Dan had made it outside. He had found PPMC's second exit, a hatch near her stern, and had tied a rope to the handle of it after opening the hatch. He had slid down it, and here he was. He was standing at the base of the rope and was staring up the side of the starship. He shivered. He didn't even realize how large PPMC was. Dan tightened his grip on the rope and gave it a good jerk. With this jerk, the hatch snapped shut, but the rope still hung from it. Dan nodded and carefully let go of the rope. Then, he backed up, and turning, he fell onto his front and started to climb up the face of a small hill. As he climbed, his feet and hands dragged through the snow. Dan soon reached the top of the hill, and coughing, he stood up and peered back to the starship and the gorge. She turned invisible, so now, Dan was only staring at the gorge. He narrowed his eyebrows. Stupid starship. Dan huffed. Then, turning on his heel, he trekked away from the starship and gorge and started his expedition in the Cenozoic Era's Pleistocene Epoch, 129,000 years ago. He was in the middle of nowhere. There were very few trees; there were only sheer rock faces, tall cliffs, and geysers in the distance. However, there was no sign of life. Dan wasn't surprised. Who'd want to live out in a desolate landscape like this? Ick. In a cautious way, he explored the Ice Age. The further away he got from PPMC, the colder it grew. Dan wrapped his arms around his body and sniffed, for his nose started to drip. All of a sudden, his foot hit ice, and he yelled as he went crashing to the ground and started to slide. He was sliding over a frozen lake. Dan tried to stand, but every time he did, he fell to the ground again. Finally, when he did make it to the other side of the lake, he crawled up another hill, and once he reached the top of it, he fell into the snow. Then, slowly lifting his head, his eyes landed on a cave further away from him. Dan blinked. Then, standing, he limped over to the mouth of the cave and gripped the edge of it, peering inside. In a feeble voice, he called, "Hello?" and he watched as his breaths escaped his lips. There was no answer. Dan tried again, "Hello?" and his teeth chattered. Again, there was no answer. In curiosity and desperation, he entered the cave and placed his palm up against the wall, starting to explore it. A bit after starting the exploration though, he had a sudden cough attack, and reaching for his chest, Dan sunk to the ground and covered his mouth with the palm of his other hand. His eyes started to become watery, and he rubbed them. After his coughing attack ended, Dan remained on the ground for a little bit longer. Then, just before he could stand up, suddenly, the PPMC Gauntlet started to beep as a sign that there was an incoming call. Dan peered down on the gauntlet. Suddenly, from the gauntlet, came PPMC's voice! "Dan?!" she shouted, "Are you there? This is PPMC!" Dan stared down on the gauntlet. Finally, he narrowed his eyebrows and lifted his shaking finger, turning it off. PPMC was not going to find him. Soon after turning off the gauntlet, the teenager lifted his head and peered up the face of the cave's wall. He saw something on it. Something that seemed somewhat artsy. Curious, young Dan grabbed ahold of the wall and hauled himself to his feet. He shook snow out of his hair, and his eyes widened at what he saw. Under his breath, Dan said, "No way." He was staring right at cave paintings! Cave paintings! Ancient humans! The entire wall was covered in cave paintings. There were paintings of woolly mammoths, giant ground sloths, families of early humans, and even just plain handprints. Dan rubbed his hand over the cave paintings and studied them extensively. Then, reaching into his bag, he pulled out his sketchbook and pen/pencil and started to sketch the paintings. However, because his hand was shaking uncontrollably as he sketched, the result was kind of messy, although people could still make out that those were sketches of cave paintings. Dan continued deeper into the cave so he could study more paintings, and for a bit, he was actually enjoying himself in the Ice Age. With the paintings, thanks to all the research he's done, he could distinguish whether they were Homo erectus paintings or Neanderthal paintings. Dan knew that Homo erectus and Neanderthals lived during the Pleistocene Epoch, the time of the Ice Age, right where he was. He discovered that the paintings in this cave belonged to a family of Homo erectus, or A.K.A., the "upright man". He stumbled upon a painting of the family itself. It showed two parents, three daughters, two sons, and one elder, and they were all hunting a woolly mammoth. It was an incredible sight. "Wow." Dan said, and he started to sketch the painting, "This is amazing." After spending a little more time in the cave, he decided it was time for him to carry on with his expedition of the Ice Age. He tried to slip his sketchbook into his bag, but it missed it and fell to the floor instead. Groaning, Dan bent over and picked it up. He tucked it under his arm and turned on his heel, heading towards the cave's exit. However, continuous walking made him very dizzy. Dan could feel his forehead getting hotter and hotter, and dropping his sketchbook, he reached for it and had another cough attack. He really shouldn't be walking anyway, but whatever. Dan was Dan. He never took anything easy. It was part of his personality. However, this was a time when Dan's never taking anything easy was a bad thing. The fever was not the only thing affecting him; it was also the insane cold. Dan started to sway, but he managed to reach the cave's exit and step outside to the blistering cold landscape again. His foot hit the top of the hill that the cave was on, and he went tumbling down it, towards the frozen lake. He landed in a heap at the bottom of it, and for a bit, he refused to get up. Dan's world became nothing more than stars spinning around both inside, outside, and around his head. He stood up, but due to his delirium, he tripped on his own foot and fell to the ground again. He tried to stand, but he couldn't. He was too weak. Finally, Dan couldn't stay awake any longer! His head dropped into the snow, and his world went black. Snow rained down on him. He dreamed about Becca and the she Hylonomus.

Not far from the ill teenager, further down the line of the lake, ran a huge, furry figure. It had large tusks, and its huge feet left holes in the snow. It was a woolly mammoth, one of the largest animals to ever roam the Pleistocene Epoch. It had a very similar appearance to the modern-day elephant. It cried out and slipped on the ice. It started to slide towards a huge rock face, and the side of its butt hit it. He woolly mammoth seemed to sigh. Then, it heard something behind it and hurried forward again. Sudden spears, yes spears, flew towards it, but they missed the huge creature. It roared and again slipped on the ice. It crashed onto its side, and under it, the ice didn't even crack. That was how thick it was. The woolly mammoth lifted its head and peered forward. It rubbed its tusks on the ground. Not far from it, on top of a huge, snow-covered rock, stood a family of, believe it or not, humans! Early humans! It was a family of Homo erectus, or in other words, the "upright man"! It was the family whom lived in the cave that Dan had checked out and taken sketches of the paintings. Just as Dan saw in the painting of the family, there were two parents, three daughters, two sons, and one elder. All of them were dressed in animal hides to keep warm, and all of them, escape the youngest daughter, were holding spears. The youngest daughter, who was maybe five years old, was sitting cross-legged on the rock, and she was playing with a bone. Each early human was short; they had sloping foreheads, long, black hair, and monkey-like faces. They edged closer to the woolly mammoth, and its eyes widened. The oldest Homo erectus threw her spear, but it only went two feet forward. The woolly mammoth wanted to laugh at her epic fail. The youngest daughter was continuously banging her bone on the face of the rock, and she started to gnaw on it. From where the mammoth rested, it stood up and growled, rubbing its feet on the ground. Then, holding out its tusks, it charged towards the family of Homo erectus, but they weren't scared. The father dropped his spear and jumped from the rock. He grabbed the mammoth by the tusk, and it shook its head, starting to run all over the place. It was trying to shake the father Homo erectus off of it. His family members, except the mother and the youngest daughter, started to cheer him on in a monkey-like language. The mother Homo erectus backed up to her youngest daughter and kneeled to her. She called to her, and hearing, the daughter lifted her head and met her mother's eyes. With her long finger, the mother pointed in the direction of their cave. The nudged her daughter and pointed again. The daughter soon understood the message. Her mother wanted her to hurry to the cave where she'd be safe and where she'd wait for them. For being the youngest daughter, the mother always did this to her. Complying, the young monkey girl nodded at her mother and stood up. She was pushed towards another hill that would lead to the cave, and her mother spoke encouragements to her. The little, monkey-like girl tapped her mother's nose and then her hand. Then, she bent her knees and stretched her long arms. The fists of her hands dug into the snow-covered rock, and she hurried down it like a monkey. Then, she got up on two legs and hurried forward. Her mother watched her. Then, she turned back to the hunting party and pointed her spear.

As the young, monkey-like girl skipped towards the hill, she hummed and started to dance. For a second, she lost her balance, and she dug the fist of her left hand into the snow to catch herself. Then, once balanced, she picked up a rock that was resting on the ground and threw it onto the frozen lake. The collision of the rock didn't even leave a scratch on the ice. The young, monkey-like girl clapped her hands together and cheered in monkey-like language. Then, she picked up her bone and approached the hill. Seeming to smile, she climbed up it and waved goodbye to her family members who were continuing to go after the woolly mammoth. She hummed as she continued to climb, and finally reaching the top, she jumped up and down and banged on her chest like Tarzan. She had made to the top of the hill which she considered that, although she had done it plenty of other times, to be a huge success. She loved the view from up here, even though it was mainly just a view of the frozen lake, sheer rock faces, and rock towers. Just as the monkey girl was getting ready to slide down the hill and hurry towards her cave, suddenly, her eyes landed, below, on conked out Dan, and she gasped. Quickly, like what some dogs did when they saw another dog, she fell onto her front and curiously peered down at young Dan. She backed away from the top of the hill and disappeared for a second. Then, she reappeared, and seeming to smile, she asked, "Who?" and crept closer towards the edge of the hill. She stuck her long index finger into her nostril. Below, Dan lifted his head and coughed. Then, he put it down again. To the monkey girl, this was a very mysterious phenomenon. In curiosity, she pulled her finger out of her nostril and slid down the hill, towards the advanced human. He was resting on his front, and he was definitely conked out. The young, monkey-like girl approached him, and she brought her index finger to her lips, quite curious. Strange, this creature looked a bit similar to her. She circled Dan a couple times, and then, kneeling, she poked his head and retreated back. Dan didn't move. Again, the monkey girl approached him, and this time, she lifted her foot, and with it, she turned Dan over onto his back. Then, she peered into his flushed face and said, "Ooh!" when she saw that he had a similar facial structure. Curious, she tapped his nose and then her own nose. Afterwards, she dropped her bone and felt him up and down, as if she was searching him for weapons. She pulled his goggles out of his hair and examined them, asking, "Hm?" in her monkey-like voice. She put them over her eyes and gasped when she saw that if by magic, everything around her became dark. Still curious, the monkey girl turned back to Dan, and this time, she removed the PPMC Gauntlet. She banged it on the snow, as if it was a hammer, and chuckled. Picking it up, she turned her back to Dan and rubbed the gauntlet on her chest, under her arms, under her knees, and started to laugh. Behind her, Dan was slowly starting to regain consciousness, but he was having trouble staying awake. He struggled to a sitting position and reached for his burning forehead, moaning. Then, opening his eyes, he dropped his hand and turned his head in the direction of the monkey girl, asking, "Huh?" The monkey girl was continuing to play with the PPMC Gauntlet. Behind her, Dan, who saw six monkey girls instead of one, coughed harshly, and he clutched his chest, starting to breathe rapidly. The monkey girl heard him and stopped playing with the gauntlet, asking, "Hm?" Slowly, she turned her head, and at the sight of the unusual being awake, she jumped and said, "Oh!" Quickly, she whirled around and hid the gauntlet and goggles behind her back. She chuckled nervously. Dan stood up on his shaky legs, and he swayed, but the monkey girl caught him. She let go of his arm, and Dan said, "Thank you." He had no idea he was looking at a real Homo erectus. Eventually, the six monkey girls he saw merged and became one. Her face was only inches away from his, and at the sight of it, Dan gasped. The monkey girl soon lifted her hand and grabbed ahold of his nose. She shook it and let it go, grabbing ahold of her own nose. There was silence between the two humans, and the monkey girl rubbed the gauntlet on her chest some more. Then, Dan screamed, "EEE!" when he recognized the early human and quickly backed up, "IT'S AN EARLY HUMAN! MAN, WERE WE UGLY! Uh." He shut his eyes, fell onto his back, and fainted.

"Who?" the young Homo erectus asked. She got down on the ground and crawled like a monkey towards him. Reaching him, she slowly put the goggles back in his hair, but she kept the PPMC Gauntlet. She was fascinated by it. She started to play with it again. Then she sat next to Dan and banged the gauntlet on the snow again. Within just five minutes, her family members appeared at the top of the hill she had slid down, and at the sight of the monkey child sitting next to the unusual being, they gasped. The mother pulled hair out of her head, and immediately, she dropped her spear and slid down towards her daughter. Reaching her, she reached out and grabbed her, pulling her away. Then, she backed away from Dan who started to stir. The other family members also approached him. Dan opened his eyes, and at the sight of the other Homo erectus family members, he yelled, and the family members, not including the youngest daughter, did too. Quickly, they pointed their spears at him, and Dan shuddered. "No, wait!" he yelled. The youngest daughter examined her bone. Then, she playfully bonked her mother on the head with it. Gulping, Dan added with, "You're a family of Homo erectus." He tried to not show that he was scared. He added with, "Please don't skewer me. Please. Moving to the Pleistocene Epoch wasn't really mines and PPMC's plan though." At the sound and sight of his gentle and kind nature, the family dropped their spears and studied him carefully. Dan held his hand out to them. "My name's Daniel Matton," he said, "But please, call me Dan. I'm from the future." He wrapped his overcoat tight around his body and shivered as ice crystals appeared in his hair. Then, his eyes landed on the PPMC Gauntlet, and he said, "My gauntlet." He held his hand out to the monkey child, "That's my gauntlet. May you please give it back?" The monkey girl shook her head, and she hugged the gauntlet to her chest. Dan started to get up to get it, but he was forced to sit down again when the father Homo erectus pointed his spear at him again. The monkey child who had stolen the gauntlet, nudged her mother and handed it to her. Fascinated, the mother examined it up and down. She tapped the screen and put her ear to it, shaking the gauntlet. Then, she tossed it to the next family member who was the elder. She gave off an evil laugh and banged the gauntlet on her knee. "Stop!" Dan whimpered. He held his hand out to her, "Don't break it even more! Please!" He coughed and reached for the gauntlet again, but the father Homo erectus edged his spear closer to him. Dan fell back onto the snow. "Please!" he begged. He coughed again and collapsed onto his side, clutching his chest. The father Homo erectus started to approach him, and he prepared to skewer him. The monkey child, who had stolen the PPMC Gauntlet, soon realized that Dan was sick and that he wouldn't be able to get away from her father's spear. She started to fight in her mother's arms, and she called to her daddy. He turned to her and lowered the spear. The monkey child soon broke free from her mother's arms, and hurrying to her father, she grabbed his spear and forced it away from the unusual being. No way was he going to kill him! Through Homo erectus language, she told him, "Daddy! Daddy, stop! He's sick! Help him! Help him we must! No prey! No kill!" The Homo erectus family was well known for taking care of the sick and injured and never leaving them until they got better. If the Homo erectus affected died, then they would bury them close to their cave where they'd be able to visit their spirits. The monkey child understood that Dan was a more advanced human, but she still wanted to treat him the way her family treated their own. She continued to pull on her father's spear, and finally, he dropped it and peered into his daughter's face. She stuck her tongue out to him. Then, hurrying to Dan, she kneeled and told her family through Homo erectus language, "Help him! We must!" The family members glanced at one another and thought about this for a moment. Then, they nodded and turned to the youngest child. They gave in. The monkey child grinned and thanked them. Everyone, except the youngest son, who now had the PPMC Gauntlet, trekked over to young Dan and surrounded him. They worked together to get him on the father Homo erectus's back. Then, excluding the youngest son messing with the gauntlet, they hurried towards their cave. Behind, the youngest son, who was maybe nine years old, like the monkey child, banged the gauntlet on the ground. Then, he picked it up and banged on its screen. His fingers hit the three buttons at the head of the gauntlet, and suddenly, it came to life! "Energy sword activated," it said. The screen glowed up a bright, rainbow color. The young Homo erectus jumped and dropped the gauntlet into the snow. Then, he bent his knees and dug his fists into the snow. Very carefully, he crawled to the fascinating object and peered into its screen. In the screen, spinning around and around at a steady pace, was a picture of an unusual, translucent, sword-like object. It was colored light red, and it was super thin. However, at the end of the sword, was a point that was as sharp as a spear. If not, sharper. On the screen of the gauntlet, the picture of the sword vanished, and a white screen was shown. The gauntlet spoke up again. It said, "Signature is required." The young Homo erectus stared at the screen. He had no idea what to do. After a bit, the screen of the gauntlet flashed red, and it said, "Signature not accepted. Energy sword deactivated." Suddenly, the screen turned off. The small Homo erectus, under his breath, said,

"Oohh!" and he followed his family into their cave.