Apex Predator
Chapter 1
The Ones Who Hunt
A/N: So I scrolled through the Jurassic Park section of looking for something with a twist or some sort of role change. Couldn't find anything satisfying or long enough for me to delve into. Seeing that I have writer urges sometimes I decided to cook something up. It might be long, it might become a little heavy, I'm not sure yet.
Update 1: Some formatting, grammar and such fixes.
A few things before you start reading though:
1. It's AU heavily inspired by Jurassic Park especially the latest one. It has all the things the movie had with some twists and additions I wanted to put in
2. There are OCs and plenty of them, seeing it is happening quite in the future
3. There is and will be plenty of technobabble, because I like technobabble (no it doesn't have to make sense, it just sounds cool in my head)
4. Any issues with "This can't happen in real life" are dismissed by default. It's AU it's SCI-fi it's fiction, I won't be checking how many ohms does a human body have when I electrocute a character (1000 btw), nor will I check exact latin names for body parts that are cut off or mauled. I had a few guys complaining that my Microamper calculations were off on another site in another fic, I'm not repeating the mistake of going into a discussion like that again.
5. If a character seems powerful to you or too weak, too absurd, too stupid, too emotional, too insert stuff know that I usually take into consideration stuff like cognitive dissonance, psychological manipulation, social psychology and various other things when I put a character in a situation. I also use external attribution when describing a characters behavior. If someone is out of character for you, like for example he/she was very shy all the time but suddenly bursts out cursing somewhere and you didn't read or get that he/she was bullied for a few chapters I will only reply with a "cool story bro" or not at all. As human and nearly human psyche is a complicated thing and there is no way to measure it properly, know that every characterization is possible and may happen.
5. a) Also if a character is OP for you, for example too badass for a longer period of time, please don't post "Mary Sue" or similar such nonsense in the review. It's obvious that I might identify slightly with some of the characters, but you can't avoid that when you are the one who created them. There are however none that I can say are "me" in the story
6. There are and will be grammar mistakes, some at least. I try to write as well as I can but I won't be spending 7h checking one chapter that has 20 thousand words, because of reasons.
7. There will be a lot of blood, gore, violence and other quite drastic things, usually very detailed.
8. Finally... Something... I forgot while writing this.
Thank you for your patience reading the above disclaimers/information etc. Sorry that I sound like an arrogant prick, but I had bad experiences previously with stuff like that and spent more time explaining why an apple is red when it could be green instead of writing, which eventually demotivated me completely to writing further. In this case I'm not gonna be discussing much and try to focus on writing when I have the urge.
Also I like Pie
Document 772/INI
In 2019 the Eternity Dawn Bio engineering Conglomerate created a synthetic protein virus capable of reconstructing damaged pathways in human brain cells. This was a great blow to the all time bio engineering leader InGen.
Eternity Dawn surfaced suddenly, the company simply appeared some years after the Jurassic World disaster. The conspiracy theorists assumed that it was created by InGen deserters and various other shady people. Whatever the issue may be, the company acclaimed enormous success in the Russian Federation, where the Lazarus Viral Enhancement was released for testing.
The company itself was virtual as it seemingly possessed no main headquarters and all it's contributors communicated via remote ways. Russian government however gave the company full support and various morally doubtful experiments were given a green light. Seeing that all these information and theories were swiped under the rug, by the Russians, InGen grew restless as the first successful tests of Lazarus Enhancement were leaked online, probably on purpose. The artificial virus was working as intended as it restored lost memories and improved cell imprint capability, which opened the door for military technology use. All attempts at corporate espinoge issued by InGen failed as Eternity Dawn seemed to have cutting edge technology using it's own intranet infrastructure to protect itself from such attempts.
As time passed, the company grew larger and its operations expanded quickly. The viral enchantment previously given only to VIPs of Russian Federation and some other individuals was suddenly released for public use on the black and grey markets in 2021 and all company assets were scattered. The Russian government didn't expect such a sudden backstabbing move and went completely berserk accusing the company of tax evasion and other frauds. All attempts at finding the eaders of the conglomerate and high ranking employees were met with a complete failure. All Russian operatives that were considered to be the main branch for the corporation turned out to be intermediaries and the main scientists and engineers had an unknown status. In the eyes of the World the Eternity Dawn Conglomerate ceased to exist.
This however couldn't be farther from the truth. One year later in 2022 as the flood of Lazarus Enchantment covered the majority of the developed countries, the conglomerate resurfaced again, as it gave out a statement on it's current standing declaring itself an independent 3rd party working under no local law. The statement was issued in-voice only via the Internet.
Unexpectedly the Russian Federation gave a full pardon to the company and declared the previous accusations void. This turn of events was highly suspicious as many other highly influential countries acknowledged the Conglomerates independence. For many years those reasons were unknown, later on however it became clear, that the Conglomerate was able to blackmail a lot of VIPs from the political world, had its own net of spies and a lot of paramilitary mercenary groups working for it, including some terrorist organizations. It's primary ace card however was the Lazarus Enhancement, which as it turned out possessed a small trans receiver with a receivable kill-code that could turn the virus hostile to the host. Only a necessary few that needed motivation were informed of it. This allowed the conglomerate to function in relative peace for a longer period of time using derelict sites as high tech laboratories. This state of affairs couldn't however last indefinitely. InGen again felt the heavy breath of competition intensifying as it tried various methods to tarnish Eternity Dawn's reputation and pursued it's own Cloning technology to be more efficient.
In 2039 the Conglomerate released further curious inventions out to the World, one of which included the Archangel Viral Restoration Enhancement, a completely hybrid viral organism. Its proteins were made of artificial materials and it had its own synthetic neuro-cluster. The Invention was quickly dubbed the first true pictobot, but didn't meet much popularity or social approval, considering the Conglomerates already dubious reputation.
InGen together with Maserani Corporation and other high profile partners on the other hand restored the Jurassic World attraction and received an international approval for reopening. The attraction yet again rose to the top and functioned well introducing much more free-range carnivorous dinosaurs with people able to watch them from secure spots.
In 2041 the Conglomerate made a very bold move successful only thanks to it's advanced network of spies and highly qualified personnel. As it turned out InGen lost its control packet in an unexpected market move. Eternity Dawn possessed offshore companies that had a very tangled network of subsidiaries and various international partners in different zones of the World, all of which were slowly buying InGen out since 2020. Finally after 20 years the tangled companies brought their true owner to light. The Independent Conglomerate however disappeared from public and non-public view right after it's pictobot release and the personal owner of the whole Company came to light. Victor Salczewski turned out to be the head of the company with highly shady past, the man was involved in many high level heists and other various criminal activities, but was virtually untouchable due to his mob connections and shadow support. It was however obvious he had to be only one of the major cogs for the Conglomerate.
Victor became the CEO of InGen and quickly rebranded the corporation to Eternity Dawn Bio engineering Conglomerate. The whole hostile takeover was not met with positive reaction from anyone, but many law suits, compensations and blackmails later InGen was successfully changed. Now equipped with both technologies and legal shadow the Conglomerate moved forward in experimentation and hybrid cloning. It created a scientific outpost on Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna where the tests moved on.
This constant pursue for knowledge and power ended in a disaster in 2055 when the contained Archangel Omega Strain virus broke out, due to mechanical failure. It quickly infected all lifeforms on the island including dinosaur assets and did the thing it was designed to do - mental and pchysical enhancements. The unrestricted strain of the virus forcefully started to re-calibrate neural patterns in all its hosts, breaking down and reconstructing nervous systems.
Majority of the subjects died in the process and seemingly 99% of the island population was lost to the World. WHO quickly dubbed the islands no-fly and no-entry zones and the Conglomerate was forced to quickly find a way of disabling the infection. The viral pictobot however was, as it turned out, much smarter and reasonable than anticipated as it stopped its spread concluding that its release was accidental and entered a dormant state in the subjects that didn't die from violent seizures. It quickly established a connection with a privileged user and issued a full report operating on a level similar to a Hive Artificial Intelligence.
Begin Report
Archangel Status Report:
Incident 1
Unexpected Infection of Lifeforms
Violation of Internal Instruction 8
Solution: Swarm Halt Status, Enter Standby mode, await further instructions from permitted administrator
Fatalities: [DATA EXPUNGED]
Active entities: 207
206 of unknown biological structure, received partial neural enhancements, indication of radically increased intelligence, decrease in primal tendencies, abstract thinking, indication of empathy and increase in emotion range
Further improvements canceled, due to Instruction 8 violation
Current overall status: Confusion, mostly immobile
.
.
.
1 Homo Sapiens
Subject behavior unexpected during enhancement process, emergency mode engagement, overload in number of hive agents
Warning! Human Host Status - Highly Unstable
Received nervous system overhaul, full cell integration, bone, skin and muscle viral integration, major physical improvements
Psyche and emotional state evaluation: high aggression, homicidal, psychosis and increase in primal tendencies,
Current overall status: Enraged, in motion
Status Summary: Immediate action required!
End Report
The report was not released by the Conglomerate as it curiously came to a conclusion. If the fatalities are already so high, why not let the island be for a while and see how the enhancements work in such environment.
"Let's see if carnivorous dinosaurs are really the Apex Predators..."
As the CEO summed it up seemingly smiling, while looking at the report.
Location: Isla Nublar - WHO Archangel Virus Omega strain containment zone
Time: 13th May 2055
It was raining yet again in the thick jungle of Isla Nublar, seemingly untouched by human hand. The drops hit the wide and meaty leafs of the various plants that grew in this climate, creating eerie and calm atmosphere. That is until clawed feet trampled the thick bushes unexpectedly in a very short time.
The various plants were hitting her in the snout making the droplets of water forcefully blur her vision from time to time as she sprinted at top speed through the thick jungle, running for her dear life.
"RUN LITTLE PIGGY! AHAHAHA!"
The husky voice of the creature pierced her ears as she almost tripped on a small stone that came out of nowhere under her thick claws. She was starting to breathe more heavily as stamina was leaving her body in an alarming rate. Her hunting party was wiped out by a small sized creature. She did not remember much from the encounter, only that the creature came out from behind one of the gigantic trees that grew around here. Everything happened so fast, she was herself not entirely sure if it was true. Could this little prey really just extinguish half of her pack's lives? Just like that?
No, this was not it. This was no prey, it was something else.
The second they laid their eyes on it, the wide horrific smile appeared on its snout, the death intent and smell of blood that was emanating from the creature was so heavy it irritated her nostrils and made her take a step back involuntarily... Well it was almost a step as it lunged itself on Thick Skin. He didn't even have time to react as it just pushed its little claws through his chest, as if it was nothing more than water surface and then it ripped out his heart...
It just ripped it out and licked it enjoying the whole ordeal in some gruesome way, while the blood was still oozing from it, covering the grass in dark red. It was not hunting for food, it was killing for the sake of killing.
At first she thought it was a human, but it's unnaturally pale skin, twisted bones and wholly white eyes convinced her otherwise. It could not have been a human, humans didn't do that, they ware calm and reasonable creatures and this one... This one was something else. She knew that it would be pointless to attack it when it turned suddenly dropping the heart and jumped right atop Keen Nose as he prepared to lunge himself at it in a fit of rage. She only heard a pained shriek and saw blood splattering everywhere as Keen Nose paw flew in the air, torn right off his body.
Then she started to run, then she knew it would take her life in a similar horrible way if she does not run. She felt this funny thing, that she could not remember feeling previously. Her skin seemed to contract slightly and the feeling as if little teeth bit her all over her body ran from atop her spine to the end of her tail, her heart starting to beat harder then it should. And as she remembered the face of the creature she knew what that feeling was. It was what prey felt right before she took its life with her sharp claws. It was fear, horrible gut-wrenching fear.
And so she was running now, as fast as she could in a random direction, but could still smell the death intent and fresh blood behind her. She was panting heavily now, her muscles hurt, the feeling of fear grew. Pack named her Fast Claws and she briefly wondered if someone would remember her after she's torn to thousand pieces...
Remember?
These strange words and feelings were starting to show themselves among her and her pack, things seemed more curious, world seemed different and this strange concept appeared in her head when she threw a rock at a tree the other day. What are the small moments in when the rock flew to the tree called?
She asked the elder and the elder knew. It was what humans called time - past, present and future, hours, minutes and seconds. Previously she would not understand such a thing but now it seemed so obvious, this time, everything had its limited time.
Maybe hers was up...
Her snout contorted slightly when she noticed herself slowing down now in increasing fatigue. Contorted at the edges, up... Her snout was doing those weird things lately. Not only hers though, the other members of the pack seemed to experience similar issues.
Elder told her humans communicated through sounds and body too, but they had this other thing that they did with their face to express something without words. Maybe this was it, maybe she was doing this "smile" thing now.
Why was she smiling though? It was not funny, no... It was a smile of pain and realization...
This was it
she thought. Fast claws finally fell over in the fatigue as black dots appeared in front of her eyes, she was panting so heavily the grass moved with each of her breaths. She closed her eyes briefly as if to get rid of the small dots
"Hey there piggy..."
She opened them and saw that pale white-eyed face looking down at her, mumbling something incoherent. The tone was mocking and wicked as she heard it. She tried to move back from that nightmarish face but it just came closer and closer. And her body told her to do something weird again.
She brought down her snout to her clawed arms and put them on her eyes as if to protect herself from the nightmare, the shivers running down her body intensified as she curled up just wanting that face to be gone, just wanting to maybe wake up...
Not once a thought of defending herself with tooth and claw came across her mind, instincts dulled and the fatigue taking its toll on her mind.
"Oh... you're scared? You stupid lizards have feelings? Well the more you know."
The creature crouched down and looked Fast Claws over scratching its cheek in wonder. The smell of death intent mellowed down slightly
"You know, I'm not that surprised. I remember I woke up and saw everyone around me dead on the ground in their own shit and piss. Figured ED fucked something up, naturally with me still on this shithole of an island. My Wife dead next to me, my son dead still holding her arm, my younger sister dead laying in her own urine. Excellent time for family vacation, eh?"
The creature let out a guttural sound and crossed it's arms looking up slightly
"Then I rise up and think to myself - somebody or something has to pay for all of this bullshit, you know. So i started wondering, who should be punished for this. I can't do anything to anyone, because they are already dead and stabbing a dead body doesn't feel like vengeance you know. So another thing comes to my mind. I heard shittones of stuff about raptors, spinosaurs, T-rexes, Carnos, Dilos and so on from my now decaying son. Vicious killers, sharp claws, sharp teeth, kill stuff to eat, some of em killed some people too. Some killed a lot of people. Then i almost dismissed it - animals kill for food and protection, because they are stupid as a ton of bricks and you can't just tell them to "fuck off" if you catch my drift, piggy. But then again i hear those raptors are quite intelligent and the people they killed wasn't exactly to protect something. They killed'em because they could, just like that. You know who does that?"
The creature pointed its bony claw at Fast claws smiling slightly
"Monsters do. And you can kill monsters. Monsters are bad, evil douche bags. Killing evil douche bags is a favor to the world, no?
But no Adam, you can't kill animals or monsters just like that! They didn't really directly kill us!
That is what my dead wife would say now probably, by the way.
Well no, they didn't but if they could they would. So... If i can't directly have my vengeance on any person or anything else, i can at least have it indirectly on some evil fucking monsters, I thought."
Adam stood up and sighted as his spiked spine crackled a little. His pale white eyes looked up at the blazing sun as he put a hand to his deformed forehead in order to protect them from the light.
"Well that's nice and all but how would i kill clawed prehistoric monsters like that? So i march up to this hot dog stand with metal surface and as i feel very energetic and powerful I bash it with my fist in disdain. And you know what happened? I broke through the damn metal cutting myself in the arm! But no pain, some blood and the injury heals in a second! So i think, maybe God gave me a superpower for my righteous vengeance, maybe i have an opportunity here. Seeing that i have my family dead around me, there's no real reason for me to keep on living. So if I die, i don't lose much!"
Adam crouched and lowered his face towards the shivering Velociraptor.
"So i take a knife from the stand..." He said as he took out the long bone sever, dried blood covering it's serrated edge.
"The biggest one i see, no joke. I go to the jungle as if something is pulling me towards it and I see this lonely small monstrosity. Dilo i think they were called, but whatever. It looks confused looking around and moves like a slug. So i march up to it as it notices me and after a second this son of a bitch bites my leg! But i feel nothing, it doesn't hurt and the thing just keeps on biting drawing some blood. I laugh like a maniac and start stabbing it... 67 times to be exact. And its DEAD! I feel pleasure, so much pleasure. I knew then this is what I have to do, kill every single motherfucking monster in here and then maybe throw myself into fire. And I keep doing it discovering in the process i don't really need a knife and you guys are sooooo damn slow."
He pressed the knife against Fast Claws clawed hand slightly
"All my injuries just disappear in a second and i never feel tired, but the satisfaction lessened. It wasn't vengeance as not a single of you stupid fucks knew that i was hunting you and never have you felt any dread."
He smiled wickedly, licking his lips
"But just a few minutes ago i meet bunch of you pipsqueaks and you give me hope! You actually ran away with fear in your eyes and now you are cowering like a little hurt puppy!"
He pressed the knife slightly piercing Fast claws scales as she let out a tired moan.
"So i figured, i eventually get you once i tore through your 'fwends' and I'll send y'all a message so you can remember, as it seems whatever gave me powers gave you also the ability to feel terrified."
In a sudden move he grabbed Fast Claws hand and pulled at it, making the shocked raptor let out a screech. He kicked her with superhuman strength right in the ribs, breaking a few of them and making her let out a pained wheeze as all air left her. She started to take shallow breaths to maintain some of the lost air. Holding the extended arm of the raptor, feeling she tried to get it away from him, he pressed the bone sever against the joint between her clawed hand and the forearm. Her movements stopped as her eyes widened in realization and rising panic.
"I'll cut your hand and make myself a nice tribal amulet out of it! And you can tell aaaaaaall your friends how uncie Adam let you live with just a hand missing and a few broken ribs! Oh and the whole funny pack of clowns of yours laying in their own intestines. Almost forgot about it... BWAHAHA"
He cackled, as Fast Claws started to pull at her arm in panic and confusion, but to no avail. The grip was as powerful as an iron vise.
"You can tell them for uncie Adam, right? Nah, sure you can, you retards are smarter than average i think."
He snorted and then with a powerful motion the knife made its move.
This day the forest was filled with a scream so painful and terrified, that an ongoing listener would say they were burning someone alive. Nobody could suspect such was an universal sound of the worst suffering and fear most creatures can muster when part of their body is being cut off. Following that sound was a loud maniacal cackle, that made blood run cold even through the most vicious predators on the island.
