{You'll have to excuse the abbreviation, and lack of some
punctuation. The narrator had about 100 laminated index cards,
bound together with a spiral wire. She progressively leaves out
unecisary things to save space, and pencil. At some point, she
fits more on the page by writing smaller.
ASSTR automatically double spaces, and indents paragraphs with
three spaces. The fictional original is scrawled in cursive,
only a break in the line to dot the Ts, and cross the Is, ( .)(. )
and a horizontal line to separate paragraphs. [Represents the
start of the page, and there's another on the end.] And Oh, yeah.
TR stands for Tentacle Rape}
_________________________________________________________________
Joan {F Solo TR}
"Yeah Phil?" I turn to the dock, or Doc, I guess, just nice to
come on this trip.
"Take the filter, and see if any of the cisterns have water."
"Okay!" I hop out, it's not heavy, or bulky, or anything, so I
take my sample kit just in case I see anything interesting.
Let's see, cisterns, something to hold water, like this big jug
thing buried just up the slope. "Hmn," I think that's some,
under all the leaves, "There's a little in here!" it's green.
"Hh," he runs up, "We need enough to drink it for the
excavation," he patted my shoulder, "Whoah," held me back, "Try
not to fall in, eh?"
"Ihin!" let my hat down to shade my face, it's the dry season,
which means hot. "Why'd we come in the dry season again?"
"Hh," he turns to look back up, "The wildlife is less, Intense."
he turns back, "You be careful, now."
"It's okay," I took a survival class, okay it was in the rockies
but I stayed two weeks out there by myself, I think I can find
some water. I mean, there's the river, but he says the current
"Complicates" filtering water from it. "Oh," there's another
one! There all over the place, higher would be better so we
don't have to carry it all the way up, but that's why there's
three of us.
"Hh," lower, but still above the water, this one's got more trees
around it, to shade it so it doesn't evaporate. Kshshshsh! only
about, 20 feet above the water? I didn't bring a hose, but it's
too dark to see down there. Maybe if I come around here, there's
more light on this side, no, that just makes it darker. Maybe to
the darker side.
KSHSHSHSH! Oh yeah, I lean up, and reach for my vest. Now which
one, oh yeah, right chest pocket, the strap shifts on my shoulder.
"Whoa," the kit, sliding back from my side, "WHOAHAIE,"
kshSHGRHLBDPT!
Phil {MF NS}
"Hey dear?" I look down.
"Yes sweety?" she stands up, takes off her hat, and wipes her
forehead.
"Why don'tcha see what's keeping Joan?"
"Hh," she drops the pitchfork, and I watch her climb down.
Pretty even with her hair stuck to her face, it's hard work, but
she can do it, never even complains, says she loves it. I glance
down, shift the ring back to the tan line, and turn back to work.
Another lithoglyph, pictographic, it looks like some south
American tribe, but not Azteq, Inca, Tolteq, or any other set I
have seen before. CHNG! the fronds fall, letting a little more
light shine on it. Much like the lower ones, a man, tribal
features, but instead of passing a gourd, he has two, carrying
them on either side.
Rub away some of the clinging growth, where's the Botany Student?
Lichen? I see, lines, carved out in twists, like rope, or vine,
a harness to carry twice as much water, up. The second level, I
guess, these switchbacks are for carrying water, up, got that.
Another cistern, empty, another turn, another ramp to clear. "Hh,"
I pick up the machete', and set to work.
I guess that was the fun part, a bit anticlimactic after spending
the rest of the morning hacking up to it. I don't know, if they
passed gourds up to here for carriers to continue on, suggesting
a hierarchy, or if it depicts their advancement as a culture? No
difference in dress, a loincloth of folded material, fabric, or
these big fucking saw edged leaves, the tough fibers in them.
Not much detail to them, more to the gourds, always held up,
presented, visible, central in the overall image. Simple clothes,
barely lined in, vague features, less important than the water
being carried, or even the gourd full of it. Slave labor?
Possibly.
"No sign of her," she called up from the lithoglyph, marking
another dry cistern.
"Hh," I sank the blade into the nearest trunk strong enough to
hold it, and wound down the new trail. "Take a turn," she's
busy looking at it, I take the bottle from her almost limp hand.
"KHAH!" water, I pull out my hanky, and wipe my brow. "I'll look
for her."
Can't have gone far, I keep an eye out for her on my way down the
ramp. Look back, the first petroglyph, is it more weathered, or
rougher? What's the flood level here, no, even the features,
figure, and cloth are less definite, but not the gourd. Possibly
even older, down here, as they were building the ramp, and cistern
system. All earth, weathered to slopes, held together by the
encroaching jungle.
The pyramid up there, so overgrown you can make out the shape,
tall, but truncated. It could be as simple a message as "It takes
a lot of water to make such a temple."
Shake my head, raise my hands to my mouth, "JOAN!"
Joan {F Solo TR Bond Asph Anal}
[I found this log-book in the sample kit, it will do for a jou-
rnal. I wound up in the river. I'm not sure how long, or how
fast the water is, so can't really guestimate how far it took me.
Down stream, obviously, I guess the first thing is to take stock.
_________________________________________________________________
The flashlight that I over balanced looking for is ruined,
along with the rest of the electronics. My radio, phone, GPS
navigator, everything, but I have the water to follow, so I'll
head upstream. The kit floated, caught on a branch, and held
long enough for me to climb to the surface, over the branch,
which turned out to be an undermined root, and at last on
the bank.]
[Let's see, test tubes, small microscope, glass slides, zipper
bags, eye-droppers, scissors should be handy, cotton swabs, forc-
eps, gloves, and some documentation, including this notepad. Nice
plastic, or laminated pages, grease pencils for it, and the labels
on the bags. Label stickers too, no telling what'll be useful.
_________________________________________________________________
Priority is fire, for heat, to dry off, light, and smoke to
potentially attract rescue, my Spanish is pretty rusty. The
labels are on waxed paper backing, nice, but no dry timber around]
[Okay,I found a dead limb hanging off a tree, but here's the
bad news. I broke my knife trying to split it. I bounced on it
till it broke, and it started splitting, so I tried to split it
some more, and I whacked the back like they showed me in survival
school, but the little pin broke, and it came right off the handle
_________________________________________________________________
I got a fire going, anyway. My smokes are ruined, but the
lighter dried out and my clothes are starting to. I hung them up
so nobody can see me, curled up naked on the side of the river,
but if they come, I'll probably do jumping jacks to get there
attention. I'm not cold, but I'mhungry.]
[Half drowned, I swallowed a lot of water, but I'm not hurt.
I hope there's no viruses, bacteria, or parasites in it. I got a
lot of shots, but who knows if they got everything? There's stuf
no white person ever seen out this far.
_________________________________________________________________
Gear list:
_________________________________________________________________
____________
Clothes: I lost my hat in the water, shirt, tee shirt, bra,
pants zip of into shorts, panties, socks, boots, photojournalists
vest, and a poncho. It has a snap out flap for putting over your
backpack, but I think it's long enough to cover me, laying down.
No backpack, though.]
[Tools: The multi-tool has a knife on it, no serrations, but
I still have the blade from the broken folder. The multi-tool
also has pliars, a file/saw blade, ruler, can opener is kind of
another claw like blade, flat screwdriver I guess I can take
apart the electronics, see if I can dry the radio out. Blunt
tip bandage scissors, 4" (overall) Hemostat forceps, Bic
cigarette lighter, Folded 5 gallon water jug, and filter pump,
1' hose. Don't have to worry about water if I have strength to
pump it, but 5 gallons is about 8x5, sovforty pounds to carry,
so I guess I won't fill it all the way. No food, I HAVE to
figure that out quick. It's getting dark, and I don't got much
paper, so I guess Ill camp tonite, and head up stream tomorrow]
[So, the Pancho worked, and I managed to pump about a gallon
before the filter clogged. Now I remember why he said you cant
pump from the river, if you put the tube upstream, it overloads
the filter, and it locks up. The instructions were ruined, but
I can take it apart, and dry it out later.
_________________________________________________________________
I got to tired, and pretty much passed out. It rained, woke
me up, so I couldn't sleep with it falling on my pancho. I riged
it good, though, with a stick between two trees, my shoe laces,
and the drawstring that come with it, some sticks for stakes. I
barely fit under it, but it's warm, and dry, and I got what I
could in the waterproof kit staked down by the strap.]
[I guess I fell back asleep, because it wasn't raining when I
woke back up. The fire was washed out, and it was chilly, but to
dark to find more wood, and tinder, so I huddled under the pancho
until it got light again. While I was out braking off dead bran-
ches, I got a pretty straight one, and it split when it broke.
Phil said there was Pumas seen around here this season, but no
jaguars. The thing is, they're ambush predators like leopards,
they're good at not being seen, that's what they do. Anyway, I
figured out how to clamp the broken blade in the split branch,
and there's lots of vines around, so now I'm figuring out how
to lash it tight. I got all these labels too, to stick it with,
and if I tye the split vine fibers on tight it should hold.]
[For one stab anyway, it's not real strong, but better than
nothing. So, I packed everything up, and hiked up stream as far
as I can. Keep the river in site, but it's not always possible
to stay on the bank all the time, so I really wish I had a
machete. I tried the spear but it's to hard to hit with the
little blade, so I had to stop, and fix it. It's good enough
to push it all out of the way, anyway.
_________________________________________________________________
I hiked up some more, and found some fruit I can eat. I have
to be careful but it looked, and tasted more like Mangos than
anything I know to be poisonous, and I was so hungry. It gave me
energy too, so I just kept hiking.]
[I stopped to write now because I think I might be there. I
mean, there is a ramp, like the one we landed on, but on the
other side of the temple I can kind of make out above.
_________________________________________________________________
It's real overgrown, though, so if it's the same temple, or
complex, it will take a while to climb up. I could walk around
to see if I find the cleared ramp but it's jungle either way.
Even if it is a different one, climbing up should put me above
the canopy, where I can get my bearings, and maybe signal for
rescue. Right now I'm taking a break to pump more water, it
dried out itself, or the pressure went down.]
[Oh yeah, the cistern closest to the river is full too. Not
to the top, but I can lay down, and the tube is long enough to
reach. It's hard though, so I have to take breaks like this.
_________________________________________________________________
Its a long hard hot climb I have to take another break. My
arms are more tired than my legs from lifting stuff and pushing
it out of the way and its so hot. I found a compass in the vest,
it's stuck in the whistle. I guess I'm on the South East corner,
the river is below me to the south, and flows past from W to E.
Remember to conserve paper, use abbr.]
[This cistern isnt as full I cant reach the water but I got
most of the 5 gallon left. Its heavy but getting softer and if
I squeeze the air out it won't slosh when I move. It's not walk-
ing, I get a few steps in a minute, but like climbing worming my
way through the plants which rule here by the way. I sawed off
the spear it's still handy but too long in there.
_________________________________________________________________
Lots of shade Im not hot sitting here better get back to it.
Wait a minute the rock Im sitting on is kind of like an alter. Im
not into this kind of thing but its kind of what brought me out
here so I wipe away the brown fungal growth. A guy, I guess, no
breasts, holding up a stick. Wearing some kind of skirt, sandals,
nothing else, long hair.]
[Real crude, not like sign Peds, or restroom people, but their
cloths look more detailed than them. And clay jars, hanging from
the stick apparently, I can tell by the detail, the lip. The
other one is sideways, pouring real detailed water off the side of
the rock.
_________________________________________________________________
"Hm," I really said it. The choked ditch turned out to be a
stone worn to a trough running back to another stone. Close
fitted with the same half pipe worn in it curves over down into
the cistern. "Pour water here." So I guess it is that kind of
sign.]
[Light shining down through the leaves reflecting green from
the water. Theres still clay sticking to the sides fossilized
straw ends sticking out. Well enough playing Indianna Jane, or
Lara Croft, I guess it's a pyramid, right? Put this away for now
and keep climbing.
_________________________________________________________________
Okay, I made it up the next ramp, to the top of the platau, or
Motte, or whatever. At the base of the pyramid, it's not like the
Egyptian ones, but much steeper on the sides, and there's another
cistern. Around the other side, the ramps seem to go up one side,
around the corner, and up another.]
[So, progress is like a spiral op around the base of the hill,
which is long, and flat on top, like a soccer feild with a low
wall around it. The Ancient equivalent of a castle, defensive,
making a long steep slope for any attacker to climb, through
sling stones, and arrows, or whatever they used.
_________________________________________________________________
More stone carvings, almost completely covered in growth, but
I can sit, and clear some while I'm taking notes. Another cist-
ern, the biggest one yet between the base of the high, steep
steps which are too overgrown to climb safely. Right now, I'm
clearing off the marker stone, like the "Pour water here" sign
below.]
[This one is another guy, but dressed more, some kind of top,
hands high, over his headdress, holding a real detailed pot.
Like a priest, I guess, hes blessing the water, or something.
I kind of wish I payed more attention to Phil's lectures on Latin
American cultures, and religions.
_________________________________________________________________
Just have to find him and his wife what's her name? Its
shadey up here, and not so hot, with all the trees taking over
the plaza. The relentless invaders nature taking her jungle back
Best bet is still to reach the top so clear off these steps and
keep climbing.]
[More carvings up the stone stairs. Just clearing enough for
my feet I had thought they were water worshipers here's the river
but now this snake thing all over the temple looks like. It's
weird cause there's no scales, or anything, just lines, hollowed
smooth between, no ends, or head, so I'm not sure it's a snake,
but they have Giant pythons here, like the Anaconda.
_________________________________________________________________
I don't know these cultures, but think a second. I think with
their water worship it may be symbolic of the river. Impossibly
rising up to wrap around their enemies other Indians with weird
head dresses look like sideways horns. Strangling them and
flowing down their throats weird. Are those swords and guns?]
[I got distracted by the carvings and clearing steps but I
found a strange plant. At least I think it's a plant but its
weird unlike anything Ive seen, or read about. Okay try to be at
least somewhat scientific about this. If it truly is a new specie
it needs to be documented properly.
_________________________________________________________________
First seen growing out of a lower cistern. The one on the
plaza I mistook it for some sort of vine, climbing out of the low
brackish green water and up the trunks of nearby trees. And the
temple I made it far up the steps before I had to cut one away.]
[I guess I got a little hot, and distracted. I thought
archeology was bo-ring but actually being here and uncovering signs
of an ancient culture possibly one unknown to modern society. I'm
a botanist, and I almost missed an unheard of kind of plant!
_________________________________________________________________
I think. Kind of rubbery and translucent green I picked it up
on the head of my spear and sawed through it with the serrations.
It kind of snapped wetly and water came out. What caught my att-
ention was the water up here with all the cultural references.
Water worship in the middle of the jungle, I thought that was a
desert thing? I never heard about it before.]
[Okay when I get out of here I can switch majors but for now
I'm a botanist. Snip off a sample with the handy scissors but
its tough and I have to work the jaws. Clamped in a slide set
I slip it in the end of the field scope. I have to hold it up to
the light cause this one doesnt have a stand much less a mirror.
_________________________________________________________________
No not a plant. The large flat cells more like green algae in
a colony, like Kelp and other seaweed. Are there other kinds on
land? Not my phylum, but they talked about it somewhat right?
_________________________________________________________________
Let me think right, 'Proto-plants', its thought that early in the
migration to land aquatic life forms had to go through transition
species.]
[So not new then. Possibly very old Post-Cambrian but not much
What came after Cambrian? Evolved since then anyway freshwater.
The first niche from the sea would come up the brackish deltas and
eventually inland. The way the water just squirts out when cut
this thing probably just doesnt fossilize.
_________________________________________________________________
I think I fell asleep because I woke up in the dark. It was
raining again I thought this was the dry season? " that's odd, I
ment to say "weird" but I didn't make a sound. I must have caught
something my throat hurts and seems swollen but I can breathe. I
just cant make a sound with my throat to talk.]
[No medical supplies really. I'm not a doctor but Botany star-
ts with Bio, but theres no needle for a blood sample. It's a risk
but I cut my left thumb and squeezed some blood out to clamp betw-
een slides.
_________________________________________________________________
A waste and possible contagion vector it looks like blood. Not
a lot of magnification 25x I can't see the little red blood cells
except as spots wiggling with Brownian motion. Still blood hot
even at night I just got the pancho over me and I better conserve
fuel in my lighter.]
[I had this weird dream. I cut one of the algae vines and it
flattened from the water falling out but it detached from the tree
and fell on me. I guess I was scared because it turned into a
nitemare. It tightened like a python and crushed the breath out of
me.
_________________________________________________________________
Okay, I played with myself last night. It was so hard to fall
back asleep and I was thinking about Phil but hes married. Im no
virgin but the only boyfriend I ever had was another nerd. Young
and inexperienced we kind of studied Bio together. Phils grownup
though and a Archaologist.]
[Not like Indianna Jones at all any more than his wife is like
Lara Croft, hes nerdy but in good shape from hiking out to the
ends of the Earth and hacking temples out of the jungle I guess.
_________________________________________________________________
Anyway the nightmare turned, sexual. Its gross but I guess
tells you something about my state of mind. I guess it rains
at night in the dry season but every night. The air cools so it
condenses and precipitates.
_________________________________________________________________
Oh yeah the nitemare. It constricted me and squeezed out my
breath but I guess fripping off made me dream of its ends slipp-
ing into my clothes like my hands last night. It was tight on my
chest outside and in my tee shirt.]
[It seemed so real. My throat is still tight and I cant swal-
low. It does not hurt but feels like trying to push something
down into my chest from my throat. The chrychoid divit is bulged
out between the processes of my clavicles.
_________________________________________________________________
Maybe thats why I imagined. Okay back up it didnt worm in
down my throat but the end down my pants squirmed between my legs
and I couldnt reach to stop it or my knives to cut it. Probably
would have killed myself with the spear and the little blade in
the multitool takes both hands and a long time to get out.]
[I crawled in me bulging and pushing it down to roll more of
its lenth in. Disgusting I screamed out what little breath I had
left but it squeezed even tighter so I couldn't even gasp. The
other end slipped down behind me and in between my glutei. It
pried them open and crawled disgustingly inside me. It had to be
tens of feet long but soft and flexible like an earthworm but W/
out the segmented body. More and more of it squirmed in and I
felt it crawling up my colon. Up and around my viscera I felt
every inch of my intestines and it must have taken forever. It
seemed to swim through my stomach and up my esophagus to my thro-
at. I choked and it relaxed enough to gasp because there wasnt
enough outside to constrict my chest and hold my limbs.]
[I gagged and screamed but it turned down. Forcing my open
epiglottis back my scream was choked off to a gurgle. Almost
free now but paralyzed by terror and pain I couldnt breathe again
but now it was from blockage of my wind pipe. Instead of crushing
outside it bulged and squirmed inside me and bulged through my
intestines. I felt it crawl down my brachial tubicles and the
last of the other end slip out of my vagina.
_________________________________________________________________
Thats all I remember but then I woke up and its light and dry
so I wrote it down quick before I forget. Still a little chilly
I shiver and rub my legs before I get up and pull my pants on.]
[I checked no sign of what happened in the nitemare so I guess
thats what it was. I see the tree where the parasite was suposed
to be but even the cut end is gone and theres no sign of attachm-
ent to the host plant's trunk. A parasite vine has to tap into
the host or its just a climber but theres no known parasite which
uses both floral and faunal hosts.
_________________________________________________________________
I'm just lost. Sleep food and social interaction deprived it
must be just messing with my head. Just my dreams so far but Id
better get rescued quick before I descend into delerium.
_________________________________________________________________
Phil {MF NS}
{I'm serious, for the rest of the story, that's it. If you're
here for a quick dirty jerk, try Babysitter. If you want to find
out what the hell is going on here, you'll have to check back. I
-ll have to finish this later, until then, Hi ho, hi ho!..
(C) Walt Disney.}