Synopsis
Prehistoric Journey: The First Expeditions
D.L. Narrol




Prehistoric Journey: The First Expeditions is a romantic time-travel epic. This romantic fantasy takes place in Edwardian England. Colin Limmerick, a handsome fishing captain lives a double life. His academic references launch his acceptance into London University’s Natural History Ph.D. program. His quest is to prove Megaloceros giganteus was sexually selected against, which led to its demise. Dr. Cushing, his stuffy professor, feels Colin’s Irish working-class demeanor is unfitting to the university. He demands Colin follow old theories of evolution and does away with Darwin.
While at the university, Colin falls in love with Rosa, a beautiful archeology student. His only romantic encounters have been with prostitutes from seaport to seaport; therefore, Rosa is a breath of fresh air. However, he fails to realize Rosa is a prude. She fights him off, constantly rejecting him, but cannot help being attracted to him.
Colin discovers a Russian academic paper by an eccentric, chain-smoking physicist, Dr. Sasha Dimitrikov who develops a time-travel theory. Colin feels if he travels ten thousand years in the past he would be able to witness Megaloceros’ struggle with selection. Rosa insists on coming along for her expertise and sexual confusion.
There is a meteor strike in Siberia at the same latitude as Ireland, which can penetrate energy for them to travel through time. They travel to County Wicklow, Ireland ten thousand years in the past where they are confronted with many dangerous surprises. The prehistoric wild is overwhelming, especially Megaloceros, who is not very pleasant at their first meeting. Rosa loses interest in the expedition. She is enticed by Sasha to leave Colin for him. Colin’s heart is shattered and pounds Sasha almost to his death.
When they return to their time, the university faculty praises them. A visiting professor from India, Dr. Sharma, introduces Colin to his daughter Amoli. She will be attending the university as a débutante. She falls in love with Colin and will stop at nothing to win him over.
Amoli manages to have Colin as her instructor for the foundation course he is teaching. He and the other teaching assistants plan an on-site research excursion. Colin takes his group including Amoli to Wicklow, so they can research evolutionary threads of mammal life. The class research mammals that have long been extinct, which puzzles Colin. The excursion turns into a nightmare where prehistoric mammals are found everywhere. It becomes a dire situation. Colin almost goes mad.
Colin risks his life to get his students safely back to London. He blames Sasha for inventing a faulty time-travel device, which has allowed prehistoric life to filter to their present time. Sasha convinces him the only way they can close the time-vortex opening is to travel through time again. Rosa refuses to come this time because she is consumed with jealousy toward Amoli.
Colin and Sasha venture through the time vortex, but this time they end up forty thousand years in the past because they no longer have the energy penetration of the meteor strike. They time travel to the middle of an interglacial period where prehistoric Ireland’s climate is tropical. They run into wooly mammoth, spotted hyena, wooly rhinos, heat exhaustion, and worst of all – a punchy tribe of Neanderthals. Colin fails to realize the great strength of Neanderthals. The Neanderthals keep hindering their mission of sealing the time-vortex gap. By trial and error the two time-travelers manage to return to their time, despite some deep bruises and flowing blood.
Amoli awaits Colin’s return where they unite at a university gathering. He is drunk and banged up. She wonders, but doesn’t bother to ask. Rosa is present and intimidates Amoli but Sasha tries to keep Rosa at a distance. Colin finds he is aroused by Amoli, and begins making sexual advances on her. They end up in bed at her university dorm. Her father, Dr. Sharma, finds them and all hell breaks loose. Dr. Sharma feels his daughter has now cursed his family. Colin asks Amoli to marry him.
The story ends with Colin and the crew on his ship. They find something strange in the Irish waters. Their nets are mysteriously missing. The boat rocks and rumbles. Something rises from the sea and takes a chomp out of their lifeboat. Colin wonders if the time-vortex opening was never sealed. He also wonders if he should continue to play God.