Fiction - brigits_flame - Eternal
This is my entry for the writing activity on the brigits_flame community. Once again, I have gone insane and decided to keep up a continuous narrative for the month for as long as I'm in the competition. You don't need to read part 1 for this to make sense, but if you want the whole story then you should start with http://hwango.livejournal.com/194555.html
The topic for week #2 of September is "Eternal," for which I have written the following:
A week ago, if someone had asked Professor Viktor Flint if anything had ever tried to eat him alive, he would have replied "Of course not." This week, if someone were to ask him that same question, he would reply "Well, technically, most of them were trying to eat the entire expedition. Does that count?"
The reason for this change was that Professor Flint was one of three men who had journeyed to the island of Utopia as part of an expedition funded by the Burgton Academy for Botanical Research.
The man who had discovered and named Utopia, Sir Reginald Hatter, had a somewhat peculiar sense of humor. When journalists interviewed the other three survivors of his original crew of sixty, one of the questions that they asked each of them was what he would have called the island if he were the one who had the honor of naming it. The first answered "The Isle of Doom." The second answered "Monster Island." The third and final survivor answered "My God, They Were Everywhere," but since he did nothing but stare into the distance and mutter these words in response to any question asked of him, the general opinion was that his answer didn't count.
In addition to the multitudes of carnivorous animals and carnivorous things that may or may not be animals, Utopia was also home to an astonishing variety of plant life, only a small percentage of which was carnivorous, poisonous, explosive, and/or ambulatory. It was these less dangerous but still quite interesting plants that the Burgton Academy for Botanical Research wished to study, and so they commissioned the construction of a remarkable vehicle to transport and protect their expedition through the many hazards of the island. This vehicle was the Multi-Terrain Thermovaporous Drive Conveyance, a steam-powered vehicle that resembled a two-story locomotive with giant, gear-like wheels. It was this vehicle that had carried Professor Viktor Flint and his colleague Professor Samuel Reuben across the treacherous island for the past week, and under which the third member of the expedition, Devon Creedy, was currently hitting something with a wrench and screaming.
After a moment, the screaming and banging stopped, and the professors heard Devon shout, "I'm okay! Whatever it was, it finally let go of my leg!" Soon after that, he yelled to them again. "There's definitely something wedged next to the axel! That's what's causing that horrible grinding noise!" He had to raise his voice to make himself heard over the constant noise of the Conveyance. Devon had powered down as much of vehicle as was reasonable before crawling underneath it, but even while sitting idle the great contraption banged and hissed enough to make conversation difficult.
"What is it?" shouted back Professor Flint, though he did so mostly to be polite and not out of any real interest. He was paying only cursory attention to Devon, and most of his interest was devoted to the rather fine example of crassula lampyrinae growing at the edge of the small clearing where they had paused so Devon could inspect the underside of the vehicle.
"I'm not sure! Looks like a claw or maybe a tooth!" Devon replied. Professor Flint nodded absently and snipped off a brightly glowing leaf from the plant he was examining, letting it fall into an open specimen jar.
As he was admiring the luminescent sample, Professor Flint gradually became aware of a rumbling noise that was slowly overpowering the clamor of the Conveyance. He looked around and noticed a cloud of dust rising above the trees to the east of the clearing. The dust cloud was getting closer. Something big was headed their way.
"Devon, do you suppose we could start moving again soon? Only there seems to be something coming this way," Flint said.
"What?" Devon shouted back, "I can't hear you over the boiler!"
Professor Reuben had also noticed the approaching disturbance, and he abandoned the iridescent purple fern he had been examining and moved to stand next to Professor Flint. "Looks to be quite big, doesn't it? Another dinosaur, do you suppose?" Reuben said.
"Doesn't sound like the other dinosaurs," replied Flint. "If anything, it sounds almost like it's a… no, it couldn't be."
Devon crawled out from under the Conveyance holding a tapered, ivory-colored object about ten inches in length. "I think it's a tooth," he said.
"Good God, no," breathed Professor Flint. "It can't be."
"Um, I'm pretty sure it is," said Devon, and then he realized that Flint wasn't actually talking to him. Both Flint and Reuben were staring at the far side of the clearing where a fairly large tree was being knocked over by whatever it was that was headed towards them. Devon dropped the tooth and made a dash for the ladder that would lead him up the side of the Conveyance and give him access to either the vehicle's controls or the Gatling gun mounted on the roof, whichever turned out to be the sensible option for dealing with whatever was approaching. He paused when he realized exactly what it was that had just burst into the clearing with them. It was another Conveyance.
Actually, Devon reflected, it was much larger than their vehicle. It was longer, wider, and had two additional sets of wheels. Painted across the side, and still legible in spite of many scars and gouges in the metal surface, were the words "Shireford College of Botanical Science."
"It's the Shirefords," said Professor Flint. "Those damned jumped-up gardeners - they've sent their own expedition! They're trying to beat us to the center of the island!"
The lumbering behemoth slowed as it made its way further into the clearing and rolled to a halt a few yards from the Conveyance. After a moment, a hatch on the roof opened, and a grinning man wearing a pith helmet emerged. "I say, if it isn't old Flint and Reuben! You've made it quite far after all! You've made me lose a wager I had with Perkins!" the man shouted.
"Teiger," grumbled Professor Reuben, the name dripping with all of the venom usually reserved for words like "aphids" or "botrytis cinerea fungal infestation."
Professor Harold Teiger climbed briskly down the side of his hulking vehicle and advanced on Flint with an outstretched hand. Flint wrestled a semblance of a smile onto his face and shook Teiger's hand.
"How wonderful to see you here," Flint lied unconvincingly. Teiger nodded and smiled some more, then turned and extended his hand to Reuben, who looked at it for a moment as if it were something filthy before finally taking it and shaking it.
"Had any trouble?" Reuben asked him through clenched teeth, trying unsuccessfully to keep a hopeful tone out of his voice.
"Not at all!" Teiger answered, laughing, "Why, this place is a veritable paradise!"
"You're missing a wheel," said Devon, pointing to a piece of broken axel protruding from the side of the great metal behemoth. Teiger's smile faltered for a moment, and Flint made a mental note to recommend a bonus for Devon when they got home.
"Well, there was one tiny spot of trouble, I suppose," Teiger said. "Hardly seems worth mentioning. Besides, once it had eaten the one wheel it seemed quite unconcerned with us."
While Devon and the professors had been speaking, several other individuals had emerged from the Shireford vehicle. Flint absently noted that the Shireford expedition outnumbered their own by more than two to one. After a closer look, Flint realized that he didn't recognize anyone else in Teiger's expedition. In fact, none of them even appeared to be men of learning. The seven men lounging around the other vehicle looked more like thugs than scientists. Flint realized that Teiger hadn't brought any of his colleagues with him. He obviously wasn't looking to share the credit for any discoveries made by his expedition. All of those men and the enormous vehicle that carried them were for his benefit alone. The man's arrogance was appalling.
"I was just thinking I'd stop for a bit and have some tea, and then I happened to spot your quaint little engine," said Teiger. "Won't you join me? I have plenty of cups for guests."
Professor Reuben's hands clenched into fists as Teiger made this last statement, but he managed to keep the wooden smile from sliding off his face. "Why, that would be delightful," Reuben said.
"Indeed," said Professor Flint with an obvious lack of sincerity.
Devon noted that Teiger had neither offered to shake his hand nor look at him when he offered the tea, and so he stepped back from the group and towards the Conveyance.
"I’ll just get things ready for when you finish, then," Devon said. This earned him a hastily-concealed glare from Teiger and an eager nod from both Flint and Reuben.
Some of Teiger's men set up three folding chairs and a small table, and Teiger, Flint, and Reuben all took their seats. After a few minutes of tense and awkward silence the tea was brought out. Flint sipped his and was forced to grudgingly admit that it was excellent. Professor Reuben merely nodded his agreement, not trusting himself to speak.
"So, gentlemen," Teiger said, then paused to sip his tea. "Mm, you're right - this is excellent. Where was I? Oh, yes, I was going to say how impressed I am that you made it this far. They'll be quite proud of you back home, I imagine, when you go back and tell them that you made it nearly halfway. Bravo."
Professor Reuben shook with fury and nearly dropped his teacup. Professor Flint was a bit more restrained in his reaction, and merely gave Teiger a look that would have peeled paint.
"We plan to make it considerably farther than that, as I'm sure you very well know," Flint said, struggling to keep his voice neutral.
"Nonsense!" Teiger said. "Now that you know that I am here you must realize that the only rational thing to do is turn back. I shall reach the center of the island first, and then what will be the point of you showing up several days behind me? I admit that the place does seem rather dangerous. Something dreadful could happen to you and you might not even reach the center of the island at all." His smile widened as he said this last.
"I have every confidence that we shall -" Flint started to say, but Teiger cut him off, his false cheer suddenly absent.
"Do you know what lies waiting at the center of this island?" Teiger said.
"Of course, it's - " Flint started to answer, but Teiger interrupted him again.
"Eternal glory. That's what's waiting for me. ME. Make no mistake, gentlemen, I mean to get there first. Do yourselves a favor and turn around right now, while you still can."
"This isn't about eternal glory! This is about the advancement of science!" Flint said, even more outraged at the man's arrogance than he was at the strongly implied threat.
Teiger's smile returned, but it lacked even false warmth. "The advancement of science?" Teiger said. "Please, Professor. The promise of fame is what brought you here as surely as it did me. When I return from this journey everyone in the civilized world will know my name. I will be remembered for all time, and not just among other botanists. That is immortality. THAT is why I am here."
Professor Reuben sprang to his feet and practically threw his cup onto the table. "If you'll excuse me," he said with poorly concealed fury, "my tea seems to have turned sour. It must be something in the air." Then he set off for the Conveyance muttering under his breath the whole way.
Professor Flint also set down his cup, though with more care than Reuben had. He rose slowly from his seat. "I can see that the standards of Shireford College have lapsed even further than I had suspected. I bid you and your colleagues good day. As unseemly as it is to depart with such haste I can see that we have a great deal of ground to cover, and little time with which to do so." With that, he turned away and began walking back to the Conveyance. He heard Teiger rise from his own seat behind him.
"Devon!" Flint shouted, "Is everything ready for our departure?"
Devon stepped into view on the roof of the Conveyance and casually rested his hand on the Gatling gun. "Indeed it is, Professor," Devon said.
Flint breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't certain what depths Teiger would sink to, or how quickly he might act on his threat, but Teiger couldn't very well do anything rash while Devon was standing ready by the Gatling gun. "Excellent," Professor Flint said.
Devon waited until Flint and Reuben were aboard and could take over standing near the gun before he moved to the controls and started them moving. Professor Teiger and his crew stood silently and watched them leave.
"The nerve of the man!" Reuben said once they were moving. "'Eternal glory' indeed. It sickens me that we share the same species, let alone the same field of study."
Professor Flint nodded his agreement, but he had other concerns. "Did his men give you any trouble? Any chance they might have sabotaged us?"
Devon snorted derisively. "They wouldn't bother. They seem to think the Conveyance will fail quite on its own. A pair of them were heckling me about our vehicle being so small." Devon shook his head in disbelief. "I can't imagine trying to steer this thing at all if it were any bigger. Clearly they came a different way that we did - that monstrosity wouldn't even have fit into some of the canyons we drove through." Devon smiled suddenly. "As big as their vehicle is, though, I think it must still be quite crowded inside with eight men and Teiger's ego."
Professor Reuben laughed and clapped Devon on the shoulder. "Good man," he said.
Flint was still frowning in concern, though. "Do you think we can stay ahead of them?" he asked. "I hate to think of coming all of this way only to have Harold Teiger come swooping in at the last moment and claim his so-called 'eternal glory.'"
"Gentlemen," Devon said, "I have every confidence that the Conveyance is faster than their lumbering colossus. If I may forgo modesty for a moment, I believe that I am a better pilot than the thug that they have at their controls. Gentlemen, I mean to make sure we reach the center of this island before they do. If indeed there is any eternal glory to be had - if there is to be a name that will live forever in the world of botanical science - then I propose we do all that we can to make sure that name is not 'Harold Teiger.'"
"Well spoken, Mr. Creedy," said Professor Flint with a grin. "Onward we go!"
The topic for week #2 of September is "Eternal," for which I have written the following:
A week ago, if someone had asked Professor Viktor Flint if anything had ever tried to eat him alive, he would have replied "Of course not." This week, if someone were to ask him that same question, he would reply "Well, technically, most of them were trying to eat the entire expedition. Does that count?"
The reason for this change was that Professor Flint was one of three men who had journeyed to the island of Utopia as part of an expedition funded by the Burgton Academy for Botanical Research.
The man who had discovered and named Utopia, Sir Reginald Hatter, had a somewhat peculiar sense of humor. When journalists interviewed the other three survivors of his original crew of sixty, one of the questions that they asked each of them was what he would have called the island if he were the one who had the honor of naming it. The first answered "The Isle of Doom." The second answered "Monster Island." The third and final survivor answered "My God, They Were Everywhere," but since he did nothing but stare into the distance and mutter these words in response to any question asked of him, the general opinion was that his answer didn't count.
In addition to the multitudes of carnivorous animals and carnivorous things that may or may not be animals, Utopia was also home to an astonishing variety of plant life, only a small percentage of which was carnivorous, poisonous, explosive, and/or ambulatory. It was these less dangerous but still quite interesting plants that the Burgton Academy for Botanical Research wished to study, and so they commissioned the construction of a remarkable vehicle to transport and protect their expedition through the many hazards of the island. This vehicle was the Multi-Terrain Thermovaporous Drive Conveyance, a steam-powered vehicle that resembled a two-story locomotive with giant, gear-like wheels. It was this vehicle that had carried Professor Viktor Flint and his colleague Professor Samuel Reuben across the treacherous island for the past week, and under which the third member of the expedition, Devon Creedy, was currently hitting something with a wrench and screaming.
After a moment, the screaming and banging stopped, and the professors heard Devon shout, "I'm okay! Whatever it was, it finally let go of my leg!" Soon after that, he yelled to them again. "There's definitely something wedged next to the axel! That's what's causing that horrible grinding noise!" He had to raise his voice to make himself heard over the constant noise of the Conveyance. Devon had powered down as much of vehicle as was reasonable before crawling underneath it, but even while sitting idle the great contraption banged and hissed enough to make conversation difficult.
"What is it?" shouted back Professor Flint, though he did so mostly to be polite and not out of any real interest. He was paying only cursory attention to Devon, and most of his interest was devoted to the rather fine example of crassula lampyrinae growing at the edge of the small clearing where they had paused so Devon could inspect the underside of the vehicle.
"I'm not sure! Looks like a claw or maybe a tooth!" Devon replied. Professor Flint nodded absently and snipped off a brightly glowing leaf from the plant he was examining, letting it fall into an open specimen jar.
As he was admiring the luminescent sample, Professor Flint gradually became aware of a rumbling noise that was slowly overpowering the clamor of the Conveyance. He looked around and noticed a cloud of dust rising above the trees to the east of the clearing. The dust cloud was getting closer. Something big was headed their way.
"Devon, do you suppose we could start moving again soon? Only there seems to be something coming this way," Flint said.
"What?" Devon shouted back, "I can't hear you over the boiler!"
Professor Reuben had also noticed the approaching disturbance, and he abandoned the iridescent purple fern he had been examining and moved to stand next to Professor Flint. "Looks to be quite big, doesn't it? Another dinosaur, do you suppose?" Reuben said.
"Doesn't sound like the other dinosaurs," replied Flint. "If anything, it sounds almost like it's a… no, it couldn't be."
Devon crawled out from under the Conveyance holding a tapered, ivory-colored object about ten inches in length. "I think it's a tooth," he said.
"Good God, no," breathed Professor Flint. "It can't be."
"Um, I'm pretty sure it is," said Devon, and then he realized that Flint wasn't actually talking to him. Both Flint and Reuben were staring at the far side of the clearing where a fairly large tree was being knocked over by whatever it was that was headed towards them. Devon dropped the tooth and made a dash for the ladder that would lead him up the side of the Conveyance and give him access to either the vehicle's controls or the Gatling gun mounted on the roof, whichever turned out to be the sensible option for dealing with whatever was approaching. He paused when he realized exactly what it was that had just burst into the clearing with them. It was another Conveyance.
Actually, Devon reflected, it was much larger than their vehicle. It was longer, wider, and had two additional sets of wheels. Painted across the side, and still legible in spite of many scars and gouges in the metal surface, were the words "Shireford College of Botanical Science."
"It's the Shirefords," said Professor Flint. "Those damned jumped-up gardeners - they've sent their own expedition! They're trying to beat us to the center of the island!"
The lumbering behemoth slowed as it made its way further into the clearing and rolled to a halt a few yards from the Conveyance. After a moment, a hatch on the roof opened, and a grinning man wearing a pith helmet emerged. "I say, if it isn't old Flint and Reuben! You've made it quite far after all! You've made me lose a wager I had with Perkins!" the man shouted.
"Teiger," grumbled Professor Reuben, the name dripping with all of the venom usually reserved for words like "aphids" or "botrytis cinerea fungal infestation."
Professor Harold Teiger climbed briskly down the side of his hulking vehicle and advanced on Flint with an outstretched hand. Flint wrestled a semblance of a smile onto his face and shook Teiger's hand.
"How wonderful to see you here," Flint lied unconvincingly. Teiger nodded and smiled some more, then turned and extended his hand to Reuben, who looked at it for a moment as if it were something filthy before finally taking it and shaking it.
"Had any trouble?" Reuben asked him through clenched teeth, trying unsuccessfully to keep a hopeful tone out of his voice.
"Not at all!" Teiger answered, laughing, "Why, this place is a veritable paradise!"
"You're missing a wheel," said Devon, pointing to a piece of broken axel protruding from the side of the great metal behemoth. Teiger's smile faltered for a moment, and Flint made a mental note to recommend a bonus for Devon when they got home.
"Well, there was one tiny spot of trouble, I suppose," Teiger said. "Hardly seems worth mentioning. Besides, once it had eaten the one wheel it seemed quite unconcerned with us."
While Devon and the professors had been speaking, several other individuals had emerged from the Shireford vehicle. Flint absently noted that the Shireford expedition outnumbered their own by more than two to one. After a closer look, Flint realized that he didn't recognize anyone else in Teiger's expedition. In fact, none of them even appeared to be men of learning. The seven men lounging around the other vehicle looked more like thugs than scientists. Flint realized that Teiger hadn't brought any of his colleagues with him. He obviously wasn't looking to share the credit for any discoveries made by his expedition. All of those men and the enormous vehicle that carried them were for his benefit alone. The man's arrogance was appalling.
"I was just thinking I'd stop for a bit and have some tea, and then I happened to spot your quaint little engine," said Teiger. "Won't you join me? I have plenty of cups for guests."
Professor Reuben's hands clenched into fists as Teiger made this last statement, but he managed to keep the wooden smile from sliding off his face. "Why, that would be delightful," Reuben said.
"Indeed," said Professor Flint with an obvious lack of sincerity.
Devon noted that Teiger had neither offered to shake his hand nor look at him when he offered the tea, and so he stepped back from the group and towards the Conveyance.
"I’ll just get things ready for when you finish, then," Devon said. This earned him a hastily-concealed glare from Teiger and an eager nod from both Flint and Reuben.
Some of Teiger's men set up three folding chairs and a small table, and Teiger, Flint, and Reuben all took their seats. After a few minutes of tense and awkward silence the tea was brought out. Flint sipped his and was forced to grudgingly admit that it was excellent. Professor Reuben merely nodded his agreement, not trusting himself to speak.
"So, gentlemen," Teiger said, then paused to sip his tea. "Mm, you're right - this is excellent. Where was I? Oh, yes, I was going to say how impressed I am that you made it this far. They'll be quite proud of you back home, I imagine, when you go back and tell them that you made it nearly halfway. Bravo."
Professor Reuben shook with fury and nearly dropped his teacup. Professor Flint was a bit more restrained in his reaction, and merely gave Teiger a look that would have peeled paint.
"We plan to make it considerably farther than that, as I'm sure you very well know," Flint said, struggling to keep his voice neutral.
"Nonsense!" Teiger said. "Now that you know that I am here you must realize that the only rational thing to do is turn back. I shall reach the center of the island first, and then what will be the point of you showing up several days behind me? I admit that the place does seem rather dangerous. Something dreadful could happen to you and you might not even reach the center of the island at all." His smile widened as he said this last.
"I have every confidence that we shall -" Flint started to say, but Teiger cut him off, his false cheer suddenly absent.
"Do you know what lies waiting at the center of this island?" Teiger said.
"Of course, it's - " Flint started to answer, but Teiger interrupted him again.
"Eternal glory. That's what's waiting for me. ME. Make no mistake, gentlemen, I mean to get there first. Do yourselves a favor and turn around right now, while you still can."
"This isn't about eternal glory! This is about the advancement of science!" Flint said, even more outraged at the man's arrogance than he was at the strongly implied threat.
Teiger's smile returned, but it lacked even false warmth. "The advancement of science?" Teiger said. "Please, Professor. The promise of fame is what brought you here as surely as it did me. When I return from this journey everyone in the civilized world will know my name. I will be remembered for all time, and not just among other botanists. That is immortality. THAT is why I am here."
Professor Reuben sprang to his feet and practically threw his cup onto the table. "If you'll excuse me," he said with poorly concealed fury, "my tea seems to have turned sour. It must be something in the air." Then he set off for the Conveyance muttering under his breath the whole way.
Professor Flint also set down his cup, though with more care than Reuben had. He rose slowly from his seat. "I can see that the standards of Shireford College have lapsed even further than I had suspected. I bid you and your colleagues good day. As unseemly as it is to depart with such haste I can see that we have a great deal of ground to cover, and little time with which to do so." With that, he turned away and began walking back to the Conveyance. He heard Teiger rise from his own seat behind him.
"Devon!" Flint shouted, "Is everything ready for our departure?"
Devon stepped into view on the roof of the Conveyance and casually rested his hand on the Gatling gun. "Indeed it is, Professor," Devon said.
Flint breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't certain what depths Teiger would sink to, or how quickly he might act on his threat, but Teiger couldn't very well do anything rash while Devon was standing ready by the Gatling gun. "Excellent," Professor Flint said.
Devon waited until Flint and Reuben were aboard and could take over standing near the gun before he moved to the controls and started them moving. Professor Teiger and his crew stood silently and watched them leave.
"The nerve of the man!" Reuben said once they were moving. "'Eternal glory' indeed. It sickens me that we share the same species, let alone the same field of study."
Professor Flint nodded his agreement, but he had other concerns. "Did his men give you any trouble? Any chance they might have sabotaged us?"
Devon snorted derisively. "They wouldn't bother. They seem to think the Conveyance will fail quite on its own. A pair of them were heckling me about our vehicle being so small." Devon shook his head in disbelief. "I can't imagine trying to steer this thing at all if it were any bigger. Clearly they came a different way that we did - that monstrosity wouldn't even have fit into some of the canyons we drove through." Devon smiled suddenly. "As big as their vehicle is, though, I think it must still be quite crowded inside with eight men and Teiger's ego."
Professor Reuben laughed and clapped Devon on the shoulder. "Good man," he said.
Flint was still frowning in concern, though. "Do you think we can stay ahead of them?" he asked. "I hate to think of coming all of this way only to have Harold Teiger come swooping in at the last moment and claim his so-called 'eternal glory.'"
"Gentlemen," Devon said, "I have every confidence that the Conveyance is faster than their lumbering colossus. If I may forgo modesty for a moment, I believe that I am a better pilot than the thug that they have at their controls. Gentlemen, I mean to make sure we reach the center of this island before they do. If indeed there is any eternal glory to be had - if there is to be a name that will live forever in the world of botanical science - then I propose we do all that we can to make sure that name is not 'Harold Teiger.'"
"Well spoken, Mr. Creedy," said Professor Flint with a grin. "Onward we go!"