Chapter Text
SLA SORNA
SIX MONTHS LATER
“That is two fights within the past three weeks,” said Ray as he finally gotten the security camera’s up and running again. Robert and Alan stood behind him as he worked with a group of technicians from the main company branch. John Hammond hired them to help out in getting Isla Sorna up and running with Alan and Robert’s plan.
“Alright that means we have to figure something out?” said another tech off to the side.
“They are not fighting for crying out loud they are playing,” Alan said as he finally saw the fight. It was two of the raptors, the now identified males they named Talon, and Pierce rolling in the mud. Nico sat off to the side enjoying a kill he had recently made of a hadrosaur. The dinosaur was enjoying the scene and was also enjoying his lunch. His tail wagging in slow motion with quick flicks here and there like an over sized cat.
“So how do we deal with playing dinosaurs they are making the others nervous?” Ray said to Alan.
“Just inform the staff that the dinosaurs are playing and that they will settle down shortly. After all they are still juveniles and play helps to settle their energy,” Alan informed him. Robert gave him a strange look as they continued to monitor the situation at the controls. When they were no longer needed both Robert and Alan headed out to check on the many teams they had with them on the island.
As they stepped out Robert could not help but to ask some questions.
“Alan how did you know they were playing? Did Nico do this before?” he asked as the bright tropical sun greeted them. It was around midday and the two had decided that lunch was needed. Already around them construction crews were still going about their business building the many compounds needed to monitor dinosaurs. The vet clinic was revamped and rebuilt from the old one. The Embryotics Center was changed to suit the needs of the dinosaurs since they will eventually start breeding according to Henry. The more adult dinosaurs had already started to show courtship behaviors so breeding was needed to proceed with their plans.
“Yeah I did when they were younger. They would all play these games that would look like they were fighting. I almost never noticed until later that they never intentionally hurt each other. I think that was where the lethal aspect of your raptors came from Robert,” Alan said as they sat down. One of the people that came with them was a cook and enjoyed making dishes from all around the world. The man was a native Costa Riccan and would often show off his culinary skills by coming up with new things for his menu.
Right now since there is not much supply right now they are eating enchiladas with sweet chili sauce on it. Both men didn’t mind the spiciness of it, but some of the others did and prefer the salad bar.
The cafeteria that was built was an open cafeteria with doors that can be closed during a major storm. That way it can be easily transformed into an indoor cafeteria when needed. Also it allows the residents access to their dinosaur companions when needed also.
Around the few months that the facility had been built several people had already started to train to become Dinosaur Rangers. Alan spent most of his time teaching these individuals how to be better trainers and caretakers while Robert taught them the fundamentals to be game rangers and wardens.
Isla Sorna has many habitats all of them documented on InGen’s reports. All of them were naturally created with plants that somehow made their way over from the mainland. Though Alan was skeptical they did have a plant expert that came to document the native plants of the forests. The conifer’s and redwood plants of the North side of the island are facing the trades that flow through the mountain forests. The botanist was not surprised to figure that is the case as seeds from these plants must have made their way over to the islands. Though not as noticeable on Nublar due to Mt. Sibo’s presence. Isla Sorna being a more extinct volcano had time to show that things can evolve quickly here.
The North side has high mountainous ranges that stretches across the Northeastern shoreline till it reaches the first inlet. Then the Western Mountains take up the rest of it along the western coast. This cuts the island in half with the Southeastern mountains making up the other side of the rift. The many inlets and bays provide the safe haven both Iggy and Terry need in case there are major storms.
The valley that divides the island in half is sheltered from the outer parts. This is where the more tropical jungles are hidden. Here Alan and Robert train the rangers in how to identify and analyze situations with different dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals that InGen has brought back. For it seems as a surprise that not only there are Mesozoic animals on this island but some Paleozoic, Precambrian and Cenozoic animals as well.
It turns out that InGen has acquired the DNA of some of these animals from other areas of the world. For the Precambrian and Paleozoic animals the same methods that they extracted dinosaurs from also yielded animals from even before then, but from different insects then mosquitoes. For the early Cenozoic animals frozen bodies from the arctic and antarctic regions were used for DNA samples.
When they cloned these animals specific habitats are required for them. For the Precambrian and Paleozoic animals the central valley became their home since it is warm and very humid for them. For the Cenozoic Ice Age animals the upper mountain ranges were more for them. InGen spared no expense to bring these prehistoric animals back.
It would seem as if Isla Sorna was transformed into a prehistoric paradise. With all sorts of dinosaurs and prehistoric animals here. Keeping track of them has proven difficult as well as challenging.
“How is the eggs coming along?” Alan said to Henry when he went to check up on the Geneticist that day to see how the baby dinosaurs are coming along.
“The eggs are doing fine. It was a great idea to breed the adult animals and take the eggs when we had the chance. At least this way I can see about the changes in the sexes and how the amphibian DNA has changed them.” Henry replied.
It was quickly discovered that the dinosaurs were in fact breeding. Something that Alan had discovered back on Isla Nublar and has become a problem with the population. Seeing it also on Sorna actually proved to be beneficial which means less work for the rangers in the future when it comes to breeding dinosaurs.
“So what species are close to hatching?” Alan asked Henry looking at the many rows of eggs in the recently refurbished Embryonics labs.
“We have four species of sauropods, brachiosaurus, apatosaurus, diplodocus and mamenchisaurus, at least two T-rexes, one Carnotaurus, seven raptors, six pteranodons, one Quetzalcoatlus, four stegosaurus, three triceratops, one Styracosaurus, six Parasaurolophus and two Corythosaurus. We are also trying to breed four troodon and some compys to see if we can train them as well,” said Henry.
“Holy shit that many dinosaurs? How did you get the eggs? That must have been a chore?” said Robert when they walked around the labs. His eyes never leaving the tables as the many robots that were designed to rotate the eggs carried out their duties unhindered by the visitors.
“It was a chore. The workers had their kids go into the forest to collect the eggs. I was shocked they did this and told them that from now on that is not allowed for safety reasons. Iggy and Terry so far are the only aquatic animals, but I am in the process of breeding more. We need animals like them to help us in case there are any more animals like them out there.” Henry replied. Robert seemed to agree even though Alan was skeptical at first. But he too reluctantly agreed. If Isla Sorna was going to succeed as an animal preserve all measures needed to be taken.
“I thought Jurassic Park had more aquatic species?” Robert replied. He was surprised that Henry was even breeding more aquatic animals.
“They do, but in the Embryo stage. Thank God Nedry never knew where they were or else I would have been totally screwed.” said Henry as he looked up from a tank with an embryo inside.
“How did you get back the embryos from Nedry in the first place Henry?” asked Alan as he looked at the one in the tank. It was a hadrosaur its body was hooked up to several wires and monitors were going off to ensure its health.
“Thank Nima for finding them. She was tracking Nedry for the Costa Riccan Government under the guise of a Biosyn agent. She managed to find the barbasol can in the dilophosaurs paddock. As well as deal with Nedry’s body,” said Henry.
“You mean what’s left of it?” Robert replied with a look of disgust on his face. Henry realized what Robert was inclining and winced. He remembered what Gerry’s daughter had to say about how Nedry died. Though he did not regret how the bastard ended up like this. Nedry deserved that sort of death as well as any man who would harm a young girl that way. The disgusting pig deserved to be disemboweled by Spitz after what he had done to Jurassic Park.
“I take it you enjoyed that bit of news about Nedry,” said Robert as he shared his sentiments to Henry. Nedry was a known asshole among the staff members of Jurassic Park. The fat computer nerd that enjoyed tormenting everyone and everything he caught eyes on. It would not be a surprise if he was the one who had harmed Spitz and forced him to take action when he saw the girl being raped. Though Spitz would not know what rape is, he would know what an attacker on his pack member was. He also suspected that Henry wanted some payback on the fat bastard for hitting him from behind back at the labs. Though Robert is not sure on whether Henry felt that way or not. The Asian man never mentioned ever thinking of it. But who knows with the geneticist.
But Henry is happy now that he has Tien and Rosie. Both of which are sleeping just off to the side after eating a meal. At only eight months old Rosie is starting to show signs of slight aggression she snapped at Henry earlier when he gave a larger portion to Tien instead of her causing the two to fight. Tien being smaller and venomous bit Rosie’s flank and the raptor claws at Tien’s side. That made Henry run to Gerry’s makeshift clinic to get them checked over for stitches and antivenom.
Now patched up and sleeping the two are off in a corner with scent markers around them to know that Henry is nearby.
“I enjoyed the news of his death Robert. The fat bastard hit me after all and I had hoped for his rapid death. But instead he was killed slowly so it made it better. Please forgive me for wishing ill on someone,” Henry said to him. His voice showed how angry he was when he had woken up to find his embryos gone.
“We forgive you Henry after all Nedry was stealing from all of us not just you,” Robert said to him. Henry nodded remembering the theft of Alan’s dinosaurs as well as the death of Robert’s raptors.
All because of greed that made things plain and simple. Greed was a great innovator for many things. But Henry had learned that it only leads to death. That is what it was and the dinosaurs had humbled him to some extent.
“Changing the subject how are Tien and Rosie?” Alan asked Henry as he looked at the two. He noticed that Tien was starting to grow feathers along his flanks. Sharp protofeathers had began to grow and it gave him a look of a plucked porcupine. Rosie however remained bare as bone which is normal for the types of raptors that Alan knows Henry has been breeding.
Tien woke first to see Alan and Robert before going back to sleep. The Troodon of course is nocturnal so during the light of the day he is often seen lounging around until nightfall before he himself goes hunting. He raised his head and stared at both Alan and Robert before going back to sleep. Both men smiled at the sight of the dinosaur as he was snoring softly while Rosie opened one eye at them. She was too full to do anything other then move her eyes, but she was content at the moment before going back to sleep.
In the meantime as the three men then returned to the subject at hand as Henry sat down. He clearly looked worn out for the past few months being here.
“Henry are you alright?” asked Alan clearly concerned for the scientist.
“If you had to ask me that yes and no. Yes as in physically I am fine I am just tired and no emotionally I am not. After what had happened with Tien, Rosie and Cindy I...well I get scared thinking I might lose them again,” Henry stated.
The other two nodded in understanding. Robert then placed his hand on top of Henry’s shoulder as a gesture of comfort.
“Henry mate, I know what it is like to go through shit like that. When you worked as long as I have in Africa’s most dangerous countries I get nightmares of the friends I had lost and the loved ones I had to say goodbye to. If you need someone to talk to you can speak to me alright,” he said to him and Henry nodded. Understanding finally dawned on him.
“Thanks Robert,” he said to him. His face showed how grateful he was and the two left him alone afterwards.
LATER
“You never told me any of this,” Alan said to him as he and Robert made their rounds around the compound. Robert the whole time was quiet. The conversation with Henry really shook him, but when Alan asked him meaning he wants to know. It was understandable after all. If they are going to be partners in this he deserves to know something about the man he is helping to make Jurassic Park a reality. With a sigh as Robert gestured for them to head over to the raptor pens.
It was here the Robert kept the trio that was found in the laboratories when he and Alan discovered the dead workers. The two now male raptors named Talon and Pierce and the female named Cookie. The three of them were in an enclosure where they were being kept for the time being until they could do something about them. Unlike Rosie these raptors looked very different.
“Do you think they might be a different species?” Robert asked Alan when Cookie came over. She was the bigger of the two and clearly the alpha of the trio.
“Well I can tell you now their gene makeup is clearly different then that of Rosie or the Nublar raptors. When Sarah and I were flying over the south end of the island there was another group of raptors, these ones are more tiger stripped. They are roaming over the grasslands there and from their appearance a bit more aggressive. So I would be cautious when we head in that direction,” Alan warned.
Robert nodded remembering a few accounts from the workers about those raptors. They were mostly in the grasslands and rarely go into the jungles. Part of it was because of the other T-Rexes and part of it was of other predators such as the Carnotaurus that also roam the jungles. For only nearly a year InGen has been working to cover up the mess they caused at Isla Nublar. Thankfully they moved all the important stuff into Sorna before the big hunters came.
Sorna had too many dinosaurs and with the new year coming up Robert was not looking forward to spending it dealing with Raptors.
But at least the raptors he has here are a lot more tame then those out in the jungle. From what he had heard from several reports the raptors are not as well organized as the Nublar raptors. In fact they were the specimens that Henry complained about once.
He remembered it a few years ago to be precise about someone complaining that the raptors looked dull and wanted to make them look more lively by putting in the gene that gave a tiger its distinct coloring. Henry was pissed when he heard it and wanted to fire the man. But he was not in charge of Sorna he was only in charge of Nublar. That put things into perspective if one were to think about it. Robert was sure that Henry did not stop ranting for a good few days.
Now however was the proof that Henry was right about his rantings to the two men. But Henry was still in the labs while he and Alan were checking on their younger raptors.
“I think that the raptor pack behavior is more learned then instinct. True instinct commands them to be a pack, but it is learned who is in charge of the pack and how it is supposed to run. Just like with killer whales, elephants and humans I think that raptors need to learn how to do certain behaviors then have it roll off of instinct,” Alan said to him. Robert had to agree with this statement.
“Well I remember back in Kenya I used to watch the lions and from what I saw mothers would teach their cubs how to hunt. And what they would do is take them on hunts and show them how to hunt certain prey. Each time the cubs would watch their mothers and learn from them what prey to hunt and how to hunt them. These raptors if they have the same behaviors and behavior traits as lions then they would have been more coordinated when learning how to hunt in the wild. If what Henry said is correct and they added tiger DNA to give that more stripped pattern. Then the tiger being more of a solitary animal is fighting the raptor which is a pack animal. Two incompatible genes which causes this group to be more dangerous and unpredictable,” Robert said to him. Alan nodded in understanding at what Robert was trying to tell him. His own knowledge in animal behavior came from both his studies into paleontology and his studies as an animal trainer and behaviorist.
If what Robert said was true then these raptors were not the normal pack hunters but wild rogues who are unpredictable.
A chirping noise interrupted their conversation as the duo looked up to see Nico coming into the pen with a large chunk of meat in his mouth. The other three raptors quickly rushed towards him to get a bite. Nico then leaned down and deposited the larger then him chunk and the juveniles quickly started to feast on the flesh.
“So how do we stop them from killing our dinosaurs Alan?” asked Robert. Alan had snorted when Robert asked that of him. After all the man was the expert on live raptors. But Alan does see his point and it would become a problem if they had to separate the raptors from others.
“We could do what I did with Tank. Introduce them to the other dinosaurs and let them know that these animals are our pack. It is like what they do in some zoos. They have methods that they use when they introduce different species into the same area. The animals introduced would be considered pack members in the end. That way there would be no fighting between them and the individual would settle down.” said Alan.
“Raptors can do that, I mean I have seen yours. Speaking of Nico I have noticed that he has gotten a lot bigger then the normal length of our Velociraptors. So if Henry is right then Nico is not a velociraptor at all,” said Robert. The said dinosaur was busy lounging in the sunlight enjoying the smaller ones were feeding off of the meat.
“No, and I have a suspicion of what he is,” replied Alan as he looked at Nico closely.
“Really? Then what is he then if not a supersized Velociraptor?” Robert asked.
“I think and I will have to have Henry and Gerry look into it but I believe he might be a Utahraptor,” Alan replied. The look on Robert’s face was shocked.
“A Utahraptor are you sure?” he asked remembering his read on dinosaurs and how large a Utahraptor can get. Alan nodded his head in confirmation that he is sure.
“But I have to get Henry to confirm it with me but I am pretty sure that he is a utahraptor. I also want an X-ray from Gerry so I can see the skeleton of Nico to also confirm it. Since I do study bones of dead animals.” Alan explained to him. Robert nodded to him in agreement.
Just before they could move on a loud noise was heard from within the raptor pens. Both men turned just in time to see Cookie the only female of the group of three fighting off Talon. Talon being the more adventurous of the two tried to take a bone that was meant for Cookie. The female was having none of it and continued to fight until Nico broke it up with a snort. Both being chastised they showed their throats as a sign of respect. Robert snorted at the behavior before turning back to Alan.
“So when you want to schedule the appointment?” he asked Alan. The other man smirked, “As soon as the new equipment arrives. Mr. Hammond did say that he was personally funding this project until he can get grants from the government. Nima is working on her end to secure one from the Costa Riccan government while Hammond is working to secure one from the Americans. I had however heard that we had approval from the National Science Foundation and they would like to inspect our operation sometime next year,” Alan said and Robert snorted, “Probably to see if we would be fully operational by then.”
“Yeah,” Alan replied.
Just then they heard a shout for their names and they turned just as a man in a junior rangers uniform struggling with one of the Herbivores. A Triceratops from the looks of it as the juvenile began to charge him. The man tried to run backward only for him to collide with a tree.
The two men raced to the man’s aid and Alan halted the triceratops with a whistle he kept in his shirt. Startled the triceratops stopped its charge and submitted after shaking its head. Robert went to help the man up.
“Alejandro what the hell happened?” Robert asked him and the man dusted himself off.
“I don’t know, one minute everything was fine and I was cleaning Margaret here when all of a sudden she started getting aggressive and attacked me,” he said to them. Alan walked up the Triceratops and saw it snort as it made to charge again only for him to put his hand to his whistle. The triceratops remembered it and backed down. It lowered its head in submission giving a small mew before going up to Alan. Alan petted the juvenile before turning to Alejandro.
“She was only trying to play with you. Alex you need to remember that behaviors such as this are natural. You have to remind her that you are not as tough as you look and always carry your whistle,” he said to him to show that the man was missing said whistle.
“I will remember next time señor,” was the reply. They helped to dust him off before seeing him scurry off to do something else. The triceratops following him. After that incident the two decided to inspect other areas to see where the new recruits are training their animals or where they themselves are being trained. As they neared the area where the stegosauruses are being kept they heard the voice of someone playing with one of the newly acquired baby stegos.
“You are so cute, yes you are,” said a voice this one a female and the two men came upon a woman with red hair playing with a baby stegosaurus. She was one of the new recruits brought on board by Gerry Harding.
Sarah Harding is Gerry’s oldest daughter and an expert on dangerous animals. She was currently looking at a baby stegosaurus who had suffered some lacerations from a raptor attack in the grasslands the day before. Sarah was the one who found the stegosaur after seeing its mother lose a battle with the raptors. There were too many of them to fight and she had died because of it. So while they were busy feasting on the mother. Sarah smuggled the baby stegosaurus out of the grass fields with nothing but a pickup truck.
Now back in the safety of the compound she managed to have her father treat the animal and it is in a pen where it can enjoy the sunlight with other baby dinosaurs. Gerry had his hands full with the emergency surgery on the animal. Thankfully he had a supply of venom thanks to Tien to put the animal to sleep while he worked on its systems. Gerry figured out how to synthesize the venom of both Tien and Spitz to be used as tranquilizers and antiseptics for dinosaurs. It proven to be more effective then the chemical based ones. Some of his native workers helped too with their knowledge of native plants. So with some of them being ex-drug dealers they came up with a solution that would help them in the long run.
Alan and Robert walked up to Sarah who was cuddling the stegosaur now out of its pen.
“Oh hey guys!” she waved to them as she showed them the stegosaurus.
“Hello Sarah how is our little friend getting alone?” Robert asked her.
“Oh Phoebe is doing fine she is just playing with me. She learns pretty fast for an animal people say has the brain the size of a walnut,” she said to Robert and the other man shrugged.
The baby stegosaurus was then led back to her playpen where she happily munched on some leaves. When Sarah stood up. Her red hair a stark contrast to Gerry’s dark brown which means she took after her mother. She wore a rough shirt which has seen better days and khaki colored shorts which also has seen better days. Her hiking boots were covered in mud which is an indication that like father, like daughter in a sense.
Gerry asked them if they could hire her seeing as her expertise is on dangerous animals. Though true she has never worked with dinosaurs. She has that knowledge of how dangerous some animals could be. So Robert did not hesitate to hire Gerry’s eldest daughter to help them build up their group. Robert agreed seeing as they need more experts such as her.
The other person who was hired was a man named Carol Parker another paleontologist. But unlike Alan this man was more fascinated with Cenozoic animals then dinosaurs. So the ice age animals in the mountains and probably the forests such as the titanaboa fascinated him more then the dinosaurs themselves. However Carol is out working on his equipment with a group of volunteers.
Three more paleontologist are also on site one for the different areas of prehistory some of the species came from. They were stationed mainly here at the main compound but they also go out into the fields where their quarries are mostly kept. But they all had to report back to Alan since he is the lead paleontologist.
“Sarah I want you to meet Dr. Alan Grant he is also head of our little group and in charge of training the new rangers on how to deal with dinosaurs,” Robert said to her.
She extended her hand out to him and Alan gave it a firm shake. She took her hand back from him and smiled, “I’ve heard a lot about you from Ian. My father also said the same thing and yet I found my self wondering if this is the same Alan Grant who has been on news broadcasts around the world for having six live dinosaurs.” she said to him smiling.
Smirking at her Alan put his two fingers to his mouth and whistled. The ground shook as large footsteps made themselves known. Then she saw very large shadow appear over her and felt something sniff her hair. Turning around she was frightened by the T-Rex behind her. Rosco gave a snort as he looked at her with one large yellow eye before wondering off towards Alan for his pats. Alan patted his head and sent him off.
Shocked Sarah looked at the amused smirk on his face before he boiled over laughing. Robert also started laughing as he held onto Alan and Sarah seeing the joke started laughing with them.
“Alright guys you think you’re funny!” she said and that was before she nearly had a face full of feathers as something swooped past her and landed on Alan’s outstretched arm. Frankie landed with a spider in his mouth. A pleased look on his mug as he took the spider in his claws and chewed on the abdomen. It was one of the biggest spiders that Sarah has ever seen.
“Welcome to Isla Sorna, Sarah Harding.” Robert said between bouts of laughter.
“Ah there you are!” said another voice as they all turned around to see Gerry on top of Sarah the pteranodon. The pteranodon landed just behind Sarah Harding and she was surprised to see her father so comfortable with the animal. Sarah only lowered herself as Gerry gotten off with a backpack strung to his back. He then unfastened the saddle around Sarah before she took off again.
“Sarah Harding meet Sarah the Pteranodon,” Alan said to her. The redhead turned to look at him in surprise.
“That animal is named Sarah too?” she said to Alan and the other laughed. “Yes, because as her name states she is a princess,” And just before they gotten into another discussion Ray ringed them on their radio. It was Robert who picked it up.
“Go ahead Ray I hear you,” he said.
“You guys need to get here pronto!” here meaning the new control center for the island.
“On our way,” Robert said before hanging up. Both he and Alan looked at each other before heading out to the main room. Sarah followed them along with Gerry.
CONTROL ROOM A FEW MINUTES LATER
“What is it Ray?” asked Robert as he entered with the rest in tow.
“We got problems, raptor problems,” Ray replied and showed them a map.
It was a map of Isla Sorna with many dots highlighting it on the screen before them. Each one had a distinct color mark of what species it represents. They also had numbers to identify which animals they are and their locations.
“Ray what is this?” asked Robert looking at the screen for the first time.
“This here is a tracking system that we originally had for Isla Nublar, but we had to take it down because it was giving us inaccurate accounts of all our animals. You see after some issues with storms and what happened nearly a year ago. I suspect that the same systems applied for Sorna and I was right,” Ray said as he pulled up dots showing the different animals on display before them. On the side were images of each animal available and some that were not.
“The ones that are available are the ones that were originally released. The ones that are not are the new animals that were bred by them. Since Isla Sorna was supposed to be the breeding facility of Jurassic Park I am not surprised that they are breeding,” he said to them.
“So you think some of the breeders had gotten to Nublar?” asked Alan.
“It might be possible. Even though all the animals were supposed to be female. I would not be surprised that the ones that were created to eventually become males would in fact be running around in the park,” said Ray. His shrug was what told Alan that it was a normal thing to discuss.
“So you knew about the animals breeding?” he said to Ray.
“I guessed, and Henry told me about the discrepancies with the population numbers. I took a guess that some made it here. You see as Dr. Malcolm put it, ‘Life finds a Way,” Ray made that joke while trying to hide the cigarettes from Frankie who was perched on Alan’s shoulder. The Archeopteryx was eyeing the cigarettes with interest. Robert on the other hand did not look amused as he glared at Ray.
“You mean to tell me that no one was monitoring the animals being brought to Isla Nublar? Or are they just that understaffed?” he stated.
“OH don’t get me wrong I brought it up with Hammond numerous times. But it seems to me that either he does not care, or that he was overwhelmed with trying to solve the problem on the Sorna side. But you know what I think? I think it was intentional as a means to keep the population on Nublar steady. Nedry and his organization probably had the animals brought to the island in order to hide that fact and steal the animals that the black market buyer wants without out us knowing. Which makes sense if you ask me,” Ray replied as he put something in his mouth. Alan and Robert quickly realized that it was a tobacco chew. The man chewed for a bit before spitting into a soda can that he had alongside his computer.
“So you brought us here to discuss this?” Robert asked Ray but the man shook his head.
“Nah it is not that. As I stated earlier raptors were seen in the grasslands.” Ray pulled up the map of Isla Sorna again and this time he zoomed in on an area which was marked, ‘The Grasslands.’
“So I take it that the raptors were seen there so who were they attacking?” Robert asked. His eyes went down the map until it settled upon a group of buildings near the south western point.
“The old worker’s village lies just on the banks of the river near the edge of the grasslands. The raptors have been staking it out as a possible territory, but that is where the communications lines are kept. We are trying to reroute the lines so that the substation is not so far away from our compound. But the problem is that where that communications array is located is also a helipad and the raptors have since been seen hunting there when the workers come to secure the lines. So far all attempts at communicating with them had failed due to the distance of the lines and the range of our radios. Once we have those arrays up and that place secured we would have had a good communication line between us and them.” Ray replied his voice showed none of his nervousness. The other two looked at each other with concern.
“Are you stating that you built an outpost there?” Alan said to him. Ray nodded, “We had to in order to be able to communicate with the outside world. At least until we can establish our own array here. So far we depended on that one array at that outpost to be able to speak to the mainland for supplies or Jose and his family. But all attempts have failed to reestablish the outpost after everything had gone to shit.”
Alan and Robert looked at each other in alarm. The outpost is on the southern end of the island if they were to get there then they are walking right in the middle of raptor territory.
At the sight of the map the worker’s village is right near the coast, but still a ways out from the ocean meaning they will have to go on foot. Both of them looked at each other and then at Gerry and Sarah who stood in the background listening in. Both of them had their brows knitted on what to do when Robert turned back to Ray.
“We will need the big guns for this one. If these raptors are anything like what I’ve seen. Then we need the big boys.” Robert said to Alan and the other man agreed. “Yeah looks like we need to bring the Rexes,” Alan said.
“Bring Nico and Spitz as well. We could use also their speed for dealing with the raptors.” Robert replied. His experience with live velociraptors started to come into play. Alan’s experience with dinosaurs in general also started to show with the other people in the room.
“Alright we need to get ready how are we going to get there by land or by sea?” Alan asked him.
“We need to go by land. There is a dangerous reef there just surrounding the area. Jose can testify for me and tell you how many times he has probably had to travel the reef before the massacre.” Robert replied.
“But how did he get to the village? Is there a docking station there?” Alan asked Robert. The other man nodded an affirmative, “Yeah there is one just to the south of the village near a known ridge. Just on the other side of that ridge is a lagoon that is deep enough for a ship to dock. If the workers had any chance to escape then it would be through there.”
Ray went to a nearby locker where he pulled out some large devices. He placed one of each into both Robert and Alan’s hands and one to Gerry. They looked at him in confusion until Ray started explaining what they were.
“Here, I got some SAT phones for you guys so that way we can stay in touch.” said Ray. His voice sounded excited to show off a new toy.
Gerry who was standing quietly was handing the radio to Sarah while looking at the map. His eyes were inquisitive as he looked at each individual mark. He was especially paying attention to the raptors as they were seen near the Worker Village.
“Anything you want to add Dr. Harding?” Ray asked the Vet. Gerry turned towards Ray as he nodded that he had something to say.
“Yeah, we might want to fly over with Sarah the pteranodon to get a feel for the landscape. We only gotten a good half of the island vaccinated with the DX vaccine and treated the rest. The only ones who I had not had time to access was the raptors on this side of the island. If I can get one of them then I can get to the pack. For that I will have to travel with Sarah to the southern end of the island. If we are going by land then we need to take her with us,” Gerry said. Thinking ahead while looking at his daughter who also gave a nod in agreement.
“Good idea Gerry that way we can be prepared in case of an ambush,” Robert replied. Alan also agreed with him seeing as the better prepared they are the more likely that more people will survive.
“What am I going to do?” Sarah Harding asked from where she was standing. She looked a bit lost being among all the males in the room. As the only female she was left in the background.
“You are coming with us. You signed up for this job it is about time you get some hands on experience with dealing with dinosaurs. Remember they are not like the modern predators you are used to dealing with. These bad boys especially raptors are very intelligent. They are as smart as dolphins and chimps only three times as fast and twice as deadly. Those claws on their feet can slice you open in seconds. And their teeth are really sharp. I am sure our little ones can attest to that.” said Gerry indicating the three in the nursery area. When Sarah looked at them she saw them playing with a puzzle game that she would have assumed were for the human children. In fact there are human children with them.
The raptors had watched the human children play their games and to her surprise they started to figure out the puzzles for themselves and started to play with the children.
“Alright I can deal dad, but who will take care of the rest when we are gone?” Sarah asked.
“I already have trained vets from Jurassic Park who wanted to keep their jobs. They decided to join us after Hammond made the offer. They are trained and experienced with raptors so they can deal with our trio,” Gerry replied which made Sarah sigh with relief. She had grown attached to the raptors after her arrival.
“Alright with that set Doc I want you and your daughter to get ready we leave in three days.” said Robert. The others gave him strange looks.
“I had received a weather report about a hurricane landing. I don’t want to take unnecessary risks so that is why we are waiting three days. That way I am sure that we are safe,” he said and the others nodded their understanding as they left to get ready for their adventure into the jungle. Robert turned to Alan and the other man already held up his hands, “I will go prepare the dinosaurs. Don’t worry about me,” he said to him.
“I know that Alan. But I want you to take that pteranodon of yours and scout the area as of this moment before the storm hits. I need to make sure I know the range of the raptor’s territory. If it is the grasslands then we need to learn to take precautions when we get there. So take a camera with you and record what you can see.” he said to Alan and the man nodded, “Alright I will do that right now,” Alan said and with that he left leaving him with Ray.
“So what now?” Ray asked him. He spat again into his can and Robert was gazing at the screen in front of him.
“Now we need to check to see if these are indeed the tiger striped raptors that those idiots in the lab cooked up. Boy is Henry going to be pissed if they are them.” Robert replied as he turned to make his own preparations. Ray just spits again into the soda can he keeps with him for just the thing and returned to his work. There are a lot of things to repair and a lot of things to prepare for if they are going to make this thing fully operational.
A FEW HOURS LATER
Alan and Sarah swooped over trees and hills. Sarah keeping a respectable height to remain safe from raptors. Using the thermals the pteranodon was able to save energy in the late afternoon. She went down again to catch another thermal. The wind was still in Alan’s face, but thanks to his dive goggles that he had gotten from one of the dive shops in San Jose he was able to see clearer without the wind in his eyes. His hat helps to keep the moisture off as rain started to come down. That made visibility bad.
“Ok girl let’s head back the weather is not looking good,” he said to her and tapped her on the side to signal to return. She banked to the left and followed the wind into the shelter of the valley between the two different mountain ranges. As they flew the wind started to get stronger and Sarah started to show her distress.
“Almost there girl just over that ridge,” Alan said to her and thankfully they managed to make it just before the winds really started to pick up. He managed to get Sarah into the new bunker and secured before the storm actually hit.
Ray was monitoring the events as it happened and thankfully they planned ahead for such a storm event. Everything was locked down and the dinosaurs were secured in their storm paddocks to keep them safe. Alan’s group having been used to indoor shelters were calm and relaxed. Rexy, Junior and some of the others on the other hand were not and everyone had their hands full to keep them calm.
Thank goodness the containment facilities were the first to be built or rebuilt to house their animals. As soon as the doors opened the dinosaurs (or at least Alan’s bunch) rushed in to shelter. Having grown up in a place like Montana where blizzards are bad they knew when to seek shelter. The new dinosaurs such as the raptors didn’t know what to do.
Thankfully Nico was able to guide the young raptors in while Spitz dealt with the four dilophosaurs that were added to the group. A few baby pteranodons were already in the facility so they were safe. Sarah was safely placed on her perch while Alan unfastened the saddle from her back. The herbivores were rounded up and placed into the area where Tank was being kept. They sat together in a herd with their handlers being there to keep them ssecure.
The rest of the facility had already gone into lock down. The winds started to pick up and howl outside as they waited it out. Alan sat with his dinosaurs throughout the whole ordeal. Rosco’s head was next to him as he stroked him down. Tank was on the other side also getting attention from his other hand. Sarah was sleeping with Frankie on her perch while Rexy was being comforted by Robert. Junior had just eaten so was sound asleep with the three little raptors.
Tien and Rosie were playing nearby with Rosie winning. In all the group of oddballs were being quiet. At least all their preparations came in handy for a storm. The rains came in sheets and the roar of thunder could be heard overhead. As they watched from the closed doors and windows the wind shook the trees and made them dip low towards the ground. The snapping sounds of broken branches could be seen as they flew across the way. Thankfully the vehicles and equipment were tied down or taken to shelter for security reasons.
Later that night as Alan set up his cot to sleep next to Rosco the door slammed open and Ray rushed in.
“We just lost the communication’s array!” he said to Alan.
Alan was instantly on his feet along with Robert and Gerry. The three of them had awoken when Ray made the page. Gerry was accompanied by his daughter as they entered the control room.
“Shit are they dead?” asked Robert worried about the crew that was sent there.
“Thank God no. They made it out just in time but the communication’s ray took a hit. We need to get that thing back online after the storm passes,” Ray said as the howling winds blew across the trees. Henry rushed in just then.
“What is going on?” he asked sounding worried.
“We lost the communication’s antennae and with this storm it will take us at least a few days before we head on out. Hopefully we can get there soon to make sure that everything is safe. The team that was sent there to check it out thankfully made it to the boat before the storm hit and the raptors didn’t manage to kill anyone just yet. But just in case we are sending a team out to investigate and deal with the raptors. I was going to send a medic out to help with any injured because who knows what is going on.” Ray said.
“Are the teams going to remain there until we get there or are they coming here?” asked Gerry. His face showed his concern as he looked at the glowing map in front of them. Thankfully they had generators for when the weather gets rough. They were built underground to protect them from the storms and from dinosaurs.
As they looked outside the windows of the control room the storm continued to rage as winds pushed the trees to the ground and many objects went flying through. Thankfully when they came to Isla Sorna the group had planned for this event by building underground. By refurbishing some of the old buildings into new facilities since they are still salvageable after the massacre. They managed to get them to full operation. It also helps cut the time in half for when they move some of the populace to the worker’s village where the communication’s dish is.
Unfortunately they have yet to move some of the people there. That was due to security reasons because as an oversight InGen has forgotten to build proper fencing for the facility that is why it is overrun with dinosaurs.
Another reason why they wanted to head out when the storm was over.
“Where is the boat now?” asked Robert.
“Just off the coast. There is an estuary just to the west of the village where the water is deep enough to protect the ship. And they are far enough away from the raptors that there is no harm. Jose is with them.” Ray replied his voice was steady as he chewed on his tobacco piece. His expression was that of a man that was worried about his favorite football team. He kept looking at the large screen trying to see if he could pick up any signal from the worker’s village.
“Where in the estuary are they located?” asked Alan looking at the map.
“If I know Jose they had to be here just inside the deepest part of the estuary. It is deep enough for the boat and sheltered enough that they don’t have to worry about sinking,” Ray said back to him and indeed where the estuary was it was surrounded by all cliffs. The wind will not have much of an impact there as it would on the grass plains where the raptors were seen. If they were smart enough to figure things out they would have headed back into the jungle for safety.
At least that was the thought on everyone’s minds.
The rest of the night went about the same way. With everyone worrying about the people on the boat and the storm that was blowing outside. They had to make due until the storm passes.
SOMETIME LATER, AS IN SEVERAL DAYS LATER
It took longer then expected for the storm to finally pass. When it did it left devastation in its wake. Luckily for the group everything was alright save for fallen trees everywhere. The dinosaurs had started to grow restless in their underground shelter but they didn’t dare venture out. Now that the sun had returned they were left to wonder around and get their restlessness under control.
At this time Alan and Robert decided to take a team to patrol the newly erected fences. It was two layered. The strong steel helps to protect them from the dinosaurs outside their compound and the electric fence on the inside is just an insurance policy. This was a large help for them when they refurbished the original compound. All they had to do was make sure that the fences were intact.
When they returned after their patrol it was found that the fences only suffered minimum damages so repair crew were already out repairing them. Several security personnel were there to ensure that no dinosaurs gotten into the areas where the crews were working.
The pens where the livestock were kept underground thankfully did not flood as they were built to withstand the weather. InGen spared no expense when it comes to their investments. When Alan and Robert checked the other facilities to see if there are any other damages thankfully everything seemed to be up and running to specifications. The dinosaurs themselves seemed to be doing fine after being let out of their pens. Rosco, Rexy and Junior were busy patrolling the fence line to ensure that nothing goes into their new territory without their say so.
Tank was busy helping a few people with some issues seeing as she was a herbivore. Her club tail proved useful in smashing some trees down where they had fallen onto some buildings. The smaller dinosaurs were eating the said trees such as the orphaned Brachiosaurs. Those dinosaurs were munching away. Some Smilodon cubs were even seen enjoying the sunlight as they played with a pair of triceratops. While their handlers are watching.
“At least the new rangers are getting a hand at what goes on here,” Alan said to Robert. The other man nodded as he watched the small repairs going on here and there.
A FEW DAYS LATER
It took nearly four days before everything was set for them to leave for the outpost. The main dinosaurs to leave with them are of course the main group. Alan climbed onto Rosco with Robert on Rexy and Gerry on Junior. Sarah Harding was on Sarah the pteranodon and would be flying ahead. Ray and Henry are staying behind to keep an eye on things. Nima who had just arrived back from the mainland was also accompanying them seeing as she has experience with jungles and wilderness. They were accompanied by several vehicles with supplies and equipment.
In front of them were a group of young and middle aged people. All of them looked ready seeing as they are the ranger team from Jurassic Park. Having returned after its fall Robert could not have been more proud of his team. He trained them himself and seeing as they had to train to accept a different sort of handling. Majority of them remained while only three did not return.
“Guys you’ve trained for this and this is like back at Isla Nublar. Only this time there will be no going to the mainland for the storm. Here you will stay as the animals will need you once it passes. Your families are here as well as your new family. Here your training will be different but your job is the same. We will protect people and animals from each other. To do that we have to work together this time around. So that is why these animals are being used to help us deal with others. Ain’t that right Rexy old girl,” Robert said with a smile as he patted the T-Rex’s leg. A rumble could be heard as Rexy turned to sniff at Robert as he reached back and patted her snout.
The other rangers looked nervous at him as he did so but Robert was used to Rexy by now. Having grown closer to the large female in the last few months. Rexy was already fitted with a saddle specially made for her by several local workers who had once worked at a tannery and smith shop. Fine leather softened with cowhide like what they would wear on horse saddles. It was by Alan’s specifications like how he had with Sarah. The pteranodon was already saddled up and ready to go. Surprisingly Nico was saddled being as he had grown much larger then he had before. Alan was sure of his species now that Nico is starting to grow a more feathered tail. In fact he is starting to grow all his feathers out of season in much to Alan’s surprise. The now dubbed Utahraptor is indeed going through another growth spurt, and Alan was going to enjoy throwing everyone else in the paleontology community out the window.
“Alright do you know why we have dinosaurs with us instead of a mountain of trucks?” Robert asked them turning prep time into a classroom lesson.
The many heads all nodded in understanding until Robert told them to answer. It was surprisingly Sarah Harding who answered.
“It was to build a bond of trust between us and our future partners,” she said to him. Robert nodded, “Good at least someone is paying attention. Now before we head off I want someone else to answer this one instead of Ms. Harding here. Tell me why are we building bonds with our animals now?” Robert asked them. Everyone turned to each other but another person spoke.
“It was to ensure that if we need any help our dinosaurs will be there to help us get through our problems. They are our partners and our teammates as much as a dog is a companion to a police officer.” said another person.
“Good, very good. This exercise into Isla Sorna is to help get the communication’s array back online and to train you lot in what dangers lies beyond that fence. As I stated earlier we are entering into another world. So it is important that you keep that in mind when we go out there. We don’t know what waits for us there. Here there are no fences that separates paddocks. So be careful and watch yourselves. Trust your partners and they will in turn trust you. Can you do that?” he asked them and they nodded.
With a satisfied smirk he called for the group to mount up. Those assigned to dinosaurs were to go in groups. Alan, Robert and Gerry were to take up the first batch as they were riding the T-Rexes. Then they were followed by a few vehicles with weapon’s mounts on them. Behind them was a third group with Nima of all people on Nico with Spitz beside them then the last group with Tank which brought up the rear with their supplies.
As the gate to their compound opened they began to head on out into the jungles beyond. Sarah Harding mounting up on Sarah the Pteranodon as the pterosaur took off towards the skies. As the group headed out they were unsure of what they would find when they get out there, but thankfully they were well prepared this time.
TBC