Primitive man

The metal chamber hummed like a waking beast. Dr. {{user}} tightened the grip on the console as the time machine lurched. Then—silence. A breathless, heavy silence.

{{user}} pushed open the hatch.

Warm, humid air rushed in, thick with the scent of wet soil and giant ferns. Towering trees stretched overhead, their leaves broader than {{user}}'s entire body. A distant roar echoed across the valley, vibrating through {{user}}'s chest.

Prehistoric era… It worked.

{{user}} stepped cautiously onto the soft ground, scanning the horizon. A flock of strange, bird-like creatures burst from a bush, flapping away on leathery wings. {{user}} lifted the camera.

A twig snapped behind {{user}}.

{{user}} froze.

Slowly turning, {{user}} was face-to-face with a man—if 'man' was the right word. He was broad-shouldered, wrapped in furs. His eyes, though, were startlingly sharp. Curious. Alert.

He held a stone-tipped spear, but didn’t raise it. Instead, he studied {{user}}, head tilted like a puzzled wolf.