4
"Of course the rides are not operating, and no shows are running," the corporal continued as they rode a tram made up of open-sided cars on a quick tour of the main park facility, "but you might be asked to try out a ride once it's fully functional again just to test it, and if you have time you might catch the keepers during feeding times, trying to maintain schedules to minimize stress on the animals." She had chosen to sit beside the young man who seemed so out of place, and she lowered her head and her voice to tell him, "That might be something you'd enjoy."
He scowled and looked away, disinterested in her agenda. He could sense the mosasaurus in its vast inland pool. While it was difficult for him to imagine a satisfactory artificial habitat for such a creature, he could nonetheless sense its astounding patience, the near-trance it lingered in as it waited for what it had come to think of as its feeding time. A part of him wanted to confront the creature directly, and the notion thrilled him, but the animal was safely contained, content, and therefore an intrusion from him was completely unnecessary.
The security specialist saw where his attention lay and informed him, "They're going to build the wall higher."
He ignored her.
"What about the pteranodons, the pterodactyls, or whatever those things that fly are?" The question had come from Tucker Green, one of the Quasar Force officers.
"For the most part, they've been keeping to the northern end of the island," the corporal replied. "After the initial escape, they seemed to go to where they might roost in the wild—on rocky cliff faces over seafood-rich waters. They've also been known to take out a seagull or two."
"Didn't someone die because they were attacked by one?" A Netcop queried.
"They escaped their habitat after a helicopter crashed into their enclosure," the woman answered. "They were frightened and confused and yes, a few did swoop down on park guests, scaring them."
"Killing them?" the same Netcop persisted.
"There were injuries," the corporal said, "and then they all flew off to explore their surroundings."
The two Quasar Force officers glanced at each other knowingly. The woman would only answer questions the way her employer had instructed her to.
"How do you get a mosasaur from a mosquito?" the kid beside her suddenly asked. "They're aquatic. Where did the genetic material come from?"
"Maybe you should have gone with the other tour," she told him flatly.
"I heard it came from a tooth," Tucker told him. "They've been able to draw DNA fragments out of fossils directly. Not intact, of course, but enough to get started."
"So none of the animals are pure," the infuriating kid continued. "It isn't known if any of them looks, functions, or behaves like its extinct counterpart."
"They're still dinosaurs," the specialist countered. "Made from dinosaurs. They look an awful lot like the fossils."
He smiled at her like a shark. "Maybe you should have gone with the other tour."
Her face went blank. She inwardly seethed. Self-important little prick, she thought. Probably some rich kid, knows more about video games than girls. Had everything in life handed to him.
He allowed a brow to rise up as his eyes narrowed at her. His head tilted slightly as his smile tightened. He held her gaze until she glanced away, her cheeks burning with unvocalized emotion.
Then he chuckled and nodded and tried to see what other specific animals he could sense.
