Temporal Adventures

Chapter 08: Extinction

Chapter 08: Extinction

Each member of the Jenkins family took a turn being on watch during the night. The rotation allowed them to get some much needed sleep, even if it was only for a few hours. Mike was on guard when the first hints of daylight began creeping up over the eastern horizon. The sky turned a pale gray, brightening ever so slowly until it was a familiar blue. A scattering of puffy clouds floated silently by on the wind, the sunlight imparting golden highlights to their edges.

A streak of bright red drew his attention. A small meteor glanced off the upper atmosphere before heading back into space, leaving a fire trail behind it. As Mike watched the departing meteor, he wondered about where it had come from and where it would be going.

Pulling the time device from his pocket, he flipped the hinged cover open to examine the data screen. The green progress line running horizontally across the display was nearly full, indicating it wouldn't be too much longer before another time jump was possible. The slow rate of recharge still concerned him as Mike had no idea how many more jumps they could squeeze out of the device before its power cell died and stranded the family somewhere in time. On the lower panel, below the display screen, Mike adjusted the four round dials in an attempt to discover what the thief who'd stolen the device in the Middle Ages had done to it.

The numbers above the progress line, which he'd previously believed to be the number of years intended for the jump, had been replaced by a complex equation. Using his finger, he drew in the dirt near the mouth of the cave and etched out his own mathematical equations in an attempt to discover what needed to be done to send them not only forward in time, but also to the correct year.

Behind him, his family began to stir, but a scattering of small stones outside the cave drew his full attention. Mike got into a crouched position, ready to spring toward anything that threatened his family. He'd either kill it or distract it long enough for his loved ones to escape.

Relief filled him as a small dinosaur appeared. Almost identical to the one curled up on Cassie's lap, the miniature lizard looked at him with its small eyes as if trying to determine what kind of creature Mike was and how to respond to his presence.

"Hello," Mike whispered. He sat down gently in order not to startle his visitor. Leaning back, he tried to appear as passive as possible.

Taking tentative steps, the diminutive lizard entered the cave and approached the other reptile. It let out a small squeak, and the first opened its eyes and looked around. When the dinosaur on Cassie's lap saw the new one, it jumped up and began chittering excitedly. The commotion woke those of the Jenkins family not already awake.

"Looks like our little friend has a family," Alison mused. "I wonder where the other one has been all this time."

"Probably hiding from predators," Sean suggested.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Mike agreed. When the two lizards departed from the cave, he took out after them with hurried instructions to his family. "Bring everything; let's go."

Alison, Cassie, and Sean grabbed their packs and raced to keep up. They didn't ask any questions for fear of being heard by nearby dinosaurs who might have carnivorous tendencies.

Mike followed the pair of dinosaurs to a place where an ancient upheaval had split two mountains further apart. A gap existed between them now, and the dinosaurs hopped through it. Being larger than the lizards, it took the human pursuers slightly more effort to transition to the other side, but it was well worth it.

Sheltered in the center of a chain of mountains, a small valley stretched out before them. The steep mountains on all sides kept the majority of dinosaurs out of the valley, so the vegetation was largely undisturbed. Fruit trees in a spectacular variety covered the terrain not blanketed by a thick carpeting of green grass. While the two dinosaurs in the lead scrambled up the bark of the trees to reach the fruit, the humans stared at the picturesque scenery.