What if some dinosaurs didn't die and were living below us?
Wiping the sweat from his forehead Frank grumbles, he hated this part of the job. Maybe due to the fact he was a little on the…heavy side, he's always been mildly claustrophobic. Today though the feeling is particularly bad as he has the sense of being watched by something, but whenever he looks around there is nothing to be seen.
"Hey Frank, how's it going down there?" yells Harry.
"Fine, it is almost done God I hate this place it almost feels like I am being watched." swears Frank.
"Ah, relax Frank it is just the sewers; there is nothing down there but rats." snorts Harry, "And the occasional croc".
"You're probably right" Frank says, with a wan grin. Going back to fixing the wires he hears a noise from a tunnel beside him, making him stop. Movement from down the tunnel catches his eye, shining his flashlight down the tunnel it glints off something that looks like metal. Staring, he tries to determine what the thing is but it's too far and just out of the effective range of the flashlight. Gathering his courage he decides to see what it is.
"Hey Harry I am going to check something out I'll be right back" he calls; as he heads towards the object he gets about halfway there… when steps sound behind him. He whirls around startled, after listening for a couple of seconds, the only thing he can hear is his own pounding heart and the faint rumblings of the subways. He goes back to work looking for the metal object when he suddenly hears a loud growl, turning to his left he sees something move. It is an animal of some sorts and it is growling at him, freaking out he swings his flashlight as hard as he can. A loud keen of pain sounds from the animal as the police issue flashlight hits its mark. Before he has a chance to scream teeth tear into his throat forever silencing him.
"Frank, are you all right?" Harry calls. He's starting to get worried; Frank hasn't said anything for a long time. He heads down the ladder and as he gets to the bottom, and shines his flashlight on the wire box. "Frank, where are you?" he calls.
Behind him a growl tears the air. He turns, and screams as a monster runs straight at him. Dropping his flashlight, he runs back to the ladder and starts to climb up it. He gets his head out of the manhole and screams as the monster bites down on his leg, breaking the bone. They struggle for what seems like an eternity; before the monster drags him down the manhole.
He tries to call for help but all that comes out is a gasping wheeze as the monster stalks closer it's maw opening for the kill.
Snarling Sekani stalks over and snarls; saliva dripping onto the humans' face, who whimpers terrified. He calmly puts his foot on the human's chest and drives his 15 inch claw straight into the area of the humans' heart killing him instantly.
Rusa'Makut snarls as she storms towards the council chamber. She can't believe what she just found. She shifts the object in her claws and enters the council chambers just in time to hear Sekani cry, "Our race is dying, we need to negotiate with the humans for a place to live above ground" as he gestures to the row of councilors.
Rusa'Makut clacks her jaws in irritation as she listens to Sekani rant, Kosani knows she agrees but this is not the way to convince the council of elders.
Not letting Sekani continue with his rant she storms forward and throws a human leg on the ground, "I found this lying by a fuse box" she growls.
She turns on Sekani, Slisayess' apprentice,"Have you forgotten that the humans outnumber us?" she snarls. "If we harass them, what's to stop them from coming down here to investigate thus putting our society at a risk, putting our hatchlings at risk."
"I was only trying to do what was best for our society, Hatchery Mother the more...rotund human was getting too close to the hole that was being repaired; we were going to scare him away without harming him" he growls at Rusa.
He then turns to address the chamber. "We are dying we must act before it is too late, you have said this yourself Mother, do you contradict yourself?"
"I do not, but killing two humans is not what is best for our society Sekani, even you should see that! You wish to negotiate with the humans? How is killing them going to make us look favourable?"
"They will see we are not a force to be trifled with the humans respect power…"
Rusa laughs, "Humans fear what they don't understand Sekani, and they won't understand us unless we are able to talk with them. All this display of "power" does is lessen our chances at peace."
The council turns towards Sekani. "Is what the Hatchery Mother says true, that you attacked the workers, even though you were ordered not to harm them?" growls a Councilor, tapping his claws lightly. "Where was your master, Slisayess?"
Sekani lowers his head, "Yes, Honoured Elder" he says, respectfully lowering his head crest in submission, "I ignored Honour guard Slisayess' orders and attacked when the human injure Orth'Oijb."
Usttherei'yissei, The eldest of the council, roars in anger, "Was Orth'Oijb in danger of being killed!?"
Sekani paces in front the council, his pace marking irritation. "The human hit Orth'oijb with his light stick and gave her a pretty nasty injury. I attacked and killed him and then I proceeded to kill the other human to try and, uh, keep the humans from finding out." He finishes meekly.
"That doesn't answer the question, Sekani." Snarls Slyhan'yissei, "The only time it would have been appropriate for your actions is if Orth'Oijb was about to be killed."
"The wounds were not life threatening." Sekani mewls, cringing under the glare of the Honoured Elders.
Usttherei'yissei snorts slightly as he digests the information "Leave us while we decide what to do about this breach"
Sekani slinks out of the chambers humiliated and ashamed. Rusa follows close behind lost in thought as to what the fate of the Darinogi is now that this hand has been played.
A match lights up illuminating the strong face of Detective Jaime Marshall, lighting the cigarette he takes a drag. Exhaling he looks around at the crime scene, "What happened here, Sergeant Majitov?" he asks.
"We don't know, sir. The lady on the fifth floor of the apartment…" he gestures to the building behind him, "called 911, claiming she saw something drag a body into the sewer. Two city workers are supposed to be working here, both of who have failed to check in."
Jaime blinks and looks at him "Have you checked below?" he asks, looking down at tmanhole.
"Yes, there is a large amount of blood but no bodies and no trail" he shrugs puzzled "whatever took them could have gone either way."
Jaime starts to walk around the scene looking for any type of evidence. He finding nothing he heads over to the manhole and starts looking around it, he notices that there are what appear to be claw marks in the metal of the manhole cover. Putting on a pair of latex gloves he puts his fingers in the indent, whatever made them had large fingers. Lifting it up he peers down with a flashlight and makes sure it's clear.
"I'm going down there," he tells the Sergeant. He opens the manhole and climbs down the ladder; as he reaches the bottom, he shines his flashlight around the crime scene. He spots something on the ground and picks it up with tweezers it looks like a tooth. As he looks at it closer he sees that one side appears to be serrated; it is definitely an animal tooth of some sorts. He grunts puzzled and puts it in an evidence bag.
He looks around the tunnels that connect to the opening with the fuse box. As the light shines the light down the left tunnel, it glints off of a golden eye that looks at him with something akin to curiosity, he scoots backwards, startled. Rusa steps forwards into the light her arms spread in a non-threatening gesture her hands curled into fists, praying to her Gods that he doesn't perceive it as one.
Thinking back to the English she taught herself from reading their hatchling books, she opens her mouth and stutters "H-H-Hi NNNUH Hahm"
Jaime pales as he sees the razor sharp teeth, taking a step closer to Jaime she growls out, "I RRRoosssssa, I Fruhnd"
That was enough for Jaime, scuttling backwards he gets up and runs up the ladder. He quickly puts the manhole back on and sits on the ground breathing hard.
He looks up as a shadow falls over him, Sergeant Majitov leans over him "Are you all right, Detective?" Sergeant Majitov grunts helping him up. Jaime shakes his head while still breathing hard, he stands up and looks at Majitov. "Cordon off this area, no
one is to enter the sewers!" he orders.
As the Sergeant carries out his orders, Jaime looks at the manhole. He heads to his car and starts back to the precinct. As he drives, he thinks about what he saw. "There is no way that was a dinosaur" he mutters to himself, "dinosaurs went extinct millions of years ago. My eyes must have played tricks on me; it must have been a crocodile. A crocodile that was standing on its hind legs" he grimaces. "But how did it talk to me or were my ears playing tricks as well."
Pulling into the parking lot he finds a spot and walks into the precinct. He heads straight to the chief's office and knocks on the door. "Come in" says a voice from inside. Jaime enters the office and watches Chief Martinez work on papers; the chief looks up and puts the pen down.
"What did you find, Jaime?" asked the chief, cocking an eyebrow.
Jaime shifts, unsure of whether to tell the truth when even he doesn't believe it. "I was threatened by an animal that looked like a…a dinosaur, sir" he explains, bracing for the inevitable laugh.
After a few minutes the chief finally breaks down, "A dinosaur!" exclaims Chief Martinez, shocked. "A dinosaur Jaime, you sure you weren't seeing things? And that it wasn't a croc?" he scoffs, wiping tears from his eyes.
Jaime sighs and immediately reaches for a cigarette, but stops himself in time, "I guess the light was playing tricks with my eyes, it must have been a croc I…I just didn't believe they could stand on two legs" he consents, discouraged.
"I would say the light played tricks with you, no matter, the crocodile needs to be destroyed before it kills more city workers" the Chief says, dialing the Animal Control.
"You're dismissed."
Going outside to think he takes out his Marlboros, and fishes the last one out. Striking a match across his stubble, his mind wanders back to the sewers, "It was almost like it was trying to say something to me before I freaked and ran, but what?" wonders Jaime, as he looks at a manhole.
Rusa turns to leave the spot where she tried to talk to the human perhaps it was a foolish mistake, but hopefully it got through to the human that they don't mean any harm, she doubts it though. She heads back down into the warrens to her room to try and figure out what she is going to do. After pacing around her room for about two hours, she decides to head back to the hatchery. As she gets there she is surrounded by hatchlings they start to chirp and chitter at her, all she can really understand is to the word "play".
"We'll play a little later, little ones right now I have to check on the eggs" she coos gently, as she heads to the incubator room. She chuckles as she hears disappointed chirps get quickly replaced with laughs and squeals.
Her amusement ends as she gets to the incubator room where she discovers 2 more eggs, each from different clutches have perished over night. With a heavy heart she tenderly carries the cracked eggs to the Incinerator.
As she places the eggs in the incinerator something finally snaps, she will speak to the council immediately. Something needs to be done now or the Darinogi will go extinct, generations are dying every day; most don't even make it out of the egg. Turning around she marches back to the Council Chambers, she is going to call an emergency meeting to discuss options for making a proposition to the humans. She gets to council chambers to call a meeting as she walks to the chambers she thinks about what she is going to say to the councilors and the assembled Darinogi.
She chuffs in irritation as a Corvat, stops her "Hatchery Mother the council has called an emergency meeting for tomorrow 12:30" chirps Meera.
Rusa looks down at her confused "Who called the meeting Meera." she inquires.
"Slisayess'oijb, Hatchery Mother" replies Meera, turning the little compsagnathus goes to inform other Darinogi.
Rusa can't help but see the irony of the situation, though it is very appropriate for him to speak up. Little did she know he was going to be too late, for fate had already reared her ugly head.