Walking to the Future
Chapter 6: The Future King
watch?v=qj9qCA91NqA
(Narrator) If there is one absolute thing about the planet Earth and nature, it's that nothing stays the same for long.
We are shown an image of Earth in space, only oozing gas and fiery clouds on the surface. Then it transforms into a completely sea covered bed, as giant sea scorpions feed on fish with dome skulls.
Then it suddenly transitions into a lush green oasis like modern earth complete with city's and humans….before a nuclear explosion incinerates the surface, turning it then into a barren orb of arid rock.
"Life always finds a way to endure for a time before it meets its inevitable end."
He says before massive rainstorms emerge. Now it becomes a balanced orb of green and ocean.
"Only for a new beginning to emerge, whether through luck or just plain old weather. Many times our home has changed radically, from barren wastelands, to deadly seas, to lush oasis's, and now as we draw towards our story's final chapter, we will focus on the continent of America, 800 million years into the future, where nothing is as it once was….it's much bigger."
We see an image of a giant hoofed and flat foot stomp on the camera, trembling the ground as a large group of elephant-like animals bellow as they begin traversing a large brown grassy plain, beset by a few dozen trees (near dead) and surrounded by mountains.
"Never thought you'd see a whole herd of elephants in the good old USA right? Let alone small and sunny Florida? Correct then, as this isn't America as we once knew and these aren't the same elephants you once loved to see at the zoo. The cities are no more, and mountains have spawned all over from continent shifts and earthquakes, making the landmass bigger and travel and survival all the more difficult. Millions of years of evolution has drastically changed not just the landscape of even our great nation and its states, but the animals as well.
These are Celtadons, a reptile-like mammal that evolved from the descendants of African Elephants, and are on a great migration to the nesting grounds where they were born. They may look like our modern elephants, but they have distinct differences. Notice they have small scaly barbs on their stomach and backs for armor, and even their eyelids are hardened for when they use their sharp tusks for jousting for mates.
Or as two little male elephants show, for play fightning."
We see 2 tiny elephants with small tusks headbutting each other lightly, their tusks wrapped around the other as they bellow and squeal lightly in amusement.
"Many other species have evolved to endure the harshest of changes in climate, and these elephants are no exception. They developed stronger legs to enable long swims through the seas to reach different continents to mate and spawn, undeterred by ocean predators like sharks and eels, due to their superior size. This is not without its disadvantages though. One thing about Florida that didn't change is the extreme heat. It is 104 degrees and nearing the dry season. Dry and hot is a deadly combo for giants that rely heavily on water."
The elephants huff as they draw near a small lake, the only one actually around in this area, some drool is shown around their dry wrinkly skin. It's clear they are dehydrated, this is probably their first drink in weeks.
"Still, even with their great powers and size, some aren't lucky and don't make it. It's not just dehydration or starvation from limited resources, there is one predator in these lands that can challenge even a fully grown Celtadon, a monster born so powerful this country has not seen a similar champion since Trillions of years before us."
Out of the thicket of dead trees we see a 15 foot scaled beast walking on two T. Rex like-legs, dragging a large crocodile-like tail on the ground with an oval snout snarling, a small throat pouch bellowing a hushed growl as it eyes the heard with slanted eyes.
"This monster is an American Gatorsaurus Rex, one of the first of a new generation of Dinosaurs. Almost the exact size of the Tyrannosaurus Rex she is descended from, this great carnivore is the reason many of these migrators never return back to their own continents on this journey. While you might mistake this large two legged crocodilian as a relative to Spinosaurus and other crocodile-like dinosaurs. This predator actually draws it ancestral roots to a common little lizard ancestor of Tyrannosaurs and Sauropods called Euparcaria.
We see an image of a small green lizard jumping from its hind-legs and snatching a small Dragonfly into its mouth.
It owes its success to the strong hind-legs supported by hip bones it inherited, allowing it to stand and run unlike its American Alligator ancestor on powerful legs, legs it is about to put to use."
The large dinosaur roars, drawing the attention of herd as they bellow and turn around hastily as it charges out of the tree thicket, snapping its jaws constantly as it steps forward towards them then draws back frequently, antagonizing them.
The elephants shout at it, some even lifting themselves up and then stomping on the ground, shaking it a bit from the tremors.
"One the surface this charge seems reckless and foolhardy, even a massive predator like this female is almost dwarfed by the 20 foot behemoths. But that only applies if she faces them head on."
Behind the herd, at the lake's edge forms some small bubbles.
"This female Gatorsaur isn't any ordinary predator….she's a mother and she doesn't like to go anywhere without her children."
Suddenly out from the lake burst out of the water a smaller, 10 foot Gatorsaurus that lunges for the back of the head of one of the smaller Celtadon's, using curated claws to latch onto its back before snapping its jaws tight on the squealing animal, it shaking violently as it charges forward, away from the group. The female then charged towards it, ducking its head before biting the throat of the elephant and pushing it to the floor as its young holds it down.
The other elephant's bellow, before moving on, not wanting to be near predators longer.
"Gatorsaur's large hind legs grant them greater mobility on land than their Alligator predecessors, and they have another weapon, their large spike-like tails allow them to be extremely agile in water as well. They are perfect predators once they reach their full size."
The downed young Elephant bleeds over the tall grass as it lays, its stomach slowly moving up and down as its trunk spasm a bit as the mother goes in for another firm bite at its neck, making it go limp
"The soft spot behind the ears near the neck and the throat are the only weak points of these elephants. What really secured this hunt though was a strong and ironic similarity between predator and prey. Like mammals, Gatorsaurs have strong family bonds, forming packs. Unlike modern alligators who will abandon their brood after a few months, Gatorsaurs raise their young for a few years for increased odds in hunts.
Thanks to help of her now 3-year-old son, this mother has gotten herself a crucial meal. Her last one before she is ready to be a mother again. Her eggs from a nearby nest are almost ready to hatch this summer, and she needed to make this kill to sustain herself if she is to guard them as they grow during their early years when they cannot hunt with her."
"As the sun begins to set, that night will be the last one for her son to enjoy with her, little does he know." He says as they begin eating the corpse, soon being shown sleeping next to each other with bloody snouts next to the carcass near the lake, a small nest nearby.
The next morning as the sun arises….
The mother drags a clawed foot through the mud near the lake, growling at her son who whimpers, keeping his snout down as she snarls at him, even doing some mock charges.
"The mother is being very aggressive indeed towards her son. Because today is a crucial day, his day to leave home and make his own mark on the world. Now that he is almost 4 years old and near fully grown he is strong enough to have the best odds of surviving in America, so his mother needs to devote all her time now to raising the new brood, and that means no more sharing meals with a big bellied gator." He says as she charges at her son, even clawing his shoulder a bit and making him yelp as he runs off.
The son looks back at his mother as she roars at him to leave, stunned at her treatment, even licking a fresh claw mark on his snout dripping a little blood.
He looks somberly as he turns around, slowly leaving the area he once called his home.
"Our male has learned quite painfully if he stays in his mother's territory as she raises a new family, she will make him HER dinner.
This is a harsh lesson, but one she needs him to learn for the sake of the next generation. He needs put all the skills she taught him to the test as he grows up, all alone now."
2 weeks later….
The Juvenile Gatorsaur is now in a large plain, all alone. He then sniffs the ground.
"Our scarred little friend is now about to put one of his mothers lesson to the test, he uses his thermal vision to pick up traces of footprints hidden in the large grassy plains. But this isn't the trick, his nose is, even if its been cut. Using his strong sense of smell he can what type of animal made the footprints, how old it is, even how healthly it is, so strong is its nose. It can also tell if it was made by a single celtadon, or rather by many.
Due to their large size, carnivores like Gatorsaurs need on average 13 kilos of meat a week. To do that the best way is to track large migrating herbivores, or scrounge of meals gotten by mom who was more adept and experienced at hunting the local area. But now our young male needs to fend for himself, and the herds are his best chance.
We see the large plains have transition into a small jungle area, filled with a mix of large dead tree and green and grey bushes. The Celtadon herds are grazing on the shrubs. Our male weakly walks nearby them, but wisely keeps his distance. His skin has gone from a dark green to a light lime green. His eyes are now bloodshot and red and he drools.
"His journey takes him to the futuristic South Carolina Jungles. Its still the dry season, the effects have clearly hit not just the herd, having lost a quarter of its elephants, but also him as well. His skin is getting dry and chap from dehydration.
Due to his thick skin Gatorsaurs can retain more water in it than modern crocodilians. However this dinosaur is still reliant on water eventually. But to cope with the dry season, this beast is taking advantage of the better moisturized environment even this dried jungle can produce. He has not come here to eat, but rather to roll in the mud.
The Gatorsaur begins what looks like a gator death roll in the mud.
The mud is not only for cooling the herd of Celtadon's from the harsh sunlight, it can rehydrate the Gatorsaur easily, allowing him to release his stress and prepare him for a nights hunt.
Suddenly one of the youngster Celtadon's notices him and innocently begins approaching.
"Unaware of the danger, an infant Celtadon may yet provide him an excuse to skip that hunt. It has grown curious of this behemoth and is starting to get a little too close.
Our Gatorsaur is a bit preoccupied, his snout too covered in mud to smell the prey approach. As soon as he finished his, he comes face to face with the youngster.
At first he is a bit perplexed by this brazen attempt to get near him, and the youngster tilts his head in confusion, clearly never having seen a mud-covered Gator before.
And he may never again.
Suddenly the Gatorsaur tries to take a snap at the young elephant, unable to pass up this opportunity.
His sharp jagged teeth miss the youngsters eye's but a mere inch, the infant lets out a startled squeal as he runs.
"Our gatorsaur tries to stand to give chase. With his powerful legs going up against a stubby youth it would be easy game.
Only, quite hilariously, the elephant's goes on to get a head start as the mud that cooled the Gatorsaur now works to slip it up. It growls and roar as it tries vainly to stand.
Once the young celtadon makes it back to its mother, she begins to trumpet, alerting the other herd members who begin to grumble in anger at the predator.
"Suddenly a bull male with a broke tusks charges at the gatorsaur. This one will be personal for him. His mate was the one killed by our male and his mother weeks ago. Revenge is very sweet and our dino is easy prey right now."
The bull lowers his head, aiming to jab the head of the Gatorsaur with his tusks.
"Our male needs to think quick, before he is trampled to death."
Quickly the gator uses its strong claws to jab into the ground, and propels itself away a few feet and dodging the scaly elephant just in time.
The mud has allowed him to slide and evade the danger for now. Having rolled onto drier dirt, our male quickly gets back on his feet and makes a dash for the thicket.
The herd charges after him, but the thick trees block their cumbersome bodies, allowing the malnourished predator to disappear into the safety of the jungle.
As he huffs, shaking off some mud, he notices a little lizard with a sail on its back on a tree branch nearby.
With is enigmalisk, another new dinosaur that has evolved from basilisks. It uses the sail normally on a modern lizards throat or head as a means to attract mates or word off rivals. But his colorful red sail of blood, is little more than a lure to our hungry male.
The male snatches the dinosaur and gobbles it in one sitting, though a tail is sticking out its mouth for a bit.
But a little lizard isn't enough, he needs large meat tonight.
Later that night…..
The moonlight shines brightly over the dark jungle. Smilodon cats with leopard spots hang in the treetops yawning, preparing for a night sleep after a day of hunting.
Below their tall tree's lies a small group of dog with tiger stripes. These descendants of Cairyo's and Hyena's are eating off a small carcass of a mangled Deer the cats left behind, flies swarming the rotted corps as they flap long ears to swat them away.
Nearby, a small pair of yellow eyes glows in the dark, iris' slight as it eyes the pack.
"Much like our male earlier, these dogs snouts are being covered by blood, making it hard to see and smell when danger approaches."
Our male Gatorsaur is approaching the pack cautiously. One wrong move, and he'll have to start all over.
The male takes a few inches closer.
Unfortunately he steps on a twig.
The dogs long flappy ears suddenly lift up, having heard the crunching sound of the twig snapping.
A dog looks up to see the dinosaur.
AWOOOOOOOOOO!" The Cairyo howls, alerting the pack who quickly run, evading a rushed charge from the Gatorsaur, its frantic crunches evaded as the pack hides in the forest safe.
The beast grunts in annoyance. Before it then turns around. It smells the rotting deer corpse, and nibbles on a few bits of skin and meat left. Soon he begins sniffing the air, looking upward.
"Our Gatorsaur needs fresh meat and plenty off it. His snout soon picks up the sent of the cats in the trees. He suddenly gets an idea."
Quickly, he headbutts the tree, staggering the cats on top, and him a bit.
"Cats always land on their feet, but where they land is another story."
Soon one cat actually falls off the tree. Our Gatorsaur opens his jaws, readying to snap. His jaws possess a bite force of over 4 tons, almost equal to that of Tyrannosaurus. If he can get them locked onto the sabertooth, he could snap it in half."
Out of nowhere a winged creature swoops in, its sharp talons digging into the neck and backside of the screaming cat before in evades the Gatorsaurs crunch.
It turns around, flapping in midair, revealing an gryphon-like beast, with no hands but with an Eagle's head squawking at the dinosaur.
"Crocodilians aren't the only dinosaurs to evolve. The birds have as well. This is the descendant of the American Bald Eagle, the Chuaria.
She too is a predator of great power, and of American predators is second in size only to the Gatorsaur at 9 feet. She would never dare challenge him in frontal combat, and has no problem stealing kills off him instead.
She screeches as she flies to the top of a tree, her beak taking the limp dead cat in her mouth as she uses her talons to dig into the treetop branches. She is unmoved by his roars to intimidate or headbutts into her tree to stagger her. He himself is staggered by the effort.
He will get no food here tonight.
Next morning.
"Next morning, we see an apparently grim sight."
The malnourished Gatorsaur lays on its belly, its eyes glassed over as its jaw hangs open, not breathing apparently.
It would seem our prince of the jungle has met his untimely end, unable to find food to survive.
Some large cats begin to approach the corpse, growling lowly.
His demise has not gone unnoticed, the sabertooth cats from last night are poised to get revenge for a night sleep disturbed.
One male cat goes near the male's mouth, looking to move his head with a paw to get to the throat.
"But all is not how it seems."
He says, as in a moment, the Gatorsaur jerks its head back to face the cat, snapping the startled mammals face as it spasms. The dinosaur rushes to its feet and shakes the cats body, spattering blood on the startled pack of cats who retreat back in fright.
The gatorsaur drops the headless cat and stomps lightly on it, bellowing at the remaining pack to go away and they quickly comply in fear.
"This gator has learned to play dead, entering a torpid state and relying on his smell to revive himself when prey goes near, and it the results today were undeniable as his long awaited meal is finally earned."
But will it be stolen like last night?
Out of the jungle, he senses a shake in the ground. Looking up, he quickly sees a slightly larger female with orange skin and black scales approach him, grumbling lowly as she snarls, clearly wanting his meal.
He drops a chunk of meat, and roars loudly in defiance!
On a lighter note,
Later today, the Celtadon Herds have now reached North Carolina, and are close to their ancestral home, but there is a problem.
A huge seabed covers the arid plains as they exit the now dead and stripped jungle.
Celtadon as adults are strong swimmers, but drowning is not the problem here, the whales are.
Out of the water a pod of whale's appear, one's blowhole popes out, spewing water, or seemingly water.
The Celtadon's bellow in pain as burn marks appear on their skin.
"These whales have evolved to regulate their body heat, spewing boiling hot water from their blowholes to combat Gatorsaurs and large sharks. They may be fish eaters, but these mammals take all large beings as a threat, and even herbivores like the Celtadon's are no exception.
The Celtadon's scaley skin cannot protect them from boiling hot water, and if they were to enter the seabed to swim to across now they would surely be killed by the whales.
Their only hope is to wait for low tide, where the whale's will be forced back out to sea."
If only they had that luxury….
Out from behind them, our male Gatorsaur appears, and bellows at the herd. The youngster from before whimpers as it backs away near the water.
Its out male again, and he's not alone this time. He's not only gotten a good breakfast, but a great mate to help him hunt. But she's still hungry as is he. Normally they'd wait to set an ambush, but their hunger is driving the male to make a reckless decision. If he can startle the herd, maybe a youngster will draw away from its parents and he can snatch and run.
The plan seemingly works as he lunges, startling the young of the herd into jumping into the water.
The Gatorsaurs and the herd are shocked. Half a dozen younglings are swimming frantically towards the other side, their fear blinding them to the danger of the toxic whales.
But as the young Celtadons swim near the Whales, depicted as Humback-like whales with Orca skin colors and red eyes, the behemoths around them don't seem to bother with them or shoot out boiling water near them.
Surprisingly, the whales seem uncaring to these juveniles. It could be the tiny beings swimming above them don't register as a threat to them due to them being no bigger than a modern tiger shark.
With that, the whales begin retreating back to the mainline ocean, having completed their meals here, leaving the youngsters safe to land on the other side.
Except our Male Gatorsaur isn't about to let a meal pass by.
The male runs left of the herd, attemping to swim around them to get over to the Celtadon young.
The Bull of the herd sees what he is up to and refuses to let the next generation fall. He charges in, his jagged horn lined up aimed for the Gater Dino's head.
The female Gatersaur though makes her own move, deciding to aide her new mate.
The female intercepts the Bull, biting down on his unbroken tusk. The two begin struggling in a tussle.
The female Celtadon's stay back, leaving the battle to their alpha male. This is because their own cumbersome bulks and sharp tusks could inadvertently injure those near them and the Male, their best bet for protection against large predators.
The female gets lifted up and thrown a few feet away, but as she shakes her head as she lands and gets back up, she roars as charges back, dodging a tusk swipe and biting on the males hind foot. The bull bellows in pain before jerking his foot free, it bleeding heavily from the bite marks fresh.
Gatorsaurs bites normally are near-impossible to wiggle free from, but this is strategy. The female is trying to inhibit his movement so he can't impede the male and she doesn't want to get her skull crushed either.
This tactic has seemingly paid off as she retreats back into the forest, she sees her mate, swimming now from the opposite end of the bank, right towards the 2 remaining young Celtadons that have not yet made it to the shoreline safely.
Our male is using his large sharp tail to glide effortlessly in the water. His speed can easily catch up and let him devour the young Celtadons with ease. This will be an easy meal for our male….
If only he were alone in the waters.
Out from below the Gatorsaur, a large shadowy figure swims up.
Boiling hot water erupts underneath the Gatorsaurs face like a geyser as he draws his jaws near a young elephants. He screeches in pain as we see the left side of his face red and his eye melting. He swims away back to the other end where his mate awaits.
One whale did not leave yet, and took the Gatorsaurs presence as a threat. The whales attack has just saved the herds remaining young and they safely swim up to the land, meeting their siblings on the other side. Soon the rest of herd feel safe enough to swim over and join them as they see the last whale leave.
But sadly not all have emerged unscathed. He says as the Bull limps out of the water, his wounded foot dangling a bit in the air as he walks painfully.
The Gatorsaur male pants as he emerges from the water, his mate nuzzling his red face, we also see his left shoulder and claw also red and scarred, suffering sever burns.
Our male was lucky to get away with his life, but he and his mate shall go hungry tonight.
A week later
On a sunny day, we now see a large canyon, large trees around a plain of tall grass the Celtadons arrive to from a stone gorge entrance. A large lake in the center surrounded by flower beds the young gleefully charge to.
At long last, the herd has arrived at the breeding grounds for the Celtadons.
The females that are pregnant can safely give birth, the one's fertile can start reproducing with the male's to start new generations in the next 2 years, and all the herd can enjoy the bounty this green oasis they're family have traversed to for over 150 years has to offer….
Except for one sadly.
We see the bull Celtadon huff as he limps weakly into the canyon, bellowing softly as he begins to stagger.
Our old bull has begun to feel the effects both the long journey and his leg injury has wrought. It has gotten infected, and the damage has drained his energy severely. The narrator says as the bull eventually collapsed onto its stomach, weakly bellowing to the herd that look back upon him. But soon, they turn away to proceed towards the oasis, after seeing shadows behind him.
The Celtadon's aren't the only one's who have found themselves a bounty of food. Our pair of Gatorsaurs have also found the breeding grounds, and they too are hungry.
The pair circle around the Bull Celtadon, avoiding a weak trunk swipe.
They are still wary, while still alive the old bull's tusks are lethal. Though they can afford to bide their time, and wait for nature to take its toll.
Several hours pass, the daylight of morning turns to dusk. The Bull elephants eyelids slowly begin to flicker up and down as it raises its trunk….before it finally falls to the grass.
At sunset, we see a pair of Chuaria circling above like vultures as the Gatorsaurs are shown with bloody snouts eating out of large blood-soaked holes in both sides of the Bull's stomach.
As the Old Bull's journey finally comes to an end after over 100 years, our Male and his mate finally earn their prize. Though the journey has brought the male a burned body that hurts to move, even to eat, the rewards were well worth it as not only can he enjoy a banquet, he has obtained a new mate, and like the Celtadon's a new home where they too can bring on the next generation.
We then see a future point where the duo overlook a nest of 3 eggs hatch into small green and orange Gatorsaurs, nuzzling their parents soon after.
Unfortunately even this great new era of the dinosaurs rebirth will eventually come to an end. Like I said before, the only constant in an ever evolving world is how drastic it changes, whether naturally or unnaturally.
Our descendants wrought this world with nuclear ruin, giving birth to a new way of life for modern and future animals unnaturally.
Millions of years later, the natural would also find a way to decimate our world.
The sun is shown eventually dying, the impact of the blast overlapping our planet in a thick blanket of dark icy clouds, freezing it.
Later on, we see the planet itself dye out as a wasteland before the planets core eventually implodes.
Our home which has endured Trillions of years of evolution, has finally met is somber end…for now.
We then see the planets remains collide with a star, reforming into a ball of fire and then into a hardened ball of gas.
Through sheer luck or by fate, the cosmos have allowed the planet itself to be reborn and undergo evolution. But as time goes by, who knows what will emerge from this new alien world our planet has become?
We see a dark blue ocean on the new planet, then suddenly a flying fish emerges from the waters, and its grotesque gums shoot out and expose a razor sharp set of teeth as it screeches.
https/watch?v=RM1_8HJc_Ow (Walking with Dinosaurs ending ost)
FIN