January 09, 2007



Volume 4: The Further Saga of Alemany '66:
As revealed by The Shadow
and with minor assistance from F.J. Bonaccorso


Note: Special Thanks Always for Graphics and Editing
by Dan McMahon and Robert (Ski Box) Johnson

Volume Subtitle: Jurassic Park or a Picnic in the Crectaceous!


Once more at the Playboy Mansion basement:
Frank Bonaccorso: No way! Are you guys nuts? Are you guys crazy? You want me to capture and bring back live, a T. rex! No. Let me repeat, No.
Terry Mock: Well, we thought it would be a ferocious mascot. What would you suggest Frank?
Frank: Pacing among the lab benches. Hmmm, maybe something more up my line of expertise. What is a Jurassic dinosaur-like creature in form to the modern giant fruit bats?
Greg Pokorski: That would be a pterodactyl, I would imagine.
Frank: You imagine correctly and they were alive in the late Mesozoic which includes the Jurassic and Cretaceous. Let's go over to your computer and I can show you some background. Knowing you guys, you are going to want the largest species.
Terry: Oooh yes, how big did they get?
Frank: Here it is now, look for yourself.
Pterodactyl: Quezalcoatlus


Name's meaning: "Winged finger" Pronounciation: ter-u-Dak-til Physical Description: wingspan of anywhere between a few inches up to over 40 feet long. Pterodactyls are believed to have flown long distances using large wings and they had above average eyesight to help catch their prey.
Classification: Pterodactyls are flying reptiles, not dinosaurs. Geologic Age: late Mesozoic period, about 251 to 65 million years ago Diet: carnivore (meat eating creature). Fossil locations: have been found in America, Europe, Africa, and Australia.

Frank: I suppose you two want me to bring back the 40 ft wingspan variety, known as Quetzalcoatlus.
Greg: Naturally, we want a big pterodactyl. Something that will grab public attention and be a fit mascot for Alemany. Tell us more about Quetalcoatlus.
Frank: Well it was named for the Aztec feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl. Pterodactyls are not truly dinosaurs, they belong to a group known as the Pterosauria but lived at the same time as dinosaurs. This group was known from the Late Cretaceous Era of 84 to 65 million years ago, and the largest known flying animal of all time. It was a member a group of advanced toothless pterosaurs which were quite diverse in species and represent the first flying vertebrates. Birds and bats did not take flight until much later than the first Pterosaurs, commonly referred to as pterodactyls.
Terry: Jolly good, then it will be a Quetzalcoatl pterodactyl for your expedition.
Frank: Let's go for it! But what about funding, who is going to pay for all the equipment I will need? Dart guns, nets, climbing gear, and a lot more.
Greg: Marty is taking care of the financial end.
Frank: Marty Molidor? Is he in this too?
Terry: Yes, you might say that Marty is your Sugar Daddy based on all the money he has raked in from Sockerooni sauce not to mention his Conch Fritters which are being exported all over the world.
Frank: Marty never ceases to amaze. Say, I’m having trouble getting the Sockerooni in Hawaii, can you get me some.
Greg: How much do you want?
Frank: A case for starters. Now the last important thing we need to discuss tonight. My crew, I need a few good people that we can absolutely trust. Bill Danaher for starters, I can trust him to watch my back. We will need a medical person, an expect marksman for the dart gun, at least one photographer, and most important someone with climbing skills.
Terry: Why climbing skills?
Frank: Someone will need to climb up to the pteradactyl nest, they nest on cliff tops.
Greg: We will leave that up to you, but we would like to keep it in the family. The Alemany family.
Frank: I wouldn't think of anyone other than family. Let me work on it. Say will you be able to build a time machine big enough to fly 6-8 people, a pterodactyl, and all our equipment? We should go for some chicks, it will be easier to handle, and I should think we can tame young ones easily.
Greg: We can upsize the time machine. Assemble your team, while we work, then bring them here for briefing. I suggest you not tell people the exact nature of our project until everyone is here if you can avoid it. And one last thing, we need to do a few more trials on this version. We have sent mice in the machine and brought them back. Next we propose a small monkey with a helmet camera and destination Cretaceous. The film will help us with safe landing zones and to understand local conditions.
Frank: I am still walking on cloud nine. I will be in touch. Tell Marty to get ready to write some checks.
Terry: I will send for Cha Cha, she will show you out. Cha Cha is in our confidence so it is ok to talk to her about the project if you can't reach us. We often work for hours on end and don't return phone calls.

Hollywood, CA. (a bus pulls up at a stop, doors open, and Ron Turkal with a hat pulled down to hide face steps onto sidewalk, looks furtively up and down seedy business district street, and walks through a doorway. Above the door a sign, half falling, says Arthur Murray Dance Studio).
Ron: (walks through dimly lighted dance studio; he thinks: Hope I am not making a big mistake)
Voice from shadows says: Your late, I have been waiting for you ....

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