Good evening, Mr. Mills.
Listen, there's been a mistake-
I'm well aware. People don't just turn into dinosaur-cars willy-nilly.
Exactly! That's what I've been saying, but-
I mean, we deal with this kind of thing all the time, but there's usually a reason for it. In this case, it seems as though the Volatus Virus has evolved to the point of being able to recognize more complex situations than plain old dinosaur-killings. I'd like to obtain a better understanding of this modified strain. Would you be willing to answer a few questions?
Can you let me out, first?
I'm afraid not. Until you prove yourself fit for release, we can't risk endangering captured assets within close proximity.
I'm not a real dinosaur. I wouldn't hurt anyone.
Oh, it's not the dinosaur part we're worried about. It's the whole . . . murder thing.
I- I don't know what you-
Before you finish that thought, let me remind you that lying won't accrue any points in your favour. Trying to deceive me is not only pointless- I'm fully aware of your circumstances- but also further proof that we cannot trust you in an open environment.
Look, I didn't want to kill the man, but-
Your motivations do not concern me, nor do they bear any relevance to the subject at hand.
I- I'm sorry, I just-
Again, I don't particularly care about your moral quandaries. We're here to discuss what happened after the incident at the manor.
. . . I'll tell you whatever you need to know.
Good. Let's begin with your death. Tell me everything you remember after that point, down to the most minute detail.
Well, I remember pain- intense pain, like I've never felt before- and being tossed around a lot . . . then for a while, nothing. I don't know when I regained consciousness, because the line between alive and dead . . . for a time, it wasn't clear. I had a vague sense that I still existed, at least in some form, but it was like being put under at the dentist: time felt different, and so did my presence in the world. I definitely woke up at some point, but it wasn't a jump back to awareness . . . more like a slow fade-in. When I started to process semi-lucid thoughts, I was looking up at the stars. My first thought was that I must be lying on my back in an unfamiliar place, which made sense, because people sometimes wake up and don't know where they are. Slowly, though, I realized that this was not a trick of the mind, that I actually had no idea where I was, nor how I had arrived there. I was outdoors, somehow, but where specifically, I could not say. I tried to get up, but I couldn't bring myself to move. Instead, I settled on driving my thoughts into motion. I tried to retrace my steps, hoping I could discern my location from distant strands of memory. After a bit of fumbling, it hit me. The last thing I remembered was being snatched up by a dinosaur. I couldn't feel physical pain at this stage of my resurrection, but the thought rattled my mind in much the same way. Suddenly, my memories came flooding back, and a billion questions sprung to mind. Was I seriously injured? Was I dead? Was this what happened when your body stopped being alive? Was I going to be trapped in a rotting carcass for all eternity? This notion was unbearable, and I found myself hyperventilating at the thought of it. Soon, however, I realized that I was breathing, which meant that I couldn't be dead. I was so relieved. I could have wept for joy.
If I had known that those would be my last few seconds of humanity, I would have appreciated them more.
The first part of me to regain feeling was my leg. From there, it seemed like my body was slowly repairing itself, though it wasn't a pleasant sensation. I was somewhat concerned by this development, though I supposed it was better than feeling nothing at all. Maybe I wasn't hurt as badly as I thought. Maybe I could go back to living a normal life.
But then, something started changing inside of me. I'm not sure how I noticed it- just one of those instinctual things, I guess- but I could feel that something big was coming. Suddenly, my heart clenched up, twisting around like someone had reached inside of my chest and wrung it out with tight fists. A burning feeling spread out from my ribcage, moving through my veins like liquid fire. I screamed and rolled over, writhing around in the gravel. As the pain became tolerable, I pushed myself up. Pebbles pressed into my palms, but I was more concerned about what was going on inside of me. The pain was more of a stabbing sensation, now. It hit me with each heartbeat. My vision blurred, and I felt something wet pouring down my face. The rocks beneath me were speckled with blue liquid. Before I could register any of this properly, another wave of pain hit me, and I felt my guts twisting around each other, shaping into God knows what. My spine was getting longer, and my legs were growing stiff in places. My neck started aching, and when I reached up to touch it, I was surprised to feel metal under my fingertips. I suddenly got the feeling that I would be losing my hands shortly, and sure enough, my skin started to fuse with itself, filling in the gaps until I had two fingers, which were extending into claws. This was around the time I started wondering if I was in Hell. I wasn't sure what I expected, but this definitely felt like demonic possession. Well, maybe not. I was still alone. I guess it felt more like a strange medical episode, or maybe a really bad trip- I was never much into drugs, but this seemed like a nightmare, at the very least. I tried to stand, but my feet were changing, too. It wasn't long before I rolled forward. My face hit the ground, then after a pause, my cheek was shoved deeper into the gravel when my neck stretched out. I was screaming the whole time, and I'm pretty sure that this was the precise moment when my teeth and tongue changed- my entire skull, actually- because my jaw was aching, and it felt like I was growing horns- which I guess I must have been. My ribcage was crackling less insistently, so I figured whatever damage had befallen it was coming to an end. My nostrils were forced open, and smoke started wafting up before my eyes. I somehow managed to get myself standing, though it felt like I was hunched over, compared to my usual posture. I stood still until the pain subsided, and my body ceased to contort. I didn't want to risk moving after that, but eventually, I realized that I had no choice. Whatever had happened to me was serious. I needed help. So I took a step forward, and finding a tire at the end of my leg, set it down and leaned into a gentle roll. It wasn't long before I figured out how to move. It was bizarre, this new body of mine. I don't know how to describe the feeling of travelling on wheels. It's so foreign to anything in human anatomy. But it was instinctual, to some degree, and I made use of my new skill, though it certainly made me uncomfortable.
I was already deep into the forest by the time I realized that I was going the wrong way. I considered returning to the manor, but with the Indoraptor loose, I didn't want to take any chances.
Even though you were twice its size?
I wasn't thinking of myself in that way. My body had changed, but I still had the mind of a human, and I was used to being wary of large predators. I cruised through the forest, wondering if I could navigate towards civilization. I had undoubtedly turned myself around in my confusion, and it was too dark to tell where I was going. As I tried to adjust my eyes to the moonlit forest, my field of vision was suddenly illuminated. After swivelling my head around, I realized that the light was coming from me. I decided to keep moving. After a few minutes of driving, a greyish dinosaur was caught in my headlights. I was as frightened of it as it was of me, but following a few seconds of stunned silence, it bleated in fear and ran away. It must have been one of the ones that escaped.
It wasn't, but go on.
I continued my search until I found myself at the border of a small town. I was so relieved to find civilization that I sped down the hill at full force, not giving the matter much thought. When I rounded the corner of a large street, I saw a woman walking down the sidewalk alone. I made my way towards her, hoping that she could direct me to a hospital. When she heard me coming, she turned around and screamed. I tried to explain that I meant her no harm, but it was too late. She had woken up half of the neighbourhood. Windows lit up on either side of me. One porch light illuminated a glass bus stop nearby, and I was finally able to see my reflection. I was so horrified by the image that I didn't associate it with myself, at first, but realizing that it was mimicking my every move, the truth dawned on me. I fled from the scene as fast as I could, knowing that it would only be a matter of time before the townspeople came after me with guns. I made my way back up the hill, and looking over my shoulder, I realized that I could never, ever go back to this place, nor to any other. I was a stranger to my own world, a monster who had no way of connecting with his former peers. I had lost my humanity, and now that it was gone, I realized just how fragile my ties to society had been, how a simple change in appearance could take away everything I used to depend upon. I was overcome by dread and loneliness, and I felt like I had nowhere to go.
And then?
That's when I saw you. I didn't know what you were doing there, but-
I know what happened from that point on. Thank you very much, Eli. You've been a big help.
Am I-
Just one more question: when you changed, did you feel yourself being overwhelmed by violent instincts?
No. I was . . . afraid, mostly.
Then we can assume that the PMR has been nixed.
The wh-
I'm going to investigate this further. Until I've gotten to the bottom of this, we're gonna have to contain you.
You said I'd get to leave if I cooperated!
I'm very sorry to tell you this, Eli, but answering a few questions doesn't cancel out murder. You're still on the hook for your crimes.
But-
And even if I set you free, where would you go? Like you said, you don't belong among humans. You're going to have to leave that life behind.
But . . . But I-
If it's any consolation, you're not alone. Plenty of other people became dinosaurs, though not many are part vehicle as well.
. . . What are you going to do with me?
That's the question, isn't it? For now, we'll keep you caged up with the rest of them. It's more than you deserve, and more than you'd get from anyone down in that village.
Please . . . I'm not a monster . . .
I don't want you to think that I'm judging you based on the way you look. That's not the problem, here.
Then why are you locking me in a cage?
Well, like I said, you're a murderer. Being a dinosaur doesn't make you a monster, Eli. You made yourself into one all on your own.
No . . . NO, WAIT! WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME? PLEASE, LET ME GO! I WANT TO GO HOME! I WANT TO GO HOME!
***TSJWFKFEW***
"Hello, Claire . . ."
***TSJWFKFEW***
The tension between myself and Eli only escalated in the days that followed my outburst. It wasn't just that he was more hostile with me- if anything, he was quieter- but the effects of my attack could be seen in subtle ways. He was reluctant to take his medication, first of all, and I would have assumed that he was just shy about it, except he had cut down on the gasoline as well. He was waking up even later than usual, and he was looking worn down. He had bags under his eyes- darker bags than usual, I mean- and his scales were peeling in places. He was malnourished and exhausted, and I knew that it was mostly because of what I had done.
"Are you gonna finish that?" I asked, pointing to his jerrycan.
"Why? Do you want a sip?"
He held up the jug sardonically, then pushed it through the bars of his cage, turning away with a snarl. I watched as it leaked brown liquid on the floor.
"Come on, Eli. You can't just stop eating like that . . . or drinking. Whatever it is."
He snorted.
"Watch me."
"You'll die."
"I'm not that lucky."
I curled my fingers around the bars of my cage and pressed my snout through a gap.
"Eli . . ."
"Look, can we stop pretending like you actually care what happens to me?"
"Just because I don't like you doesn't mean I want to watch you waste away . . ."
"Oh, you and your bleeding heart. I've made my decision, Claire. I give up. On redemption, on escaping, on life in general. You win. There's no point in fighting it."
"Eli, I don't want you to die."
"I know that. I'm not some naïve, undiscerning ball of self-pity. But that being the case, I know you're not doing this out of concern for my well-being. This is about your own failings. You fucked up, and you can't live with the consequences of your actions. The only reason you're trying to help me is because you're afraid of what will happen if you don't. This reflects poorly on your character, and you can't live with that guilt, so you're trying to wash the blood off your hands by coercing me into forgiveness- which you won't get, by the way, because I refuse to let you off the hook, just because you're too much of a coward to accept any repercussions. You're only in this for you, so let's not pretend that this is anything but manipulation masquerading as kindness. We're adults, here. We both know what's really going on."
I hate to admit it, but he really hit the nail on the head. Still, I wasn't done with him yet.
"Eli, I made a terrible mistake. You're right about me trying to make amends, but if I feel genuinely bad about what I did- and I do- wouldn't it be proof enough that I care about your well being, at least a little?"
He turned around and looked me in the eyes.
"Name one thing you see in me that's worth saving."
Oh, fuck.
A few examples flittered through my mind, but I was reticent about complimenting him in any way. I waited too long to make a judgment call, and he turned away with a sneer.
"That's what I thought."
I sighed.
"Eli, life is always worth saving, even if I'm . . . unable to come up with a reason why you're specifically deserving of life."
"Has anyone told you that you suck at compliments?"
"I've never associated with someone who doesn't deserve them before."
"You're only digging this hole deeper."
I snuffed, shaking my head irritably.
"You know what? I don't need your approval. I know that what I said was wrong, and I plan to do better in the future."
"You'll always carry the burden of your mistake, though."
"Well, at least the person I betrayed is still alive."
Oh, that got under his skin, I could tell. Cutting him down using his appearance or his medical situation reflected poorly on me, but judging him for the murder he committed was fair, poignant, and morally sound. He could always deflect it by comparing his actions to mine, but chewing up a vicious dinosaur and a tiny piglet in an unhinged fit of fury was still less morbid than deliberately taking the life of a defenceless man. I was sure that some part of Eli was torn up about what he'd done, and I almost felt bad for him, but it was ridiculous to feel that way, right? I mean, when you take a step back and look at the whole picture, him feeling bad about killing someone couldn't possibly carry the same emotional weight as the suffering he'd caused by doing so. His actions had affected Maisie, Iris- and Lockwood, obviously- immeasurably, and he would never, ever live that down. Although I still felt bad about what I'd said, I was less concerned about his emotional state, taking all of this into consideration. Unfair as my remark had been, he deserved this kind of pain, and more.
(And maybe you could imagine tearing him to shreds, just as a theoretical reflection on the level of punishment he should be getting.)
My violent side was getting coy, but it was also easier to control. The bloodthirsty thoughts sprung up as frequently as ever, but they were background noise now. They rarely ever led to me considering these actions in great detail, and I hadn't come close to fulfilling my desires for a good, long time. But there was still work to be done, of course. I wouldn't be satisfied until these thoughts were snuffed out entirely.
A loud clanking and a frazzled voice caught my attention. Someone was coming. I guessed that Moonwatcher must have found another fugitive, and I was correct. A metal gate near the doors lifted slowly, revealing an irate Spinosaurus who hurled verbal abuse in the same tone of voice a wealthy restaurant patron might use after having red wine spilled on their lap.
"You let me go this instant! Do you know who I am?! My lawyers will hear about this! I have the right to-"
Moonwatcher cocked a tranquilizer gun.
"Remain silent? I agree."
The Spinosaurus stepped backwards in his cage, throat quivering slightly.
"You thought you could escape our notice, but luckily for you, you're kind of a pain in the ass, and very easy to spot. You can't run, you can't hide, so get used to this cage, because it's all you're getting."
"This is unlawful."
"Mhm!" she chirped.
Moonwatcher pushed the cage (I assume it was magical or something- she didn't look very strong) beside mine.
Great. Now I was the meat of an asshole-sandwich. My older cellmate peeked over my back and nodded at the new arrival.
"Hello, Henry . . ."
He narrowed his eyes.
"Just so you know, this is your fault."
Eli snorted and took a seat.
"You don't seem surprised that I'm a dinosaur."
"Neither do you, so I guess we can chalk this up to personal experience," Wu hissed.
Eli laughed.
"Well, you know what they say about misery . . ."
I decided that this was an unwanted development. I was caught in a tiff between the two people most responsible for my transformation, and neither of them were shining examples of moral fortitude. At least Gunnar was decent. I wish he had stayed with us in the lab, but then again, he wouldn't be hanging out with Zia and Franklin, were that the case. I was happy for him, and a little jealous.
Wu, meanwhile, was still whining.
"This cage is far too small: I can't even stand properly! And who let in the cat?!"
Nectarine had somehow slipped into the lab unnoticed, and was currently rubbing against Wu's toe. He kicked the pussycat away, growling with annoyance.
"You had better let me out."
"Or what?" Moonwatcher smirked, "You're a dinosaur. You have nowhere to go. Even if you somehow managed to break free, we'd just capture you and bring you back."
"I hate to agree with her, but it's true," Eli muttered, "Neither of us belongs in our homeworld because of the way we look, and neither of us belongs on the island, because of what we've done. We're stuck here forever."
He cracked a bit on that last word, falling silent all of a sudden. I felt a twang of sympathy. Moonwatcher gave me a wave.
"Gotta step out for a second. Keep an eye on these two. Make sure they don't escape."
And she left.
"Great. I have to spend the rest of my life locked away with four ugly dinosaurs," Wu grumbled.
"You're counting yourself too, right? . . ." Eli quipped.
"No. Of course not. I may be a dinosaur, but I'm purebred."
Eli groaned.
"Oh, come on. You're the ugliest dinosaur among us . . . Okay, I lied. Wheatley's worse, but only by a little. He's like a melted lizard."
Wheatley sat up in his cage.
"Hey!"
Wu sneered.
"I'm easily the most competently-designed creature in this room."
Eli snorted, puffing out a cloud of exhaust.
"God, you always had an ego. Listen, this argument isn't very becoming of us, but just for the record, we're all pretty ugly. With the exception of-"
"Yourself?"
"No! I have a metal tube in my ass! I was gonna say Claire."
Whoah. Where did that come from?
Catching a glimpse of my reaction, he answered my thoughts.
"I mean, I designed the Indoraptor myself, so-"
"Excuse me?!" Wu barked.
"Well, I came up with the best ideas," he clarified, "The stripe? That was all me. I chose the color and everything. Also, the dark palette was my suggestion too, and it goes really well with your green."
He was talking about me like I was a race car. Yuck. Why was he getting so excited about my appearance? Because it gave him a chance to pat himself on the back, that's why.
"Plus, your hair has always been a nice color, so that makes your frill alright . . ."
Hang on a minute . . .
"And you have those gold spots on it too, which matches the str-"
"Eli, did you just say that you like my hair?"
He waved his paw dismissively.
"Liked, past tense. You don't have hair anymore."
"Huh . . ."
He rolled his eyes.
"Oh, don't give me that look. You had objectively nice hair, but your personality is still terrible. Unlike you, I can find things to compliment, even though I hate your guts."
I swished my tail.
"Well, that's cheating. I didn't know we were counting physical appearance."
"Ah, that explains why you didn't mention my rugged good looks . . ."
"You have nice eyes."
He tensed up a bit, then relaxed.
"I know."
"You're lucky you got to keep them."
"Well, your frill is still the same color- darker, maybe, but it suits your new look."
"Hm. Blue is supposed to clash with red, but I think your eyes are so bright that it doesn't matter."
Wheatley groaned.
"Get a room!"
Eli snickered.
"Yeah, Claire. Learn to hold back, why don't you?"
I grinned.
"Sorry, Eli. I'm already taken."
Right on cue, Owen stepped through the door. Eli turned his gaze to the ceiling, groaning loudly.
"You have got to be fucking kidding me!"
I made a point of licking Owen's cheek as he hopped up on my cage, reaching between the bars to scratch my frill.
"Good morning, beautiful."
Eli gagged. I smiled and nuzzled Owen's cheek.
"Hello, handsome."
He nodded to Wu.
"I see you have a new roommate."
"Unfortunately, yes."
Wu glared at me.
"All those years of working together, and you don't trust me?"
"Well, you made the monster that attacked me- twice- so no. I do not."
He snarled.
"But hey, just to prove that I bear no ill will, the code to unlock your cage is 2321," I twittered.
He typed it in, and the door clicked open.
"How did you know? . . ."
"Moonwatcher is not as clever as she thinks she is."
As Wu pushed the gate open, I held up a claw.
"Ah, ah, ah! Don't try to escape. Remember what Moonwatcher said."
He glowered bitterly and pulled the door closed again.
"This is a disgrace."
Eli's eyes flickered with hope.
"Claire, you opened my door the other day. Mind telling me what the code was?"
"Sorry, Eli. Since I apparently have no real sympathy for you, I don't think I can . . ."
Owen blinked.
"Is this about the AIDS thing?"
Owen, Jesus Christ. Why'd he have to ruin my small victory?
Eli clenched his jaw.
"You told Owen?"
"I never-"
"Oh, I didn't hear it from Claire," Owen explained, "Not directly, anyway. I was on MooTube- it's like YouTube, but for dinosaurs- and between the recommended videos featuring cat compilations and NeoNazis for no discernible reason, I found a video entitled 'You Have AIDS - Remix'."
Oh, shit. That didn't sound good.
Owen turned to me.
"I think we should discuss our privacy with Moonwatcher, by the way. She's been allowing tiny robots to film us."
Moonwatcher conveniently (not so conveniently) burst in at that very moment.
"Actually, my primary method of documentation is via text, but the internal logic of this story indicates that we are both a movie AND a novel, yet there's more physical evidence for the latter. Honestly, it doesn't make much s-"
Noticing my enraged glare, she coughed.
"I understand you're upset about me expl- utilizing you like this, but think of it this way: we're providing entertainment for millions of people, and their money is funding our efforts to cure you of-"
"MILLIONS?" I squawked.
She gulped.
"Yeah . . . We're quite popular. It's mainly because of brand recognition, if I'm being honest . . . I mean, we DO have a monopoly on the media, since our entire existence was written by a monarch, and all . . ."
Owen crossed his arms.
"You know, I thought it was really sweet of you to give Maisie that stuffed dinosaur that looks like Claire, but now I have a sneaking suspicion that you mass-produced them without our knowledge."
Moonwatcher shook her head.
"No, that one was just a prototype. We're putting voice boxes in the first batch. By the way, Claire, would you be willing to-"
"No."
She winced.
"Ah. Well, we could always use a mix of the other Claire's audio samples, plus some Indoraptor growls."
I whined.
"Moonwatcher . . ."
She raised her hands.
"I know, I know. You don't like me profiting off your tragedy. But the money is going towards research that could solve your Indoraptor problem, and you're making so many people happy . . ."
"How much are you telling them?"
Her eyes darted back and forth.
"Um . . . I'm not sure I can quantify that accurately."
Sometimes, Moonwatcher gives me the willies. Her mix of vague brush-offs and corporate-speak gives me the impression that she's perhaps not entirely invested in my emotional well-being.
And she's odd. Very odd.
I sighed with defeat.
"Well, as long as the money's being funnelled into a cure . . . I'm still not happy about this, but I'd do anything to be human again."
Eli gulped.
"Moonwatcher, is any of this funding going towards . . . fixing me?"
She gestured for Owen to leave. Obviously, she anticipated conflict. He kissed my paw and whispered that he'd be back soon. Moonwatcher made sure that he was absent, then turned back to Eli.
"I'm gonna be honest. You're not our top priority right now. We gotta send Claire back to her homeworld, but you . . . Well, you're dead there, so we can't exactly put you back with everyone else."
Eli's throat wobbled.
"So I'm never going home? . . . Ever? . . ."
"Probably not. But that's no big deal, right? I mean, you don't strike me as the kind of guy who needs a home."
Eli's tail was drooping now.
"I . . . I want my life back."
"So you've said, but I can't let you interfere with the timeline. We're already dealing with too many anomalies as it is. Claire's part bat, and the apatosaurus from Jurassic World was not Robin's equivalent in the Fallen Kingdom universe. But it was the same apatosaurus, I think. So there are points of divergence between Jurassic World and Fallen Kingdom, the latter of which also had Jurassic World occur in its universe. It's unsettling to me. Who was the apatosaurus? . . ."
She turned and wandered away, muttering to herself. Eli watched her leave, then sunk into his tires.
"I guess that's it for me, then."
"You could still live a happy life on this island . . ." I suggested.
He turned his head away sharply.
"They'll never let a murderer wander free. Everyone here knows what I did. And now they know about-"
He choked.
"It's over."
I bit my beak.
"Eli, I'm sorry she can't change you back . . ."
He lay on his side, sighing deeply.
"You know, Claire, I would have let you go."
"What?"
"I never wanted you to get caught up in my plans. Down in the basement, I would have let you go, if you had cooperated."
"Well, I wouldn't have stood by while you participated in animal trafficking, so 'cooperation' wasn't really on the table."
His eyes were distant.
"I wish you'd have let me carry on. If you had walked away, things would have ended up differently for both of us."
"There's no way I would have stayed complacent while you engaged in unethical behaviour."
"You seemed okay with it back at the park . . ." Wu chimed in icily.
"He's right, Claire," Eli whispered, "You think you're morally righteous, but you're just as rotten as I am."
"I knew when to walk away."
"And you didn't murder anyone either, I suppose."
"No, I did not."
Eli closed his eyes.
"So here we are. Two dinosaurs locked up in cages. Which one of us deserves to be here? Both? Neither?"
"You do."
Eli's head slid over a little. His eyes met mine.
"Can you really not think of anything redeemable about me?"
"I can't."
He swallowed.
"Well, that settles it, I suppose. I'm the bad guy in this story."
"From my point of view, yes! . . ."
"And the only way to escape it is by escaping the story."
I cocked my head.
"Eli, are you drunk?"
"No, Moonwatcher refuses to give me ethanol," he grumbled, "But it's true, isn't it? I'm stuck as a monster, in this world and the other. I can't undo that. But maybe if I find another setting, that will change. I'll get a clean slate. I'll get my life back."
"But even if your surroundings change, you won't."
These words hurt him deeply, I could tell. He curled up in a ball and closed his eyes.
"You're right."
After a few moments of silence, Wheatley clicked his tongue.
"You guys have really interesting conversations, you know that?"
***TSJWFKFEW***
I thought about everything Eli had said. Although I could never condone his actions, it was impossible to stop myself from sympathizing with him, at least to some degree. He was in the same predicament as I was, after all, and I knew how it could wear down on a person's soul. Having lost his humanity, Eli was struggling to come to terms with his new life, but unlike me, he didn't have any friends to help him through this transition. Worse still, he was unable to return to our homeworld at all, as Moonwatcher said, which must be very painful for him. Yes, I felt bad for Eli. Reminding myself that he was a murderer usually numbed my compassion, but I couldn't forget that look of sorrow in his eyes that I felt on a personal level.
CONTAINMENT BREACH.
I jolted awake in the middle of the night.
CONTAINMENT BREACH.
I looked around. The cages beside mine were empty.
Shit. This was one hundred percent my fault.
I was hoping that they would know better than to make a break for it, but apparently not. Moonwatcher had warned them that they'd be captured if they tried to flee, but just in case, I decided to go after them. It was my fault they had escaped, after all, and it had been an easily-avoidable mistake.
Bad Claire. Bad.
I sniffed out a trail of exhaust and dashed after Eli, hoping Wu would be with him. After a few minutes of pursuit, I caught sight of the two escapees. They were running through the plains- Well, Eli was rolling- rapidly approaching a nearby beach. I pumped my leg muscles, taking full advantage of my raptor-speed. When they hit the sand, Eli screeched to a halt.
"Wait! I can't swim like this!"
Wu slipped into the water.
"Not my problem."
Eli's jaw dropped.
"Henry . . . HENRY!"
He was already gone. Eli started shaking. He turned to flee, but soon realized that I was standing behind him.
"Claire . . ."
"Eli."
He backed up, but found his wheels dipping into the water.
"Claire, please, let me go . . ."
"Where."
He choked.
"I-I don't know. Away. I can't stay here."
"Eli, there's nowhere to run. There's no way out this time. Come back with me."
He shook his head.
"I'd rather drown."
Stunned by his words, I fell back. He took advantage of my distraction by zooming to my right, but I caught him before he could make it too far. Not knowing my own strength, I flung him over my head and slammed him into the sand, knocking the wind out of him. He tensed up, and suddenly, an airbag burst out of his rear, just a little too late. He groaned.
"Of course . . ."
We both became aware of a frustrated roar in the distance. A helicopter was shooting at Wu as he made his bold escape. It would only be a matter of time before he was caught. Eli watched him with terror.
"They'll be coming for me, soon."
"Don't try anything."
He met my gaze.
"Claire, go home. They might think you're in on it, too."
That got me panicking. I quickly regained my composure, however.
"No, Eli. They know you're the only guilty one."
"Go."
"Why? So you can make your escape?"
"So I can drive into the ocean."
I uncrossed my arms.
"Eli-"
"I've made my decision. They'll think it was an accident."
"Eli, don't do this . . ."
His jaw trembled.
"What does it matter, Claire?" he sobbed, "If I don't die tonight, it's only a matter of time. I'd rather end it quickly, instead of starving to death or wasting away. Please, just allow me this one bit of dignity!"
I looked over his shoulder at his still-inflated butt-bag. He frowned.
"You know what I mean."
After a long pause, I lifted my chin.
"You never give up."
He batted his eyes.
"What?"
"You asked if there was anything good I could see in you, and it's that you never give up. Sure, you hold onto bad ideas and evil plots, but you follow through with them. On a conceptual level, devoid of context, that's something I can admire."
He took in these words with awe. After trying to form a response and failing, he swallowed nervously.
"Claire-"
He yelped as a tranquilizer dart hit his neck. It was followed by four more. Before passing out, he deliberately held my eyeline, then slumped over. Moonwatcher skipped down the beach, holding a tranquilizer gun and sucking on a lollipop.
"Evening, Claire. Thanks for catching the escaped asset."
"You need better codes."
"I know. We're switching to fingerprint ID. We're gonna be making some modifications, so do you think you could stay with Owen for a few hours while I bring these suckers back?"
"Sure."
"Great! See you soon!"
I watched as she dragged Eli across the sand (okay, maybe she WAS just strong). His face was peaceful, but a single, blue tear had stained his cheek.
I had to wonder.
***TSJWFKFEW***
"So the Henry Wu that escaped was from our world, not some other dimension or whatever?"
I yawned and rolled over on the hotel carpet.
"Yup. He's definitely the Wu we know."
Owen ran his fingers through his hair.
"I'm still confused about that."
"I think we all are."
He sighed and walked over to his desk.
"Moonwatcher tried to explain it to me, but it still doesn't make much sense. Look."
He handed me a post-it note with seemingly random abbreviations.
JP, TSJPFEW, TLW.
JP3 (We do not speak of this world.)
JP, TLW and JP3 as soft canon, JW.
Combine the last world with FK, adding on TSJPFEW anomalies to JW minus FK. FK also seems affected by TSJPFEW, though to a lesser extent. Further divisions TBD.
I scanned the paper, trying to make sense of it.
"I . . . don't understand Moonwatcher. I don't understand this world."
Owen smiled and rubbed my front horn.
"Neither do I, but what I do know is that regardless of what happened here before we arrived, we're the same people we always w-"
I gave him a look.
"No, I mean it," he insisted, "A lot has changed, but one thing is for certain: we're stuck in this adventure together, as always."
"Stuck together. For survival."
He smiled.
"For survival."
Deciding that that was a high note to end on, I stretched myself out and trotted towards the door.
"Moonwatcher will have solved the containment issue by now."
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Well, back to the-"
I noticed that he was patting the bed. After a pause, my face lit up.
"Owen! . . ."
He stood up and hugged my neck, laughing as I licked his cheek.
"Welcome home, Claire."
***TSJWFKFEW***
The prisoners slept soundly that night. The silent hybrid rested in the corner of his cage. Wheatley snored on his back, drooling heavily. Henry dozed off with Nectarine purring on his snout. If anyone had asked him, he would have denied letting the feline jump up there in the first place, though the warmth of the little fuzzball made him smile. They were at peace, with the exception of one dinosaur, who stood vigilant in his enclosure.
Eli stared at the doors in silence, waiting for Claire to return.
But she never did.
