TROUBLE IN PARADISE
"As soon as there is life, there is always danger."
-Ralf Waldo Emerson

Lush foliage of deep and rich greens surrounded Spencer and Andrea where they disembarked from their ATV. Now that the afternoon had truly settled in, the sun was high and the air was hot, so they were thankful for the shade of the trees. Light shone brightly through where the branches thinned, but they otherwise had cover from the sun.

"It's the perfect day for this," Spencer commented happily.

Andrea had parked their ATV, and the pair clamored out to collect some of their gear. For now they didn't need much; each had a backpack with tablets, classic notebooks, rulers, scissors, plastic baggies, and Andrea strapped a camera around her neck. These things with her jean shorts, t-shirt, light windbreaker, and well-worn hiking shoes meant she was ready for the afternoon. Spencer had lost his own over-shirt that morning, leaving him in khaki cargo pants and a short-sleeve shirt.

"Got everything?"

"I'm good," the younger man confirmed and tagged his baseball camp down securely over his shaggy brown hair.

Andrea nodded and unfolded their quadrant map from her pocket. The bend in the stream they were parked at helped to identify just where they were, and she uncapped a small marker to highlight the sector comprising the stretch of bank they would be examining jus then. It was quiet, save for the rippling of the shallow water and the sounds of some bugs and birds. They had passed a number of Gyro-spheres on their drive to this patch of woods, but those stayed to the plains and so there were not currently others around. Out in the secluded areas, it was easy to forget the island was a theme park at all- it often felt more like untouched paradise.

A perfect day, indeed.

They'd spent a couple hours slowly trekking along the stream back and outward from the water some. Through the brook was not as deep and bountiful as some of the deep lakes and wide rivers of the island, it was a water source all the same and therefore drew natural traffic. Such places were perfect for documenting plant consumption, so they recorded what plants were disturbed by grazing, and pictures allowed them o later check bite patterns for knowledge of what animals preferred what. Furthermore, the rich diversity of vegetation found along the stream beds gave them a chance to learn how different plant species from different eras and regions thrived (or failed) together.

"Whaddya think? Good for another hour or so before we head in?" Spencer checked.

"Mmhmm ..that works," Andrea glanced at her watch. I"m gonna grab a snack rom the cooler to make it through, though," she grinned and released hold of her camera to power it down for the moment.

"You read my mind. Dibs on the Doritos."

"...we need to be allowed to bring alcohol out here. Can you picture: toes in the stream and sipping on a Margarita...maybe some Micoceratus scurrying by..."

"Well, I don't do tequila, but I could go for a cold beer right about now," Spencer agreed with her sentiment. "Think we could get a poker game going, too?

"Sure. We'll bet ferns and flowers ...maybe some fruits. Everyone would totally be into it."

"Jurassic World Casino- how isn't that a thing yet?" Spencer realized with a laugh.

Andrea blinked at him.

"Are we allowed to branch out into business and copyright hat idea?"

"Jurassic World is probably already copy-written by InGen, so maybe a different name," Spencer signed thoughtfully.

"Okay, but ...it's genius. You're right- how is there not a casino in one of these hotels?" Andrea chuckled.

"I know ri-hello!"

The ground shook some as they neared their ATV, and momentarily a few Ankylosaurus plodded into view ahead aside the stream.

"Wow," Spencer breathed.

Andrea's soft smile mirrored the one that had spread his face. It was not rare to run into the dinosaurs while they were out in the field, despite that they came for the plant life. This was the animals' world, after all.

But most of the animals in this side of the island were of the 'gentle giants' variety, so the sight was not alarming. Humbling, sure, but also beautiful. Their angled heads and rounded snouts were sort of pretty, but their heavy armor and clubbed ails were serious, intimidating business- stout and wonderfully powerful. So they moved slowly as they continued to their ATV to retrieve their food. The animals were used to seeing gyro-spheres and safari trucks; they'd surely take little to no interest in their or their vehicle as long as they minded their own business.

Short, very low vocalizations from the creatures heightened the botanists' attention, however. Non-predatory herbivores they may be, but they were still large, wild animals. Through the pair had encountered them before in passing, they were not the handlers and did not know the creatures' habits or mannerisms.

"Think they're trying to kick us out?" Spencer asked curiously, only somewhat joking.

But the animals were not focused on either of them. They had yet to show an acknowledgement of the humans at all.

"Nah..."

Neither Ankylosaurus took seemed to have even noticed them yet. Still, the beasts were awfully mouthy to each other.

"Are you getting the impression they're... mad, though?"

Spencer wasn't joking that time, and Andrea could sort of see why. The deep grunts were short and quick; there was an aggressive air to it.

Then, just as Andrea was coming to this decision, one Ankylosaurous rammed its front shoulder into another, sending the second stumbling.

"Damn!"

"When you're right, you're right," Andrea nudged Spencer's elbow.

The aggressor rushed to spin around and face-off with the other. She backed up a few steps, and aimed a long grunt at its companion. As it did, it's tail swung up and then back and forth over their ATV.

"We should go?" Spencer muttered.

"Yup," Andrea's eyes popped wide. "Now."

This was the most frightened she'd been in the field in quite some time. Sure, it had taken some time to get used to seeing giant creatures roaming unchecked at work, but, over time, such a thing had become a little more par. Now, the dangerous reality was clear and blatant once again.

They stepped towards their vehicle for a quick exit but jumped backward again when that clubbed tail swung too close.

"Okay..." Andrea tried to calm herself, as she was the senior staff. "I'll hop in from this side and throw it in reverse. It can make it through the stream here- you just jump in."

"...right."

"Okay, then..."

It was a simple two-step plan, but it did seem daunting. With the armored tail hovering about, Andrea crazily imagined the angry creature playing Whack-A-Mole with her as the unlucky pop-up stuffed animal.

Before she could get into the vehicle, the angry animal's tail careened to the side and swung heavily back and down, nailing the ATV in the back wheel-well and tipping the whole thing onto its side.

"Ho, shit!" she tripped backwards but scrambled back up to her feet swiftly.

It was a good thing, as the Anklyosaurous growled and looked around, perhaps thinking that another animal had entered the scene.

The second creature took advantage and charged, swinging its horned head at the other. They began stumbling around, heads butting and heavy tails swinging. The botanists hit the deck in order to avoid the appendages. The air pushed its way out of Andrea's chest in a grunt at she gasped in awe and in fear.

"Up, up -go!" she hissed when the toiling duo turned in a way that meant no tail loomed over them.

They scrambled from the dirt and brush as the dinosaurs stomped around. Spencer darted to cross the shallow stream, so Andrea followed until a mighty splash altered them that the Anklyosaurous, too, had bumbled in the same direction. They dove down again, this time landing in the middle of the rocks amongst the water. Yet there was on time to complain or check for injury; they crawled from the water in order to stay low but not stay near those heavy, wide feet.

Loos rocks in the water and along the opposite bank meant their escape was clumsy, but the mad dash was ultimately effective. They sprinted off a short ways before finally stopping to collect their breath and wits.

"...that was unexpected," Spencer finally breathed.

They could still hear the grunts and groans from near the stream bed, so they quietly continued walking the other way. As they did so, Andrea pulled her now-cracked sunglasses from her face to stow in a wet jacket pocket. Her hands shook, and she registered a sharp sting in her arm. She raised it to peer at the back of her forearm, where there was now a trip in her jacket and blood soaked around it. She hissed through her teeth and prodded gently at the split skin.

"...ugh..."

"Are you alright? ...they looks kindda deep," Spencer assessed. "Do you think it's broken?"

"No," Andrea twisted her arm around experimentally. "I just must've caught it on something..."

It bled quite freely, so Andrea dug into one of her thin coat pockets to produce a pocketknife to flip open so she could cut some fabric free to use to staunch the gash. She was sorry to, for it had been a newer jacket, but she supposed it didn't matter now that it was ripped and bloody anyway.

"Hold up. I must have bandages..."

Spencer swung his pack off his shoulder and pulled out a First-Aid Kit from amongst his dampened things. It was nothing fancy, but Andrea let him wrap a length of gauze tightly around her forearm a few times.

While they were stopped, Andrea's head began to clear. Obviously, their ATV was out of commission back at the stream, but they ahd to get out of there somehow. Walking all the way back to the park seemed ridiculous, not to mention they might startled some park-goers in their Gyro-Spheres. Anyway, they had a radio to the Control Center. After Spencer finished, Andrea picked through her own backpack for the black, rectangular device.

Andrea had never had to use it much, but it was a field requirement. She twisted it on and held the side button.

"Control. This is Botany Department- Seaver, in the field."

'Go ahead, Seaver,' a male voice crackled back.

"We're looking for a pick-up in Quadrant W10. Our ATV took an unlucky hit from an Anklyosaur."

'Copy that. Medical Extraction?'

"Negative. We're fine, just stranded," she reported.

'We'll put out a call to see who's closest to you. Stand by.'

They did so, continuing to trudge along while whoever was helping them in Control used another radio channel to check the area. The pair might have to wait a while, but it stood to reason that they'd have to get free from the tree cover to get picked up no matter what direction help came from.

'Seaver, this is Control. Someone's coming your way from the Raptor arena North. We've given them your quadrants and you can contact them on Channel 11.'

"Thank you."

'They'll contact us if they have trouble finding you- we can watch the tracker from your radio.'

"Perfect, thanks. I'll switch channels, then."

'Get back at us if there's a porblem. I'll make sure transport got the ping that somethign happened to your ATV. Over.'

"Over"

Andrea carefully switched to a different channel and was almost immediately met with a crackle of noise.

'-re, huh? Seaver; where you at!' someone sing-songed.

"Owen?"

'Copy that, Sitting Duck. How many Flower Girls are you out there with?'

"Me and Spence. Just us scientists," she rolled her eyes to join Spencer's scoff.

'Got it. Barry and I are on the way out.'

"Great, we'll make out way out to the tree line," she reported.

'So that'll put you ...' the line quieted and there was background static, 'In the 3rd section of the lot?'

Clearly a map had been consulted.

"Sounds right," Andrea dug her own copy out- it was wet, now.

'Okay. Hold tight ...want some music?'

Without waiting for an answer, the other end of the line was apparently shoved toward a radio speaker. The music was garbled, through Andrea thought it was definitely Aerosmith. Still, she turned it down because the static was annoying.

"At least he'll drive fast- I'm still hungry."

Andrea smiled some, appreciative of Spencer's valiant work to keep the mood light. Still, sh was fairy shook-up.

"Yeah, we'll get to the paperwork faster- incident reports galore, for sure," she jerked a thumb back towards where they'd come.

'But I'll eat first," Spencer dutifully remained optimistic.

"Alright then," Andrea grinned.

She could settled for his plan since they were both okay. Neither of them had been crushed in a Whack-A-Mole situation by a clubbed tail. Once their nerves calmed and they had a good night's sleep, this would be a good story to tell. An exiting tale in the saga of working at Jurassic World.

Soon, the trees began to thin out and they eventually came to grass, plains and lightly-sloping hills spread before them.

"Ugh, they can find us here," Andrea announced once they'd gone a few yards from the forest, and she dropped to sit in the soft grass.

Adrenaline was wearing off, so she felt tired and unwilling to pluck out a map and start hearing in the direction Owen and Barry were most likely coming from. She pushed her hands through her hair. It was tied up at the back of her head, but the loose, wavy strands loose around her face were wet with water ...as was half of her body. The heat of the place would probably take care of that sooner rather than later.

Spencer sat down near her, his lanky legs bent up before him. Quietly, he found his phone in this bag- it had water on it but had not been drenched to ruin- and called up Jerald to let him know what had happened.

"...uh-huh, uh-huh ...yeah, we're okay- a little scratched up, sure, and I think the work we got done is even fine. Just a broken camera..."

Andrea started at his words and looked down. She hadn't even registered, yet, that the camera around her neck was busted. She had apparently landed on it when ducking for cover because the lens was crushed, dangling down precariously.

Great.

As it was now rendered useless and they weren't returning to work today, anyway, Andrea removed it to place in her bag with the rest of her things. With nothing better to do, she dropped backwards to lay down, face toward the son.

It was 20-30 minutes later that Spencer jostled her arm.

"They're coming"

She sat up with a quiet grunt and could, in fact, see a dark blue truck rolling up the treeline toward them.

"Hey, kids- get separated form mom and dad?" Owen hung out the window as he pulled to a stop and then pushed open his door.

"Something like that," Spencer chortled, taking the hand Barry offered when he climbed out of his side.

"Both doin' alright?" Owen asked and lightly took Andrea's left elbow to inspect the damage.

"It's okay," Andrea shrugged him off at the same time Spencer turned.

"What happened out there?" he frowned at the trees.

"Anklyosaurous grudge match?" Andrea hazard a guess.

"Andrea was going to hop in the ATV so we could bolt, but one of them knocked it over. We got banged up dodging tails and feet..."

"Uh-huh," Owen gave him a strange, displeased look.

"They were coming after you?" Barry asked in surprise. "But why?"

"No. I don't think they noticed us very much. It seemed like we were in the wrong place at the wrong time," Spencer explained.

"Yeah, they were squaring off with each other, not us."

"Guess we can't just help you tip your ATV back up, hey?"

"No, it got hit in the wheel well," Andrea scratched at her hair. "So can we get out of here?"

"Sure," Owen nodded, looking her over. "Barr, you mind hoppin' in back so Andy's not banging around back there?"

"It's fine, Owen"

"Nah," he took her other shoulder to press her toward the truck.

"Cut it out. What?"

"He has a point- looks like you and me hanging on in the back," Barry winked at Spencer and nodded to the truck bed.

"See? Here."

Owen stepped forward to scoop up Andrea's bag, but she swatted at his hand and grabbed it herself. He threw his hands up in frustrated confusion but followed her to the truck when she started to climb in the passenger side.

"The hell's your problem, Seaver?" he snapped once he, too, was in the cab and tugged the truck into drive.

"Nothing," Andrea bit but then tried to contain her attitude. "I just don't need to be coddled."

"I'm n-" he scoffed and rolled his yes in a loud sort of way. "So sue me. You went through some shit and looked like you needed a damn hug, but, yeah, I'm the asshole here."

Andrea scowled.

"...of course I could use a hug," she agreed but sounded like she did not want one even a little bit. "But I'm at work."

Then she just sounded deflated.

Owen opened his mouth to tell her that she was being ridiculous, but he closed it before he could do so. He thought he got where she was coming from. She was at work, where she had shit ti do; she wanted to be strong and steady there, not a mess. He knew that as well as anyone- he needed to be focused at work with his girls. Plus, she was basically Spencer's superior; she had seniority, at least, and needed to be professional.

"Okay, I get it," he conceded. "Raincheck on the hug."

Andrea glanced over to see a boyish grin aimed her way from him, and she had to smile ...just a little.

That was the thing about Owen. He had a mix of boyish charm and a roguish attitude that was endearing and, she could admit, alluring. Then he would turn around and be a dick- for instance, she hated that she was starting to merely accept 'Flower Girl' as her on-again-off-again title - which could make him prickly company to be in. But, no matter if he was trying to be adorable or annoying, he was a genuinely good person. So, if nothing else, he was more than an adequate fright to have around.

"Thanks," was the only response she could give to that.

"Course," he shrugged, casual and careless again. "Had me worried for a second when they said it was you out there, but then I figure it was nothing if they said medical wasn't dispatching."

"...it was close," she admitted.

"Mm ...can't forget to count a dragon into your plans when he lives in your backyard," Owen understood.

"... ...did you just quote Tolkien at me?" Andrea mused.

Owen laughed.

"What's with the tone of surprise? I know my Middle Earth ... ...anyway, it's a philosophy I live by. Any animal can be unpredictable no matter what you think you know," he sighed.

"You said a mouthful there," Andrea agreed.

They fell quiet a while, and Andrea looked down at her hands in her lap, stretching her fingers. They were no longer trembling, though they did ache. She turned them over to see how they were scraped- she rubbed some dirt out of a cut on her palm.

"Alright, Chief?" Owen watched this.

"Mmhm, just messy."

"And banged around," he added and reached across the bench seat to prod her under her eye. "And not even in the good way," he smirked.

Andrea snorted something that sounded like "idiot," and gingerly touched at her check and eye. She did not know what had happened there, but she momently remembered her ruined sunglasses.

"Think I'll look like a bad ass?"

"You ran from fighting dinosaurs- pretty sure you're a badass no matter how you bruise up," he told her in a matter-of-fact way.

"Raptor level bad ass?"

"That is only for a select few, but you're getting closer than the other flower children," he allowed with a self-satisfied tone.

"What about Spence?" she included fairly.

Andrea frowned when Owen rolled his eyes.

"What?"

"Nothing"

"What's your problem with Spencer?"

He was not someone who caused problem, so she couldn't imagine what would have put he and Owen at odds. In fact, she didn't think that they knew each other enough to even have troubles.

"It's nothing- Spencey is fine."

Andrea decided not to press. She liked Spencer and she liked Owen, but if they weren't BFFs, then it was their own problem.

Owen preferred she did not nag on about it, or he just would have told her his issue. Given how she'd reacted to his catering to her, she certainly would've been sour that he was peeved at the other plant nerd hadn't stepped up out there. He understood Andy was older and unofficially in charge as Senior staff, but good ole Spence hadn't been reluctant that it had been her stepping into action and risking her neck.

What had Spencer done? Anything?

Owen knew this would've sounded chauvinistic to her. He wasn't trying to be; she was badass today. It just irked him that it didn't seem as through anyone'd had Andrea's back out there.

She as his friend- who'd looked out for her?

Fucking Spence.

"Dang- you caused a real incident, Flower Girl," Own gave a low whistle.

They'd drawn into range of the Raptor paddock where a medic van and an entire Asset Containment Unit squad were milling.

"...guess so."

"Do me a favor?" Andrea grabbed his arm before they got out.

"Another one?" he teased, half-grin in place. "Shoot."

"Don't call him Spencey to his face?"

He snorted.

"Sure"

They stepped out and were immediately ushered over to the gathered response team.

"Everybody safe or is anyone else out there?"

"Just us- our ATV is still out there. It's tipped up and has a ruined wheel."

"Transportation has a location on it; we'll meet maintenance out there to clear the area," a man in black-padded armor and toting a gun assured her.

"I'm sure that's not necessary. They weren't attacking us," Andrea informed him.

"We're never too careful. One of the women who works with the Ankylosaurous is meeting us out there, as well. IF they're showing aggression, we want those handlers in on the situation," he reported.

"I don't know that it's a "situation"...it was probably about territory or some other social issue."

"Can you promise that?" the man snapped.

"...obviously not," Andrea conceded ruefully.

"Then leave it. We have protocol for asset aggression in the vicinity of humans. You treport to medical- we roll out in three!"

Thoroughly dismissed, Andrea did as he ordered and caught a ride back to a med clinic in the First Aid van.

"Hey," Owen caught the door before she slid it shut. "You left this in the truck," he thrust her bag at her. "You good?"

"Mmhmm, thanks"

"..want me to deck that jackass?" he offered, nodding at th ebalck vehicle loading up.

Andrea hummed in amusement.

"He has a big gun."

"I've faced worse"

She didn't doubt it.

"The offer's enough," she shrugged.

"Alright ...come by later if you need. I have beer."

"Thanks"

He gave her a quick nod and slid the door the rest of the way shut. He lightly hit the side of the van and backed off so they could go.

Andrea relaxed back in her seat.

So much for that perfect day for a job.