October 12, 1886 Demon Dik Dik

[CPT Edward Leviticus H.]

Captain's Blog: October 12, 1886

No shat, there I was…

Stepping out from the deep shadow of a thorn thicket, the morning sunlight gleaming off of the silky pelt. Minding its own business while across an open clearing.

My breathing quicken with excitement as I followed it with a high powered telescopic sight. It seemed absurd I should feel so wrought up with hunting such a humble animal , but reports from the Ministry of Unexplained Occurrences had spoke of a particular breed of wild game indigenous to South Africa along the Ethiopian and Sudan border, had become biologically altered in some unnatural way. The dik dik, of the antelope family, usually no bigger that a large dog had increased in size and changed behavior patterns. Thus far a specimen had not been acquired, this had sharpen my anticipation and added to this, was the passion of a true hunter and collector. To be the first to bag a new species became of supreme importance.

I rested my forefinger lightly on the trigger guard of the electro static high powered rifle, previously pumping the chamber to receive the charge, I would have only one shot. I did not intend for this creature to remain alive for zoologist scientific study. I meant to but that incredible mutation of nature, straight into his coffin with his head on my wall. I would not fire till I was certain the electric blast would be well placed, stopping the heart, kill swiftly but at the same time inflict the least amount damage to the skin for later taxidermy.

Watching the monstrosity I see that evolution had other plans for this animal, once preyed upon by an assortment of predators. It has grown to the size of a very muscular horse, changed its diet to include meat, hunting instinct installed to stalk its natural predators such as lions, hyenas, wild dogs, and humans. The jaws of this particular dik dik, with what used to chew leaves, now have grown into razor sharp flesh ripping daggers. This did not detour me from my goal of putting this animal down. I felt my nerves screwing up and I realized that the mutant dik dik was not going to stop in the open. It made steadily for the thick scrub on the far side of the clearing.

This might be my last chance. I fought the temptation to take the shot at a moving target, and it required intense restraint of will to lift my finger off the trigger. This grizzly antelope reached the wall of thorn scrub and the moment before it disappeared, stopped abruptly and thrust its huge head into the depths of one of the low bushes. Standing broad side to me, it began munching on a branch of green tufts of leaves. The shoulder was exposed , I could make the clear outline of the massive blade beneath the glossy red brown skin. The demon dik dik was angled slightly away from me, in perfect position for the heart shot, tucked in low behind the shoulder. Unhurriedly I settled the reticule of the scope on the precise spot, breathed… relaxed, aimed, and squeezed.

 A whip crack of lightening shot through the heavy heated air. The bulky creature gave a loud high pitched shrieking whistle, that I am certain could shatter glass. The dik dik leaped into the air and had touched down to earth already in a dead run. The solid shock of the blast had not struck with sufficient ferocity to instantly kill the animal. It had appeared to send the beast into a frenzied rage, racing straight toward me with lethal intent. It was super pissed. "Oh… no. it didn't die". At the very moment my confidence had turned from experienced assurance to sudden fear, and the contents of my bowls had the strong urge to vacant into my wool trousers. "Keep it together man!" I told myself, " This evolved spawn of Satan will not be the victor today".

It was amazing how fast  it crossed the distance that separated us, I had but one chance, I carried a 357 brass steam powered  magnum and shot for his chest when it was but 3 feet away. If that doesn't kill the bastard, I don't know what will. As soon as I fired I spun around and lay face down, my head away from it, protected by an armored pith helmet, or so I thought.

In retrospect, I now see that this tactic was indeed in error, as curling up into a ball of pathetic helplessness could only provoke the creature to roll you around, and its first bite may not be where you would want it to be. I lay fully prone, feet slightly spread to keep it from rolling me over. My right hand still held the pistol under my chest.

I could hear my pants ripping; I could feel my flesh ripping, but then it was over. For a 5 second chewing, you really can just take it. I didn't feel any pain from that. The demon dik dik started to wander off, because perhaps I had been sufficiently thrashed and I was not moving. But I didn't wait long enough before I rolled over and sat up. This time the dik dik was showing all its teeth and devil sharp cloved hooves of death as it tore up the tundra to get to me. It was a lot lower, and  a lot wider. For a split second I entertained the thought of my own demise, defeated by Jurassic Bambi.

I still had my pistol, so I took careful aim and shot! Apparently I didn't hit it, I shot again. It had caught up with me and flung me into the air, I landed on my right elbow and hip. The beast rocked back on its hind quarters  kicking its front talon like hooves at me, shrieking its high pitched ear piercing whistle, eyes wild and on fire like cauldrons of molten lava. I groped for my communication device, in my pocket. "Mayday Mayday, Trevor if you can hear me, I'm getting my butt kicked".

The Airship pilot came back in static and broken, "Right Oh, locating your position now". I had maybe 2 , 3 shots left in the chamber. I fired to keep the dik dik at bay. Within 15 min the Airship was making concentric  circles to locate me. Static on my radio, " We have you!". "Roger, do you also see the demon dik dik?" The Airship response. " Yes, we see it … its magnificent". I yelled, " Shoot the bloody thing now please! If you would be so kind!" What they said afterward I could not believe.  "Sorry chap no can do, that specimen is to be captured and studied for science". In my frustration, "Screw science! It's about to murder me!". Captain did I heard you correctly? Did you just say screw science? Well who has ever heard of such a thing? Can you believe he just said that? My word, the Academic  Ministry of Unexplained Occurrences is not going to like that.  Again I said, "Dash it all man! I'm fighting for my life here!" My feeble attempts to dispatch the beast have been futile, all the while it is kicking me and biting me. My weapon no longer had rounds in it".

The dik dik again raised its self on its hind legs with the intent to strike the final blow of death , before it ate me. At that very second, my shock and fear had cause my mind to astro plane  back to a time when I was training in hand to hand combat, in a Shaolin temple of the Ministry of Defense. I had been taught several disciplines; Snake style, flying eagle style, flaming energy ball, tiger style, circle of death, shaolin bear strike style, gangnum style.  

I felt my chi course within me and channel through my arms, in spite of my significant injuries. As the great hulking mass descended upon me, I lunged with my fist aimed for where its heart should be.  I screamed with all the energy I had left, I felt the large body of the dik dik coming down on me, I pierced through the rib cage of the animal engulfing my right side into its body. With uncanny strength I had never before summoned, I had punched through the chest cavity of the dik dik, causing instant death… and large amount of blood and guts to cover me entirely.

Breathing hard uncontrollably, I had yet to realize what I had done. Once the shock wore of … my body became aware of how much incredible pain I was actually in. I collapsed, parallel with the body of the dik dik, mingled with its blood and my blood.

The Airship rescue medics had arrived to come to my aide, upon seeing me bloodied from head to toe, they thought me dead at first. Once they had determined their scene was safe, they began checking my vital signs for life and assessing my damage. "Bloody hell Edward, how did you survive this encounter? And did I not say we were to preserve this animal for further study?" Roger that Sir, upon next time I am fighting for my life with a wild ferocious un cataloged  species, I shall insist it come quietly and invite it to tea. "You shot the beast clean through, at close range, we may be able to savage the hulk of its body". Actually Sir I… "Very good Edward, glad you're not dead, your leave is suspended, and I expect you at work tomorrow morning".  But… roger that Sir.