Dinosaur Blackout Read online

  Daniel continued along the riverbank, keeping a watchful eye for predators, including any Pterosaurs that might be invading the skies above him and meat-eaters trolling for quarry. He made his way slowly down the shore, still following what he thought was the sound of paddles rustling in water.

  Over the river, a flock of Ichthyornis screamed their dismay, sounding more forceful than the present-day terns they resembled. On the bank, Cimolopteryx probed in the mud for food with their long, slender bills. And out on the river a lonely Hesperornis swam through the gunk covering the water, searching for tiny sea creatures.

  Daniel figured the fierce-looking prehistoric shorebirds posed no more threat than those in current times, but he wasn’t sure if the giant bees that alighted on small flowers would attack him. He felt reasonably safe with

  the dragonflies – they’d ignored him before and he didn’t have time to worry about tiny ground creatures.

  He tried to shove down the panic rising from the pit of his stomach. His mind churned with questions about how his surrounding environment was affecting him. Who knew what lethal substances fell all around him or what harmful gases filled the air? He had no protection against anything floating in the air even though he wore an oxygen mask. Maybe he’d die along with everything else.

  Hopelessness engulfed Daniel as he realized there was nothing he could do about the cycle of extinction. Eighty to ninety per cent of the Cretaceous life he had experienced would die. Not just the individuals in front of him, but whole animal species and most of the plant life. He had no way to influence or stop the devastating horror.

  All he could hope to do was locate Pederson and bring him home.

  Ahead, Daniel caught sight of an unusually large mound along the riverbank. As he moved closer, he realized this was the place where he’d found the injured Edmontosaurus on his other trips. Now a mound of earth covered her, the result of the embankment collapsing when two T. rex fought to their death above her. He could almost make out the outlines of her body, curled protectively around a nest. He remembered her twisted hindquarter and broken forearm that made it impossible to survive or fend for her young.

  But what had happened to her hatchling that Daniel had rescued? In the increasing darkness and swirling debris, Daniel searched for the grass and earth enclosure he’d fashioned for the baby Edmontosaurus. And then he saw it. A fine layer of dust particles covered the little body. Its leathery sides barely moved and the little pouches by its nose hardly expanded. Daniel knelt and tenderly brushed some of the debris off its body, but there was no movement beneath his hand. Sadness welled up when he realized it had stopped breathing. He covered it gently with earth.

  Suddenly he heard coughing coming from some distance down the river. It had to be Pederson! He followed the sounds in the murkiness, sure now he was going in the right direction. The sound of oars pulling through water was stronger and Daniel started to run.

  He lifted his mask and called cautiously, “Mr. Pederson?”

  The rowing stopped. The coughing continued.

  Cupping his hands to his mouth, he called louder. “Mr. Pederson.”

  “Daniel?” said a rough, rasping voice.

  “Yes.” Daniel moved closer. “Mr. Pederson, I’m over here.”

  A loud bellowing came from somewhere behind Daniel, and then a tortured squeal.

  “Over here,” Daniel yelled, guiding Pederson to him. “Come quick.” He pulled his mask back over his mouth.

  He had never been in the past when it was dark before. He had no idea what was out there beyond his field of vision, which wasn’t more than a few metres. The thought of a huge Triceratops or an Edmontosaurus stepping on him by accident almost made him faint. Flying reptiles circled closer. Although many were fish-eating, the sharp teeth in their beaks still made his legs feel weak.

  Then he reached Mr. Pederson.

  With the swirling mass of debris in the dark foreign landscape, Daniel felt like he was on some other planet staring at an astronaut in a pressure suit. Pederson wore some kind of environmental overalls with a full-face oxygen mask and protective headgear. He pulled the dinghy closer to shore.

  “What are you doing here?” Pederson demanded, briefly removing his oxygen mask.

  “What are you doing here?” Daniel challenged.

  Daniel stepped towards the water’s edge, replacing his mask. His boots were instantly sucked into the gooey mud. Grabbing the rope that Pederson threw him, Daniel tugged on it, dragging the dinghy onto the beach. On wobbly legs, Pederson stepped out and Daniel helped him manoeuvre through the muck.

  “Why did you come?” Daniel demanded.

  “I wanted to do further research on the Stygimoloch and its environment,” Pederson answered innocently.

  “But why, when you knew the fossils had been recovered?”

  “You found them?” Pederson seemed stunned by the news.

  “You didn’t know? But Dr. Roost left you a note on your door.”

  Pederson shook his head. “I didn’t see it.”

  Daniel groaned.

  Pederson shrugged. “Well, it’s been an interesting adventure. I’m glad I came.”

  Obviously holding back a tickling cough in his throat, Pederson motioned to Daniel to pull the dinghy farther onto the shore.

  “We may need the other equipment,” he wheezed, beneath his mask.

  “It’s too dangerous to stay here,” Daniel warned, but he did Pederson’s bidding.

  “It certainly is for you without any proper protective gear!” Pederson cleared his throat.

  As Daniel turned back to Mr. Pederson, he froze.

  “Don’t move,” he mouthed.

  Pederson stood stock still. Lurking in a stand of trees over the riverbank was a huge, vicious head with glaring yellow eyes. As it swung around, Daniel saw dozens of razor-sharp teeth in its mouth. Another Tyrannosaurus! Their only hope was to keep still.

  As he waited for the T. rex to leave, the blood rushed into Daniel’s head until the pulsating was so loud, he almost couldn’t stand it. When the T. rex gave a deafening roar, Daniel wanted to cover his ears but didn’t dare move a muscle. He had no idea how long the ferocious meat-eater had been watching them. He hadn’t heard it arrive. Maybe it had been there all the time and the two of them had disturbed its sleep.

  After several tortuous minutes, the humungous creature gave another terrifying swivel of its massive head and gargantuan jaws and lumbered off. Trees and branches cracked and snapped under the weight of its body.

  Ole Pederson sat heavily on the ground. Daniel walked over and sank down beside him.

  “Can we go home now?” Daniel asked.

  “Well, I do have some marvellous specimens,” Pederson said hesitantly.

  Daniel suddenly found breathing difficult. He sucked harder on his oxygen line, then began to gasp. He realized he was out of air!

  Pederson noticed instantly, plucked his oxygen mask off, and passed it to Daniel. Daniel took several deep breaths, then returned it to Pederson, who sucked on the mouthpiece and inhaled between sputtering coughs. Daniel removed his useless mask and tank, discarding them on the blackened riverbank.

  “We need to get you back into air that’s safe to breath.” Pederson took another deep breath, then handed it back to Daniel.

  “Okay, let’s go,” Daniel agreed, fearing for Pederson’s health. He also worried about his own safety, especially as they had to share the oxygen. They continued to pass it back and forth as they talked.

  “You go, Daniel,” said Pederson, patting his arm and stifling a cough. “I want to do a couple more things.”

  “Like what?” Daniel asked in dismay.

  “I’ve been investigating the aquatic life, floating down the river and getting a quick overview of this location, but now I’d like a higher perspective.” He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and held it over his mouth.

  “Don’t tell me you want to climb a tree?” Daniel stared at the tall trees surround
ing them. Their lowest branches were several metres off the ground.

  “It will be a perfect vantage point,” Pederson said. “Besides, I have the equipment to do it.”

  “Equipment?”

  “Drag that dinghy over here. I have all kinds of gear in it,” said Pederson.

  Daniel pulled his t-shirt over the bottom half of his face and dragged an armload of ropes and pulleys out of the rubber raft.

  “See?” Pederson said, coughing. “Now you can go home and I’ll be along in a bit.”

  “I’m not leaving without you. Besides, you can’t do it on your own.”

  “Yes, I can. I’ll pull myself up.” As they shared the oxygen mask, Pederson outlined his plan to hoist himself up with a pulley and harness.

  “How are you going to get the rope up to a high enough branch, even if you could pull yourself up?” Daniel pointed to a stand of tall pine and redwood with massive trunks.

  “Throw it.” Pederson shrugged.

  Daniel stared, incredulous. Pederson was pale and wheezing, and obviously too weak to throw the rope to any height.

  Daniel shook his head. “There’s no way you can do it. And I’m not strong enough either. Those trees are impossible for me to climb too.”

  “I’d really like to accomplish this. It’s the last thing I’ll do.” Pederson said half-serious and half-joking.

  “It might be, if we don’t get you home,” retorted Daniel.

  “This is the chance of a lifetime.” He looked from Daniel to the trees and back again.

  “Don’t you want to live to enjoy what you’ve already accomplished?” Daniel asked, wiping the sweat from his face, accepting another round of oxygen. “We can’t stay here any longer. You’re already worn out.”

  “I’m fine, lad,” said Pederson, but he couldn’t hide his trembling limbs or shaky hands.

  “We need to go home.” Daniel begged. “Please!”

  All of a sudden Pederson’s eyes widened as he stared at something behind Daniel.

  “Look,” Pederson whispered.

  Daniel turned to see a swelling grey-black cloud in the distance. Beside him, Pederson began clicking away with his camera. Daniel watched, mesmerized as the billowing dust and debris expanded over the landscape. Then the rising wind caught the massive swirl and it rolled and boiled towards them. A twisting funnel-shaped cloud appeared.

  “Let’s get out of here!” Daniel yelled, grabbing Pederson’s arm with one hand, while he pulled the prehistoric leaf out of his pocket with the other.

  As they took turns sucking on the oxygen, Pederson struggled to find his piece of vegetation in one of the pockets of his overalls. Daniel’s body vibrated with desperate terror as he helped Pederson search. The old man seemed to become disoriented, moving slowly between bouts of coughing. Sweat ran down both their faces.

  At last, Pederson drew out his large leaf with trembling hands. He nodded at Daniel, then grabbed for his backpack. They took one last look at the swirling mass of dark debris, heard the horrible shrieks of the wind and the terror of the creatures, then they stared into each other’s eyes. Together they dropped the bits of plant material that had brought them so far into the past.

  Chapter Fourteen

  They collapsed where they landed on the hillside above Pederson’s shack, gasping fresh, clean air. Daniel helped Pederson drop the oxygen mask and tank on the ground. For several moments they lay quietly in the early morning autumn sun. At first the silence seemed deafening, but gradually sounds emerged. Wind rustling the dried grasses, the call of an occasional songbird, the chatter of a gopher nearby and the distant clatter of a combine in a field somewhere.

  Daniel clutched at the grass beneath him as the adrenalin drained away, leaving him weak as a newborn calf. He removed his poncho and other gear, laying it on the ground beside him. He was in no hurry to stand up and move.

  Pederson struggled to a sitting position, wheezing and coughing, and trying to pull off his outer clothing to cool himself down. Daniel helped him remove the protective suit.

  “Are you going to be okay?” Daniel asked.

  Pederson’s face had turned red from the effort to gain control of his breath and his eyes watered. As the coughing subsided, he nodded feebly and lay back down. Lines of fatigue etched his pale face and his breathing was shallow and raspy. He closed his eyes, too exhausted to move.

  Alarmed, Daniel stood up. “I’m going for help.”

  Pederson gave no indication that he’d heard. Daniel felt a jolt of panic from his toes to the top of his scalp. He had to get to a phone. Pederson’s shack wasn’t equipped with one, but maybe the cell phone he used for tours was there. Daniel pounded down the hill, almost tripping over a grassy hummock in his hurry.

  Reaching the dilapidated shack, he flung the door open and crashed through the doorway. He searched for the phone, scattering papers from the table and checking pockets in clothing. He couldn’t find it. Just as he got down on his hands and knees to check under the bed and dresser, a vehicle screeched to a halt outside the door. Daniel rushed outside to find Dr. Roost getting out of her truck.

  “Daniel, what’s happened?” Dr. Roost hurried towards him. “You look like you’ve been dragged through the mud!”

  When she reached Daniel, she gave him a little shake. “Don’t tell me you’ve been back in the past again!”

  Teeth chattering, he nodded.

  “Was Ole there too?” she demanded.

  “Yes,” Daniel spluttered. “That’s why I went.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s Mr. Pederson. He’s not moving. We need an ambulance.” Daniel couldn’t keep the tremor out of his voice. He pointed up the hillside to where Pederson lay in the grass.

  Dr. Roost raced to her truck and grabbed something from the glove compartment. She handed Daniel a cell phone.

  “Ole left it behind,” she said. “You make the calls.” She grabbed her cane and hurried up the hillside.

  Daniel followed, dialling as he ran. He made the most important call first – to his parents. His mom would take over from there, getting the proper attention sent their way. She’d also make it to the scene quicker. Although she had only a basic emergency nurse’s bag, she would have some idea of what to do. At the very least, she would be able to make Mr. Pederson comfortable until the ambulance came.

  When Dr. Roost and Daniel arrived at Ole Pederson’s side, his breathing was almost non-existent. Dr. Roost grabbed his wrist but found no pulse. She got down and placed her ear near his mouth to listen, then put her hand on his chest. It barely rose.

  “You silly old fool,” she whispered, tears in her eyes.

  Daniel knelt down beside them, and stroked Mr. Pederson’s hand.

  “Please, Mr. Pederson, be all right,” he pleaded.

  Dr. Roost gently loosened Pederson’s clothing to give him more air. Daniel balled his own jacket into a makeshift pillow. Pederson barely noticed, although his eyelids did flutter. Dr. Roost cradled Pederson’s head in her arms.

  “How are we going to explain what happened?” Daniel whispered.

  “I guess you could say he got sick down at the dig and made it back this far before we found him,” Mildred Roost suggested. “But how will we explain the mess you’re in?”

  Dr. Roost stared at Daniel’s dishevelled appearance. His sneakers were caked with muck and his pant legs wet and muddy. Streaks of dirt ran across his face and into his hair.

  “It did rain earlier this morning,” said Daniel. “Maybe, I can just say I was doing some work around my hideout and I slipped and got all muddy.”

  “Sounds weak to me, but maybe no one will notice,” said Dr, Roost. “Go hide Ole’s equipment and overalls behind those rocks,” she directed.

  Daniel hesitated, not liking to leave Pederson’s side, then ran to obey. He came back moments later to an unchanged scene. He pulled out his water bottle and Mr. Pederson’s handkerchief. Gently he cleaned his old friend’s face. As he did so, Pederso
n opened his eyes. They were a murky grey, but they showed a spark of recognition. Pederson tried to speak, but the words caught in his throat.

  Dr. Roost dabbed water on his lips and tilted his head to give him a sip. He rested for a moment with his eyes closed, and then he spoke. Daniel leaned closer to hear.

  “Thanks for being my partner and friend, Daniel,” Pederson murmured. “Wish I could be there to see the wonderful things you’re going to do in your life.”

  “No!” Daniel wailed. “You’re not going to die!”

  “I want you to know, Daniel, that it has been an honour to know you these last couple of years of my life,” Pederson whispered. “Before I met you, I was just a grumpy old man disillusioned with the scientific world and how they viewed my work. You made me feel worthwhile again.”

  He paused to catch his breath and Daniel mopped his forehead. Then he continued, “It’s meant a lot to me to watch you delight in the study of amazing prehistoric creatures. Thank you for helping me. I couldn’t have wished for anything more if you’d have been my own grandson.”

  “But there’s so much more we have to do, Mr. Pederson,” Daniel felt his throat constrict. This couldn’t be the last time he’d talk with Pederson.

  “And you will be able to carry on magnificently,” said Pederson. “You’ll have our memories and our connection will always exist through your work in paleontology.

  I predict great things for you, Daniel Bringham. It brings me great comfort to know that you will go on with the research.”

  Ole Pederson’s eyes shifted to Dr. Roost. “I’m sorry I didn’t take you on my last trip, Mildred.” He paused and swallowed. “I didn’t want to put your life in danger and I hoped you’d carry on my work.”

  Dr. Roost nodded as tears welled in her eyes. “I will,” she said.