Oviraptor

Hammond held the tranquiliser pistol low at his wasteline. He slowly parted the damp ferns infront of him, drenching himself in a layer of moisture. A sandy clearing was illuminated by a small gap in the forest, a smile crept onto Hammond's face. "So here's where the nest was."

Hammond recognised the patterns that crisscrossed the ovaline eggs that sat upon a mound made from fresh earth and broken twigs. These were Velociraptor eggs, his smile was now replaced with a look of concern. It was his goal to restore the island to operational status and the Velociraptor population had been one of his greatest hazards.

He moved towards the next, placing an egg in the palm of his hand. The risks of stealing or even coming in contact with Velociraptor eggs was considered a sure way to die. The unique scent that were left on them could be tracked by it's parents for dozens of miles.

Hammond decided that the chance to have actual Velociraptor specimens for study was to valuable an oportunity to pass up. He was quick to place his backpack down, he took out a cylindrical device he used specifically for the transport of dinosaur eggs.

A hiss of steam escaped the device as he placed it on the ground infront of him, he began to place the egg in his hand within the transporter until his attention was drawn to a rustling fern. Jesus, Hammond thought, I'm going to die.

A near ear-shattering scream erupted from the opposite side of the clearing. That's not a Raptor noise. Hammond stood up, bringing his pistol to bear.

A light grey dinosaur of about a meter tall stood, it's parrot-like head fixed on Hammond. He stood frozen, thinking for a moment. It's purple plumage, and stripes confirmed Hammond's thoughts. This was an Oviraptor, it's name meant egg stealer.

Oviraptor's had been intended to be an attraction at the initial park, their unique look was favoured by Hammond's grandfather. Though they were initiall transported there, their knack for escaping enclosures saw the Game Warden have them deported back to Isla Sorna.

He grimaced at the creature, lightly bobbing it's head it began to stride towards the nest. It took a single look at Hammond, it noticed the egg in the device by his foot. Another loud scream erupted from the Oviraptor as it proceeded to swipe it's leg across the nest and into Hammond's chest.

He fell back, his pistol discharing into the air. He saw his khaki shirt torn to shreds and winced at the pain caused by the kick. The Oviraptor stood ontop of the mound, glancing down to Hammond it screamed again.

Hammond methodically reaimed the dart pistol and shot. The dinosaur dumbly attempted to remove the dart from it's shoulder. The quick acting tranquiliser however soon took it's toll, the Oviraptor rolling down the mound and into the sand.

He reflected for a moment, glancing at the sedated Oviraptor. Well the reserve pens by the compound are intact. Hammond heaved himself onto his feet, he finnished packing three Velociraptor eggs into the canister. After he had taken some painkillers, Hammond finally decided to take the Oviraptor back to his compound. It was a start to realising his dream atleast.

He cautiously approached the Oviraptor, he proceeded to remove his belt and bound the dinosaurs feet together. Some quick rummaging through his pack revealed some rope he used to keep it's arms and more precicely slashing claws intact. The tranquiliser was designed to down dinosaurs roughly this size for a good three hours.

Hammond began the trek through the jungle back to his compound. Bat-like sounds echoed around the canopy as Hammond walked over the leaflitter which crunched under his feet. He noticed the animal making the noises - he smiled glancing to the blue-bodied yellow-headed Dimorphodon's flying around, catching the genetically enhanced giant Dragonflies that inhabited the island.

The little Ptreosaurs were the smallest winged-reptile InGen had released on Isla Sorna. It warmed Hammond to see that the creations were still surviving. Hammond was positive by now the Velociraptor's had discovered their nest; he had hoped however that the Oviraptor's scent would keep them at bay for the time being.

Paleontologists had found conclusive evidence that Oviraptors indeed did kill Velociraptors historically. InGen scientists found this to be true when they noted the Velociraptors hesitence to go near areas which Oviraptors had been in. The old warden of the other Island, Robert Muldoon had infact requested the Oviraptors be transported from Isla Sorna to Jurassic Park.

He had kept a number of them in tertiary paddocks as a possible means to deter the Velociraptors if they ever broke out of their holding pens. Unfortunately that trump card never got the chance to be put into play. Hammond grimmaced thinking of Muldoon's horrific death he had only heard about in the media.

Darkness soon began to descent on the Island, this didn't slow Hammond's pace however. He knew the compound was just over the rise and he knew he'd need to get there soon if he was to survive the night. He could now hear the screeches of the Velociraptor's in the far distance. The Dimorphodon had now but all returned to their nests, the once seemingly peacefull forest was now eerily terrifying to Hammond.

One more push... Hammond saw the compound now just infront of him. The entire facility was sorrounded by solid concrete walls topped with electrified barbed wire. It bore a similar resemblance to that of a prison's permiter wall. The facility encompassed an acre of land with half a dozen small paddocks on the grounds exterior to the main building.

Hammond placed used a free hand to swipe his card-key on the heavy-set metal door that rested in the center of the wall. A heavy clunk acknowledged him and he swiftly moved inside. Strangler figs creeped up the slender trunks of the ancient foliage cultivated on the compound grounds.

Hammond moved to one of the seldom used holding pens and threw back the door lock. It creaked open and Hammond placed the Oviraptor within. He carefully removed it's constraints and backed out of it's temporary home. The gate creaked even as it was locked. He could hear the snarls of the Velociraptor's outside the compound now, it wasn't the type of attention he wanted - but there was little chance they could get in.

Despite the predator's extrodinarily jumping capabilities, they would not fine any grip in the smooth concrete fencing. Hammond started back to the main building, I'll have to go up to the damn guard tower and shoot them myself. He looked grim as he entered through a twin-set of doors that looked like they belonged on a high-end resort.

Murals of Hadrosaurs and Sauropods adorned the main rotounda of the facility. Hammond casually pushed open another metal heavy-set door, it opened with a hiss of white gas. A simply label sat under the small window at the top of the door reading: HATCHERY AND GENETICS.

The interior of the lab was twice as hot as it was outside, this was to ensure the temperature of the eggs hatched inside were kept at the same temperature of that of their nests. Several replicas of dinosaur nests sat suspended on stainless steel islands. Thinking Machines and Supercomputers that had been salvaged from other abandoned buildings on the island had been repurposed to monitor the eggs. One of the nests held shattered egg shells - the result of a previously failed attempt to incubate Velociraptor eggs.

Hammond unscrewed the cylinder and placed the trio of eggs on the incubator. He hoped that this batch could come through. He glanced to a set of monitors suspended from the room, he frowned at the security camera feed showing the compound's exterior. He now saw a pair of Velociraptors milling around the front gate. He smirkd as one unsuccessfully attempted to scale to wall, simply to fall onto the ground.

Hammond would need to end the pair, if he failed to do so they would not give up until they had their eggs back in their possession. He turned on his heel and exited the hatchery. He turned down the hall to a different door, this was labelled: ARMORY. Hammond took a key from his belt and inserted it in one of the dozens of black lockers that lined the room.

A row of outdated shotguns were revealed. Hammond didn't know a great deal about guns, he did know how to use them and recalled they were the same model that the San Diego police department utilized. Hammond took ahold of the jetblack pump-action shotgun in one hand and a dozen shells in the other. He loaded the weapon and placed a few shells in his vest. He proceeded back down the hall and to the stairwell that led to the watchtower that overlooked the facility.