A New Beginning

While I was waiting for Joseph to bring me the drawings for the shower Thomas nonchalantly approached me and warily asked me who was going to cut the trees we would need for all the construction.

I momentarily shut my eyes in frustration. I had forgotten to assign a crew to do that. Without logs there would be no frame for our shower or tables for our kitchen or wall for the infirmary. There would be nothing. Worse than that, I realized that it would take several days to cut enough straight logs for all the construction we needed done. Until then everything else would have to be put on standby. I was disheartened by the setback.

I called everyone back. With the exception of getting water, digging the trench and Joseph fixing the solar panel, all other projects were put on hold until enough logs were cut. I asked for volunteers. But no one wanted to leave camp without the protection of the .45 pistol. After what happened to Sam, Valarie and Carli I couldn't blame them.

We discussed it and decided that a second crew would go out with the .45 after those who hauled water back to camp finished their chores. This second crew would cut down the trees, haul them back and deposit them in a woodpile. After, those who needed logs could then choose what they wanted from the woodpile.

While Joshua's group was getting water the rest of us cleared out the weeds and bushes from under and around the James Cook to form a partially covered patio under the James Cook's right wing. We used the seats from the James Cook as lawn chairs and the center navigation table from the lower flight deck for our dinning table. Although it wasn't big enough and there weren't enough chairs for all twenty of us, what we had would have to do for now, at least until we could construct another table and some chairs.

When we finished that we then emptied the lower and upper flight decks of the supplies we had brought with us. We placed the plastic containers of supplies around our makeshift patio and our kitchen area under the other wing. We formed the containers into a temporary two meter high crescent wall around our dining and kitchen area until we could build one of logs.

When Joshua's team finished hauling water I asked if any of them would volunteer to help cut and haul trees. But it didn't work out quite like I hoped it would. Victoria Rose and Laci Bianca were the only ones who volunteered to help. David and Doc Yves also volunteered. Joshua gave the .45 to Thomas and his team. As they were leaving, I reminded them to cut only those logs that were long and straight.

Meanwhile, the rest of us cut up the parachute and used duck tape to attach it across the airlock hatch opening and to the underbelly of the James Cook. By letting it hang down along the sides of the stairs we had some protection at night from the mosquitoes and other flying insects. Then we taped what was leftover near the top of the stairs in front of the entrance into the James Cook, giving us added protection.

No sooner had we finished when Thomas and his crew returned with a bonanza of what resembles bamboo stalks; Anthony said that it's an ancestor to bamboo. They found a large groove of these plants about three quarters of a kilometer just north of us. There was enough bamboo there to build everything we needed with enough left over for other things we may need.

Everyone then spent the rest of the day sectioning off the infirmary area, fixing up the lower and upper flight decks as sleeping areas and love nests, or digging the trench. David and Josephine Jasmine started work on the fire pit we would need while the rest of us helped them fix up a kitchen area under the James Cook's left wing.

By the time the sun set on our first full day home our camp was almost complete. I was a lot happier than the night before; all the work kept everyone's mind off the deaths of our three friends. Our future looked very promising.

Anthony and Akira Carissa stood fire watch from twenty-two hundred to twenty-four hundred; Doc Yves and I stood watch until zero two hundred; Leonard and Aleks Michelle took it the next two hours; and David and Veronica Anne took it from zero four hundred until zero six hundred. After that we all decided that we would depend on the PrimusPrimates to warn us of approaching danger with their chatter.

For convenience we voted to keep Greenwich Meridian time just like we had when we were in space for keeping track of watch times.

Chantelle Dawn had originally had Doc and Vickie posted for the second watch. But I reminded her that it was my duty to set an example for everyone to follow and ordered her to schedule me for the twenty-four hundred to zero two hundred watch. Besides, I could see that Vickie was exhausted; she and Laci had spent the entire day hauling either water or bamboo back to camp.

Another reason I had Chantelle schedule me for the twenty-four hundred watch was because I wanted to talk with Doc about what his plans were when his medical supplies ran out. Before we separated from the living section I told him to figure for about two dozen people when he decided on what kind of supplies he would need once we landed. He told me he didn't have any contingency plans for when the medical supplies ran out.

Doc and I made love together under the James Cook's wings on top of the navigation table. Josephine was right. Making love and fighting off insects at the same time is no fun, especially the monstrous bugs of the Cretaceous Period.

After breakfast Doc approached me and asked if I could help him construct a ladder so that he could reach the James Cook's windows. All nine of them were smeared with PrimusPrimate dung and he wanted to clean them off. We had been here less than 40 hours and one of the smaller windows was so filthy that light barely penetrated through it.

Doc can't work without light and the ship's batteries would only last another day or two at most. Then the only light he would get would be from the windows until Joseph could get the solar panel repaired. Doc Yves couldn't afford to have them darkened with PrimusPrimate dung. So the two of us built two ladders out of bamboo; one for each side of the James Cook. Doc said he would make it his duty to periodically clean the nine windows.

If yesterday was any indication, then Doc's services would be greatly needed. Quite a number of people got some kind of small cut, bruise or abrasion that required his attention. Natalie Amiee was bit on her hand by some kind of insect, swelling her hand up like a balloon.

But her insect bite was nothing compared to Veronica's injuries.

Later in the afternoon, Doc Yves, Joshua, Veronica, Leonard, Anthony and I went in search of some small trees that we could cut down to use for the shower. No one cut any down yesterday and the bamboo isn't strong enough.

Anyway, while we were out we came upon a small herd of hadrosaurs with an accompaniment of several Antoinetteosaurus with them. We watched them from on top of a hill as they fed in a small meadow just about five kilometers from our camp.

Although this particular species of hadrosaur seemed to be mainly biped, they had three ways of walking. They sometimes walked on four legs, sometimes they were bipedal and sometimes they hopped like a kangaroo. But this latter method was only a hop or two then they would resort to either bipedal or quadruped locomotion.

They had narrow green and yellow stripes on their heads, necks and tails but their bodies had broader stripes. The insides of their legs and stomachs were white. It also had a prehensile spiked thumb similar to the Iguanodon.

We were watching them for about 10 or 15 minutes when Joshua noticed a rather large theropod carnivore sneaking up on them. Nature had cleverly disguised the beast. It looked like the camouflage military personnel wear in combat. It legs resembled tree trunks and the rest of its body was colored to resemble leaves and branches. It also had a light sprinkling of green and brown feathers on its body that aided it in its disguise; its legs and arms were completely featherless.

It stood about 3.5 to 4 meters high at the hip and about 9 or 10 meters long from its head to its tail. It was a real vicious looking monster with huge dagger-like teeth. It was so well disguised that the Antoinetteosaurus didn't even know that it was stalking the hadrosaurs. In fact, when Joshua first pointed it out to us my immediate thought was that he was wrong and that it was just a tree or large bush.

"Think I should sneak up on it and shoot it," Joshua asked no one in particular. "There's enough meat on that creature to last us a couple of weeks if we smoke it."

"No!" Was my immediate reply. I tried to whisper but I spoke just a little too loud; the dinosaurs heard me too. The Antoinetteosaurus creatures began to jump up and down while the hadrosaurs began to form in a large circle. The young went to the middle of the group just like we watched the Triceratops do when they were attacked by the raptors.

But the theropod, which Leonard named Marineosaurus because it looked like a marine dressed for combat, wasn't intimidated in the least.

It attacked the hadrosaurs with tenacity, scattering them along with the Antoinetteosaurus. It bit one adult hadrosaur on its neck, nearly severing its head with one bite. Next it attacked a juvenile, biting it on its back. We heard the snap of the juvenile's backbone as the Marineosaurus picked the helpless creature up in its jaws and shook its head back and forth. It threw the hadrosaur on the ground as though it were a discarded, broken ragdoll. It then ripped off one of the legs of the still living dinosaur and swallowed it.

"Let's back out of here quietly," Doc whispered. "I don't want to be dino dinner today."

"Me neither," whispered Veronica.

As we began to back down the hill we were suddenly surrounded by nine little creatures that looked somewhat like turkeys with a small sack of red skin hanging down from their hooked beaks. But these carnivores weren't gobbling; they were screeching like hawks.

Their beaks reminded me of a falcon's or hawk's beak, only larger, much larger. They had three, very sharp, pointy claws on each of their hands and their feet resembled that of a Velociraptor with the large sickle-shaped claw.

They were really beautiful creatures except that they were preparing to attack us. Their thighs, bodies, upper arms and necks were covered with royal blue and blood red feathers. Their tails had the same color feathers but had many more feathers, resembling a rooster. Their heads, hands and lower legs were yellowish orange and featherless. They stood about a meter high at the hip and about two meters from their head to their tail.

Leonard hit one in its head with his axe, killing it instantly. Two of the beasts forgot about us and jumped on the dead animal and began to eat it. Doc Yves and I followed Leonard's example and each of us hit one of the creatures with our hand axes, killing them. A fourth beast kicked viciously at Veronica with its sickle-shaped claw completely extended. Luckily Veronica was able to dodge the kick. But it jumped on her back and bit her on her neck and shoulder.

Anthony began to hit it with a club. Joshua didn't waste any time; he shot it dead with the .45. The five remaining carnivores then forgot about us and began to devour the carcasses of their four dead companions.

We didn't know just how many were still in the area; we thought there might be a few younger ones in the bushes. Yves and I helped Veronica to her feet and the two of us then carried her off, following the others down the hill.

Once we were safely away from the carnivores I ripped up my shirt so that Doc could use it as a temporary bandage on Veronica's neck, back and shoulder; Veronica's shirt was so badly torn to threads that it was unusable for anything.

I was without a bra. Veronica, Leonard and Anthony had never seen me naked before and were at first astonished at my unabashed exposure. But I told them not to let it worry them. "Think about it y'all. There are no shopping centers around where we can buy new clothes. It's only a matter of time before we all see each other completely naked."

They didn't answer me.

When we got back to camp Doc put better bandages on her. She needed five stitches in the back of her neck, a total of fourteen in three places on her back and nine in her left shoulder. After watching the Marineosaurus, Doc said that she was lucky the Hawkosaur didn't bite her head off too.

But I'm sure what helped save her was that while it was attacking her, Anthony was beating on it with a club he made earlier from a small tree branch. He said that the reason he didn't shoot it with his taser gun was because he was afraid that Veronica might get shocked along with the beast.

It was Leonard again who named these animals. Although they had beaks, they weren't birds. They were small, vicious carnivorous theropods.

After that, we decided to increase the number of people in any group leaving camp to a minimum of four individuals. We put Anthony and Akira to work making clubs and spears for all of us. We also decided to have both women and men go out together on foraging and hunting parties.

I am determined to stay ahead of the monsters.

I remember from an anthropology course that I once took. The college professor referred to the Australopithecus as a lean, mean fighting machine. Well, if these beasts were going to attack us, then they would soon learn that they weren't fooling around with just another brainless dinosaur or dimwitted primate.

I wanted them to know that they had finally met their match. They were now attacking something meaner than an australopithecine. I wanted them to know that they were now up against large brained humans who could fight back with weapons.

A red light is blinking on Natalie's laptop telling me that the battery is low. I took control of the laptop computer about a month before we separated. I have been using it for my journal since I downloaded the encyclopedia of information and all the music and books from the ship's computer.

Last night I plugged it into its re-charger but I don't think I'm going to be able to do that again until Joseph gets the solar panel fixed. I hope he does so soon because I want to record what Doc Yves thinks about the meadow the hadrosaurs were eating in. He believes it could be an ancestor to wheat and he wants to return there and inspect it close up.

I hope it is wheat because if it is then we will have found a great source of food. Anyway, this will be my last entry until -- and if -- Joseph gets the solar panel fixed.

**********************************

It is! It's wheat or at least an ancestor of it. David and Josephine managed to make us some fresh bread out of it. Without yeast the bread was unleavened but that's right up David's alley; he's Jewish.

It took both Joseph and Elizabeth Dee working together over a month but they had some success repairing the one solar panel. They got it partially repaired; it's putting out about 90% now. They mounted it on the tail of the James Cook. It provides enough electricity to run some desk fans, a couple of rechargeable devices, a light in the infirmary and some lights on the lower flight deck. I'm glad because now I don't have to worry about using a razor blade to shave my legs and under my arms.

But we are all extremely happy. We won't have to sleep in the heat anymore, although amazingly it's not that hot, averaging around 25 or 26 degrees centigrade.

Not only that but we can now watch movies in the evenings with the laptop; we use a larger auxiliary screen. Doc Yves has over 700 classic movies on disc. I asked him why he took the chance that Joseph could get the solar panel fixed and brought them. He told me that it was a hobby of his to collect classic films and he didn't have the heart to part with them. We are all glad for his hobby for now we have something to do in the evening hours. I only wish he had brought some popcorn too.

I have more great news. We have all been busy little beavers this past month. Both our trench and shower are finished and the plastic conduit is laid down. The trench and conduit extend past the tail of the James Cook out onto dried up lake bed into a small pool we dug there. The shower is under the tail where the water can drain into the pool. We keep the water cans at the back of the fire pit; everyone is responsible for filling a water can when he or she empties one.

But we have plans to increase the size of the shower and use three of the 100 liter barrels so more people can bathe at the same time; it takes forever for all twenty of us to bathe.

Joseph attached a pump to the conduit. We use it to fill the barrels and we draw drinking water from one of them. We've also dug a small area about two meters in diameter next to the shower and lined it with smooth rocks to make another small pool. The PrimusPrimates love to play there; we use it to wash our laundry and wash our dishes.

The only bad news is that we cannot keep the door on the shower. No one thought to bring any hinges so we had to improvise. At first we used some torn up rags but that only lasted a couple of days. Then we tried using rope for hinges but that only lasted about a week.

Most of the crew just lean the bamboo door against the stall and bathe that way. But some of us -- including me -- just bathe in front of everyone. I'm not modest and I'm not worried if someone sees me naked.

Thanks to Leonard, Doc Yves, Laci and Chantelle we have a bamboo and thatch covered patio attached to the James Cook's wing flaps. They also made some bamboo chairs and four bamboo picnic tables. Jasmine and David use two to prepare our meals and the other two we use along with the center navigation table to eat on.

Everyone's sleeping area and the five love nests are finished. Each person's sleeping area is framed out with bamboo stalks with sheets tied to the bamboo, offering some privacy. We have parachutes covering the sides of the steps and the entrance leading into the James Cook. Between the parachutes, the sheets, desk fans and keeping the stairs off the ground we manage to stay cool and keep the bugs off us at night.

However, the love nests have bamboo for walls and insulation from the James Cook -- they look like pigeon holes. With a sheet hanging in front of each cubicle and the insulation we have more privacy. But it also causes it to get pretty warm in each stall. Each love nest also has a small desk fan in it. This helps out some. But then I don't mind. I enjoy sweating it up when I'm making love.

At least three and sometimes all five of the love nests are in use almost every night and sometimes during the day. I have used them myself with Joshua, Doc Yves and Chantelle when I don't have fire watch. We all came to an agreement that those who have fire watch don't use the love nests that night.

I have been drawn close emotionally to Doc lately. When I have sex with him we use the infirmary. It too has a bamboo wall with a sheet for a door. But it has a larger desk fan. It's also a little larger than the other love nests and a bamboo table with a mattress to sleep on. The love nests only have a mattress.

I guess you could say that he has his own love nest. But when he's not using it to bandage someone or for sex, someone else is sure to use it for sex -- if they don't mind having sex with the all PrimusPrimates watching them. So, we actually have six love nests which can accommodate as many as six couples at any one time.

We are also winning the war with the dinosaurs. The day after we did battle with the Hawkosaurs we went back to the site to examine the meadow. As I said, Doc Yves wanted to examine the grass growing there to see what it was. Veronica was still recuperating from her wounds so Vickie went with us instead. When we got there we found three Hawkosaurs still lurking in the area.