Chapter 2
Into The Realm We Go
Jessica was swimming underwater in the pool of the massive Villa owned by Jackson. Sitting on a chair at the poolside, Richard relaxed under the hot sun, a glass of Vodka Martini by his side. His father was out working and his mother was visiting a friend, leaving the two siblings at home to tend for themselves. The teenaged girl noticed her brother by the poolside and her mischievous side took over.
She splashed some water on her brother, causing him to jolt in shock. His clothes were now wet and his Vodka Martini was mixed with pool water. A ruined day for the teenaged boy but he wasn't mad. He grinned at his sister and jumped into the pool, not even bothering to change into his swim suit. They splashed around in the water, dunking each other every now and then.
In the same neighborhood down a few blocks, Bryan was working on a laptop while sitting in the balcony of his house. Since he wasn't out and about, he carried his Springfield TRP Operator in his Drop Leg holster. A box was situated next to his laptop. It had recently been sent over by an acquaintance from the United States and according to him, it was something of interest to the teenager.
But Bryan did not touch the box. He was busy chatting with his boss on Facebook regarding his work. Just then, like a child being ignored, the box made a sound. It started to rattle and glow, much to the surprise of the teenaged boy. Now it had gotten his attention and he opens it. Inside the box was a silver bracelet. At first Bryan thought it was just a custom made bracelet but then, he noticed it.
An Illuminati triangle was etched into the bracelet along with the words "ANNUIT CCEPTIS". This caught Bryan by surprise. He never knew the acquaintance of his had such an artifact. Out of curiosity he puts it on and the sensation of power flowing through could be felt. It kept coming on and on, to the point where his body was forced to adapt to the feeling.
Bryan flicked his finger, expecting nothing to happen but a brick of US dollars suddenly appears on his desk. It was legal tender, not counterfeit currency. How could it possibly happen? He did not withdraw any sum of cash over the past few days and he certainly did not place bricks of dollars on the balcony table. This HAD to be the Illuminati at work. He tries again only this time a cup of Kopi Luwak appeared.
At that moment Bryan realized how the bracelet worked. He had to think of something he wanted then flick his finger. Over on Richard's side, the Illuminati was also taking over. His father's friend had also sent over a similar bracelet and when he put it on, he had the same feeling as Bryan. But unlike Bryan, he took it a notch up after he realized he could make things appear.
The teenage boy points a middle finger at a cardboard box. In an instant, the box exploded, much to the surprise of him and his sister. They were surprised how a single middle finger could make a box explode. To make sure it wasn't a fluke, his sister got several boxes out but the end result was the same. With each middle finger, the boxes exploded one by one.
Just then, the doorbell started to ring. Both siblings rushed over to the gate and they found, much to their surprise, Bryan standing outside.
"Hey, Bryan." Richard greeted. "You live here?"
"I keep a low profile." He smiled. "Anyways I heard sounds of things exploding coming from here. You sure everything is good?"
"Yeah…"
"Illuminati bracelet there?" Bryan motions towards Richard's bracelet. He raises his hand to show his own. "I have one too."
"Well, I guess there's really no need to keep it a secret."
"What a secret?"
"Richard here found out how to beat you, Mr. Badass." Jessica sneered.
"Mister what?"
"Never mind…"
"Richard, explain."
"Well…" he hesitated. "I figured out you could make things explode by pointing middle fingers."
"Really? That's good to know."
The three chatted for a bit then went back to their respective homes. Bryan was intrigued. He had been granted powers to create and destroy, courtesy of something he never thought would even exist. But what now? Sooner or later the powers would get boring and he was still just another normal human being with added abilities. If the bracelet wanted to impress him, it needed to offer him more.
The fact that he could create things with his mind got Bryan thinking. Could he travel to a different realm or go back in time? He couldn't wait to try it out and after saving the file sent in by his boss, Bryan returned to his room where he geared up. He dons his US Navy style camouflage clothing, Dragon Skin Armor Vest, Haley Strategic Disruptive Environments D3CR Chest rig with extra magazine pouch and FAST helmet. He also attaches a KA-BAR EK Model 4 commando knife and Sheath onto his belt.
He mounts a Gen 2 NOD(Night Optical Device)on his helmet and slings a tricked out Daniel Defense MK18 in an Over Strong Shoulder carry position. The weapon was fitted with a KAC vertical foregrip, AN/PEQ-15 ATPIAL, Trijicon ACOG sight, and Magpul MBUS.
"To infinity and beyond…" he muttered to himself.
Putting the thought of travelling to the time of dinosaurs in his head, Bryan flicked his finger. A ball of light envelops him and when it fades away, he was gone. Wherever he went, it would certainly be a life changing experience.
Back in Richard's house, Richard was also gearing up. He was an aspiring paleontologist and he too was curious if he could travel back in time into the realm of dinosaurs. But unlike Bryan, Richard carried a shotgun instead of a carbine, a Benelli M3 Tactical to be precise. Compared to Bryan's MK18 MOD 0 CQBR(Close Quarters Battle Rifle), Richard's Benelli M3 had better stopping power. If he loaded slugs, he would also have accuracy and range comparable with his older counterpart's weapon.
For his rig, Richard opted for a plate carrier with threat level IV body armor underneath his tactical shotgun vest. He also attaches extra Bianchi shell holders onto his webbing and belt. His Sphinx SDP pistol was carried in his Bianchi Drop Leg holster. For a blade, Richard opted for something a bit more… Old style if you will. He attaches a M8A1 Scabbard onto his belt which he used to carry his Vietnam Era M7 Bayonet.
"All ready?" his sister asked.
"Yeah." Richard puts on a Boonie hat. "This'll protect me from the elements."
"Grandpa told me he wore that thing to protect himself from the elements while in Vietnam."
"Boonie hats, also known as giggle hats by the Aussies."
"Well… I guess I'll see you later. Take care."
"Don't worry, I'll be back in a flash. Literally."
A bright pillar of light envelops Richard as he flicks his finger. The light was so bright that Jessica had to turn away and cover her eyes. Slowly the light fades away and when she turned back to where her brother stood only moments before, he was gone.
A pillar of light appears behind a cluster of dried bushes. It slowly fades away, revealing a gun armed teenager dressed in combat gear. He was Richard, who had recently arrived in the realm of dinosaurs. At first the teenaged boy had no idea where he was but then he noticed three toed footprints in the ground, which were larger than any footprint made by bird of prey.
These had to have been made by a Theropod dinosaur since it was the only explanation Richard could come up with. He keeps his shotgun in the low ready position and started moving leftwards, following the trail. He was hoping to find local wildlife or a water source since the day was awfully hot and the best chance of finding local life was at a body of fresh water.
But before he could reach there, the teenager bumped into someone he least expected to see; another human. She was a female two years his junior and by the looks of her dress-code, Richard deduced that she was most likely from another era.
"Hello there." He greeted. "Never fancied meeting another human here."
"Hello to you too…" she responded. "Name's Charlotte, what's yours?"
"Call me Richard, young lady."
"Young lady?"
"That's what I call my sister."
"Mmh…" Charlotte studies Richard for a bit. He looked very different from the men she saw in her era. "Your outfit looks… different."
"Of course, I'm from a different era."
"Huh?"
"You're from the eighteenth century, right?"
"Yes."
"Greetings from the twenty first."
"So that's what all men wear in the future?"
"Only in war."
"So you came here to fight a war?"
"No I came here to explore. I just wear this to carry extra ammunition for my weapons."
The two humans from different eras continued to chat about their lives back home, exchanging stories. Richard was surprised when he found out Charlotte's family was killed in the American Revolution. Her father was killed on the battlefield while fighting for the redcoats while her mother and sister died as a result of being struck by stray bullets.
She was an orphan, and she had no intention of ever returning. Just then, the ground started to tremble. Richard raised his shotgun in anticipation while Charlotte raised a rather antiquated weapon(in Richard's eyes), a Brown Bess Flintlock Musket. It was a shorter Musketoon variant her father had gotten for her before he died and she had been carrying it ever since she arrived here.
The trembles grew closer and closer but then there was a noticeable change in direction. Slowly the trembles grew softer and softer, as if a herd of large creatures were walking away. Both Richard and Charlotte were curious and they followed the trembles. It wasn't long before they find themselves staring at some of the biggest creatures they had ever seen in their lives.
Dinosaurs, and it wasn't just one. It was a herd of four, three adults and one juvenile roughly five years of age according to Richard's estimates. They were scouring the desolate landscape for leaves to feast on and by the looks of it, they hadn't eaten in a while. Strangely enough, while the adults look like they were starved, the juvenile gave both humans an impression that he was well fed.
They were clueless at first but then they figured out why. Appearing from behind a dead tree was Richard's friend Bryan, who was decked out in combat gear like him. The only difference was that Bryan's primary was a carbine instead of a shotgun. Richard and Charlotte watched as the older teenaged boy allowed the young Apatosaurus to drink some water from his canteen.
