OTHERBORN: THE DIG [WP PROLOGUE EDITION]

AUTHORS' CUT ONE

KAI

THREE NEW MOONS PAST

I quickly understand the very reason I'm not supposed to be here alone has become my sole motivation; and I must be henceforth.

I followed Reggie this morning, and I now overhear him talking to one of the high mountain elders and another white man.

It's an accident really. I'd followed to help as I so often do, but he hasn't heard me shout over the sound of his loud ATV.

It's bitterly cold, but the sweeping lands are mostly clear of the snow, and I shiver a lot, trying to keep out of the wind as I lope behind rocks. I've crested the rise, the one Reggie's passed already, using the through-channel between ridges just moments ago. And so, cutting over the top, I now hear an elder, whom I do not know, talking to Reggie.

Their meeting changes my world.

And I've missed all the outsider's words, until this...

I understand the part I hear now. "If it's the boy's father, we'll have to..." do something, but I cannot understand whatever the 'something' might be.

Uncle Reggie's now agreeing with the man, but then frowns, and says something like, "If—" then, a long name, "—hid the—" and another long string of words, "—in the 'pound-pound', this sounds like. And it had been through a series of —" something, "—where it might have been...guarded...by—" someone, "—moved...then relocated...for an unknown period of time... Then it might have turned up by accident. But how? How could it have moved?... If—somebody—passed it along... It's possible then."

Reggie seems to speak English, I think, although I am not sure. I know only a little. For me, the conversation's pretty one-sided, understanding some words between the elder and Reggie, but not all things said to the stranger.

Reggie says, "Finding a photo of a symbol or a piece of paper...isn't enough for them. They'll dig all they want."

But the white man replies, "And what will they find? I suggest you don't worry." And I understand this first part and then a few minutes later, some of the rest is translated by Reggie to the Elder Brother...

"For bones and teeth, they have to use a more powerful sequencer, and that would take time to find and engage forensic scientists, usually with a—" something, "—degree in forensic anthropology or forensic archaeology...so they can't confirm a darn thing at this point... And we might discourage them somehow long before then...at least enough to have their funding pulled out...but that's an unknown."

The elder is stoic.

I already—by my luckiest moon—know these strangest of words from their sounds, except for "se—quen—cer" as I'd recently asked about things I'd seen Reggie watch on his mobile, and he explained them to me at the time. I was fascinated. I'd taken note of each one.

But Reggie replies, "Not with this guy! He's got some kind of an 'in'?"

"What do you mean?" The man asks.

Reggie gestures that he should well know.

And the guy only shrugs, then furrows his brow, "Like their special operation around the compound Military's wanting to build?"

" 'At's probable. Yep."

"To remain unnamed though," the man says.

The three all nod in concern, then give their goodbyes, and I have too many goosebumps, deep now in shock, to help Reggie at all for today.

I go off by myself.

~~~/

Welcome to another instalment of the Otherborn mystery. Thanks for reading, dear friends!

If you'll keep this in mind: We're eager to learn one day if you like these 11 short chapters which separated from the pilot version once you've read that in the next DIG cover story? Or wouldn't suggest we bothered with them at all before the pilot?

Do this prologue sequence add to the whole?

These "prologue" chapters under this Authors' Cut cover appear only on Wattpad for you to share thoughts. (The published pilot will appear in a few months, under its similar but different cover following these 11 prologue parts...) ✨♥️⚔️📚