Carylon IV

Article by R. K. Wigal

Chance and Brack awoke to a spectacular sight, a sight rare even for the California desert. The sun was only just peeking over the hills to the east. Rays tapering outward from the sun shone through a veritable ocean of greatly billowed clouds in a near perfect fan, with nearly every cloud outlined in silver. The sky was ablaze with the most vivid lavenders, reds, oranges and golds, looking like a freshly painted Delacroix. Neither man said a word for several minutes; both were transfixed. Chance finally spoke.

 "I never fail to be awed by Dame Nature's manifestations. Be it a sunrise such as this one, or the great blazing sea of stars on a moonless night in the wilderness, I can't help but be touched to the core by their awesome beauty and absolute wonder. She's a very humbling lady."

I can't argue with that," Brack said quietly, "and the timing of this sunrise seems like a good omen. At the very least, it's a great start to the day. Saddle up! We're going for a ride...off planet!"

"Any place in particular?"

"You'll have to wait and see," Brack taunted.

Gear and supplies were stowed. Shiloh and Cassiopeia were accommodated rather nicely in their own adjoining, stall-like compartments.

"Near as I can tell, everything's packed," Chance said as he took a last look around.

"Then it's off we go," Brack announced buoyantly.

The little space craft was well outside the Earth's atmosphere in a matter of minutes, yet there was no sensation of motion. Chance Munro occupied himself peering out a view port. Watching the Earth recede filled him with even more awe than the sunrise did earlier. "Amazing," he muttered to himself.

"Prepare yourself, my friend. You're about to see things that no inhabitant of Earth has ever seen, or will ever see for generations to come." Brack, the traveler, was in his element. "Next stop: Carylon IV!"

* * * * *

The fourth planet from the star, Carylon, looked pretty much like Earth. The continents were smaller, making the oceans larger. The polar ice caps were somewhat smaller than those on Earth. "Does this planet have a name?"

"I'll tell you after we land." Brack remained circumspect. "I can tell you this," he said with a grin, "You won’t need a jacket.”

Brack set the ship down in a fenced in clearing on a small equatorial continent. Chance was first out, then Brack. The heat and humidity were oppressive; like nothing Chance had ever experienced.

“Are you all right,” Brack asked.

"This soupy air'll take some getting used to, but it's nothing I can't handle."

"Good. Come with me.”

They climbed the steps up to a wooden tower. Brack looked through a pair of binoculars for a few seconds, then handed them to Chance. "Tell me what you see."

Chance was silent for several minutes. Then, "Oh my," he said softly. "Is that some sort of dinosaur? I've seen a few sketches in a science book, but I never would've believed..." Incred-ulous, he was looking at a biped similar to Tyranosaurus Rex.

"Yes. It's called a megalosaur. This continent is called Saur-asia. This planet is a sanctuary for animals from many worlds, including Earth, where they once thrived but are now extinct. Chance Munro, welcome to Menagerie!"