MenoSaurus

Chapter Two Jurassic Manhattan

Chapter Two

Jurassic Manhattan

Several weeks later …Over Manhattan Island, New York, in the year 3017, the sun rises into a Grandidierite sky. Its glare bursts across the Hudson River, dappling a strip of golden green. There’s no wind or boats. The water is dead calm. Flying low in this hazy light comes a large flock of migrating geese. The sounds of their honks grow louder as they approach. Their soft feathers almost brush the river, creating shimmering shadows upon its surface.

Without warning, the water explodes as something like a blue whale breaches. Its bulk blots out the sun, darkening the sky, as its long neck soars toward the flock of geese. They cry out, met by colossal jaws that clamp hard around their bodies, gobbling them, feathers and all, in a single bite. The Plesiosaur lets out an echoing moan as its hulking mass crashes back into the Hudson, creating surging swells. Returning to the deep, it passes other marine reptiles, extinct for millions of years, but which now hunt and swim within this new prehistoric domain. A hundred-ton Megatooth shark looms from shadows, chasing a shoal of fish, biting one clean in half.

Back above the river’s surface, an aero-chopper’s engines hum at a safe distance. Polished aero-boots hang over the sides. Laser weapons are raised. A pretty African-American woman with long black hair and rosy red lips watches in amazement.

She gasps. “Did you see that?” she shouts over the hum of air engines. “It was a Plesiosaur, must have been at least thirty-five feet in size. It’s been extinct for millions of years, since the late Cretaceous period. This is just amazing!” She smiles, unable to contain her excitement.

Ruby Stark is a paleontologist, brought in by the US government to assist the marines dealing with the prehistoric outbreak in New York City. She is to track and document all of its new inhabitants.

To understand the situation in more detail, the government called her, because what she doesn’t know about dinosaurs isn’t worth knowing. For her sixth birthday, her father had bought her models of a Tyrannosaurus Rex and Triceratops. These were token presents before the main gift: a pink hover-bike, complete with aero-stabilizers, outside in the hallway. But to her father’s dismay, Ruby ignored the bike. All she did was play with those two dinosaurs until bedtime. When her father looked in on her, she’d fallen asleep with them clasped in her hands above the blankets. He shook his head in disbelief as he closed the door quietly.

****

“This new dinosaur freak show might be amazing for you, girlie,” grunts a resentful voice in the aero-chopper, “but it’s not so great for us!”

Lieutenant RainHorn glares at Ruby, making her feel uncomfortable. Eventually, he looks away, back down at the river, while holding on to a heavily bandaged hand. He rubs it gently as if still painful.

“OK, marines, let’s head over the city. Show Miss … Miss … what’s your name again, girlie?”

Ruby cuts RainHorn a disapproving look. “It’s Stark, Ruby Stark.”

“OK, girlie, whatever.” RainHorn glares at her. “Let’s move, marines.”

“Copy that, Lieutenant,” confirms the pilot, pulling on the fly stick to gain altitude.

Ruby gazes toward the clouds, in awe of the green Grandidierite sky. It radiates a scintillating aurora of northern lights; crystalline patterns dance across the air. Shards of boulders speed past, circling the Earth like Saturn’s rings.

Ruby turns to a young marine. “The sky color is like the northern lights. Do you know what’s causing it?”

“No, ma’am. It’s been there since the great explosion, but nobody knows why. They’ve got scientists working around the clock trying to figure it out, but no one has yet.”

“It’s beautiful,” she says, smiling.

“You think?” replies the marine, wiping the back of his neck. “Personally, I can’t take the heat. Since it’s been there, the temperature in the city has hit close to a hundred and twenty degrees. I miss a breeze and the blue sky myself, ma’am.”

RainHorn slants her an evil stare, then mops his brow.

The aero-chopper pulls up, soaring across the Hudson and over the Brooklyn Aero-Bridge. Ruby stares down to see the bridge barricaded off. Steel plates tower into the sky at both ends. They had been put in place to ensure that whatever is on the island will stay on the island. Heavily armed robot cops stand guard. Red and blue lights swirl. Terrain vehicles are backed up, loaded with arsenals of weapons.

Ruby turns to another marine, avoiding eye contact with RainHorn. “Are all the aero-bridges into the city blocked off?”

“Yes, ma’am,” replies the soldier. “The island is completely sealed; the only way in or out is by air, and it’s been declared a no-fly zone.”

“OK. So the people are safe on the other side, right?”

“Not from the flyers,” answers the young marine, shaking his head.

“The flyers?” Ruby questions.

“Yeah. Take a look, Miss Stark.” The marine points. “Over there.”

Ruby gasps at the sight of enormous, leathery dragon wings riding thermals over the city. The prehistoric beasts dive-bomb between buildings, letting out haunting screeches.

“My Gosh,” she whispers softly. “They’re Quetzalcoatlus Pterosaurs.”

“Quetza-what?” shouts another marine.

“Quetzalcoatlus,” explains Ruby. “They’re the largest Pterosaurs on record, from the late Cretaceous period. My Goodness, these things are enormous! Wingspans of over thirty-nine feet, bigger than aero-cars! What are you people doing to stop them from killing civilians? How many are there? How many have you seen?”

The marine opens his mouth to respond but is immediately cut off by RainHorn.

“I’ve seen enough of my men carried away to be eaten by these things, girlie, to last me a lifetime!”

Ruby is about to reply, but she’s interrupted by the copilot’s voice behind her.

“We’re entering the zone, people; everybody lock and load. Get ready to aero-boot any minute now.”

The aero-chopper dives hard right, rushing between futuristic skyscrapers.

Ruby gasps at the sights before her eyes, holding a slender hand to her open mouth.

The aero-chopper flies over the Empire State Building, vines snaking up its sides, splaying out emerald-green leaves the size of boat sails. In the streets below, the sidewalks are covered in grasses, prehistoric plants, and ferns. More vines twine up streetlights. As the aero-chopper descends toward the ground, she points to a herd of Iguanodons that stand on hind legs moaning at the aero-choppers. They lower their hooves, thudding to all fours, letting out grunting cries and quickly bounding away.

“You don’t want to startle those when you’re on the ground,” says the young marine with a grimace. “They got a real bad temper with sharp claws to match.”

“They’re herbivores, plant eaters,” shouts Ruby. “They don’t eat meat.”

“It don’t matter down there, Miss Stark,” shouts another marine. “Plant or meat eaters, everything wants to kill you stone dead.”

“OK, we’re in the drop zone, people!” shouts the pilot.

“Is that Times Square?” Ruby points as the aero-chopper flies past. She notices the iconic surroundings masked in Cretaceous plants.

A marine confirms with a nod. “Stay close, Miss Stark,” he says with an intense expression on his face, then checks his laser weapon.

Ruby nervously nods in agreement.

“OK, that’s far enough!” shouts RainHorn. “Let’s move, people!” He leans all the way out of the chopper like a high diver thirty-five feet from the ground, then lets go of the safety bar, free-falling toward the streets; wind whistles through his helmet. His aero-boots blast into action seconds before he hits the concrete. He lands in a squat position, raising his laser gun to squint into the sight while turning 360 degrees. He hand-signals to the other marines to make the drop.

One by one, the soldiers aero-boot in, landing in a squat position, raising their aims, covering each other’s backs. The aero-chopper flies away, leaving their ears engulfed by a chorus of teeming insect life.

“The power’s back on?” asks a marine, barely heard over the rainforest sounds. A 3-D advertisement shimmers above their heads.

“Hmm,” whispers RainHorn, staring up at a giant man sipping a refreshing drink before showing him the drink’s brand. “The lights weren’t on before, either.” He gazes up at the buildings, his finger held firmly on the trigger, and notices flickering office windows.

He’s just about to say something else but is instantly silenced by a rumbling close by. Beads of sweat glisten on his forehead while his combat-ready eyes shift.

Everybody instantly raises their aims, bending elbows and aligning sights.

“What was that?” whispers a marine, the whites of his eyes shining.

“I don’t know, man,” whispers another, “but it sounded big and hungry.”

“Let’s move,” orders RainHorn. “Eyes wide, everybody; stay close.” He signals silently as they make their way down Fifth Avenue in the direction of Times Square. A red dot flashes under Rainhorn’s skin, the detection device inserted in his palm marking the way toward their destination.

Ruby studies her surroundings in awe and disbelief about what the city has become, burnt-out buildings and abandoned vehicles. Debris, strewn across the sidewalks, are slowly being covered by jungle. She steps over vines and ferns. Manhattan looks like some sort of lost, ancient city.

Without warning, another loud growl echoes around buildings and up alleyways.

“What is that, man?” A soldier is about to fire in panic.

“It’s getting closer,” says another.

“Keep calm,” whispers RainHorn through gritted teeth. “We don’t want to give away our position, now do we, soldiers? Hold those triggers steady!”

“How much farther, Lieutenant?” asks Ruby in a low voice.

RainHorn cuts her a hard stare for asking him a question. “According to this virtual map, we’re almost on top of it, girlie. Now, keep quiet; that goes for all of you. Stay calm until I give the signal.”

Ruby raises her brows at RainHorn’s demeanor. Then something catches her eye across the street. Her face changes to curiosity as she spots a large lizard, walking on hind legs like a bird hopping over terrain. It has large orb-like eyes, a colorful plume, and dagger claws on its winged arms. It makes low hissing and squawking sounds.

“What’s that?” a smiling marine asks, stopping next to Ruby, unafraid, admiring its colorful beauty.

“A Troodon,” whispers Ruby.

“Ha,” says the marine. “Looks cute.”

Ruby shakes her head. “Not cute. They’re meat eaters with highly intelligent brains, and they hunt in packs. Their claws could rip a man in half. I’d be extra, extra careful of those if I were you.”

The marine gulps, watching the Troodon stop and then c**k its head. Its predatory black eyes shine, staring straight at him.

“Come on,” says another marine, nudging him onward. “Keep moving.”

Suddenly, RainHorn stops, holding up a fist.

“What is it, sir?” whispers a marine.

“Up ahead—there it is!” RainHorn signals.

“My God,” they gasp.

A giant jet-black dome of rock the size of a spaceship hovers in the middle of Times Square. Its surface glistens like crystal. A deep scar of destruction trails behind it.

“This is it, people,” whispers RainHorn, studying his device. “This is where the signal’s transmitting from—”

RainHorn’s interrupted by a loud roar, now directly behind them. All of the marines get spooked, swinging around and frantically charging their weapons.

“Steady, everyone,” orders RainHorn . “Steady now.”

It’s quiet for a moment; nothing happens. The marines relax their fingers.

“I’m going in,” snaps RainHorn, breaking the silence. “I gotta get a closer look at this thing. You,” he gestures, “cover me from the rear. You two, flank me at the sides. You three”—he points—“run up ahead. Go!”

“Yes, sir!” They obey the orders, running low, scattering to their positions.

“OK, girlie, you’re coming with me; let’s move,” snaps RainHorn to Ruby.

Slowly, they edge toward the rock as it towers above their heads, dwarfing them.

“It’s like some sort of giant capsule,” Ruby whispers.

RainHorn seems mesmerized, stretching out his good hand to touch it. “My word,” he says softly. “What the … ?” His hand sinks inside the sphere as if it were made of gas; his feet gently begin to leave the ground. He quickly jerks back, wide-eyed, noticing tiny particles floating weightlessly around him.

Suddenly, a deep-throated growl rumbles as if it were coming from the rock itself. RainHorn jumps, nervously backing away, as does Ruby. The marines charge their lasers, ready to fire. RainHorn’s eyes widen with terror as he screams. Appearing behind the rock, a monstrous shape towers over them. Its form is rugged and black as though it too were made of rock. Its eyes are demonic, bright red. To their horror, as it lowers its head, roaring in their faces, they see what looks like a black hole, space collapsing inside its mouth.

RainHorn is stunned; he simply cannot believe his eyes. His boots are swiftly pulled from the ground as the aero-motors whirl; he flies toward its open jaws as if caught by a wild tornado.

“Fire!” screams RainHorn. “Fire now!” His legs thrash in the air. Snatched by a giant clawed hand, RainHorn is raised toward gaping jaws. His eyes show terror as he looks into deep space within the beast’s cavity. It quickly morphs from an ogre’s form into that of a dinosaur. RainHorn screams louder, but he’s instantly bitten clean in half. The marines yell, firing their laser guns. But the beast returns fire with fierce lasers from its flaming eyes; the marines are all instantly gunned down.

Ruby stares around, trembling with fear. Lieutenant RainHorn and all his men are gone. The dinosaur shoots in her direction. She tries to flee, but suddenly, another beast smashes its talons to the ground, splintering the pavement, blocking her escape. She glances up, petrified, and stares directly into its mouth, seeing deep space within its jaws; stars collapse, sucked into oblivion. She’s instantly pulled toward it, and the heels of her aero-boots leave the ground. She screams for her life.

Acitvating the thrusters on her boots, she tries to escape but is yanked backward and dragged along the ground. She frantically tries to grab at anything to hold her back, but it’s hopeless. The force is too strong, like she’s caught in a violent twister. She sees a young girl in the street staring at her, watching everything that’s going on. She’s pretty but strange looking, with a dirty face and matted hair. Ruby stares at the girl, astonished for a split second, unsure why and how she’s there; it’s like seeing a ghost.

Ruby holds out a desperate hand, trying to reach out to the girl for help. But she’s sucked inside the beast’s jaws, vaporizing into a flash of light.