch still shines light at the center of the saloon. She
has not fallen on top of the tail. “I am OK, just a bit hurt!” she shouts. “I
can’t see the tail anymore. I’m scared; I want to get out, please. Oh my god, I
can see a big creature moving towards an opening. I think Dr. Oswald is
following it. He must be crazy!”
Then
suddenly there are no more signs of the creature, no more distracting odor, and
no signals from Dr. Oswald …
To be
continued.
From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia
Ankylosaurus
(/ˌæŋkəloʊˈsɔːrəs/
ANG-kə-lo-SAWR-əs[1]) is a genus
of armored dinosaur. Fossils of Ankylosaurus
have been found in geological formations dating to the very end of the
Cretaceous Period, between about 68–66 million years ago, inwestern North
America, making it among the last of the non-avian dinosaurs. It was named by
Barnum Brown in 1908, and the only species classified in the genus is A.
magniventris. The genus name means "fused lizard" and the specific
name means "great belly". A handful of specimens have been excavated
to date, but a complete skeleton has not been discovered. Though other members of
Ankylosauria are represented by more extensive fossil material, Ankylosaurus is
often considered the archetypal member of its group.
Dr. Oswald
The Lost
Paleontologist
By Enrique A. Sampayo Méndez
Cover art: Roy David Gonzales
Cover design: Enrique
Sampayo
Editing: Enrique Sampayo
Special thanks to Tattoo artist Roy David Gonzalez
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankylosaurus
First published as "The lost Paleontologist" by Enrique Sampayo Mendez @
http://blogdepracticacreativa-enrique.blogspot.com 06-10-2010
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced including the
right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
This short story evolved from a creative writing workshop led by Dr. Emilio del Carril in 2010. The assignment was to create a short story around the phrase:
"When I woke up, the dinosaur was still alive"
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Once again, welcome to my creative writing BLOG !
Here is the link to my first published book:
If you like Sci-Fi & Fantasy thrillers, in the tradition of science and discovery. You will like this novel.
Also available in Spanish
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