MENTAL ESSENCE
PAGE 47
     "I wonder if other planets had Dino's and primates living at the same time?" asked Trent.
    "Don't you have access to most data banks?" replied Semma.
    "Yes.  Most data banks have insufficient information on historical events.  If you are looking for something that occurred prior to electronic storage, you find very little," said Trent.
    About noon they reached the Platform 5 without sighting a Landous Barbolous.
    ''Those are the Diggers," Ott said pointing to landscape of holes.
    "And these are interesting why?" asked Emmer.
    "Watch," stated Ott.
    They group stood staring at the holes.
    "OK.  This is fun, but I think I'd prefer the Landous Barbolous," Hiret said in a straight forward voice.
    A few moments later, the earth shock shake with the approach of several large Dino's.
    "Oh, look.  Their going to break their legs running through those holes," Cree shouted.
    Then several medium sized herbivores were screaming in agony, having suffered broken legs.
    "Oh no," shouted MB, "Look at that."
    Plodding along, a Landous Barbolous emerged through the dust cloud raised by the hapless creatures now at its mercy.  It grabbed the youngest one, and drug it into the jungle.
    "Beats trying to take down an animal that can fight back," Hirest said.
    "Now for the good part," Ott said with a snicker.
    The other two Dino's were still anguishing when all of a sudden hundreds of Diggers came streaming out of their holes, and swarmed over them.  In a mater of only a few minutes, there was not even a bone left to mark the spot where they had fallen.
    "Landous Barbolous and the Diggers have a mutually beneficial relationship," said Ott.
    "Wow.  Are there many symbiotic relationships such this?" asked MB.
    "Sure.  In almost every species, you'll find a complex series of relationships.  Just like you and me," Ott said.
    "That Landous Barbolous looked like it could take down any pray.  Why herd them into these holes?" asked Cree.
    "They don't all use this hunting method.  This seems to be a simple learned behavior, and a very interesting one," Ott replied.
    An hour later, they found their primates.
    "Look!  Theres one with a baby," proclaimed Hirest.
    "It looks real, similar to critters most modern planets.  Maybe a little more primitive, but not much," Emmer stated.
    "In the valley on the other side of that ridge line, there are some bipeds," Ott shouted from a ways up the trail.
    After checking out a few marsupial types, they put on the protective suits, and headed for the bipeds.
    "If I see this suit coming at me, I'd be half way around the planet in a heartbeat," said Emmer referring the scary look of the attire.
    The group walked around for a few hours, hiding in preset blinds as they went.
    "Stop!" Cree said in a stained hushed voice.
    The group trained their attentions in the direction Cree was focused.
    "I see,em," said Hiret.
    "Where?  I don't see a thing," MB said.
    "In the shade," uttered Cree.
    As they look on, several two-foot tall black and gray creatures walked a crossed a fallen tree.  They were pushing, grabbing, and rolling around.
    "They are walking upright.  I can't hear anything though," Semma said in a soft voice.
    "A Dino's going to get them if they hang around in the open like that," said Emmer.
    "Not many Dino's around here.  The mammals eat the eggs," Ott said.
    "I can see a definite likeness to us," said Cree.
    "I don't." said Emmer with a chuckle.
    "They don't know how lucky they are," said Semma with laugh.
    After another couple of hours in the bio-suits, they decided to head back to camp and eat some bipeds.
    "I thought they would be more like us," stated Hiret.
    "Wait about seven million years," said MB.
    "OK.  I will," replied Hiret.
    Ventan was waiting for them when they arrived at the camp.
    "Greetings.  Some friends of mine have a dig with five hundred-billion-year-old artifacts in it you might be interested in," Ventan said.
    "Where are they?" asked Cree.
    "Here are the coordinates to my place on Omimon.  When you get the change, come on by, and I will take you there and introduce you," Ventan said, as he handed Cree a card with his info.  He turned and walked back to his cabin.
    "Five hundred-billion-year-old artifacts.  Could be interesting," MB said turning her head to thoughtful position.
    "That creepy feeling, I get when he comes around isn't going away," said Cree rubbing her arms.
    "Can't hurt to find out if those artifacts are around here, or closer to our part of the formation," said Emmer.
    "With luck, I be able to prove we are not the same species." Semma quipped.
"Probably a rock," said Cree.
    "Well, I need a dino break.  I know I'm not getting back into that bio-suit," said Emmer.
    "I'll ask him what might be the best time for him," said Hiret as he walked in the direction of Ventans area.
    A few minutes later Hiret came back.
    "He's already left.  I'll try the link," Hiret said with a sigh.
    They set around the camp fire listening to the low grumbles from one of the large carnivores just out of sight in jungle.
    "Ya know, I'm glad I don't have to live here.  I would turn into a neurotic mess in a year to two," said MB.