Primitive Man

Chapter 220: Progression

As the subarine delved deeper into the murky depths of the ocean, Ansel couldn't shake off the feeling of apprehension. "Professor Mia, is this really worth it? Are we going to find anything now that you said those rocks we saw when we arrived here might be the meteors that we were looking for?" he questioned, his voice tinged with doubt.

"I can't help but think how much of a waste it would be to use our last expendable energy to bring this submarine if it doesn't serve any purpose,"

Mia, however, remained resolute, her gaze fixed on the dark expanse outside the submarine's window. "Shut up, Ansel! I told you, if you don't want to be a part of this project, go back. This is the proper way to do it even if we perceive our goal as distant," she replied firmly, her determination unwavering.

Even though she found Ansel's presence soothing and helpful, sometimes she couldn't help but see him as a hindrance, especially when he gave his opinion on things that Mia did.

The journey had been arduous, securing the submarine from the government and mustering the energy to bring it to this remote location. Yet, Mia's curiosity and conviction drove her forward, pushing her team to their limits.

"We will find something that will satisfy the government and our country! Don't worry, we won't return without the things we need, even if it means we have to explore until we die," Mia made a remark that Ansel found worrying, but he just shrugged his shoulders knowing he had no way to go against his senior both in age and position.

Suddenly, the radar pinged, interrupting the tense atmosphere within the submarine. A smile crept onto Mia's face as she glimpsed the possibility of success. "We might have found it, we might have found something useful," she murmured excitedly.

"Lead the way! Follow the markers and let's see what we got here!" She muttered but as the submarine approached the source of the signal, their excitement turned to horror. Before them lay a scene of devastation: a massive shark, lifeless and torn, its body trapped by the monstrous coils of a colossal octopus.

Panic gripped the crew as Mia's expression hardened with determination. "We need to leave this place, now!" she commanded, her voice urgent.

Before they could react, the octopus lashed out, its tentacles thrashing against the submarine's hull. Desperate, Mia ordered her submarine operators to manoeuvre with precision, evading the creature's grasp.

Through sheer luck and skill, they managed to break free from the octopus's clutches, the submarine speeding away from the deadly encounter.

As they emerged from the depths, battered but alive, Mia knew that their journey was far from over. Despite the setback, her resolve remained unbroken, fueled by the unyielding pursuit of discovery in the vast unknown of the ocean's depths.

However, upon their arrival, the general of the army that was supporting the whole project wasn't happy that they came back without anything to prove their progress to the government.

After properly storing the now-damaged submarine for the mechanics to work on Professor Mia went to meet General Oswald, who was in charge of the military support to the project that proved to be easily the most anticipated project of the government, and also the most fatal one if they fail.

They knew things would escalate to a civil war or possibly a world war if the words about their projects spread to the world.

With all this pressure on their team, Mia walked into the meeting room where General Oswald was waiting, his expression stern and unyielding. She squared her shoulders, ready to face whatever criticism he had for her.

He had the build of a true soldier, with so many scars on his face possibly from the bullets that he had suffered in the war and a slightly torn mouth was honestly giving him a manly look that Mia couldn't help but ignore, not because she was feeling attracted but rather she felt intimidated by him.

"Professor Mia," General Oswald began, his tone clipped. "I must say, I'm rather disappointed. Your expedition returned empty-handed, and I'm not quite convinced of your capabilities for this mission. We are running out of time and before the energy of the product runs over, we should return to our country."

Mia raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk playing on her lips. "Is that so, General? And who would you have preferred for the job? Don't you think I am suitable for this?"

The general hesitated for a moment before replying, "Perhaps someone more experienced, someone who could handle unexpected situations better."

Mia chuckled softly, shaking her head. "General, with all due respect, I am the most capable person for this mission. I may not have decades of experience, but I have the passion, the knowledge, and the drive to see it through and most importantly I care about country and government or do you want another Eva?."

General Oswald's expression softened slightly, but he remained unconvinced. "Passion and knowledge can only take you so far, Professor Mia. We need results, tangible evidence of progress also you know mentioning Eva is a crime in our country now? I will ignore it for now, but please be careful."

"I know, after all, she was my colleague. If you know all that please keep supporting me and soon I will show the result," As Mia turned to leave, she clicked her tongue softly, a determined glint in her eye. "You'll see, General. You'll all see what I'm truly capable of. Just give me time."

With that, she left the room, leaving General Oswald to ponder her words.

***

As the procession of dinosaurs passed by, leaving everyone in the village huddled in their former caves, life went on for all of them showing that time wasn't going to stop for them. Gundo and the others had sought refuge in the safety of another cave system nearby, bringing with them all the supplies they could salvage from their hurried escape.

"We might have to begin hunting soon, or we might run out of food!" Unami muttered showing that she was indeed someone who could take after Garnt with everyone helping her.

Inside the cave, amidst the flickering light of the fire that they made sure wouldn't be toxic for them, Gundo was busy organizing their meagre belongings while Alva kept a watchful eye on the entrance, her bow at the ready despite her harship.

Gundo looked around at their makeshift shelter that was not even enough for all the villagers, a frown creasing his brow. "We can't stay here forever," she murmured, more to herself than to anyone else. "We need to find a way out of this mess."

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Alva nodded in agreement, her gaze never leaving the entrance. "We'll have to be cautious," she warned, her voice low and steady. "There's no telling what dangers lie beyond this forest now that these creatures have returned."

Gundo might have gone back to Garnt and hoped that he was safe. She knew he was not the type of person to die in vain, but as a mother, she was still worried.

Just then, a rustling sound caught their attention, and they turned to see Rona, Garnt, and Ganna emerging from the darkness of the cave entrance looking exhausted, as if they were being chased by something.

Gundo's eyes widened in surprise, her mouth opening in disbelief. "You guys made it back!" she exclaimed, rushing forward to greet them.

Rona smiled wearily, her arms still wrapped around Garnt and Ganna for support. "We had a little adventure," she quipped her tone light despite the exhaustion etched on her face. "A group of wolves chased us, but I think we managed to shake them off. I'm glad we were able to find you guys even though it was by pure luck,"

Gundo's gaze shifted to Garnt, concern evident in her eyes. "What happened to you, darling?" she asked, noting the worn expression on Garnt's face.

Garnt shook his head, his exhaustion was evident in every movement. "I'll explain later, mother," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Right now, we need to focus on finding a way out of here."

Alva stepped forward, her expression serious. "We'll need to be cautious," she warned, her gaze flickering between the villagers and the cavern entrance. "There's no telling what dangers we are going to experience now that dinosaurs invaded this land."

Gundo then had a sudden reminder about their village, and for a moment she thought about going back to it until she heard Garnt telling her about the bad news that they had to share with the whole group.

"The village! It is..." Garnt paused for a moment, as he looked at Rona's bitter look and decided to share the bad new with everyone. "Our village is gone, it is compelety destroyed by the dinosaurs that passed through the place, but I think we could probably collect some items we need if we explore the ruins."

"Honestly, now that those creatures have come to this land and are living on it, I don't think it is safe for us to stay in one place. I think we should keep moving until we figure out something we could do to stop them."

Gundo wasn't surprised by what Garnt told her, but at the same time, she knew Garnt was plotting something devious, as he sounded way more calm and confident rather than sad.

"What are you going to do, Garnt?" Hearing her question, everyone looked at Garnt as if they were expecting something from him, and without betraying their expectations, Garnt came up with a solution that sounded insane to all of them.

"We are going to steal! We are going to become real bandits now that we are cornered like this,"