Difference between revisions of "Atlantis Rising: Chapter 5"

Revision as of 14:53, 19 May 2009

Chapter 5, introducing Malcolm Pierce. He's pretty cool, hope you'll like it.

Previous chapter: Phoenix Rising: Chapter 4

Homepage: Atlantis

22:07 Hours, Military Clock, December 5, 2012, Yale University, Conneticut

"Somethings wrong."

Malcolm Pierce shifted uncomfortably under the harsh lab lighting. He held before him one of the most powerful microscopes in existence, yet it still couldn't reveal to him half the mysteries of this one bone sample.

"Where did you say you found this?" Malcolm asked.

"I didn't," replied his assistant, James. "Friend of mine, down in Florida. He said he had gotten his hands on something new and wanted you to take a look."

"Well he was certainly right about one thing. This fragment is like nothing I've ever seen. Where did he find it?"

"He was supposed to be on vacation. He was kayaking off shore, in a kind-of deserted area, and he finds this washed up on shore."

"The structure is without a doubt of the Dinosauria. Judging from the vertebrae structure, this has largely the same build of Velociraptor mongoliensis. But the size is way off. It looks more like a Deinonychus antirrhopus tail segment."

"That's just the teaser. Wait till you see what I've got next." James assured him.

"Well don't just leave me drooling with anticipation." Malcolm said sarcastically. "What've you got?"

In response, James reached into his lab coat pocket and tossed Malcolm a small vile. "You're not serious?" Malcolm asked incredulously, reading the label. "Where's the rest of it?"

"The boys are bringing it up now. That little sliver of bone there isn't anything compared to what you'll find in the full body. My friend didn't happen to spot a tail bone from way out at sea. He found the whole body, and snipped that little bit off the back of the tail. That was the only part already devoid of skin."

"They've recovered the full body of a supposedly extinct Dinosaur, possibly one of a previously unknown species, with pigmented tissue samples?"

"Based on the preliminary reports, and the smell, this thing's only been dead for maybe, a couple days." James said.

"James, I could kiss you. But I won't." Malcolm said teasingly. "This is it, man. Or first big deal. Oh, man, when the junkies down at the Pentagon hear about this..."

A heavily laden cart was wheeled into the lab room and set next to Malcolm's lab table. Malcolm started calling out rapid-fire commands. "I need a full set of tools in here. Get the obsidian stuff. I need all non-essential workers out of here, a full analysis of the tissue sample. And get one of those new MRIs in here. And someone get a vid feed. Bossman will want to see this for himself."

A pair of clean-suit clothed workers gently picked up one side of the six foot long tray and layed it under a purple filter light. Studies had shown that the purple lighting was the easiest on the eyes in terms of strain. That was a good thing for Malcolm as he stared at the body for the next five and a half hours.

The man-sized body of the Velociraptor was heavily bloated with gas. It had indeed been dead for a while, but certainly not anywhere near 65 million years. Malcolm picked up an obsidian-bladed scalpel and delicately slit the Raptor across its stomach, noting a peculiar ridge with a red line down the center that ran all the way down the lateral line of the animal. Three of them. The center one, larger and thicker than the others. It could be nothing other than scar tissue. Probably from another animal.

Malcolm noted the anomaly aloud, knowing that the voice-activated tape recorders would capture the sentence.

This was completely insane. It was a whole new species. Well, an old one. It was unmistakably of the genus Velociraptor, but the species was completely different. For one thing, this specimen was as big as he was. 5 foot 11 inches according to his measurements. And it was much stronger than a human. Its middle "Killing Claw" was as big as his fist.

The pelvic bone seemed specially adapted for jumping, and the quadriceps were corded and powerful. The cranial compartment was uniquely large for a dinosaur. That and the fact that it had probably died just days ago.

There were funny little quills poking out of the back of the creature's head, but other than that they shared none of their smaller cousins' feathered appearance. It looked for all the world as if this thing had walked straight out of the set for Jurassic Park.

This was possibly one of the greatest finds of the century in paleontology circles. Amazing. What had caused the abnormal growth in the specimen, as compared with its smaller cousins?

Malcolm had a theory. It was a commonly known fact, even though the general public didn't like it, that the Velociraptor mongoliensis, which died out at the end of the Cretaceous period 65 million years ago, was about 3 feet tall and five feet long, built for speed, and covered in feathers.

This specimen had died less than 48 hours ago. Its skeletal structure was built heavier, with more supports. This thing could take a couple impacts. And the muscles were dense and heavily developed. Claws were sharp and serrated on the inside curve, for gutting things. The teeth were large and had razor points, and the jaw muscles could provide 2,000 pounds of pressure per square inch. That wouldn't feel great if it clamped down on your leg.

The creature was definitely warm-blooded. Its four-chambered heart had an extensive system of arteries, capillaries and veins.

But this creature had obviously died under stress. The three claw marks on the belly weren't the only signs. The blood, which was currently in a semi-solid state, showed increased levels of the hormone adrenaline in the Raptor's system, and several other claw and bite marks could be seen around the tail and neck. Something had tried to snack on this creature.

Basically it was an advanced version of a Velociraptor. The lack of feathers in the forearms suggested that over the 65 million years since its ancestors had died out, these things had slowly lost the use for feathers, which indicated that they lived in a warmer climate. And the salt-content caked on the skin, plus the fact that the Gulf current had washed the beast up in Florida, indicated that it had come from the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and that it lived tropical. Due to some enhanced mineral that was apparently abundant in its food source, this thing had been able to grow to the size of an average man.

But the heavy Dromaesaur claws hadn't vanished, and neither had the enhanced hip structure that allowed the Raptor to jump eight feet in the air, based on its muscle-to-weight ratio, and for the leg to rotate 270 degrees in all directions except towards the other leg.

The thing's eyes were of stunning quality. Much better than a man's, better than any of today's predators.

Malcolm blinked wearily. He'd been at this for five hours. Even he needed to sleep sometimes.

Malcolm stifled a yawn and closed is inquiry file on the computer. Resetting the microscope, cleaning his tools off, packing up his case, Malcolm yawned again and walked out the lab's door, sliding his access card along the reader to unlock the door.

James came out to meet him. "Hey, Malcolm. How'd it go?"

Malcolm sighed. "That thing's like nothing I've ever seen before. It's of the Velociraptor Genus, but the species is different. It retains the heavy Dromaesaurid claws yet has a distinct lack of feathers along its forearms and body, as it's cousins do, suggesting that it lived in a warmer climate where there was no need for insulation."

"Lives, present tense. This thing died only about two days ago. Right?"

"True. Anyways, I'm beat. Make sure the specimen is put on ice to prevent further decay and locked up tight."

Five minutes later, Malcolm was walking back to the parking lot where his Mercedes was parked. It was four in the morning. City life was just starting to pick back up after the 2-3:00 AM quiet period. Still, everything was pitch black dark, illuminated only by the densely packed stores and street lights.

It was classic, really. Single rich kid, dark alleyway, walking back to his car. Although Malcolm kept a small Sig Sauer handgun for personal defense locked up in his car, that was no use to him out here. Not against the man holding a gun to his head.

Malcolm didn't know who he was, but he knew what the man wanted. His wallet, carrying a few twenties and a hundred. His gold watch, surely worth half a fortune on the shadier markets. His coat, maybe. Times had been getting worse again after the credit problems in 2008 and 09, but so far it hadn't come to this.

Now a very large-looking handgun was being pressed into Malcolm's head.

Now, the problem with this stereotypical scenario was that Malcolm knew his way around a street-fight. He'd never taken personal defense lessons or anything, but he had been born with an innate ability to fight.

"You know the drill. No sudden moves or I'll blast out your brains. Now, I want your wallet and your watch. Now!" The robber ordered.

"Okay, okay, it's fine, no one has to get hurt here," Malcolm said calmly, unconsciously patronizing, speaking quickly to draw the man's attention to his face and away from his hands, which were raised up. A supposedly non-threatening gesture.

"Shut-up!" The gunman said, swaying and obviously drunk, or high, or both. "I said give me your money!"

Malcolm risked a step closer, until the gun barrel was wobbling right against his head. "Okay, okay, here you go-" Malcolm said, displaying his wallet, until suddenly he dropped it and smacked the would-be perp in the head with his one hand, grabbing the gun barrel and twisting it aside and behind the robber's back with his other. Malcolm yanked, hard, causing the gun to drop, and then drove his weight into the unbalanced criminal. They both toppled to the ground, Malcolm on top.

Malcolm drew back and rammed the guy into the ground, several times. The robber turned and elbowed Malcolm in the face, then followed with a clumsy punch. Malcolm caught the robber's fist and brought his knee into the gunman's kidney. The robber retaliated with another swing, which caught Malcolm on the side of the head. Malcolm stumbled, and the robber advanced.

Malcolm hefted a rusted-over shopping cart laying upside down in the side of the street and threw it at the robber. It clipped the guy's shoulder and sent him reeling.

Malcolm brought the man back up and slugged the guy in the face so hard a tooth popped loose.

While the guy was down, Malcolm looked around quickly and yanked a piece of a gutter from the side of a building, using it as a club and sending the criminal back down and out into a drunken haze of black.

The police arrived minutes later, both as a result of Malcolm's phone call and the neighbor's complaints of a noise in the area.

The wailing sirens illuminated the stretch of alleyway that Malcolm had been sitting in.

"You'll understand we have to take you back to the station. Just until all this is cleared over with the higher-ups and everything." The very reasonable cop put in to Malcolm.

"But I didn't do anything!" Malcolm complained indignantly. "Can't you just cut me a break? It's five in the morning for crying out loud."

The officer took it with a lowered cap and stubbornly insisted that Malcolm come with him in the police cruiser.

Minutes later, Malcolm was rolling to a stop outside the county station. He reached for the door handle that wasn't there and sighed. Oh, this would be fun.