Hello, me again. It's taken a while, but I've finally got ch. 2 typed up. Lemme take this opportunity to reply to a review:
Caustizer: Those are excellent ideas, definitely. Unfortunately, I can't really use them. My habit with fan fics is to work out the story first, write it down on paper and then type it up on the computer. Besides, I can say with confidence that this story's unique enough among the other time travel stories on here - read on and you will find a few twists and turns... Anyways, again, those are great ideas, and I encourage you to use one of them in a story of your own (I can tell from your writings that they'd be pretty good). ;)
Anyhoo, here is In The Name Of Science chapter 2. Just a small note to anyone who may find a part later in this chapter confusing: It describes the same scene from Ali's POV, and then Jennings'.
Enjoy... And PLEASE review. I want your opinions, people!
In The Name Of Science
Chapter 2: "Discovery"
"Prime specimen you've got here, Jennings," Professor Warnsteiner said, almost hungrily, as he stepped into the clinically white chamber. "Perfect for our first plant-eating subject."
The target of Warnsteiner's observations, the young sauropod that Jennings had captured, was laid out on a stainless-steel bench in the centre of the room, unconscious but still breathing. Jennings, now without his helmet, was standing in a room almost separate from the main chamber, watching proceedings through a large glass window. Through it, he could see the entire experiment chamber: The bench, the dinosaur, and a desk next to them that had the Professor's instruments laid out on it - various surgical tools in neat rows, along with two pairs of white rubber gloves and a syringe filled with what was obviously some sort of poison.
As Warnsteiner spoke, Jennings' eyes narrowed with contempt.
"No problem, Dexter Morgan," he muttered sarcastically into the microphone connecting the two rooms.
Through the glass, Warnsteiner shot him a look that could freeze fire. Jennings appeared unaffected. Warnsteiner was head dissectionist at the facility, which meant he carried out most of the procedures. Jennings knew full well that the Professor relished the process of an 'experiment', digging his scalpel into a dead dinosaur's flesh. He approached every autopsy session like a butcher. It made Jennings sick to the stomach - add to that the fact that Warnsteiner was the most unpleasant employee at the facility, and the stage was set.
"I'll ignore that remark," the scientist curtly replied, his pointed features contorted into a sneer. He turned to the desk, muttering to himself. He turned to the desk and took silent inventory of the equipment. Upon seeing the second pair of gloves, he huffed angrily.
"Where is Doctor Hartley?" Warnsteiner demanded. "He was supposed to be here waiting for me... the procrastinating idiot."
A nervous voice echoed down the corridor outside. "Er, I'm here, Professor...!"
Jennings turned to see his friend, Daniel Hartley, emerge from the door leading from the corridor outside. The portly, bespectacled, well-spoken little man had joined the program for the same reason as Jennings himself - the opportunity to study the long-extinct dinosaurs. Hartley, too, had realised too late that not all was as it seemed, and had found himself stuck in a job he vehemently opposed. What made it worse for Hartley was the fact that he was scientifically qualified - hence his being referred to as Doctor - and so had to endure "helping" Warnsteiner with the terrible dissections. Jennings and Hartley shared the belief that, while their work was well-paid and secure, it was wrong. Neither were looking forward to today's experiment.
Jennings acknowledged his friend's prescence with a polite nod. Hartley returned the silent greeting, and began speaking to Jennings under his breath when he came close.
"Well, this should be interesting," Hartley said, "...At least for Warnsteiner."
Jennings nodded ruefully in agreement. "Mm-hm."
As Warnsteiner had noted, this was the first herbivore case to be brought in. Up until now, the only dinosaurs the facility had "studied" were theropods - the meat-eating dinosaurs. So far the program had turned up no surprises; the physiology of the subjects was almost exactly as predicted. Apart from the position of internal organs, it wasn't far from the original proposals before hard evidence came in.
But with hebivorous species, there still remained many questions to be answered - why the nostrils of sauropods were arranged so high on the head, why Parasaurolophus had a boomerang-shaped crest, whether plant-eaters really swallowed stones to aid in digestion - Warnsteiner was going to have field day after field day.
"Listen," Hartley whispered out of the microphone's range. "I thought you hated this sort of thing. Normally you're leaving before the procedure even starts. Why are you still here?"
Jennings was absent-mindedly staring out at the small Apatosaurus on the bench. He blinked and shook his head slightly before answering.
"...Yeah. I suppose you're right..." he murmured. "I'd better go."
"Hartley!" An aggravated voice rang out. "There's no time for silly private conversations. Get in here now!"
Jennings' friend sighed in resignation. "That's my cue." He walked over to the chamber door and pressed a button, watching as the door slid open to reveal the entrance to the chamber.
"Strange," Jennings suddenly remarked.
Hartley stopped and looked back at him. "What is?"
Jennings' eyebrows were creased, as if he had remembered something. "That dinosaur..." he replied. "When I tranq'ed it. I didn't really think about it at the time, but - I dunno. Might have been hearing things, but it was like it was speaking... calling for its mother... or something like that."
Hartley glanced through the door, then back to Jennings. "I would suggest you get some rest. This job seems to be doing your head in."
"Hartley!"
Jennings stared at the floor. "I'd better leave you to it."
"Okay," said his friend. "Now go on, get out of here."
With that, the door sliding shut behind him, Hartley stepped into the chamber.
The beating of her own heart was loud and muffled. She could feel it pounding through her head, echoing and bouncing off the inside of her skull.
Ba-boom.
Ba-boom.
Ba-boom.
With each beat, a blurred source of light grew steadily brighter and sharper. Her surroundings were coming into focus.
Ba-boom.
Ba-boom.
Ba-boom.
A white chamber, clean and spacious. She was lying on something cold and smooth. And she could hear voices fading in, becoming clearer by the second.
"...Alright Hartley, let's get this thing cut open. Make yourself useful and activate the recorder.
A sigh in response. "Yes, Professor."
She chanced opening her eyes a smidgeon. It was still slightly blurred, but she could just make it out: in front of her was a raised platform, with many sharp, shiny things laid out on it. They didn't look too inviting.
The first voice spoke again. "I don't see the point of sedating the subjects before bringing them here. The rule of not disturbing other creatures is daft."
"Sir," the second voice interjected. "You do realise that the hunters cannot take any risks. Having creatures noticing them could have dire effects for the space-time continuum."
"Oh, what is a bullet to the head when an unnecessary chunk of the procedure is taken out? ...I wouldn't have to go through the tedious fuss of having to kill them myself, at any rate," Voice One complained as he moved in front her, his back turned.
The figure picked something up from the table, and seemed to give it a few taps on the side.
"Well, the poison's in order. Start the recording."
She heard a strange beeping sound as the owner of the second voice pressed an unseen button, and started speaking again - this time, in a constructed and orderly manner, as if he were repeating it from memory.
"Delta Point Scientific Research Facility, United States Government-authorised scientific autopsy number zero-one-nine-four. Operating staff are Professor M. Warnsteiner and Doctor D. Hartley," the voice spoke.
Ali, now fully awake, could hear all that was going on. She was afraid of where the sticky situation she had found herself in was going, not least because she didn't know what these strange creatures would do to her; yet, she stayed perfectly still on the table she was lying on. She listened as well as she could as Voice Two continued.
"The date of recording is June 26, Twenty-Fourty-Nine. This autopsy is being audio-recorded for archival purposes, and is the classified property of the Government of the United States of America. If you do not have a US Government permit to listen to this recording, you are advised to stop the data tape now, or face criminal charges."
A pause.
"Experiment zero-one-nine-four has commenced."
Ali could see the figure in front of her - Voice One - turn around to face her. Just in time, she shut her eyes, feigning unconciousness. She had caught a glimpse of a needle-like utensil in the figure's hand. Something told her that it wasn't any tree-cone needle.
Keeping her eyes shut tight and not moving an inch, she frantically went over questions in her head. What was an autopsy? Was it what these creatures would do to her? ... Was she willing to find out?
At that point, she could have done one of two things. One, she could take a huge risk by opening her eyes and making herself known to the cretures. That could get her into more trouble than she was already in.
But then, she would be taking an even bigger risk by taking the second option of waiting it out, to see what the creatures would do. That was just as, if not more, dangerous than the first option. What direction could she take?
Ali could have debated with herself forever and a day - were it not for time running out rather quickly. Not to mention the next thing Voice Two said, which spurred her to make a decision once and for all.
"Warnsteiner is administering the poison, to euthanise the experiment subject."
Ali did the only thing she could do. Her eyes and mouth opened wide, and she let out the loudest, most piercing scream of her life.
Jennings, from behind the screen, watched as Hartley read out the usual preliminary introductions, recording the experiment for the archives. It was the same every time. The droning on about how offenders would be prosecuted if the classified information was leaked, the experiment beginning... and he would turn away and leave.
He would turn away from another job well done. He would turn away from another successful mission. And he would turn away from another chance to so something for his stricken catch.
He wanted more than anything to be able to help the dinosaur. He wanted to break the glass before him, charge into the room, wrest Warnsteiner away and release the poor creature from modern science's vice-like grip.
The hunter switched off the mic and pressed a gloved hand to the window.
Yeah, you want to, he told himself. But would you? Could you?
Jennings closed his eyes and let his arm fall limp by his side. No. You wouldn't. You couldn't. You never will.
His eyes opened, staring folornly at the still form of the baby Apatosaurus.
"I'm so sorry..." he whispered. "If there was anything I could do for you, I'd do it. But I can't. I won't be able to. Just like every other time..."
He trailed off, staring into space again. Hartley was right. He needed a rest from it all. That dinoaur couldn't have been speaking... after all, everyone knew that they couldn't.
His eyebrows creased. ...Could they?
After a moment, he shook himself for the third time that day, and purposefully turned to the exit. Take a break, take a break. He walked out into the corridor just as Hartley had finished the legal readings.
"Experiment zero-one-nine-four has commenced.." he heard from the chamber.
Above the clomping sound of his boots, he could just hear the muffled voice of his colleague and friend reading out the fatal words:
"Warnsteiner is administering the poison, to euthanise the experiment subject."
All was quiet for a second or two...
And then, a loud, piercing, high-pitched sound that stopped Jennings in his tracks.
He froze, almost on the spot. It had come from the chamber - it wasn't an alarm or a smoke detector... not just any high note, but a scream. A female scream.
Jennings whirled around. But the only thing in there that's female is...
He rushed full-bore back into the viewing room, nearly slamming into the glass he had been looking through moments before. He pressed his face to the glass, to view the dinosaur - now fully awake - struggling to be free, as a surprised Warnsteiner tried to hold her down on the bench.
"Damn it!" the Professor exclaimed. "The sedative's worn off!"
Jennings, from behind the glass, and Hartley, standing shocked in the corner, watched on as the small Apatosaurus grew increasingly agitated.
Eventually, her muscular tail swung upwards and dealt Warnsteiner a blow to the side of his head. It didn't cause any damage, but it was enough for him to let go of her.
The sauropod rolled off the bench, scrambled to her feet and shakily backed away from the two scientists in the chamber.
"No... wait!" she pleaded, panting from the struggle. "Stop... who are you? What are you doing...?"
Jennings, Hartley and Warnsteiner stood stock still and could do nothing more than gawk at the prehistoric reptile in their midst.
There was a shocked silence as the two parties stared at each other - the hunter and scientists, their mouths hanging open; and the captive dinosaur, distressed, confused and upset, her view switching constantly between the two white-coated strangers she could see.
After an age and a half, Hartley broke the silence.
"Sweet God," he murmured. "It talks."
[ConfuzzledAussie]
August/September 2009