1953 Words
Chapter Two
"Jess, have you located the anomaly?" asked Connor.
"No. It's so unstable."
"Yeah. I'm not surprised with this second-rate equipment. I bet that's why we didn't detect this guy before," said Connor. "If you'll all follow me."
Leaving several of Becker's men to guard the creature, they went to the basement.
"Oh…those poor creatures," said Abby. "You don't believe in housing them humanely, do you?"
"Each one is a beast," said the doctor. "You do not treat beasts humanely."
Abby shook her head.
Connor took an anomaly creating device and activated it. A brilliant yellow light filled the room.
"Wow. The readings are nice and strong Connor."
He smiled smugly. "Thanks Jess." He looked at the doctor and smiled.
The doctor looked impressed but annoyed. "It is strong. Stronger than I was able to achieve. Perhaps you at least, are clever."
Connor chuckled. "Thanks. OK, let's get a time period reading…"
"You can do that?"
Connor smiled. "Yes, Doctor Crazy, I can. OK, Oligocene era," he said fiddling with the device. "Time period set. So let's send the entelodon, hyenadon, and terror birds home."
The team zapped the appropriate creatures with the EMDs, then sent them through the anomaly.
The doctor gasped. He'd never seen such
"Yeah, some of us are clever too," said Matt, smirking.
"Are you praising me for the anomaly device or you for the EMDS?" asked Connor.
Matt just smiled.
"Just we need," said Becker, "ego-stroking geniuses."
"Don't be rude," said Jess over comms. "You're shooting now aren't you?"
Becker chuckled. "True. I apologize. Connor, let's shoot some more. I mean, send more creatures home."
Connor laughed. He opened another anomaly to a different time and they sent more creatures home. They kept doing this until all the creatures were gone.
Then they heard shouting from the guards. They ran up to see the monstrosity pull itself completely loose. It stumbled on its feet. Its limbs flailed around, knocking the soldiers across the lab.
The team immediately fired, but the monster did not go down. It looked around, panic in its eyes. It wailed loudly, but in a kind of winy manner.
Becker, Matt, and Emily moved forward, causing the creature to panic more.
"It won't go down!" screamed Becker.
They fired at its different parts, but it remained standing. Its two hind legs were not built for standing upright. The creature staggered, appearing ready to topple at any moment. Because they were legs of a dire wolf, they were strong and powerful.
Abby watched the creature. "Look at it move," she said. "Even as it staggers its legs are working as a dire wolf: it has ability to turn, pivot, and even jump."
"That's wonderful Abigail," said Becker. "How the hell do we get it down?" He fired again, but the thing was alarmed by each blast, causing it to panic more. It stumbled toward Becker, slamming him into a wall.
"It is not working!" cried Emily.
"I Know!" cried Connor. "It keeps stumbling out of my aim!"
Through it all the scientist laughed maniacally. "Yes! Yes, my creation! Ha! It's a masterpiece!"
"It's not," said Abby. "It's mishmash." She watched as the creature continued to thrash about. "Stop! Everyone, stop you're firing!"
"Are you serious?"
"Yes, Becker. Everyone calm down, and back away from the creature," she said.
"What are you doing?" asked the doctor.
"Yeah, what?" asked Becker.
Abby slowly approached the creature.
"Abs?"
"It's alright Connor," she said. "Trust me."
They all watched with trepidation as Abby put down her weapon. She was about five feet from the creature. It watched her warily.
"It's terrified," she said, "and more confused than we are."
Abby smiled, as she knelt down, making herself appear smaller and less menacing. "It's alright. Easy."
The monster wailed, but a sort of coyote like, mournful howl.
"I don't believe it," said Becker.
Abby smiled. "I told you. It's terrified. It wasn't attacking with malice, Becker. It was cornered and scared."
The others watched as the beast began to calm. It moved toward the ground like Abby, continuing to wail sadly.
Abby managed to move a bit closer.
"Nice," said Connor. "Maybe we can take it without firing."
Matt nodded.
"I apologize, Abby."
Abby laughed. "Even soldiers can learn," she said.
Jess giggled.
The scientist watched with fury. "No. It is not a coward. It is a predator that I made to cause destruction to my enemies."
"Sorry, mate," said Connor, watching as Abby reached carefully for the creature. It actually let her touch it. "It looks like you made a miscalculation somewhere."
The doctor was outraged.
He eyed Abby's dropped weapon. He lunged at it, grabbed it, and fired at the beast.
"No! You are not a coward!"
Abby screamed as the beast flailed, clawing her with one of its deadly paws.
Becker, always on alert, had been watching the scientist. Although he couldn't react fast enough to stop him from firing, he was able to pull Abby back, just as the creature pawed her. He kept it from delivering a deadly blow.
Abby and he flew to the side. "Thanks," she said, breathless.
He nodded.
Meanwhile, Matt had tackled the doctor, pulling the EMD free. He tossed it to Abby.
The creature was raging worse than before, snarling and barking at anyone who moved toward it.
"Yes, my creature! Give into your primitive bestial instincts!"
Emily narrowly dodged its snapping jaws. Connor fired, but missed as it dodged. Then it charged at him, but its feet were still unstable, and it managed to miss Connor with its claws.
Becker and Matt advanced, firing. The thing jumped toward them, knocking Matt into a table.
"Matt!"
"I'm OK, Em," he said, a little winded and disoriented from the blow.
Becker fired, but had to dodge several clawing attempts.
Jess watched the chaos, cringing each time a team member had a close call.
"Look how it anticipates! See how it avoids you! Brilliant!" screamed the doctor. "It's no dumb beast, is it? Ha ha!"
"It is advancing again!"
"Abby, duck!"
"Hold still, you freak!"
"Rage on my beast! Yes!"
The team dodged, jumped, and rolled out of the way of its claws and jaws. Jess knew it was only a matter of time before someone was hurt.
End of Chapter Two