Far Pangaea

Jack Ramse awoke to pain. Better yet pure agony.

The plane had split into sections that dangled together by metal framing. He noticed that much as he realized his predicament. Looking to his right he saw fellow Colonel Ruby Goddard bloody and battered sloped over by her seat belt. In her lap was something he never imagined. His own arm. His own severed arm.

The windows glass must have shattered and his instinct was to protect Ruby. In doing so the velocity cleaved his right arm off at the upper bicep. He was bleeding profusely, yet not as rapidly as predicted. Time was out of synch. He ignored his pain and ripped his way from his seat belt. Left arm fluent enough to aid him in tearing open his military issue shirt enough to use it as a bandage. His belt left his slacks to use as a tourniquet.

Ruby groaned and regained consciousness slowly. In her stupor she moved her arms and held her forehead. Her other arm found Jack's arm in her lap. This made her jump.

"Holy shit!" She realized it was Jack's and looked over at him. He was weak but awake.

"I'd salute you if you sew it back on." He growled.

"Christ, Jack. You keep it together even losing a limb. I think I'm in love."

"Check for survivors. It's pretty quiet."

"James Ian." She unbuckles herself laying Jack's arm on his lap.

As soon as she stood her unstable balance dropped her to the debris in the hall. Her ankle had been pinned and was now twisted. Crawling forth she heard the whimpers of James Ian's dog Xander.

"Xander? You okay boy?" She ushered hoarsely.

"He's fine. So am I." James finds his seat fallen back with his legs in the air.

"Give me a second. I'll get you unbuckled." Ruby pulls herself up by fallen seats with dead bodies attached. The sight wrenched her gut yet she pressed onward.

Reaching James she unhooks him and does her best to get him to his feet. Once balanced James holds Ruby up.

"See if you can help Jack. He lost an arm. Keep him from bleeding to death. We need him."

"I'm on it. Medical kit's probably by the bathroom behind your seats." He limps away.

Ruby surveys the planes interior in two pieces and creaking. Fresh air swept through energizing her awareness.

"IS ANYONE ELSE ALIVE?" She yells.

Groans were heard from several sections giving her hope to pursue. Four seats further up she found Sargent Malcolm Brand holding a reviving companion next to him.

"Life threatening wounds?" Ruby worries.

"Cuts and abrasions but we're okay. Not sure how though." Malcolm hissed.

"Okay. Sargent, I need help finding survivors. Once you and Lieutenant Franklin get your bearings. She's a medic. I need her to help James with Colonel Ramse. He lost an arm."

"Damn!" Malcolm shivers then pats Elle Franklin on the cheek, "Get it together Elle. You're on duty."

"I'm on it Malcolm. Just help me up." The lovely black beauty shook it off.

Ruby felt woozy, "We probably all have concussions."

Behind her Malcolm broke away from his seat and joined Ruby in her search. He froze at the sound of crying.

"Mom? Mom wake up." They heard as they reach a pile of overturned seats that rattled loose.

"Miss Ridge? Sophia." Ruby slides down to the girls side and unlatches her seat belt.

Malcolm checks the pulse of the girl's mother then grimaces toward Ruby.

"Sophia? I need you to get a grip. Your Mother is dead."

With a haunted expression Sophia passes out on Ruby.

Gritting her teeth Ruby looks to Malcolm, "Keep looking. Head for the cockpit."

"Right." Malcolm nods sealing the eyes of Madigan Ridge.

In the process of moving forward to the door of the cockpit Malcolm hears a gut wrenching scream. Rushing it he pries the door open to discover Pilot Cameron Scott battling for his life. Escaping his restraints made it hard to fight.

Malcolm see's a terrifying sight. A pterodactyl was trying to snatch through the cockpit windows what he decided was dinner.

"Little help here, Buddy." Cameron Scott snaps while avoiding snipping jaws that struggled to widen due to the structure of the planes window frame.

Thinking quickly Malcolm snatches a fire extinguisher and primes it to blast a cold spray of nitrogen directly into the eyes of the bird. At least as best as he could. It was enough to irritate the beast into backing away and leaping to the roof of the plane. They could hear it walking on the hull.

"Fuck! The planes in two sections, barely held together. If it enters the rupture it's a feeding frenzy."

"Go. I think Wayne and Phil are dead. I'll make sure and join you out there. Don't use anything that creates fire. I smell fuel."

"Right! Bare knuckle bird watching. I'm on it."

Cameron pulls himself free and checks on his friends. Deciding hope was lost he shakes his head and moves out into the cabin.

Ruby had carried Sophia back toward the tail section seating, joining Elle and James as they injected Jack with morphine to calm his pain.

Elle glares hopelessly, "We clamped his arteries to keep him from bleeding out. I have no way to save his arm. We don't have any way to keep it cold."

Ruby peers around, then outside. She see's mountain tops with snow on them in the distance. Too far away though.

"Check to see if the fridge units have any ice. Temporary at best until they melt."

She hears the flapping of wings and turns to spot Malcolm leaving the cockpit.

Malcolm yells out, "Get covered up. Big Bird. Very BIG."

Ruby positions Sophia into the arms of James in an awkward moment. Her youthful chest was directly in his face.

Behind Ruby, Xander began barking at the ceiling.

"Quiet Boy. Let's not get his attention." She clamps the dogs jaws shut while leering at the ceiling.

Malcolm found a long section of shard metal and managed to break it into a thin spear. He was improvising.

As the pterodactyl found it's opening it lunged inside to look about. The sight froze even the steely Ruby Goddard. In her second of shock her adrenalin pumped and she released Xander in favor of a weapon. By doing so Xander lunged toward the opening and ran outside. The bird followed the dog who darted about in the sand below.

"XANDER!" cried James who dumped the awakening Sophia on to Elle so he could race to his pet's safety.

Ruby chanced that Malcolm and the approaching Cameron could hold it off long enough to head beyond the tail section down into the cargo hold. There she found crates of guns and grenades. Arming herself with enough for herself and two others she darts back up topside.

Cameron was holding James back while Malcolm took the risk of jumping from the plane into the rocks below. He snatched up large rocks and belted them at the birds head. It's wingspan whipped the air around him. Luckily Xander's rapid movements distracted the bird enough to become disoriented.

Reaching Cameron and James, Ruby passed along a VK1-340 Colt semi automatic with clips to the pilot.

As Cameron loaded his gun Ruby dropped painfully on her ankle in the rocks to join Malcolm.

"Watch for any leaking fuel, Ruby." Cameron warned as he spots puddles.

"I see it. I'm moving out enough to avoid hot shells. Sargent? Draw it toward you."

Malcolm stabbed the metal spear into the left wing of the bird just as Xander nipped at it's scrapping feet. In response the pterodactyl darted its head from left to right. Once Ruby felt she was far enough out she rattled off a session of rounds directly into the chest of the bird.

Xander raced back to James as he heard the gunfire. The boy knelt down into the rocks holding his best friend.

Cameron shuffled out beside Ruby and joined her in a hail of bullets that crippled the bird.

Finally, Malcolm made his way over to obtain the third machine gun. The pterodactyl tried flying away but his wings were riddled and it was bleeding badly. Within minutes the bird staggered then dropped.

Malcolm chuckled, "Not one of you had better say, "I bet he tastes like chicken."

Ruby smirks uneasily, "At ease Soldier. He still might be dinner."

"Dinosaurs. If he's here there might be more." James calls out.

Cameron looks toward James, then to Ruby, "Where the fuck are we?"

Standing James lowers his gaze, "Devil's Triangle? We were over the Pacific."

The trio stare at one another until Ruby growls, "You got any better ideas?"

Malcolm rubs his bald head and looks around at their surroundings. No more life was in sight. Just a valley full of wreckage.

"Yep. Three sided Hell it is. Look." He nods to the east. At least he presumed so, the sun was in the sky like normal.

"Junkyard of the damned." Cameron hisses.

Ruby concurs with a hiss eying the dead Pterodactyl, "I see necessity. As soon as we recover, we scout for supplies and set up a safer camp. We have our work to do. We comfort our wounds. Bury our fallen. Eat what's provided for us."

James whistles at them and points at a downed Flying Saucer.

"Danger Will Robinson. Danger." The boy smirks.

"Is that really a freaking spaceship?" Cameron squints in disbelief.

James heads off in the direction of the ship enthusiastically with Xander beside his stride.

"Get back here!" Ruby roars.

He just keeps going ignoring her until she spits at the ground.

"Sargent Brand? Babysit that kid. Don't let him out of your sight. Cameron? Let's build a stretcher for Jack. In his state he needs rest."

Both men nod their commands and head in separate directions.

Ruby shakes her head and looks to the sky, "What did we do to deserve this?"

She then returns to the interior plane wreckage to join Elle and Sophia's side.

"How's Jack doing?"

Elle offers a timid shrug, "Lost a lot of blood. Strange though that it wasn't vacating very quickly. That might keep him alive. If we need to give him a transfusion I can offer up. Med kit's at least stocked up for pretty much any situation."

"Good." Ruby grips Sophia by the shoulder, "Keep it together. As soon as we figure out things I'll see to it your mother is properly buried."

Sophia offers an unblinking gaze up at the Colonel, "Where are we? That was like prehistoric." She points out at the dead bird.

"Looked that way. None of us really know where we are. Outside there's planes, ships, cars, you name it. Different eras. Some look recent others decades old. I'm guessing they got here the same way we did."

Elle stretches her legs beside Jack as he slumbers, "Think any of them survived like we did?"

"Anybody's guess. Depends on how long ago they ended up here. Their time might be up after a long stay. We can only hope. Let's worry about our own survival right now."

Looking about she notes Cameron gathering metal pieces and busted seat cushions. His distaste for removing dead passengers made him choke and resist vomiting.

"Sophia? I know you're still in shock but I need you to help. Gather up any food and water you can locate. This shelter's not safe if anything as big as that bird comes in the night. There's a few housing possibilities out there we might reside in safely."

"Elle? As soon as Cameron builds a sturdy stretcher we move Jack. Stock up on med supplies and anything useful. We move before dark."

"I placed Jack's arm in the galley icebox. It's melting fast but at least it's useable as long as its not opened up. Sophia? Please don't get into that when you gather supplies. Dry goods and water bottles." Elle adds.

Sophia cautiously gets up and carves a path through the debris in order to complete her mission. Finding garbage bags to load up with food stuff. In the lower galley there are cases of water including salvageable wine and champagne. Essentially a bar she thought. After encasing seven bags she stops to wipe her brow.

Elle joins her and pleasantly realizes the girl needed a hug.

"It's going to be okay. We just need to keep our chins up."

"Chin's up? Is anybody even looking for us?"

"I'm certain they are trying. Finding us less than likely I'm afraid. I'm pretty sure we aren't in Kansas anymore."

"So, what now? Do we find the city of Oz?"

Elle warmly smiles, "If it's out there. And, if it's better than this. I'm game."

"My dress is ripped." Sophia looks down at her hem.

"Find your luggage. I recommend pants if you have any. The sun goes down it might get cold."

"Sure. I'm a model. I own pants. As if..." Sophia rolls her eyes and scoffs.

Elle frowns, "Scavenge the other passengers luggage. Bound to be someone your size."

"Seriously?" Sophia motions at her tight perfect body. No one on board was close to her size and shape.

Nodding at their compromise they return to Ruby and Cameron as they get into position to pick up Jack. Elle rushes to their side, "Keep him raised."

Ruby and Cameron lift Jack which forces him to flutter his eyes and groan.

"Stay with us Jack. We need you Colonel." Cameron encourages.

Jack hisses a reply, "Nice flying Tom Cruise."

Cameron chuckles to Ruby, "He's going to be just fine. Might need a crutch though."

"Like hell. Ambidextrous. I could beat you senseless with my toes." Jack barely gets out.

The pilot puckers, "I believe that. Yep, he's just that tough."

Ruby pats Jack lightly on his left leg, "No footsies on my time Soldier. Just heal and deal."

Jack would.