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[Le Blog Personnel de Professeur Aronnax] January 7th 1868

From: Harry Hayfield <harryhayfield~at~googlemail.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 13:54:58 -0800 (PST)
To: jvf~at~gilead.org.il

First of all, I wish to make it clear that I am a man of science. I
firmly believe that several thousand (if not tens or even hundreds of
thousands) of years ago, something happened to make dinosaurs and other
animals of that ilk simply disappear. I don't know what made them
disappear but they did, and we are starting to find the bones of these
animals now. That much I think we can read as fact. Then how do you
explain what has just happened to me this evening?

As you remember yesterday, I was disturbed mid flow by Ned saying that
he could see something flying around over the Nautlius. By the time I
had got "up top" (you see, I'm starting to get the hang of these terms)
what ever it was had gone, but Ned swore blind that it looked like a
bird with a very long wingspan and a sharp bit at the end. I discovered
that evening that this box of tricks Doctor Smith gave me is also a bit
of an library and it showed me a picture of what it might have been,
which was a gannet. I showed this picture to Ned but he seemed less
than convinced, so the only thing we could do was wait until this
evening.

To fill in the time, we had another trip to that island and had another
enjoyable day getting supplies, although I have to report Ned let the
side down by jumping from tree to tree like some kind of Kamil from
ancient Arabic texts, but thankfully managed to calm down a bit and is
now back on deck with myself, Conseil and the Captain determined to try
and see what this thing is. And this box of tricks is being very
helpful indeed, it turned itself into a way of detecting heat
signatures from any object, Conseil is listening for anything as well,
the Captain has put the searchlight on the Nautlius at my disposal and
I'm just crossing my fingers hoping that this isn't some wild goose
chase.

What was that, Conseil? You can hear something? Lets's have a look for
heat then. Captain, point the searchlight 235° to starboard. Sorry,
170° to port. Gentlemen, have a look at this, do you agree there are
two points of light on this device and there are two points of light up
there in the sky? Good, so it's not just me then. Now, how can we take
a picture of it, as it seems to avoid the light beam? Sorry, Captain?
Spin the light around slowly? Well, it's worth a try I say. There, I
saw a tail tip that looked very sharp but the speed that thing is
flying at, it must be at least 20 or 30 knots. It's unbelieveably fast.
I think it's heading back to the islands now, one last chance
gentlemen. Captain, 160° to starboard and cross your fingers. Oh,
turned at the last minute and now is out of range.

Well, I've had a look and all I think we can say is that it is an
incredibly fast animal, produces at least two distinct light sources,
and has a tail that reminds me of a pterosaur but that is simply
impossible, because they are all extinct, and let we all saw something
gentlemen, didn't we? Sorry, Captain, a ropen? What's a ropen? "A
featherless creature that flies in the Southwest Pacific, and has a
tail-length more than 25% of its wingspan". Well, that exactly matches
what we saw and so, gentlemen, unless anyone else wishes to contend
this statement, "We have seen a ropen!" but what is it, and what is it
doing here off the coast of Papua when all logic states it should not
be here at all. Perhaps this is an investigation that will be solved in
hundreds of years time, until then all I can do is make a record and a
formal report when I get back to New York.

--
Posted By Harry Hayfield to Le Blog Personnel de Professeur Aronnax on
2/08/2010 09:30:00 PM

Received on Mon 08 Feb 2010 - 23:55:07 IST

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