Chapter 18: The beginning of the exploration…
Disclaimer: It's almost over. After this, I'll try and see if I can do the TV series next. No promises though…
"Did Crabb say exactly where he would meet us" asked Karl as he paddled.
They had been paddling down the Polonga River for at least a few hours now. Night had already fallen, and unless they wanted to see anyone else die, they had to make haste…
David, who had been passing the time by reading Arthur's journal, commented, "He seemed to think that we'd be able to find it".
"Unless that was a lie too" Jake grumbled. No matter what came out of that leeches mouth, Jake still didn't trust Cyrus. It didn't occur to him before, but now that he thought of it, maybe Cyrus knew this would all happen! He gave Karl that flare gun, which Karl had used and unwittingly awoken the Pterranadons. So, they we're arrested, and accused, and Cyrus was now helping them?
"He's using us…for some ulterior motive, but what" thought Jake.
"Up ahead, look" called Marion, snapping Jake out of his thoughts.
Ahead was the front of a sunken ship. A sunstone was being used to light their way towards it in the darkness. An old wooden jetty was next to the ship.
"Oh dear, I have a bad feeling about this" Zippeau moaned.
Jake grinned, as he opened his mouth to say something, but was silenced by Karl's glare. "I swear, if you make a Star wars reference, I'll…"
"We could still turn back, you know," pleaded Zippeau, breaking up the fight.
The others ignored him as they neared the place. Docking at the jetty, the group disembarked as they walked towards the sealed door. Noticing the Crab symbol on the ship, Marion asked, "Isn't that Crabb's calling card".
Jake nodded "Yep, this must be the place".
Taking the lead, Karl took the lantern they had found in the raft, and grasped Marion's hand whilst he slowly opened the door. It opened with a loud moan, the old metal and rust causing the ship to groan. Walking down the metal stairs, the group passed by a line of scuba diving outfits, all of them staring in one direction. The way they we're positioned…it made it look like they we're glaring at them…creepy.
"Ouch" hissed Samantha as she had accidentally scarped her arms against a piece of rusted metal. Puling her sleeve back, she gasped at the sight of the nasty cut. This was bad…
"Samantha" asked Jake as he approached her. Glancing at her arm, he gasped, "Your bleeding".
"It's nothing" she insisted.
Jake took no heed as he grabbed the sleeve of his tan shirt, and ripped it off. Using the piece, he wrapped it firmly around Samantha's arm. As the bleeding stopped, Jake gave her a quick pat on the shoulder.
"You should be alright now" he smiled. He was getting used to looking out for Samantha…
Passing her, he didn't notice the loving smile she gave him.
Spiriting up, the group slowly looked around. Karl glances down into one of the exposed tubes and gasped as there was still a torpedo loaded up. Good thing it wasn't active…at least he hopped…
Marion, approached a glass container, concealed by cloth. Grasping the cloth, she removed it…and gasped at the exposed contents. Backing away as Karl's light shinned over the contents, she looked away from the head of a Mosasaurus.
"What…what is it" asked Zippeau. Glancing at the head, he gagged "Mo…Mosasaurus, who could do such a thing".
"Welcome aboard" chuckled a voice from the darkness.
Everyone whirled towards the voice in time to see a light turn on in the back of the ship. There sat Cyrus Crabb, chuckling to himself. Obviously, he had planed this all out… "Good to see ya" he laughed as he stood up. Approaching the group, he chuckled "I trust you all had a pleasant and uneventful trip".
Jake glared as he commented "Unless you can over look us going down Disney's water flume ride on steroids, yes, it was uneventful". Seriously, what was this sneak up to?!
"Did you do this?" asked an angered Marion as she pointed at the head.
Cyrus, immediately, put on an innocent look as he said "Well that, no no, now your insulting the Crabb family name, no that's nearly a small, but regrettable part of a collection acquired by my father, he was a man of many traits, much like myself, this was his store house" he paused as he took a sip from his drink.
Pausing, he turned away; asking "I'm sorry, would you like a drink".
"Sure" Karl said simply. He was getting kinda thirsty.
Chuckling, Cyrus handed Karl this same liquid he had been drinking. "You'll need one where we're going".
Karl took one sip…and spat the whole thing out in disgust. "Augg…gross" he commented, his face twisted in disgust.
"Very interesting isn't it, rather a smoky after taste" Cyrus smiled. As Karl got back next to the others, he got serious, saying "Well, enough talk, it's time to show you, my pride and joy, through here". Passing the group, he opened another door, the group following.
"Wow" Samantha awed. They had entered an area where many boats had been stored; most of them weren't in working condition. However, the one on the very end caught their attention.
Tan colored, big enough for six, and in working condition, was a small portable submarine… Cyrus chuckled as he got next to it, grinning. "She's a beauty isn't she, no one knows it survived".
"Denison's Submersible" Zippeau awed.
David, realizing where this was going, shook his head, letting out a nervous laugh. "There is no way, I'm going down in that thing".
Jake nodded, as although he was unbelievably brave, he was extremely claustrophobic. Put him in a small, enclosed area, and he would panic. "Uh…I'm not so sure about" he admitted.
Surprised by the way his brothers we're acting, Karl optimistically said "It doesn't look in too bad shape". Pushing past his brothers, he climbed to the top of the small sub. Grasping the rusted valve, he gave it a quick turn…and yanked the thing off… Embarrassed, he gave the others a nervous chuckle, as he said "Maybe not".
On que, Cyrus nodded as he remarked, "Well there you go, and you can be our chief mechanic". Glancing at the two remaining Scotts, he added "And you can be our expert navigator". Turning to Jake, he said, "You'll be the skipper".
Jake groaned as he walked to helped Karl, muttering "Gilligan's islands, this aint".
"Gee, thanks" David said dryly, going to help the others.
Zippeau, eager to do his part, asked "And what about me, what can I do".
Chuckling, Cyrus smiled "Professor, I haven't forgotten about you, with those keen eyes of yours, sharper then a humans".
Rolling his eyes, Zippeau said "Oh that's very true, thank you".
"Would you be so kind to keep look out for us" Cyrus asked, getting straight to the point. Besides, he doubted that the…scaly would be of any more use…
Zippeau, not sure he heard right, asked "What, out there".
Cyrus nodded, "Yes out there run along now".
Nervousness getting to him, Zippeau asked "By myself".
"It's okay Zippeau" Marion said softly. Just in time, a crack of lighting sounded outside the ship. Shaking his head, Zippeau staggered out to do his duty.
********
"Urrggh, this valve is really jammed," Jake muttered as he tried to put his back into loosening one of the rusted valves. Letting go briefly, he sighed as he glanced at these raw hands. "OH, that's not good" he muttered. Standing up, he scratched the back of his neck, grumbling "How the hell am I going to go this thing moving".
"Need help Jake," asked Samantha. Jake was really struggling, so maybe an extra hand would help…
"Don't know if it'll make a difference," Jake grumbled as he gave the valve a weak kick.
Hoping down from the top of the sub, she got next to Jake, saying, "C'mon, we'll both try and turn it".
"Umm…uh, okay" Jake said nervously as he kneeled down next to Samantha. Pressing themselves against he each other, they both grabbed the large valve at once, and started to turn. Jake was having a hard time concentrating, because his body was so close to Samantha's, he could smell her perfume…vanilla, mom. Grunting the two pulled with all their might. The valve gave a loud moan, as with a creak, it turned. Sighing they turned it much easier now as it went all the way clockwise.
Sitting up, Jake smiled "Thanks for the help" he commented.
Giving Jake a quick kiss on the cheek, she laughed "No problem.
Jake jumped at the kiss. Raising a hand, he rubbed the part where she kissed him. Hearing snickering behind him, he groaned "Shut up morons".
Karl shook his head laughing as he worked on finding any parts of the sub that needed replacing. So far, some parts had to be taken out, and scavenged for new parts that fit. The fuel had to be refilled.
"This do anything" called Cyrus for inside the sub. He was working on what some of the levers.
Karl watched as one of the rudders moved. "Right rudder" he called.
"How about this" called Cyrus as he tried a different one.
"GACK" shouted David as he backed away, holding his hand in shock. One of the pinchers that he was adding grease to had closed, almost snapping his hand off. The other's chuckled at his dismay.
Several hours passed as they worked on the sub. Marion and Samantha we're working on repainting, and clearing out the fogged out parts of the sub, whilst Karl and Jake went over too see how David was doing on some of the charts.
"Hey, how's it going?" asked Karl as he dropped some of the supplies next to the desk. Grasping a bronze torch, he filled with it, wondering how it worked…
"You know, I've been thinking about this expedition," David said softly.
"Yeah, and…"asked Karl.
"Well, the first time we found an entrance to the world beneath, it was filled with giant crocodiles, right," asked David, hoping they would agree.
"Right" they both responded.
"Then the second time, it was filled with giant bats," David continued. Did they see where this was going??
"Yeah, what's your point?" asked Karl.
Jake raised an eyebrow, as he said "Are you saying theirs some kinda pattern here Davy".
"Well, I…" David started.
The loud clanking of what was a large spear gun, snapped the boys out of their thoughts. Whirling around, they saw a bizarre sight. Cyrus Crabb, was stalking past them, a large spear gun, tied to his left boot, so whenever he walked, a loud clanking sound was made. If that was strange enough, he was muttering an old sailors song to himself.
"What the hell is that for?" asked a confused Karl.
Cyrus didn't answer as he smirked, softly singing "We're read to set sail on an old open ship, and never once more did we…"
The boys just watched as he went to the side of the ship singing. Sighing, David turned to his brothers. "I rest my case".
Both of them nodded firmly.
*********
It was done. They had finished the outer repairs. Entering the sub, Karl sighed as he rubbed his hands together, commenting, "Well, the engine looks good now, I replaced the pistons". Looking around at the small interior of the sub, he said "But I can't figure out what powers this thing". He had searched all over the sub. But had found nothing. Where was the power source??
Cyrus had a smug grin, as he said, "I'll give you a clue". Without saying a word, he reached down to the floor, and opened a small compartment. Inside, was a single embedment, where something had once been, shaped like an oval? Two connecters we're on the left and right of it. The way it was shaped, reminded Karl of…
"Sunstones" Cyrus informed.
"Oh, so that's why you've been stealing the sunstones" Karl said; now understanding.
Exiting the craft, Cyrus sadly lamented, "I tried ever sunstone I've found, and none of them seem to fit". Casting a sly glance at Marion, he patted himself, saying "Then I was looking at pretty young Marion here, and that's when it hit me".
Confused at first, Marion slowly realized what he was talking about, as Cyrus was glancing at her shirt. Reaching inside, she removed her sunstone necklace. Showing it to Cyrus, she explained "This sunstone was given to me by my grandmoth…"
"It was given to you by your grandmother Orianna by the explorer Arthur Denison wasn't it" Cyrus asked. Already knowing the answer, he smiled as she realized "And that note, find the light".
"Would you mind terribly dear if we borrowed it?" asked Cyrus, getting to the point.
Glancing at Cyrus, she thought to herself "No way would I ever let you have this after all the things you've done" Firmly nodding to this, she then glanced at Karl, who had a stern, yet pleading look in his eyes. They had to get the sub moving now!! The longer they waited, the more likely the Pterrandons would reach Waterfall city faster. And time was of the essences. Besides, it could take days, heck weeks to find another sunstone of similar size.
Removing it from her locket, she outstretched her hand towards Karl, saying "This is the most valuable thing I posses". She watched as Karl looked down at the grasped sunstone with a mystified look.
"Go on, try it now" said Cyrus.
Nodding, Karl went back down into the sub. "If that crook tries to sell this after we're done, I'll knock him into next week" he thought. Placing the sunstone into the embedment, he watched as it came to life. A bright light filled the inside of the power chamber, as all the buttons, and lights became active. Smiling, Karl closed the compartment, and climbed back out to see his friends.
Cyrus smiled as he approached the sub, stating "Well Marion, Samantha, now it's time to say bon vo yage".
"What do you mean?" asked Marion. What was he up to now?!
Glancing at the two girls, he sadly said "Oh I'm sorry my dear, but neither you, your sister or that scaly Zippeau can come, there's only room for four on this vessel". He hadn't exactly planned this out, but hey, he didn't call the shots.
"The submarines built for six" Samantha said.
Cyrus shook his head, "I'm not one to tempt our good fortune, not when the future of Dinotopia hangs in the balance, we'll be heavy enough with those sunstones on board" Without another word, he headed for the ladder.
Karl sighed. As much as it sucked, it was the truth. "He's right Marion" Karl said softly.
Marion gave a helpless look, as she said "Promise me you'll be careful, I don't want anything to happen to any of you boys…I love you all".
This touched the boys, well David and Jake anyway. They honestly had no idea Marion cared for them this much. Giving a reassuring smile, David said, "We'll be alright".
"Let's go" Karl said as they all climbed onto the sub.
As they approached the ladder, David smirked as he said, "You hear that, she loves all of us".
"She was looking at me when she said it" Karl smirked back.
Jake, although he like Marion, didn't see her as a lover, wasn't about to miss out on the fun, as he snorted "Get real you two". When both his brothers looked at him, he chuckled "We all know that she had her eyes on yours truly".
David and Karl looked at one another with bored expressions. Switching to mischievous, both of them put their bags to the side as they approached Jake.
Getting nervous, Jake backed up. "Uhh…guys," he asked. He really didn't like the looks they were giving him.
"Get him," laughed Karl as David quickly yanked Jake towards him with a yelp. Now having Jake in a bear hug, Karl quickly gave Jake a noogie.
"Hey, that's cheating, two on one" Jake laughed, enjoying himself. He struggled to free himself, but David had a strong grip on him.
"Who does she love" smirked Karl.
"Not me, not me" shouted Jake, desperately wanting to get away. As they let him go, Jake gave a playful punch to David, and a friendly glare at Karl. "Oh, you guys are both gonna pay for that later".
"In cash or credit" joked David.
Karl snicker at this. "Now Jake, that was a joke".
Jake rolled his eyes in annoyance at this. "A lame one" he commented.
"Jake" asked Samantha from behind.
Hoping down from the sub, he asked "What Samantha".
Samantha tried, she really did. But she couldn't keep the worry out of her eyes as she said "Are you going to be okay Jake, I mean, you said your scared of enclosed spaces, and all the risk and things that could go wrong".
Jake laughed as he said "Well, with all the monsters and traps we'll encounter down, we…" He stopped when he saw how worried Samantha was. Dropping the joking, he said, "Honestly, I don't know what's going to happen, we might die…" "And about the fear of enclosed spaces, well…I have to face those fears for this time, since Dinotopia's fate hangs in the balance. Looking down, he said "I don't know what else to say".
Samantha said nothing as she looked down sorrowfully. Looking up again, a small smile on her face, she said "If you don't make it Jake…then I'll never have to live this down". Without another word, she strode forward, and before Jake could stop her, kissed him…on the lips.
Jake's first response was pure shock as his eyes widened, stunned by her move. Whilst Jake's mind was screaming "STOP, CESEASE, DESIST, PULL OUT, EJECT, EJECT", his body was saying "more, more, more". Jake returned the kiss with as much passion, no longer able to hide how he felt about Samantha.
"I've fallen for her," he thought. This was how it should be, just the two of them. Jake smiled inside as he allowed Samantha's warmth to fill him up. He had never met a girl like her back home, never in his life. Probably from him never being into girls in the first place, but still…wow".
Sadly, the kiss ended as Jake pulled away, giving Samantha an even stare. "Samantha" he said softly.
Backing away next to Marion, she said, "That was for luck, you'll need it".
Shaking his head as he went to rejoin his brothers, Jake muttered, "I don't need luck, or motivation, I already have some".
"What Jake" asked Samantha?
Jake turned to her, and gave her a soft smile "You" he spoke softly. Watching her expression turn to gratitude, he nodded as he stalked past his brothers towards the hatch. "Don't say a word" Jake warned, aware that Karl and David we're snickering in amusement.
The Scotts climbed down into the small submarine one by one. David, being the last, paused to give Marion and Samantha a wave. They waved back as David closed the hatch. The engine started up, as the ship with a whirr, slowly descend into the waters below…
********
Waterfall city was in an uproar.
After the failed attempt to rearrest the Scotts, saurian guards we're sent out all over to search for the boys. Finding no trace in the first day, they concluded that they had somehow escaped the city. There was no telling where they had gone, so a scouting party was not initiated, and they had no time to find them even if they wanted to. As the Pteranadonns we're getting closer by the moment.
Backstop, the rebellious triceratops, and unofficial saurian life partner of Jake (As he claimed he was), was locked up in a cage and currently under arrest, for aiding in the escape of the Scotts. As things we're as of now, they would punish him later, as the senate had ordered the whole of Dinotopia to take shelter in the city, what little that would do. The skybax, and all of the units of it, we're recalling to defend the city from the overwhelming numbers. Tragically, most of the units had already been attacked, and there was no telling how many of the squads were still alive…
Mayor Waldo waited in anticipation on the bridge into the city. Deep in thought, he thought, "How did it come to this". First the Scotts arrival on their peaceful islands. Then them running amok, running things that had strived for many years to make. Now, his daughters had not only aided in their escape, but had gone with them!! Unacceptable!! He refused to let them flounder about with those boys. All they had done was corrupted their minds from their teachings!! Had done so to everyone.
Sighing, he thought "My daughter's claim they love their father, yet they leave with the boys to save our world". They loved them enough to disobey their own father?? Such passion they must felt for them. Wald's thoughts we're interrupted as one of the new Cadets, Romana, flew down from above.
Landing in front of Waldo, Romana Denison sighed as she removed her helmet, stating "Lord Mayor".
Nodding, the weary Waldo asked "Your report Cadet".
Worry in her eye's, Romana stated "The most recent citing have estimated over one hundred thousands Pteranadons".
"One hundred thousand" repeated the mortified Waldo. That was impossible!! Such a large mass of carnivores dinosaurs haven't been seen in over a thousand years, when the carnivorous dinosaurs battled the herbivores.
Continuing, Romana grimly said "Out of three squadrons that we're assigned to this mission today, only ours have returned.
"What…what news of Volcanium" asked a horrified Waldo. Volcanium had one of the best squads of Skybax in all of Dinotopia. Surely, they would be able to escape such a large assault of…
Shaking her head, she said "Volcanium is gone sir, there was no one left alive".
"That's not possible" argued Waldo.
"If they continue on their current flight path, the Pterranadons will converge on Waterfall city in less then 12 hours" Romana said.
"Twelve hours" repeated Waldo. That was nowhere near enough time for them to evacuate everyone safely away, or prepare a defense. True, violence was prohibited in Dinotopia, but…their we're indeed times when one had to throw down words, and rise their clenched fist to fight!! What in the world could they do in twelve hours!!
"I have other communities to warn sir," informed Romana, already feeling guilty.
Nodding firmly, Waldo said, "Yes of course, dismissed, breathe deep".
"Fly high" responded Romana as she went to do her duty.
******
"One, two breathe, one, two breath" Jake thought, trying to keep his breathing under control. It was one of the rules his grandpa always said, keep your cool, don't allow fear to overcome you, and keep a clear head, otherwise, you'll remain blind from all that matters to you".
"Easy for you to say gramps, but try being stuck in a small compact sub" Jake moaned. He was managing somehow to keep his claustrophobia at bay, but he didn't know how long. It was pretty cramped with his brothers sitting next to him, and with Cyrus at the front. So far, they hadn't reached the bottom yet, and the sub was still slowly, but surely sinking deeper into the ocean…
"This should send us down," stated Karl as he gripped one of the levers. The moment he pulled it, the sub began to groan and moan. This worried them. If too much pressure was applied, the glass, or the inside of it would shatter, and they would surely drown…
"No, no no move away," urged Cyrus as he left the controls briefly. Moving the lever back up, and turning some knobs, he smiled as he said, "We need to let a little bit of air out". Outside, some bubbles, emerged from the small crescents of the sub, the pressure lifting abet.
Returning to the controls, Cyrus checked the meter and said, "As far as I can tell, we have about three good hours of air left".
"How long does it take to get to the caves?" asked David.
Glancing back at the boy, Cyrus smiled. "Three and a half hours".
The Scotts glanced at each other in confusion, mixed with horror. How exactly did that work for them??
Praying that Cyrus was kidding, Jake thought of his grandpa. How in the world would he react, seeing how much Jake had grown up since he disappeared four years ago?? Would he even recognize him? Would he be proud of the way he had kept up his daily training? Sighing, Jake glanced out the window of the small sub, wondering whatever happened to Kenneth Scott?
"You guys okay," asked Karl, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Yeah sure" responded David.
"I'm cool," added Jake.
Karl opened his mouth to respond, but shut it when the lights in the sub flashed as they briefly went out. Moments later, they came back on again. As if that wasn't bad news enough, the ship groaned and moaned some more. As the noise stopped, the brothers looked at one another again. Were they okay??
"No" Karl stated.
"Me neither" sighed David.
"Ditto"-added Jake.
Noticing the boy's anxiety, Cyrus said "Relax boys, it's going to get far worse before we ever reach the bottom". Seriously, the boys needed to act tougher. If they ended up in worse situations later, how did they expect to handle them?
"If they live to see them anyway," thought Cyrus, chuckling inside.
Standing up to move abit, Karl grasped the railings above his head. Turning to Cyrus, he asked "So your father…he really made it down to the world beneath".
"Ay, there and back in this very submarine" Cyrus nodded as he adjusted the pressure of the sub from the knobs in the front.
"Then how come your not a rich man" Karl asked, hoping Cyrus wouldn't take it the wrong way. He really didn't want any kind of argument to start as of now…
Cyrus snorted as he adjusted the engines cooling power, making sure it didn't overheat. "They wouldn't let him leave, the scalies didn't like the idea of having their scared place found, so they confiscated all his journals, burned it to ashes, and locked him away. Pausing, and noticing the boy's stern look, he sighed as he lamented, "Before he died, he pulled me up very close, and he said to me "Denison also kept a journal". Heaving, he said, "I spent my whole life looking for that journal. After he died, I found hundred of small notes that all said the same thing, I found the light".
"Sunstones" David interpreted.
Unfortunalty, if they had been paying more attention, they wouldn't have noticed the needle on the pressure, rising exponentially. The groaning of the ship increased two times, and almost as if to hint the boys, some of the tightly locked bolts, shot out, and high pressured water shot into the boys faces.
"Shoot" Jake cursed as he tried to block his face from the water.
"Block boys, block it," shouted Cyrus from the front.
Karl and David blocked the holes as Jake quickly lowered the pressure, and let out more air for the ship.
"C'mon, you have to work faster," urged Cyrus. He wasn't about to die now, not after all he went through to find the damned journal.
As the pressure lowered, the moaning slowly came to a halt. Raising the pressure slightly, to assure they wouldn't run out of air, Jake smiled as he moved away from the knobs. He had successfully locked down the water.
"Now lets just hope our luck stays with us," Jake thought.
Was suppose to be longer, but I was getting tired, and I said I'd have it up tonight. Also, wanted the trip to the world beneath to extend abit. R&R!!