Darwin's Quest: The Search for the Ultimate Survivor

  DARWIN’S QUEST

  The Search for the Ultimate Survivor

  By Jonathan P. Brazee

  Copyright 2010

  Jonathan P. Brazee

  Chapter 1

  The roaring was getting louder, the crashing of bushes closer. I looked back and could see the treetops jerk and sway where we’d just run. Whatever it was, it was big and angry, and it was on our trail.

  “Hurry up,” I shouted to the middle-aged woman stumbling ahead of me. “It’s getting closer!”

  She mumbled something over her shoulder. I didn’t even know her name yet. We’d already lost one person to something I didn’t quite see, and now, here I was, at the back of the pack, behind a rotund woman quite evidently out of her element.

  She stumbled and fell in front of me, almost taking me down with her. I grabbed her by the shoulder and jerked her up, heedless of how that might feel. We had to get to Haven!

  Bushes threatened to strangle the path. I gave her ample backside a shove and pushed her through the bushes which threatened to close off the path. We broke past and entered a small clearing and the welcome sight of a primitive rope bridge leading to what had to be Haven. The rope bridge was about 15 or 20 meters long, and it led to a small mountaintop, an island with shear cliffs ringing it. It was the first time I had seen it, but it had the look of other Havens.

  Two guys were already across, urging several more people to hurry and join them. One of them, a compact, strong-looking man looked somewhat familiar, but I couldn’t really take the time to figure out why. The other guy had on some sort of turban. Four people were on the bridge, but with each move, it swayed and caused others to lose their balance. No one was making progress.

  “Stop it, all of you! Listen to me!” a redhead in matching khaki shirt and pants screamed, her shrill voice cutting through the babble. “One at a time, or none of us will make it! You there,” she pointed at the guy furthest along the bridge, “go across, and you others hold still!”

  The guy nodded and started moving, making his way to the other side where the other two grabbed him and pulled him to solid ground. The other three watched, then looked back to Ms. Redhead.

  “Ok, you, you’re next,” she pointed. “Go, now!”

  I was glad that someone had taken charge. We all had to get across, and fast. This was too early to fall. I looked back. Whatever it was on our trail had paused. I hoped we’d somehow lost it, but I doubted it. That would be too easy.

  The next woman had made it across, and Ms. Redhead was playing traffic cop. My rotund trailmate and I had by now caught up with the rest and milled about the bridgehead.

  “Are you the last?” Ms. Redhead looked at me.

  “Yea, no one else.” I tried to catch my breath.

  “Good, maybe we can do this.”

  With her taking charge, the next five or six made it across in short order. Then, the roaring started up again. Those of us on the near side of the bridge jumped in unison and looked back. A tree top swayed and went down. Whatever it was, it was big. I have to admit, I was getting pretty nervous.

  “Come on, come on, people, let’s push it!” I implored.

  In the middle of the bridge, a skinny guy who couldn’t have been more than 18 or 19 froze. He was staring down at the river which bounded over the rocks 30 meters below. His hands were in a death grip on the left handrope.

  We all started screaming at him to get going, but he wouldn’t budge. Two other guys started to move forward to bridge, but Ms. Redhead stopped them, then moved confidently to Skinny Guy. She spoke quietly to him for a moment. At least I assumed she spoke quietly. It was hard to hear over the growing noise behind us.

  She put one hand on his and firmly pried it off, and pulling him close, she walked him step-by-step until she was over. As soon as the others pulled them off the bridge, she motioned for the next one to cross. The muscled guy went next, even though it looked like an older man was about to go. The older guy muffled a curse, then started across on his own as soon as he got the signal.

  Three of us left. I kept looking back. I could hear breathing now, the sound of huge bellows going in and out. Maybe it was my imagination, but I could almost smell the fetid breath of the unseen monster. I looked back as the old guy reached the far side. I wanted to pull off what the muscle guy did and push my way onto the bridge, but I held my ground despite my baser instincts.

  The next lady moved out onto the bridge. I watched her, willing her across, when a huge crash sounded right behind us. My trailmate and I whirled in unison. Towering above the bushes we had just pushed through was a T-Rex. A living, breathing, and very angry-looking tyrannosaurus. His small red eyes looked over the scene before locking onto the both of us. He snuffed the air loudly.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me!” I said, mostly under my breath. “A T-Rex?”

  We both backed up to the bridgehead, my butt pressing into her, her hands against my back.

  He (or was it a she?) looked at us as if measuring us up. His sides moved with each breath. We could hear the people in back of us yelling at us to come across, but with us frozen in place, he wasn’t moving, and I liked it that way.

  “You go ahead,” a soft voice whispered beside me. My trailmate was getting noble.

  I really wanted to take her up on that. I mean, I really, really wanted to. Instead, I replied, “No, you go. Maybe I can lead him away, and then circle back.”

  “Are you sure?” I could hear the hope in her voice.

  “Yea. Go now, but move very slowly, OK?”

  “OK.”

  I could feel her move away from me. The T-Rex just stared, not moving. Why wasn’t it attacking? The ropes creaked as she put her weight on the bridge.

  Everything was OK for a few moments, if you can call being stared down by a T-Rex OK, that is. Then I heard a scream and the rope jump as my trailmate evidently stumbled. That seemed to galvanize the dinosaur. He seemed to move ponderously forward, but he was so big that he covered the ground between us in seconds. I tried to dart to the right, but his leg reached out and knocked me off my feet. He stepped on me, pinning me down. I could feel my ribs crush as he put his weight on me. Squirming in mad fear, I was able to turn up and face him. Oddly enough, despite the intense pain, all I could think about was that his breath was in fact as fetid as I had imagined it as his head came down, huge jaws open. Then darkness.

  Chapter 2

  The white light was subdued as I opened my eyes. I couldn’t figure out where I was.

  “Are you back with us?” a soft voice asked.

  I looked down to see a rather attractive nurse sitting on a chair at the foot of my bed.

  “Yea, I guess so,” I croaked. My throat was dry and sore.

  “Good!” She smiled She stood and went to a pitcher on a table and poured me a glass of water. “You’re probably thirsty now,” she said, giving me the glass. “So drink this up.”

  I didn’t need her to tell me I was thirsty. I had mastered knowing when I was thirsty some 30-odd years ago. I took the water and felt the coolness go down my throat.

  “Are you feeling OK? “ She really did look concerned, so I guessed I should cut her some slack.

  “Well, considering that I was just a T-Rex’s lunch, I guess so.”

  “A tyrannosaurus rex? A full-sized one? Really? That’s how you died? I’ve been working here for three seasons, and that’s the first time I have heard of that!” She clapped her hands with evident joy.

  I didn’t feel her same joy. “It wasn’t so pleasant from my perspective,” I said sourly.

  She reached out and touched
my shoulder. “Oh, I’m sorry. I know, I know.” She seemed like she was trying to look concerned, but her excitement came though. “But I am such a fan, and I can’t wait to see that.”

  “Well, I guess I signed the releases, didn’t I? So how can I complain?”

  “That’s right, Mr. Laurence. And maybe, who knows, but maybe you’ll make it all the way.”

  “I sure hope so.” I flexed my arms, making sure everything was in working order.

  She gave me another pat on the arm, fan gone and professional nurse back. “Well, now that you’re awake, you should get dressed. Mr. Silver will be in the room with the blue door across from yours, and he’ll want to see you. I’ll let him know you’re ready.”

  I watched her walk out of the room, her white skirt nicely showing off her assets. I wondered if the fan in her could translate to a little liaison later. I wished I had gotten her name at least. I got up, marveling at how good I felt. I mean, I was actually dead, and now, I felt better than I had in quite awhile.

  My clothes were on a chair in the corner of the room. They hadn’t been cleaned, but they had been mended. The repaired tear marks across my brown shirt were pretty evident, as were the bloodstains on the shirt and my jeans. I tried not to think of how they got there, without much success, and that made me feel a little queasy. Where had that thing bit me? I knew it wouldn’t have bitten my head off, but how had it killed me? I was tempted to look for scars, even knowing that there wouldn’t be any.

  I finished getting dressed and opened my door. A few people were purposefully moving up and down the hallway, but none paid any attention to me. And, as my nurse told me, directly across from me was a door with a plaque with Mr. Baako Silver’s name on it. I started across to knock on the door, but stopped and looked back at my room. The plaque there merely had “Number 2” written on it.

  I knocked on the door and waited a few moments before it whisked open. Mr. Silver was in back of a huge wooden desk, a make-up artist plying his trade and two clerical-looking people, a man and a woman who looked pretty much interchangeable, from their clothes to their demeanor, sitting on a couch beside him.

  “Mr. Laurence! Or can I call you Corter?” He stood up with his trademark smile, a white beacon flashing from his ebony skin. He motioned for the other three to leave as he moved from behind the desk, taking off the white bib which had been protecting his clothes from the application of the make-up. He held out his hand, which I took, and while he did not squish is silly, I felt the potential in his grip.

  “Please, please, sit down.” I had not met him during the interviews, merely a multitude of producers and casters. But he looked even bigger, more vibrant in real life than he did on the holo. I don’t give much weight to celebrities, but I have to admit hat I felt a little bit of awe to be sitting on the same couch as Baako Silver!

  “Great scene there, Corter, great!” His smile was radiant. “We’ve gotten some good feedback on it. But, as you know, it’s up to the viewers.”

  “Yes, Mr. Silver…”

  “Please, Baako,” he interrupted. After all you cast members are the stars here, not me.”

  Yea, right, I thought. It was a nice gesture, though, to elevate me to his status.

  “Ok, um, Baako. Yea, I know it’s up to the viewers. But I’ve seen the show before, and I know how people vote. That girl, well, people, well, guys are going to want to see more of her. And I haven’t had time to gain a following.”

  Mr. Silver chuckled. “Yes, Ms. Liberi is quite a looker, isn’t she? But don’t give up hope. You letting Ms. Rhee go on the bridge before you showed a certain noblesse oblige, and that tends to go down well with our audience.”

  “Well, maybe. But I am not counting on it. And, you know, no Outerworlder has ever won. Most Earthers vote Earthers.”

  He clapped me hard on my shoulder. “Look, I think you have a good shot. Just give a good account of yourself during Plea, which is…” he looked at his watch. “Dang! We’re running behind now. They should have woken you up a little earlier, but the techs like to cook you resurrects as much as possible, you know.” He winked, then continued. “I hope you’re ready, because the Plea is in about 25 minutes.”

  He stood up and immediately the door opened. “Giselle,” he said to the head sticking in the door. “Take my friend Corter to the green room and get him ready.”

  “Yes Mr. Silver.” Clone One, the female, came in and stood over me, waiting. I stood and got ready to leave.

  “Good luck Corter. You did well. We spent a lot of money on that dinosaur, and you made it all worthwhile.” He stood with his hand out again, which I shook. I have heard the phrase a “twinkle in the eye” before, but Baako Silver actually had it. I had to wonder if it was augmented in.

  “Thank you, sir.”

  Giselle took my elbow and politely but firmly led me out and down the several halls until we got to a door labeled “Green Room.” The complex seemed pretty big. It was hard to believe that this was reportedly the only human habitation on the planet, as extensive as it seemed. But the show was pretty popular, so I guess the expense was justified.

  We entered the room which was nicely laid out with chairs, a couch, and plants. Old classical music wafted through the air. Along the back was a table with various drinks and snacks laid out. But my attention was immediately drawn to the first casualty. I had forgotten what Mr. Silver said her name was. Liberty? But she was loaded for bear.

  We had been kept in separate compartments on the ship coming over, but I had seen her in the debarkation bay, and then on the landing zone. She looked pretty good then, but she looked awesome now. We were only allowed to bring one set of clothes, but her skin-tight body suit had somehow been transformed into a very revealing outfit. The bottoms of the faux nude suit hugged her hips tightly, but it was the top which drew immediate attention. While it had been neck-high before, now it plunged to the depths showing a huge expanse of cleavage. Her nipples showed like brave soldiers standing at attention. Her lustrous black hair framed her chest rather than hid it, and a make-up artist was dutifully making her even more stunning. She saw me come in and held out her hand like a queen at her court, palm down, wrist bent. I didn’t know if I was supposed to shake it or go to one knee to kiss it. I opted for shaking it.

  “Adrienne Liberi,” she said simply.

  “Corter Laurence.” I didn’t know what else to say.

  “So how did you die? The show is being broadcast now, but they won’t let us see it while we are here.”

  “A dinosaur ate me.”

  She laughed. “Ate you? I hardly think so. How could they resurrect you then?”

  I had to keep myself from rolling my eyes. “OK, so it bit me.” When she didn’t respond, I added, “And what about you? I never saw what happened?”

  “Yes, that was rather quick. I was talking to Hamlin, that rather muscular guy, introducing myself and all, and a pterosaur, they called it here, swooped and pulled me right off the ground. I never even saw it coming. We flew a bit, then it dropped me. Splat on the rocks! And so here I am, the first casualty, an honor I would’ve liked to forgo.”

  I felt at a loss for words. I felt I should be sociable, but she was my competition, after all. A hovering make-up artist was trying to get me to sit down, so I used that excuse to break off from her. “Well, good luck,” I said as I sat down in the other make-up chair.

  “You too, dahling!” She dragged out the “darling” most annoyingly. I chose to ignore her while my make-up was hurriedly applied.

  After awhile, a short man with a small earset came into the room. “Ms. Liberi, you’re up. Please follow me. Mr. Laurence, I’ll be back for you in a few moments.”

  As the door closed, the make-up artists laughed. Her artist turned to me. “Sorry. We shouldn’t do that, but she was pretty demanding about her makeup, and it’s all wrong.”

  Mine said to her colleague, “Just make sure Brian knows it was her choice, not yours. He is such a perfectionist!”<
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  I didn’t know what they were talking about. As much as I wanted to stay, as much as I wanted Adrienne to be a bitch, I thought she looked pretty good. And that didn’t bode well for me.

  The two artists hung around, going to the refreshments. One offered me a Coke, but I was too nervous to drink it. I had to go in front of the cameras in a few moments, to be seen by over a billion people, and I didn’t know what to say. I really should have planned out a generic contingency speech long before even coming on the show.

  Too soon, the door opened again, and I was summoned out. I was led to Studio B and in back of some panels. I stood there for a few moments until an arm signal told me to move. As I walked behind the panels and in front of the camera array, the short man droned out instructions, but they really did not register. Across the studio, in front of another array, I could see and hear Mr. Silver. I wasn’t paying attention to his actual words until I realized he was introducing me.

  “And so, to our second contestant facing elimination, Corter Laurence!”

  My escort pointed at me, and I looked up facing one of the arrays. He furiously started to wave his arm to one side. I didn’t know what he was doing for a moment, and I stared at him in confusion until I realized I was facing the wrong camera. The green go-light on the fore-camera was to my left.

  “Shit!” I said, as I shifted my position to face the correct camera before realizing that maybe I should watch my language. I was on the air, after all. “Oh, sorry about that!” I said to the guy directing me.

  My Plea was not starting off well. I gathered myself. “OK, as you heard, I am Corter Laurence. I am a huge fan of Darwin’s Quest, and so I want to thank the producers and Mr. Silver for giving me the opportunity to be on the show. I am sorry I got killed so early. I was hoping to last longer. But I guess that T-Rex had other ideas.”

  I paused and looked around. None of the production staff even cracked a smile. Great, my lame attempt at humor had fallen flat. “Um, well, I still think I have a lot to offer to the show. I am a team player, and I have my integrity. But most of all, I am just like you. I know millions of you have applied for the show. I was just lucky enough to get selected. But I hope I can represent you all. I hope I can be your Ultimate Survivor.” I looked back up to see Mr. Silver watching me. “Uh, that’s all.”