Character Contest 39: Dinomarines
With the Time Pilot, I tried for a “fossil” look: the earth-toned bones, the boot bleached by time and the elements, even the imprint of an ancient fish.
Dinomarine: Time Pilot
Backstory
During World War II, the United States began to experiment with time travel. Various government entities conducted their own trials. The United States Marines was one of them.
Early tests were promising. However, the effort was scuttled as the Cold War ended. A decade later, a construction crew discovered one experiment when they were converting buildings at the former Marine Corps Air Station “El Toro” in Irvine, California.
Carbon-dating puts the unidentified Marine’s fate around 132 – 128 million years B.C. Without his dog tags and the continued denials of the U.S. government and the Marine Corps, the brave volunteer’s adventure might remain a secret. His service is recognized at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
That has not stopped families of missing veterans, the tabloids, and the internet from speculating. Dozens of lawsuits and FOIA requests are on file. Loved ones, conspiracy nuts, and even foreign interests want to know the fate of the Dinomarine.
