When Dinosaur Worlds Collide

by Nate The Ape

It's one thing to see and interact with the cloned dinosaurs on Isla Nublar. But for Wu, Muldoon, and Nedry, it's a whole different ballgame to find themselves in the bodies of actual dinosaurs in Early Cretaceous Texas. And to make things even crazier, there's these four random teens in the same predicament too, who swear the trio are characters in a novel. A Dinoverse crossover.

25. Chapter 25

Whew! I thought I'd never get this chapter done! A lot of stuff happens here, and I had quite a job padding it out with more material, then tailoring it all to work smoothly. Enjoy the drama, folks!

---

Muldoon.

The heat had become searing, and they'd stopped in a stretch of hilly country, covered with open forest, to doze for an hour or two in whatever shade they could find.

Zane and Runt had slipped into a copse of cedars, folding their legs at their sides like camels and then letting their long necks droop, heads hanging limply.

Patience folded her legs underneath her like an ostrich, sat down on her huge pubic "boot" and then laid down on her right side in the shade of a small clump of palms, soft ferns pillowing her huge body.

Nedry and Harriet each curled up underneath a chosen flowering bush in close proximity like jackals at rest, panting in the heat.

Wu laid down on his belly near the acro, forelegs stretched out in front of him, and also let his head droop, eyes half-shut-but like every herbivore, still ever alert to danger.

Muldoon inserted himself into a dense thicket of palmettos, their leaves hissing and rasping against his pebbly armor and being torn by his spikes. He bit off and ate part of a frond, then lowered his ironclad of a body to the ground and closed his eyes as he laid prone, listening briefly to the calls of the insects, the frogs and birds before drifting off. Of all the creatures here, his dinosaur "vessel" was one of the lucky few that could afford the luxury of sleeping deeply.

Later, Muldoon was woken up by the sound of plants being crushed and the sensation of a scaly, callused object touching his long whip of a tail, lightly pawing it.

(Wake up,) a voice whispered.

Wu's. There was an odd quality to his voice, something hushed and awed.

(Please, Henry,) Muldoon grumbled in annoyance. (Can't it wait until we're on the move again?) he asked, eyes closing once more as he flicked his tail to bat away the Iguanodon's prodding hand.

(It could, but you'd very much regret missing out on seeing this, trust me,) Wu fervently insisted.

Muldoon grunted, then opened his eyes and raised his head a few inches off the ground, moving it a few inches to focus better on Wu.

(What is so bloody important that you want me to see, Henry?)

(It's a sauropod. A new kind, three of them.)

Muldoon turned away and placed his head on the leaves again, muttering, (That's all? I've seen plenty of damn sauropods already, both at the park and down here in the rabbit hole-not to mention that we're traveling with one. Clapping eyes on a couple less makes no difference to me.)

(I know, but not ones nearly this big,) Wu replied. (It'll take your breath away, believe me.)

(Rob, come over here and take a look at these dino-mountains!) Zane then urged from farther off. (They actually make me look puny!)

That piqued Muldoon's interest, and in spite of the heat, he stood up, shook his head to disperse the flies, and lumbered out of the thicket as Wu turned away.

They both jogged over a small ridge, Wu leading him to where Zane, Patience, and the others were all standing.

Curving his long neck to glance down at the Sauropelta, Zane told him, (Hey Rob. Glad you could make it to the show,) before focusing his attention back on the dinos of interest.

There was no need to ask where they were. Even from his vantage point, just three feet off the ground-lower than even his human one-Muldoon's dinosaur eyes and nose had no difficulty picking them up right away. Frankly, a person would have to have been blind not to have noticed them. And that would only have been if they'd been standing still.

The sight froze even Muldoon, who'd worked with the park's apatosaurs, triceratops, and other massive dinosaurs for over three years now, in place as he craned his spike-lined neck and tilted his head upward to fully take in their size. He was barely aware of his beaked mouth dropping open. He noticed that Patience's daggered mouth was gaping in astonishment too.

Just 250 yards away, striding towards their group at a 45 degree angle to their line of vision and to the left, were a trio of titans beyond size. Their heads, absurdly diminutive but still slightly bigger than a white rhino's, reared maybe 55, 60 feet into the air, held atop impossibly long, svelte, triangular tree trunks of necks, a good 40 feet in length. They were living cranes.

Like Zane's own cranium, while their heads looked like afterthoughts from the side, from the front it was obvious that they were actually surprisingly broad, like the blade of a shovel.

High, elegant shoulders, like those of a giraffe, sloped down at a 45 degree angle to a shorter pair of back legs, and a tail that Muldoon guessed was perhaps two dozen feet from base to tip.

Their massive bodies, covered in small, pebbly scales, were mostly a dark green-blue in color, with orange stripes on the back and upper flanks. Copper bands circled the waving tails, constantly in motion, and the green pillars of necks were ringed with dark purple and brown. A line of spiky, gray-black scales as tall as cows ran down their spines.

(These are the same kind,) Patience said in soft astonishment to Wu. (That carcass my pack and I fed from. Remember how blown away we were by its size-and then you said it wasn't even full grown?)

Wu nodded. Even he was breath-taken. (But these ones are. Just incredible, aren't they?)

(Holy heck,) Zane said, impressed. (These guys make me look like a midget next to them.)

And it was true. Muldoon guessed any one of the three behemoths outweighed Zane four to one, easily.

Like elephants, although they were so huge, there was nothing ungainly or clumsy about the vast long-necks. They didn't so much stride as seem to float along, crushing plants and making the ground quiver with each step. They were kings, and carried themselves as such, softly groaning to each other.

(These are Brachiosaurus, right?) Nedry guessed.

(Oh, no,) Wu replied, shaking his long head. (They lived long before this time. Patience and I discussed that earlier in fact, and the best we could deduce is that this is a species paleontologists have yet to discover,) as one of the titans leaned forward and bit down on the branches of a monkey puzzle tree, chopping them free and then swallowing as he pulled back.

(Wait a minute,) Zane said suddenly. (I think-I think these supersized long necks are actually a type of dinosaur that was only named last year-in our time,) he amended. (We have to be looking at a trio of Sauroposeidon!)

(Sauro-what now?) Patience said in confusion, cocking her huge head to meet Zane's gaze.

(Sauroposeidon,) Zane repeated. (I read about these guys in Newsweek or something.)

(Earthquake god lizard,) Wu said reflectively. (Very appropriate.)

(Since I'm in a long-neck myself,) Zane said, (I wonder if I could talk to them? That'd be pretty cool!)

(I'm not sure they'd give you much attent-) Muldoon began.

But he was cut off when Zane opened his mouth and gave a resonating, nasal purr. (That was a greeting call,) he told them.

The reaction of the larger long-necks was immediate.

As Muldoon watched, the crane necks of all three bulls swiveled to look at their smaller cousin, and they replied with a rich, trumpeting sound that reminded him of a bull elk's bugle, an elephant's trumpet, and a French horn all rolled into one that throbbed through the humid air.

(Woo!) Zane whooped in excitement. (Now we're talking-literally! This is too cool!) He gave the purr again, and everyone just stood, marveling, as the Sauroposeidon trio uttered their majestic, commanding trumpets a second time in response.

Then, the ground slightly quaking under their treads, all three of the old bulls broke off from their path and leisurely began to stroll toward their group. Perhaps they were curious about Zane's calls, or maybe the sight of such a bizarre herd had caught their interest.

(Oh crap,) Nedry said nervously. (They're coming this way!)

(Get ready to run everyone,) Patience warned.

(I wouldn't worry,) Muldoon assured them. (These dinos are plant-eaters, remember, and they're not charging or roaring at us. Still,) he added as he looked over and up at Patience, (I'd be prepared to run if I was you, Patience. They might react poorly to having a big predator close by, even if they're far above an acro's fighting weight.)

She nodded. (I was just thinking about that too.)

But as the trio of giants moseyed over, tails in constant motion, legs swinging first on the right side of their vast bodies, then the left, front feet flexing at the wrists, and sometimes stopping to take the odd bite from a conifer's crown, they regarded Patience's acro body with the same attitude they displayed towards everything else. Imperial indifference.

They were imposing, but for some reason not one of them felt remotely scared, even as the living titans strolled by only fifty feet on their right, lowering their heads a couple stories and tilting them to peer at their odd caravan with a dark brown, dull tortoise eye before raising their crested domes back to full height and moving on, rumbling as if mulling things over.

(Wow,) Nedry said simply as he looked up at them. (They really are something.)

Patience began to thoughtfully hum some sort of tune.

(Hey, that's from Walking With Dinosaurs!) Zane commented in excitement as he glanced at the acro. (I thought you didn't watch stuff like that, Patience.)

(You kidding? Even I wouldn't miss a show that sounded that awesome.)

Even from so far below, Muldoon could smell their horsey breath, and just see the long strands of viscous saliva that hung from their mouths. Perched all over them were small pterosaurs and strange, small birds with claws at their wing joints and teeth in their beaks, sallying forth to grab any insects stirred up by the Sauroposeidon bulls, or plucking parasites from their scaly hides like oxpeckers.

A few of the birds and pterosaurs decided to jump ship then, and went over to Zane-much to the teen's consternation.

(Hey!) he said as they landed on him, shaking his fifteen-ton body. (Stop it! You guys go away, you hear? I didn't ask for a spa appointment today!)

Muldoon chuckled.

(Sorry Zane, but it looks like you're stuck with them. Don't worry though, they'll clean you up and do you good.)

(Great. Well, without arms or hands I guess there's no choice,) Zane sighed. (But they'd better watch where they put those claws,) he groused, stomping a back foot as one of the toothed birds tried to bite at the scabbed over wound on his flank. (That spot's off limits, bird buddy!)

Meanwhile, the second Sauroposeidon in line stopped and raised his tail, which became ramrod stiff.

(Eww,) Patience said in anticipation. (I've been around enough horses and cows to know where this is going…)

And indeed, from the bull's cloaca, out tumbled tawny lumps of dung, each one the size of a charcoal grill.

(Nice,) Nedry said dryly. (Now there's a magnificent touch.)

(Hey,) Zane replied laconically, (it's not like they have any bathrooms around here.)

When the long-neck's cloaca sealed shut, and he continued on in his stately way, a mound of dung was left behind the size of a shed.

(Now that is what I call the king of all shit heaps,) Nedry grunted in amazement.

They all watched the Sauroposeidon bulls moving away from them with their dignified grace for a while, seeming not so much to walk but to float along, tails unhurriedly curving in the air, the shockingly long banded necks slowly moving up and down with each stride.

One of the vast sauropods gave his droning, bugling cry a third time. Then, perhaps in response to a bird or pterosaur plucking at a small wound, he raised one of his powerful forelegs and stomped it hard.

BOOM.

The impact made the very ground quiver, rumble, and once again, even the jaded Muldoon felt his mouth drop open in pure awe. And wonder.

---

Zane.

After their amazing, awe-inducing encounter with the trio of Sauroposeidon bulls, their group was trudging along the outskirts of a lush forest, using the shade to keep cool, drowsy from the heat, when Patience nudged him.

(Do you notice something?) she asked.

(If you're going to say 'It's quiet, too quiet,' I promise to God I'll scream like I'm in Friday the 13th or some other cheesy horror movie.)

Patience hesitated. (But it is, isn't it?)

Zane hated to admit it, but she was right. He quickly looked around, scanning for any sign of predators.

Snapping out of his reverie, Wu said, (Come to think of it, you have a good point Patience. Although it could be that it's just a matter of the heat making us all sluggish.) He then began to intently sniff the sultry air.

(Just as well to check though,) Muldoon said. (Leopards and cheetahs often stalk gazelles and other plains antelope when the day is at its hottest, because they've learned they become drowsy from the heat.)

Zane didn't see any trouble around though.

(Other than you, Patience, and some old acrocanth dung, I don't smell any theropods,) Wu informed them.

(Hey,) Muldoon began, as he too, began sniffing the air, (where the devil is-)

The realization hit Zane like a lightning bolt at the same instant.

(Runt!) Flicking his gaze back along both his huge flanks, Zane was startled to see that the baby astro was gone. He turned to glare at Patience and Wu. (I thought one of you was watching him!)

(With all due respect Zane,) Wu replied, slightly irritated, (I'm not a babysitter for dinosaurs. And I've always assumed he'd stay close to us, since we're his herd.)

Patience raised the long sliver of amber in her right hand.

(And I've been watching this,) she sharply replied. (Bertram said we needed it to set everything right and get home. He didn't say anything about being Runt's nursemaid.)

Zane was furious, and gave a loud grumble to let everyone know it. (You just let him run off?)

Patience snorted and shook her head. (None of us let him do anything. You weren't paying attention, either.)

(Look,) Muldoon interjected. (There's probably no reason to be too worried about Runt, Zane. We're his herd after all, his source of protection, and I'm sure he'll come back from wherever he's slipped off to in good time.)

(Well I am anyway! Last time he ran off, he nearly got killed by that male acro, Rob! And we're to blame now if he gets hurt!)

Patience flung her tiny arms upward. (Earth to Zane! He's not my problem!)

(Nor mine,) Wu added coolly. (Sorry, but it's just that way.)

Zane squeezed his eyes shut and roared as he banged his head against the trunk of a nearby sequoia in frustration.

(Listen,) Patience said, her tone a little softer. (We're heading someplace that's dangerous anyway. What were we going to do, take him all the way to Ground Zero?)

Zane saw Wu nod in agreement. (It's for the best,) the geneticist concurred. (He belongs to this time. And if he's unable or unwilling to rejoin us, there's plenty of herds of his own kind around that he can join. Just forg-)

Zane opened his eyes and gave a low rumble out across the landscape. An infrasonic contact call that he hoped Runt would hear. Then he brushed past Wu and Patience, who watched blankly, blinking, as he began sniffing, trying to detect Runt's distinctive scent.

(Oh, are you fucking serious?) she cried.

(Zane, don't,) Muldoon said levelly as the Sauropelta boldly stepped into his path, tail lashing and pawing the ground. (You are not going to waste our time with this misguided escapade, you hear me!)

(I don't care. We've got to find him!)

(Why?) Patience asked.

(You're getting upset over nothing,) Muldoon said firmly. (Let's just keep walking, and he'll catch up to us within half an hour, I'm sure of it.)

(And even if he doesn't, we've got to keep things in perspective,) Wu added evenly. (If we do lose him to this world, that's just the way the dice rolled, and I don't know about you, but I think we've got much more important things to care about than a juvenile sauropod.)

Zane's eyes narrowed at the words, and his tail began to lash. (He's family. I don't know if that means anything to you guys, if you can understand that or not, but he is, so we are, and that's it.)

(Don't be daft,) Muldoon snapped back. (He's family to your dinosaur body, and that's it. He's a hanger-on, not your pet or cousin. I forbid you to go look for him, you hear me!)

Zane lowered his head and looked the Sauropelta in the eye. (Then make me. Or did you forget that I can literally step over you?)

Suddenly, Wu was pounding over, grinding his teeth as he stopped in front of Zane and displayed his thumb spikes before boldly planting himself broadside in front of the astrodon.

(That may be so,) he snapped forcefully, (but you're going to probably have a much harder time getting me out of your way than Rob. I don't want to be the bad cop, but I promise, I can and I will use physical discipline if you keep on being obstinate! Give it up Zane,) he warned.

His heart thundered as he looked at the defiant Iguanodon in his path, then over at Patience. He felt certain that not only was Wu not making an idle bluff, but that Patience was about to roar with rage and assist her "dad," perhaps even abandon him right there on the spot.

(You'd better listen,) Muldoon sternly agreed. (I'm sure you'd advise the same, wouldn't you Dennis?)

There was no reply.

A chill suddenly seemed to permeate the air.

(Dennis?) Wu said, his concern growing as he took his attention off Zane and began scanning for the troodontid.

(I don't see him!) Patience said as she looked around too. (And Harriet's not here either.)

(The little son of a bitch!) Muldoon yelled in fury as the realization hit him, a tuba moan emanating from his Sauropelta throat. (That bloody coward couldn't stand the idea of having to go back and face the music for his schemes, so he cut and run to go native!)

Wu said a word in Chinese that Zane didn't exactly think was polite as the Iguanodon stood erect and frantically studied the landscape. (He must've left our group at the same time Runt did,) the geneticist surmised, grinding his teeth. (And Harriet would've followed of course. What a selfish little coward.)

Patience nodded grimly. (That settles it then. I know both his scent and Runt's, too. This'll go faster if we work together.)

Wu was walking on all fours, smelling the ground.

(Got his scent,) he announced. (He and Harriet literally followed in Runt's footsteps.)

Muldoon sighed. (Time to go get our lost lambs then, I suppose. Damn it all,) he muttered. (I just hope this doesn't take too long.)

Zane was startled. (Thanks everyone. I mean-)

(Don't push it,) Patience growled as she turned away. (I'm more concerned about dragging Nedry back by the scruff of his scrawny neck.)

He didn't. Patience had made her opinion very clear when she and Mr. London had first met up with him. She didn't think he'd possibly be of use in a time of crisis. To her, he would always be an annoyance, a buffoon, not a hero.

At the time, Mr. London had to talk her into coming along, telling her that she would have to lead and protect the group-just like Will and Lance had protected Zane back at Wetherford.

But he'd noticed that something profound about Patience had changed since she and Wu had returned from retrieving the stolen key from the acro pack. She hadn't been quite so hostile and unwavering as before, and both she and Wu seemed to have formed a remarkably close relationship.

Zane wished he knew what had really happened, but for now he was simply grateful that she wasn't fighting him.

(What I don't get,) Patience said as they got underway, (is if Nedry decided to run away and sulk or even go native, why would he go follow Runt when he wandered off instead of just striking out on his own?)

(Hard to know,) Wu replied. (Maybe he thought staying close to Runt would provide him with some degree of protection, or he'd eventually lead him to an astrodon herd that he could mingle with for safety.)

(Or he also might've reasoned that if he ran into a predator, Runt would present a more tempting target to go after,) Muldoon added. (Just like the goats some people in Africa will take with them on a rope whenever they travel a long way through the bush, in case they meet up with a hungry lion or leopard.)

Zane shuddered, then shook his head to drive away a glossy purple, jay-sized bird that had been poking around his left eye for ticks. It chirped in surprise, then fluttered away to perch on Wu's saw-toothed back instead.

A small, crow-sized pterosaur with large, hazel green eyes and an egg shaped head landed on Muldoon's mailed hips in a quadrupedal posture and rested briefly, then vaulted back into the air with all four feet. Swooping, it plunged down and boldly plucked a scurrying lizard from the club mosses right at Patience's feet!

As they tracked Runt, they also then smelt the pure, pleasant scent of fresh water. They'd come across plenty of streams, and pools left by the frequent cloudbursts, and Zane had lowered his high-crested head to deplete a few of them on the journey. Wu too, could drain a small pool with the best of them. There was also the river where his wound had been treated. But this scent was different.

This water was large, flowing, full of life-

A second river!

If Runt was lost and not playing, it made sense that he would be drawn to the water, where he could hide in the horsetails and other vegetation on the banks, and maybe find another long-neck herd on the shore in time. As for Nedry-who he really hoped and prayed they could convince to come back-who really knew? Maybe it was just because Runt had gone there too.

As they climbed a hill, Patience glanced at Muldoon as she said, (Well, it's going to be the moment of truth with Nedry very shortly. Any ideas on how we're going to get him back on board-and hopefully, doing it the easy way?)

The Sauropelta sighed. (I'm not exactly sure,) he admitted. (He's understandably going to be very bitter and mad right now, and he's naturally going to hate both of you in particular.)

(Yeah, cause he's as ugly as his dad,) Patience growled

(But we can all agree that force should be the last option,) Wu added. (Not that any of us could probably manage to chase him down anyway. So we'll have to try reason with him instead.)

(Maybe it would be best then if we work on coaxing Runt back, while you two deal with trying to talk Nedry into getting with the program again,) Patience suggested, jerking her massive head at Zane. (Since you actually work with the guy and stuff.)

Wu nodded. (Sounds reasonable. Now we'll see if Dennis is willing to be just that,) he exhaled, shaking his head.

(Bloody hell,) Muldoon growled suddenly. (That's just wonderful. Ick.)

Glancing down, Zane saw that the Sauropelta had just placed a front foot in a mass of Runt's poop, and was scraping it off against a cycad.

(Ugh,) Patience spat in disgust. (That's a nasty surprise. Knowing him, he did that on purpose.)

(A reminder to watch where we step,) Wu said dryly.

And it was true that Runt had taken a dump right in at least one of their band's path now and again, Zane thought as he turned his attention away from the disgusted Sauropelta. Random accidents? Or done by design…

At the top of the hill, standing among lush tree ferns, cycads, and palmettos, they saw the serpentine zigzag of the river far below. It was wider than he'd expected, surrounded by palms and beds of tall horsetails. There was something at its heart-a small, three acre island that the waters flowed around. He then saw movement on that island. A python-patterned, long-necked form frolicking among a host of smaller ones…

Runt!

---

Nedry.

The heat was stifling, and Nedry panted underneath his fluffed out feathers, Harriet closely trailing. But his troodontid instincts coaxed him to always keep alert, to be on the lookout for possible food or a predator.

And so it was that Nedry was the only one who noticed when Runt suddenly raised his head, sniffed the air curiously, and then casually split off from their band, ambling away through the segmented snake "grass," horsetails, and ferns.

Thoughtfully, he cocked his head as he watched the young long-neck go, tail gently waving. His own banded tail flicked nervously as he looked sideways at the other members of the band. The self-righteous goody-goodies. His eyes narrowed as he glanced at Zane and Patience with particular venom.

He was as mad as a wet hen about what they had done, how they'd ruined his life and reputation, turned Wu and Muldoon against him.

I'll show you little shits, he thought bitterly. You want to smear me as a villain and a criminal, I'll gladly leave you hanging.

Steeling his resolve, he lowered his scarlet head and carefully slunk away, slipping from fern to cycad to palmetto clump. Harriet's sharp eyes of course, didn't miss his depature-frustratingly-and she also peeled away to trail her mate as he in turn trailed Runt. He couldn't try to drive her away. It wouldn't work, and would only draw attention.

Nedry decided that as irritating as she was, the prospect of having both her and Runt along as company from here on out wasn't entirely unwelcome. They wouldn't unfairly judge or heap scorn on him. And they could also warn him or serve as distractions if a dinosaur with a taste for flesh made an appearance.

When they'd moved a few hundred yards away, Harriet came up alongside him, on his left side, and cocked her black and white striped head, looking at him intently as she gave a hopeful, inquiring cluck. Then she turned and walked a few steps toward the south, the direction from which they'd all come. Looking back over her slim blue shoulder, he peered at him meaningfully, then clucked again.

(We're not going back,) Nedry spat. (Or at least, I'm not. In more ways than one,) he bristled.

He couldn't go back home. Wouldn't. What reason was there to now?

Nedry knew that even if there was a chance that they could all put their heads together at Ground Zero and use the mystical amber key as their cheat code to solve the puzzle, his entire future was toast.

He didn't care for the idea of being manhandled, handcuffed, being dragged roughly to a police launch, and then being locked up like an animal for Lord only knew how long in some hellhole of a Turd World prison until he either got a hearing in a Costa Rican court or was extradited to a somewhat less miserable prison facility in America.

He wasn't looking forward to the idea of having to explain to Dodgson-a man whom Nedry was sure didn't take kindly to his contacts dropping the ball in such a grand fashion-about how he'd not only failed his task, but was now facing jail time and a lengthy trial-a trial that BioSyn would invariably soon be embroiled in as well, raising the specter of lawsuits and sentences for both the company and its directors. Nedry had no doubt that Lew would view the possibility of paying a hefty fine and/or being locked up himself for white-collar crime about as cheerily as the idea of having to swim in a pool of cat piss and dog drool. And Nedry also had no illusions that Lew would make him pay dearly if that ever came to pass.

How could he face being humiliated in prison, of being forced to stand trial in handcuffs and orange jumpsuit in front of a jury who knew nothing about how Hammond had driven him to sabotage by working him like a dog, yelling at him for all the glitches the park's operating system was suffering from-even though the old SOB had told Nedry and his underlings the bare minimum of what he wanted for design-and then not forking over the wages or even praise that he was owed?!

He would have to look in the eyes of The Grand Cheap Bastard, of Wu, of Muldoon, of Arnold, all acting like they were so superior, that butter wouldn't melt in their mouth as they testified.

True, Nedry could verbally spar, needle, and counterpunch with the best of them. But he wasn't looking forward to the indignities all the same, of having the Billion Dollar Crone come visit him in prison and then piss and moan from his high horse about how "I trusted you Dennis," "I was always fair in my dealings with you, seriously Dennis," "Why did you do this to us?" Among other sanctimonious, evasive horseshit.

It ground Nedry's gears to consider that he would lose everything now that he'd slaved so hard in his college classes for to attain the title of systems analyst and computer programmer, both undergraduate and graduate. His licenses and degrees would be revoked.

He'd be banned from working with computers for at least five years, he was sure. And when he did get legal permission to practice his trade again as a programmer, no client with half a brain would take him on. Not with his new, unwarranted reputation for having been "tricksy" with InGen.

He flicked his long tail again, and spat in fury like a cat as he looked over his shoulder at the now distant forms of this fellow travelers.

Nedry was furious beyond words at how the not-so-little shits had squealed on him. And now, they were going to pay the price by having to stay here forever. Until they rotted.

A more rational part of Nedry told him that Patience and Zane hadn't let the cat out of the bag to get him in trouble. They'd only meant the best, done it to stop a massive disaster that would've happened later on.

And they were simply repeating what their universe's version of Michael Crichton had written. He was the one Nedry should really be angry at, his rational voice told him.

This put him in a bizarre position. Was it Patience and Zane that were truly responsible for heaping this calamity on him? Or "their" Crichton for writing Nedry's plan down on paper as part of the novel? Or just fate for having it go that way?

Nedry honestly didn't know. It was all so confusing.

He frenziedly raked the dirt with his hind feet in frustration. When Dennis Nedry was confused, it simply made him even angrier. Right now, he was so angry and hurt at how Zane and Patience had betrayed him, after all he'd done, that he was determined to hurt them all in turn.

The little shits didn't understand! They didn't understand his reasons, why he'd been driven to side with Dodgson. They didn't understand what their flapping mouths had just done to his career, his reputation, his life.

In the naively idealistic fashion of all youths, they regarded him not as a varied, complex, mostly upstanding human being, but simply as a one-dimensional villain who deserved punishment. He couldn't believe that Patience had actually smugly gloated over the horrific manner in which he would've been killed!

Well, screw her. They were all going to learn a harsh lesson, he resolved.

In his dumb, aimless manner, Runt wandered up the slope of a huge hill.

At the top, Nedry paused and looked back down at the others below and behind him. Still no sign that they'd noticed his absence or Runt's.

He hesitated briefly. This was the moment of truth. He could do a U-turn and rejoin them, or he could live boldly and continue on.

Stiffening his spine, Nedry's hackles raised as he tore his gaze away and huffed in contempt before trotting over the top.

Runt led the troodontid pair back down into a majestic valley, through which a broad river ran. Even from his lofty viewpoint, Nedry could see a big, lozenge-shaped island in its middle. On it was a rookery of some type of huge pterodactyls, big ones the size of hang gliders that had grape purple backs and wings, bright yellow shoulders, brick red necks with tawny streaks, and silver heads with sky blue beaks filled with snaggly spikes of teeth.

The beaks of the pterodactyls broadened out at their ends into structures which reminded Nedry somewhat of spoonbills he'd seen in Florida, except those of these bat-birds had depth to them too, like ice cream scoops. Small half-moon ridges of bone grew from both the top and bottom of these "spoons." Some of the pterodactyls had larger, scarlet red pairs of crests, while others had smaller, strawberry pink ones.

Littering the island were twenty-odd pterodactyl chicks, each one the size of a small goose and ginger orange in color with dark brown spots and black beaks. Like their parents, their bodies were covered in what looked like short hair, bristly and sleek.

Nedry cocked his head as he regarded the sparkling blue water. If he was going to live out the rest of his life here, he supposed there were worse places.

In the flat land around the river were many puddles and pools, surrounded by horsetails and club mosses and a sprinkling of little yellow or orange flowers. The calls of frogs resonated from their rims.

While the frogs were of only mild interest to Nedry, he still noticed that there were at least three different species calling out. One was the size of an apple, chunky and broad-bodied, orange-tan with a thick indigo stripe down the spine and chocolate brown spots, and a knocking type of call.

Another was emerald green, the size of a big hamster with orange feet and royal blue legs, spotted with yellow ochre, which made a sound like a deeper version of a fingernail being run over a comb, finishing it up with a trill.

The third were tiny creatures, only the size of acorns. Teal green in color with crimson stripes and large silver eyes, they clung to the waving stems of the horsetails, vocal sacs expanding as they produced a wind chime tinkle.

They came across a huge monitor lizard, seven feet long, its cerulean blue scales shining in the sunlight and dappled with quince yellow and dark brown. With a loud groan, Runt charged the miniature dragon out of play, sending it scurrying into a small marsh crammed with horsetails. As the trio made their way to the river proper, the young sauropod seemed to hugely enjoy splashing though the pools, making any frogs underfoot flee in frantic hops.

At the shore of the river, they stopped. All three eyed the water uncertainly, keeping a prudent distance. This river was the domain of crocodiles-Nedry could see a few places where they'd slid into the water on the other bank. If they were going to cross, he'd wait until Runt had at least taken the plunge first.

A flock of glossy brown, blue-faced birds that looked like cormorants with teeth came swimming upstream, diving and resurfacing, paddling along and sometimes emerging with a fish in their toothy beaks. As all three of them watched, nothing came out of the water to snap at or attack the birds.

Runt began to stride into the shallow water, sending turtles and frogs leaping from their perches with amusing plops. Suddenly, he noticed the pterodactyl rookery and changed course, spreading out his legs to stay balanced in the current as the sauropod waded over to the island. The parents went bananas of course, screaming like gulls and dive-bombing the astrodon calf.

Although Runt didn't seem to care, Nedry decided he didn't want any part of the pterodactyl's teeth, and plunged into the sparkling river himself. The cool water immediately soaked through his feathers and to his skin, making his muscles tense.

Harriet yelped, and waded into the water, but refused to follow as Nedry just mentally shrugged and resolutely surged forward until he was out of his depth, kicking like a duck and swinging his tail as he held his head and neck above water.

The current was stronger than he'd given it credit for, shoving hard at his fragile body and sweeping him downstream. But Nedry gamely kept at it, and soon found himself on the other bank. He splashed ashore on a sandbar and then shook himself, fluffing out his feathers.

(Whew!) he said to himself as he shook again. (Made it!)

Nedry then turned to glance at Harriet, standing uncertainly on the far bank and looking at him forlornly, peeping and yelping in agitation as she waded into the water, then retreated.

(Come on!) he urged her, flicking his head meaningfully toward the forest beyond him. (Just do like I did! If I got across, you can too.) But Harriet wouldn't budge. And Runt was obviously having too much fun chasing the pterosaur chicks to complete the crossing at the moment.

Annoyed, Nedry sighed as he walked several yards into the cycads and ferns and then sat down to rub and further shake the water from his plumage. He'd just have to wait for the two of them to get back with the program and hope the others didn't come looking in the meantime.

He decided to chance moving out into a patch of brilliant sunlight, half-closing his eyes and puffing his feathers out. A spider skittered by, and he grabbed and ate it. Disgusting to his human psyche, but to the troodontid it tasted delicious. Life back here wasn't all that bad, really…

Suddenly, a sound he was hoping not to hear jerked Nedry back to attention.

(Hey buddy!)

Zane's voice.

Looking up, Nedry saw him and Patience walking over the crest of the hill, Wu and Muldoon behind them.

Oh no.

Turning away, Nedry carefully tried to slink away unseen, keeping veiled among the fronds of the ferns. But to no avail.

A single low growl. Patience.

(Don't even try it Dennis!) she shouted. (I already saw you trying to be the little sneak that you are from a mile away. Your ass is busted!)

---

Zane.

(I guess it was too much to hope for that you wouldn't realize I'd gone,) Nedry grumbled angrily as he revealed himself, walking back to the far shore as Zane lumbered down into the river valley.

(Come back over here Dennis,) Muldoon commanded. (Now.)

(Come make me!) Nedry taunted. (And by the way Spikes, you should really work on the manners. Ordering people around without saying please is rude, you know.)

(And going AWOL at a time like this in an attempt to leave us all stranded back here is somehow a shining example of politeness?) Patience snapped.

(Oh, up yours and kiss mine!) Nedry spat.

(You little-) Patience growled as she began to surge forward.

But in a flash, Wu was blocking her path.

(Don't Patience,) he urged, rearing up and raising his Fonzie hands. (He's trying to bait you. Don't give him the satisfaction.)

(Come get me!) Nedry taunted. (Drag me back!)

(Bloody hell Dennis, why are you doing this? Stop acting so petty!) Muldoon said.

(Because these little shits,) Nedry hissed as Zane gasped, (have just ruined my future and my life by letting the cat out of the bag-)

(We did it to prevent a disaster from going down and save your life too!) Zane yelled. (Don't make us into villains!)

(And you two,) he snapped bitterly as he balefully switched his gaze to Wu and Muldoon, (immediately jumped down my throat when you heard the news, never showing sympathy for why I did it, behaving like the two of you are so much purer and more noble than me, who's suddenly the "black sheep" of our band-even though I found and got the amber key for you ungrateful dicks," he hissed.

(None of us think we're purer than you Dennis,) Wu replied. (And we're immensely grateful that you found the key f-)

But Nedry wouldn't be placated as he yelled in fury, (Well, screw all of you! You're all gonna learn today that squealing on someone, getting them in trouble, smearing them, has consequences!)

(Don't!) Zane shouted in horror, starting to run as Nedry whipped around and darted away.

(Get back here!) Patience roared in fury.

(Dennis, please,) Wu begged levelly. (Patience and Zane only meant the best. Don't punish them like this!)

(Nedry, just come back and talk!) Muldoon shouted. (At least just talk to us and try to be reasonable!)

Their pleas brought Nedry up short.

Stopping, he looked over his shoulder, slowly.

Then, to Zane's great relief and cautious hope, he turned completely around and slowly walked back to the far bank.

(Okay,) the troodontid said coolly. (We can do that, I suppose. Not that it'll change my decision,) he added. (I'm just doing it because it'll be great fun watching you sanctimonious, overgrown lizards beg and plead like whiny kids, mind you. And at least you'll maybe actually be able to see things my way, at least a little.)

(For what it's worth,) Wu said carefully, (I know that I can certainly understand why you went over to BioSyn. After all, Hammond has been putting you under intense pressure to perform, while not giving you a respectable wage for your efforts-)

(Ah, now this is more like it,) Nedry sighed in a sort of sick pleasure. (Continue on, Henry.)

(It's not right or just,) Muldoon agreed. (But Dennis, be reasonable. Do you truly want to live out the rest of your days in this time? In this body?)

(Better than being whisked away to a jail cell and then having my reputation and career forever tarnished,) Nedry hissed.

(But that would only happen if you were actually placed under arrest,) Wu calmly pointed out. (While I'm afraid I can't let you take any of the embryos, Muldoon and I promise that we'll pretend that nothing is amiss when we get back. Won't we Rob?) he asked meaningfully as he glanced at the Sauropelta.

(Lips sealed,) Muldoon agreed. (No harm, no foul.)

Zane nodded. (And you can cover yourself by canceling the drop off with Dodgson's man. Explain to him that you couldn't do it because of the storm, and there was also a tour going on at the time. It wouldn't be a lie.)

(Yeah,) Patience agreed. (Then later, you'd tell him that you felt some of the other staff had become "suspicious" of you, so you had no other choice but to part w-)

The way the feathers on Nedry's spine rose immediately told Zane that Patience's suggestion was something he really didn't like hearing.

His tone was clipped and hateful as he replied, (And miss out on perhaps as much as ten million dollars. How much of a fucking imbecile do you pea brains take me for, to let a chance like that slip away? Please don't insult my fucking intelligence!)

(Dennis,) Wu cut in, (if it's the money you want, I guarantee that I'll give you at least two-thirds of every paycheck I receive from InGen for as long of a period of time as you want. All you have to do is swim back over here. I give you my word.)

(Damn,) Patience replied in amazement, her eyes widening. (Talk about an offer on a silver platter. That's as good as I'd say it gets Nedry.)

The troodontid exploded.

(Shut up you little shits!) he ranted and screamed. (This is all your goddamn fault! Get out of here! I don't want to look at the two of you, and I don't want to talkto the two of you either!)

(Are you willing to still keep talking with Henry and I though?) Muldoon said warily, neutrally. (What you're intending to do is frankly, both highly dangerous and daft, and you're much better off sticking to the plan.)

(Yes,) Nedry acquiesced as he once again gave Zane and Patience a burning, bird of prey gaze. (But not with these two. I don't want to even see them, I'm so pissed right now!)

Wu exhaled, nodding, then turned to Zane and Patience.

(Sorry you two,) he said, (but it looks like Nedry's in no mood to have you around, so it'd be best if you cleared out for a while and let him calm down a bit while Rob and I try as best we can to get him to swim back over here.)

Zane nodded. So did Patience.

(Come on,) he told the acro as he turned away, jerking his head towards the nearby island. (Let's go get Runt.)

Sixteen huge pterosaurs were circling above the island, screeching and diving at Runt. Then some veered in Zane's direction.

(I wonder if one of them will land on me too, like the smaller ones?) Zane said in excitement. (That would be too awesome!)

(Can we just get Runt, wait for Henry and Rob to talk Nedry into behaving like an adult again, and then go?) Patience grumbled. (Little shits,) she snarled. (When he gets back on this side of the river, I'll show him who's a little sh-)

(Shake it off, okay? Just look at how beautiful these guys are!) Zane said as seven of the pterodactyls circled like living kites two hundred feet above them. (You've gotta admit, this is pretty dang cool.)

(I'm reminded of chicken wings myself.)

From further away, Zane could just hear Nedry going on a verbal tirade with Muldoon and Wu, spitting out various insults in reference to both teens.

But Zane refused to let either Nedry's or Patience's bad attitude ruin this enchanting experience for him. He just marveled at the pterodactyls for a time before he went closer to the island. Then four of the group above them peeled away, banked-and started heading right for him.

Up close, they didn't look like the other pterosaurs he'd seen either.

These ones had long, ugly beaks with weird, round bowls as the ends of their jaws. Crooked, nasty spikes of teeth angled out of their beaks, and their great pale tan eyes blazed with fury. Their furry wings whipped and flapped as they poured on more speed, becoming streaking, screaming purple and yellow and turquoise blurs of motion. And teeth.

They were going right for his head! Just like the ones in the aviary had gone for Grant and Lex!

(Yaahhh!) Zane cried, ducking.

With his incredible panoramic vision, he saw the living, breathing stealth bombers dive down at his flanks, jaws cracking open to rake his scaly sides with their teeth.

Zane whipped his tail and moaned-

CRRRRAACCKKKKK!

And the startled pterodactyls broke away, yelling like huge blue jays as they zipped to a higher altitude.

(What is your problem?) Zane shouted.

(Good question,) Patience said shakily. Even she looked a little unnerved, quills on end. But that was probably because of his tail crack. The sound scared her inner acro.

(Are you two okay?!) Muldoon cried in sudden concern.

(I thought they'd attack them, just like the ceredactyls.) Wu talking.

(Everything under control Rob!) Zane shouted back, trying to seem at least halfway confident.

(We're managing!) Patience added. (No worries about us!)

The pterodactyls gave their glassy screams and came around for another strafing attempt.

(Zane, Patience, do you need help?!) Wu asked in evident concern.

But this time both Zane and Patience stood their ground and roared at them. The hairy fliers kept screaming, but jerked aside and made wide arcs around the pair. The smaller pterosaurs and birds on Zane's back had already fled in terror.

(We're holding our own!) Patience confidently replied.

They walked closer to the island, Zane pausing briefly to look at the forms of Muldoon and Wu several hundred yards on his left. Still in their little peace talk with Nedry, who was still perched on the far bank and from his tense posture, still ready to split at any moment.

He wanted to help Nedry see just how selfish and foolish he was being by trying to ditch them. But Zane knew he wasn't welcome right now, and Nedry's loathing for him and Patience would just make things worse.

He directed his attention back to Runt, being dive-bombed by the pterosaurs. The young sauropod was trotting around the island, stepping on cream-colored eggshells that were soft and pliable in form, like a turtle's, stumbling in nest pits, and playfully chasing the snow goose sized pterosaur hatchlings around, which hopped about on all four limbs like toads or fluttered short distances like chickens. Zane was amazed at how, unlike birds, which used their hip muscles and legs to launch themselves from the ground, the young pterosaurs used their shoulders instead to propel themselves into the air, using the long bones in their arms and the single sturdy wing finger like catapults!

(They're chicks. Too small yet to really fly,) Patience commented. (They must be, or else they'd have gotten away from Runt by now.)

(Looks like it's a rookery. You know, maternity ward and day care for baby birds. Even though they're not actually birds,) Zane amended. (The adults can take to the air to avoid danger. But not the babies. All they have is the deep water around the island for protection.)

(Against what? If Runt could get over there, then an acrocanth like me could do it too, and then feast on pterosaur drumsticks.)

(Something smaller, I guess,) Zane surmised. (Maybe small mammals that'd eat their eggs, or monitor lizards. Or maybe the Microvenators that were after Daisy.)

(Makes sense.)

Zane watched as the baby astrodon lowered his head close to a weird-looking, big-eyed chick as it cowered against the sand, then pulled away. He did it several more times, lightly stomping his front feet for emphasis.

I'm not touching you, Runt seemed to be teasing, his mouth slack in what seemed almost like a smug grin.

(Great,) Patience snorted in annoyance. (He learns from the best.)

(What?)

(Don't play dumb Zane. You were doing that to me and Mr. London yesterday.)

(Oh yeah.)

Suddenly, Zane thought he caught a new scent on the breeze. Something that heralded a predator nearby. He tensed, and scanned the area.

But there was nothing wrong that he could see. The only other signs of dinosaurs of any kind were the gentle, knocking infrasonic calls he felt through the soles of his feet, coming from a half-dozen astrodon bulls a mile and a half to the east. Most likely just a couple Microvenators at worst, he surmised, dismissing it.

Well, if they were lurking about, most of their dinosaur bodies were far too big to even consider attacking. Nedry and Harriet could run from them all day long, and any Microvenators who had a go at Muldoon would quickly get speared, tail-whipped, or have a pretty hard time getting through that pebbly armor. He pictured a half-dozen Mr. Londons hanging onto the Sauropelta, scratching and gnawing and just getting absolutely nowhere as the game ranger simply calmly stood still, utterly bored and unconcerned by it all. He had to force back a laugh.

(Yo, little buddy!) Zane called. (Time to get going. Come on back now!)

Runt raised his head and looked at his older brother briefly, then ignored him.

(Guess you'll just have to go over there and get him,) Patience said simply.

Zane looked at the rushing water. He suddenly felt very apprehensive. (Why do I have to do it?)

(I'd terrify the chicks,) Patience replied. (They'd probably dive into the river and get carried downstream. And Wu and Muldoon are occupied with slightly more important things right now.)

Zane remembered the sharks, crocodiles, and other water predators he'd seen in the water near the shore, where he'd first "landed" in the early Cretaceous. He suddenly realized he was waving his tail about, and shifting his fifteen tons from one leg to the other, like he was trying to get a hall pass.

He was a complete wuss, and he knew it.

He also despised that aspect of himself fiercely.

(Fine,) he grunted to no one in particular. (I'm going in.)

He took a deep breath, then waded in on his pillars of legs. The current was strong, worse than he'd expected. But he could still get across without difficulty.

Then, to his shock, he saw to his shock that the island was shrinking. Its outer edges were being slowly but surely swallowed up by the river, leaving an increasingly smaller ring at the center.

All the hatchlings were grouped there now.

Glancing up, he saw masses of churning water coming through the area from upstream. The storms might have ended here, but far to the northeast of where they stood, there were many large hills, veiled and shadowed by clouds and rain. There, the rains were still pelting down.

And all that rainwater would be coming their way. Soon.

He heard Wu urge, (Dennis, there's a flood coming. If you're going to rejoin us, you'd better do it fast, while it's still safe to swim across!)

(Actually, I think maybe I'll stay on this side,) Nedry sneered. (A river in flood should keep you clowns right where you are for a good long while I run off into the sunset. Hasta la vista, pricks!)

(So be it,) Muldoon said in fury. (Patience, chase him down and drag him back, by any means necessary!)

Patience didn't move. She didn't even reply. But she gave a single low growl, and the screams of the pterosaurs reached a new pitch of hysteria.

Zane glanced back-and froze.

A duo of small, stiff-tailed dinosaurs raced towards Patience, circling around her. They were covered almost entirely in feathers, colored in patches of black, white, yellow ochre, and tan, with a blue-green strip running down their backs and dark brown circles around their crocodile eyes. Their tails were banded with black and white, ending in carrot orange "fans" of feathers. They were about the size of mountain lions. A curved sickle of a claw rose from each U-shaped foot.

(Raptors!) Wu suddenly shouted. (Behind you Nedry!)

Tearing his gaze away from the raptors on his side-he knew there was no way in the world they'd even consider going after giants like Patience or him-Zane had just enough time to see a trio of raptors on the far shore fanning out and rushing at Nedry. Springing a trap.

(Dennis, run!) Zane shouted. (You've got raptors coming for you!)

Then things happened very fast.

---

Nedry.

Nedry's first thought was that Wu and Zane were lying, a desperate, stupid, last-ditch attempt to stop him as he stalked off into the vegetation.

(Dennis, get out of it, unless you want to be bloody slaughtered!) Muldoon roared.

Yeah right, Nedry mentally scoffed as he walked further away. It was only when Harriet began barking in sudden terror, and he heard a fast moving rustle coming from off his right side, the vegetation hissing and waving, that he began to feel that maybe there was something to their frantic warnings.

It was time to get out of here!

He bolted in the nick of time, running in the general direction of Patience and Zane. Five seconds later, a female Deinonychus, 140 pounds of muscle, hooked teeth, and slashing claws, erupted out of the ferns and conifer bushes, landing right on the spot where he'd been standing.

She pursued, and Nedry found himself running for his life before her, yelling, the female raptor's hissing breath just a dozen yards behind him! Panic overwhelmed him, and he forgot about trying to swim the river to his companions, or just thinking rationally at all. He gave himself up to his troodont instincts, and curved away from the river, against which the raptors could trap him, splashing through puddles and dodging about as the raptor chased him. She was gaining!

He was only dimly aware of Patience crashing into the water as he did another hairpin turn to try to throw her off. But the raptor didn't miss a beat.

As the others yelled and bellowed, he heard, to his increasing terror, the raptor closing the gap. He dodged again, but she matched him.

In a flash, she was on him, leaping into the air like a bouncy ball. Nedry saw her shadow arcing over him.

Thinking quickly, he hit the brakes and crouched down even as he squealed in terror, using the raptor's momentum against her as she passed overhead and landed on her feet, facing away from him.

By the time she'd turned around and was back up to speed, his troodontid legs had once more put some distance between them. But not enough.

(Run over there Dennis, to your right!) Wu urged. (Run to where Patience is going to be, on your side of the river!)

Nedry tried to do just that, racing for where the acro's immense, forward-tilted body was fording the river at an angle towards him, the churning water up to her chest. But then a second, even bigger raptor was right there, leaping at him from the right, his sickle claws bared and black arm-wings outstretched like some fallen angel's, clawed hands eager to snatch and pierce.

Nedry had no choice but to double back, then race away from the river. As he panted, he desperately racked his brain, looking for any way he could buy himself time until Patience arrived.

There were some tall conifers just ahead, and Nedry ran to the nearest one.

The troodont in him knew what to do.

Whipping around to the other side of the trunk, he leapt, and dug the claws of all four limbs into the resinous bark, using his own sickle claws like a lineman's spikes to push his body higher and higher.

When he'd gotten high enough that Nedry didn't think the raptors could get him by leaping, he paused on the base of a bough, and glanced down.

To his utter horror, he saw that what his body could do, those of the two raptors could as well.

The female raptor had already jumped to embrace the trunk with her arms, and was clawing her way up it towards him, yellow eyes burning into his soul as her jaws cracked open.

As her partner did the same, Nedry immediately climbed even higher, then ran out as far onto a thick branch as he could go without falling, grasping the limb with his toes and waving his tail for balance, crouching low as he turned to face the trunk.

(Hang on Dennis!) Patience cried as the juggernaut raced toward him.

He did, even as the leopard-sized raptor made her way out onto the branch too, making no sound as her mouth opened in anticipation, eyes blazing as her hands reached out to try to hook him with her claws.

Nedry felt the feathers on his back rise as he hissed and screeched, snapping and swiping with his own tridents of hands in a wild attempt to ward her off.

She growled, and came closer.

Suddenly, to his utter horror, Nedry felt his body lose its balance and tilt sideways! He clawed, but was unable to regain purchase as gravity took over.

He fell forty-five feet, flailing as he watched the ground rush up at him with a startled yelp.

Nedry landed squarely on a cycad, which he then used as a springboard to launch himself from and get back to running. Behind him, he heard both raptors leap to the ground as well. The chase was back on.

He was tiring now. Soon they'd catch him!

Spying an uprooted, hollow tree close by, he dodged again, and tore for its shelter, zipping into the dark, musty-smelling, damp bole. There was just enough space for him to turn around and crouch down as the female raptor arrived, shoving her head and neck in up to the shoulders, the claws of her inward-facing hands gouging and scratching away chunks of wood in alternate succession.

He was trapped! But Nedry wouldn't go down without a fight first.

Once more, he boldly lunged at the growling raptor from his alcove, trying to make her back off by hissing and slashing with his hooked claws.

But the werewolf-hawk from hell only gave a terrible, deeper hiss of her own, and continued to tear away the rotting wood, working her body in further, closer, as her partner began to work his way inside from above…

And then, when all seemed lost, a mighty pounding of feet. A sky-splitting, mind-boggling roar! Patience's roar!

Just a few minutes ago, Nedry had hated her as intensely as a person could hate anything. Now his feelings and opinion towards her did a half turn as both raptors suddenly barked in surprise. He heard the male leaping off the log as the female, just a foot away from grabbing him, frantically went into reverse gear and backed out, turning away and bolting just in time to avoid a kick from Patience. The acro sped them along with a roar.

(They've backed off Dennis,) she announced in his head. (It's safe to come out now.)

Carefully, Nedry did just that, blinking as he emerged back into the sun and stood up, shaking bits of rotten wood out of his feathers as he sheepishly gazed up at the acro's intense eyes.

(You change your mind about trying to go it alone?)

Shaky with relief and gratitude, Nedry puffed out, (After this lovely experience, I'm never leaving your sides again! I'd far rather face Dodgson or a jail cell any day of the week over that,) he shuddered, lowering his head.

(And are you sorry now that you called both us and your colleagues nasty names?)

(Profusely,) Nedry said in embarrassment. Then, not quite knowing why he was doing it, he went up to Patience's right leg and actually gave it a heartfelt hug, saying simply, (Thanks a lot miss. I owe you one big time.)

(You're welcome. Even though you did kind of get yourself into it. But now let's get back to the other side before the sailing conditions get any nastier.)

(Agreed.)

---

Zane.

Standing like a stone bridge in the current, Zane felt like he could breathe again at last as Patience, with Nedry clinging to her nape like a baby monkey, smoothly waded back into the froth. The programmer was finally safe.

Okay, okay, we're doing good, we're all fine, we're-

But the raptors Nedry had evaded on the other shore hadn't left. They were still there. Waiting.

Now their eyes were expectantly locked on the pterosaur chicks. And on Runt.

Zane continued to slog through the rising water, knowing that if he slipped, he was in major trouble. He was close to the island when the raptors on the shore began barking and squealing, racing around in anxious, expectant circles.

It had been scary enough when the Deinonychus had just been standing there, eyes glaring, and then chasing after Nedry. Now they were frantic, frenzied blurs of motion, trying to anticipate where Runt or the chicks would come ashore, and it was becoming a lot harder for Zane to resist clamming up from utter terror. His astrodon mind wasn't concerned. They were nothing to him.

But Zane's own mind couldn't help but feel differently.

(Leave them Zane!) Wu urged. (We've got Nedry back, and it's too dangerous now!)

(Don't risk your life over a bunch of bloody pterodactyls!) Muldoon yelled.

But Zane couldn't do such a thing. He had no choice, despite the fear and the danger. Runt needed him. The river was flooding, and soon the pterosaur rookery would be completely submerged-the helpless chicks swept downriver and either drowned or eaten by predators-unless he somehow got them to safety first.

Yeah, safety. That's real likely, thought Zane. This whole place had suddenly become Deinonychus Central!

The scene around him was full of lush, gorgeous colors. The deep blue of the sky, the white of a few clouds, the rich gold of the sun's rays, the deep green of the trees and the neon greens of the ferns, the soft tan and white sands of the shore, the sparkling river, and the variegated plumage of the raptors.

It was all breathtakingly stunning. And all the more terrible because of the danger all around them.

Above him, the adults swooped, flapping their wings about him like tents in a gale as they screamed like banshees.

(Come on! Do something!) Zane yelled at them in frustration. (They're your kids!)

(Our point exactly!) Nedry shouted from behind him. (What happens to those frigging mutant bats isn't our problem!)

Just then, a big male pterosaur sailed down and circled just above Zane's head. His immense, flapping furry wings were framed from behind by sunlight, and Zane was able to appreciate how lightly built and fragile these creatures really were.

They had hollow bones and webbed feet. Unlike the pterodactyls he'd seen in cartoons and old movies like King Kong, their feet were structured basically like those of a person or a bear, with the entire sole touching the ground and all five toes facing the same direction. They couldn't grasp anything with feet like that. There was no way that the pterosaurs had the strength or even ability to lift their young and fly away with them.

He turned to look at the chicks huddled at the center of the island.

Runt stood in front of them, shading the squawking, hopping cluster with his car-sized bulk as he looked at Zane. He didn't appear to be all that afraid.

Behold the happy moron, he doesn't give a damn…

Zane plodded forward and stepped up onto the dry ground. There wasn't a lot of room for him.

Runt gave a slurred toot of greeting, pupils dilating in pleasure.

Now what?

(Zane, it's not safe!) Patience shouted. (We've got to get out of this place pronto!)

(Listen to her for Christ's sake!) Wu shouted.

He moved his head slightly to the left. All the others were standing on the bank across from him, clearly beyond stressed as they stomped their feet and pawed the ground, eyes wide. Wu looked ready to jump in and force him back himself.

Suddenly, Zane had an idea.

He looked to the far shore, where the three raptors were eagerly waiting. He concentrated and allowed his imagination to cut loose.

An entire herd of young Iguanodons, each the size of a white rhino, appeared behind the trio of raptors. They made a great fuss of distress calls, their smell rich and overpowering, even from where Zane stood. And every one of the spiked thumbs had been transformed into a round, harmless little bump.

The raptor trio wheeled and chased after the mental projections. The fake Iguanodons got up on their hind legs and fled southward with astounding speed. In seconds, the raptors were zooming after them like darts. The young Iggies charged into the forest and the raptors followed.

(Um, Zane?) Muldoon began from behind him. (You might make a better job of your conj-)

But the ranger was cut off by Wu splashing into the water as he said, (Nice work. Now let's get all this over with and be back on our way.)

Zane had another idea. He laid down and sent a "suggestion" into the minds of the adults circling and swooping above. They hesitantly landed on all fours, flapping their purple wings, and softly grunting, coaxed their hopping chicks onto his neck and shoulders. He felt a mild tickling from their claws and the warmth of their bodies as the junior flight squadron climbed aboard and settled into place, then stood up as Wu arrived, stomping all four feet in irritation.

(Looks like your mission of mercy was successful,) he said, voice clipped. (Are you ready to actually get on the move again at last?) he asked pointedly in exasperation. Zane inwardly cringed at his tone, but meekly nodded.

(Let's go. And Runt, we'll play later,) he told the calf sternly.

(Much later,) Wu concurred as he ground his teeth and Zane strode back into the rising river. Wu then used his thumb spikes to gently but firmly goad a reluctant Runt into the water. The young astrodon soon found himself out of his depth, the current starting to sweep him away, and moaned in fear-but Zane backed up so that Runt soon found himself being pressed up against his left flank, safe and secure. The crossing was difficult, but Zane kept both his balance and concentration as Wu followed just behind. Soon, they were all on the shore. Zane laid down, lowered his head, and the little pterosaurs all disembarked, leaping away like frogs.

(Hope you enjoyed your trip. Your movies today were Iggies A Go-Go, Chasing The Troodont, or Runaway Raptors! We hope to provide you with more entertainment from Zane McInerey Productions and Rescue Services.)

Zane was still shaken, but he'd kept the images and the scents of the Iguanodons fixed firmly in his mind. Wu's smaller doppelgangers were still running and running, and they wouldn't stop or vanish until he went to sleep tonight.

Runt, Nedry, and the chicks were all safe. Their group was complete once more. They'd done it!

(Well, now that that's all over…) Nedry commented.

(Looks like you got them out in the nick of time,) Wu suddenly said, still standing in the shallow water.

Zane glanced back to see the rising water flow over the rookery, sweeping the torn eggshells out with the current, little chunks of white racing over the surface. Patience was approaching him. She looked impressed.

As they all began to move away from the water, Zane winked at her. (So who said I wasn't the brains of this outfit, huh?) he asked smugly. (Nice work on saving Nedry, by the way,) he added.

Suddenly, Runt gave a trumpeting yell of alarm.

Turning, Zane stiffened as he saw that the raptors-six of them now-were back, three of the variegated blurs of feathers and claws racing back at them from upriver, on their bank.

(Jesus Christ!) Nedry yelled as he ran to Muldoon and leapt on his back. (Don't let them get me Rob!)

(We won't.)

Harriet simply bolted inland, stopping and tensely watching when she'd put enough distance, clucking in alarm.

Zane was shocked. It didn't make sense! What about the decoy Iggies? His illusion was still running-fresh, appealing odors and all! The decoys were still panicked and racing and-

(As I was trying to tell you,) Muldoon spoke, (you really should've had those fake Iguanodons have some mass and be affecting their environment too.)

Zane understood his mistake. It should've been so obvious. They were also moving right through anything in their path like the ghostly, unreal things they truly were. And even the raptors could figure out a hoax that obvious.

(No,) Zane whispered, crestfallen. He lashed his tail instinctively. (No…)

The raptors would come for Runt. He'd seen raptors at work in movies-like Jurassic Park, in an irony that was both profoundly funny ha-ha and funny weird, given that three of the actual characters from the book version were with him right now-and documentaries from the video rental place. He knew what they could and would do to a slow-moving, manageable target like Runt, how quickly they could deal out such terrible wounds. And also that they'd give some to him too if he got in their way.

Runt got behind him, pressing against his right leg as he bugled again at the raptors. Zane shoved him away, then cracked his tail once more.

CRRRR-RRRAACCCCKKK!

The appalling sound made everyone jerk back, including the raptors, which veered away and raced off into the forest, frightened by the sound as the pterodactyls fled with their galloping, fluttering chicks in tow. But Zane knew the trio would be back.

(Let's get out of here while the getting's still good!) Muldoon commanded, switching to a trot. (Just because I'm covered in spikes and armor doesn't mean I'm suddenly all right with having savage raptors in my personal space,) he muttered.

But Zane couldn't move. His fear consumed him, and it was overwhelming.

(Zane, you did great,) Wu assured him. (Now get moving!) he ordered, shoving at Zane's flank with his shoulder.

Zane dumbly began plodding along. Then the raptors reappeared. Zane groaned in aggression, and kicked sand in their direction. Then he ran! Wu joined him.

But Runt was falling behind!

(No Zane!) Wu ordered. (You've wasted enough of our precious time already by saving the blasted pterosaur chicks,) he growled as he got in front of Zane and shoved his entire weight against his forelegs. (Stop treating everything here like they're your pets, because they're just animals, you get that!)

Zane was shocked for an instant. Then he roared in fury, actually knocking Wu off balance as Patience gasped before lowering his head and telling the geneticist, his voice seething with contempt and a measured anger as he growled, (I'd expect nothing less from a person who suggested to his boss that they should have hundreds of perfectly healthy, innocent dinosaurs senselessly murdered, all just because they were too dynamic and active for visitor's expectations-not to mention how many you must've put to sleep in the lab because they committed the sin of not looking or acting right.)

He saw Wu's beak drop open, and he briefly looked like he'd been punched as Zane turned away.

(Zane!) Patience cried in shock as Wu then began to grind his teeth. (That was totally uncalled for, you jerk!)

Zane knew he'd crossed a line, but he didn't care. He felt it was something Wu needed to hear.

The Iguanodon suddenly roared in equal ire.

(How dare you!) Wu bellowed. (You think I go and put down or suggested putting down those dinosaurs-dinosaurs that my technicians and I sweated and toiled and broke our backs to create-out of some twisted desire to kill or be cruel?! Well, guess what? If you think I ever take it lightly, you're deeply misled Zane! Deeply!)

He then started loudly cussing Zane out in Chinese, reminding the teen of how Ricky Ricardo always went full Cuban Spanish whenever he was mad on I Love Lucy.

But Zane didn't reply as he ran up to Runt and stood his ground.

The onrushing raptors paused at his arrival. Then they hissed, and got back to business.

Zane couldn't control it any longer. The fear took over, paralyzing him.

They're gonna get us, they're gonna get us! His mind chanted.

The raptors were going to go through him to get at Runt. They came at him from the front, the left, the right, and he could only shrink down and clench his eyes shut!

Zane, honey, you've got the power! The Psychic Friends Network hollered from inside him. Use it stupid! Think!

But he couldn't think of anything. He stamped his feet and bugled and groaned in fear, blubbering and yelling and waiting for the pain to start!

But no pain came.

Instead, he heard Wu snap (Oh, for God's sake, you sniveling coward.) Then a crackling sound and a pained screech. A growling grunt of exertion. A thud, two dwindling sets of pained howls, and a soft, wet sound he couldn't place.

(At least he didn't put a blankie over his head this time,) Patience sneered dryly.

Zane cautiously opened his eyes, blinking. He saw one of the raptors racing away like a scalded cat, smoke rising from its dappled flank, while another was being swept downstream.

The third had been driven like a peg into the wet sand! He was buried up to his biting, weaving, hissing, and very confused head.

Runt stood just behind, his entire chest covered in wet brown sand.

(Wu gave one of the raptors a psychic zap of electricity while you were cowering,) Patience explained. (I tossed a couple boulders and knocked the second into the river. Wu and Runt teamed up on the final one.)

Muldoon nodded. (He gave the bastard a shock, then Runt literally fell on him like an elephant. Squished him down into the sand.)

Zane walked back towards them as Patience cocked her head and looked at the bold baby astrodon. (You know kid, you've got possibilities.)

Muldoon laughed in agreement. (He's a brave little scamp, that's for certain!)

Zane hung his head as he thought about the first time Patience and the others had seen him here, in the age of dinosaurs. He'd been running from a male acrocanth, with a conjured illusion of his childhood "blankie" draped over him.

He'd looked pitiful and pathetic then, and he felt the same way now.

(Hey, you could say thank you,) Patience drawled at Zane. (We did just step in and take the trouble to save Runt's butt when you couldn't find the spine to do it.)

Zane looked over at the pterosaurs, whose chicks he'd saved from the flood, flying and hopping away in the distance. He was confident that in just a day or two, the babies would be able to fly strongly and join their parents in the air.

Not one mention of that, thought Zane morosely. Nothing.

(Thanks a lot,) he told them, turning away.

(Same here,) Nedry added as he looked at Patience and then fell into step alongside her.

(Now that this entire farce is over at last,) Muldoon grumbled, (let's get the bloody hell out of here before anything else happens or any more time is pissed away on rescues.) The words made Zane wince.

They walked for a few seconds. Then Wu, his pupils contracted in irritation-clearly, Zane's words had touched a nerve-abruptly came to a halt and broke away to speed walk over to a shallow pool, which he lowered his muzzle to and began to drink from.

(You guys go on,) he told them huskily. (This won't take long, and I'll catch up in a minute.)

Patience just nodded, and they went on their way, Zane holding his head low as he brooded. He'd really made an ass of himself just now.

Then, he was snapped out of his mopey stupor as he suddenly heard a loud, gurgling roar from upstream. A whooshing, chuckling noise that he couldn't identify. Coming their way.

They all stopped, puzzled.

(Do you hear that?) Patience said, cocking her head.

Zane apathetically nodded. So did Nedry.

(What coul-) the programmer began.

Muldoon, meanwhile, was continuing to listen intently. Suddenly his pupils dilated, and he broke into a stiff-legged run as he shouted, (Bloody Christ, it's a flash flood! Run as fast as your legs can carry you, and don't stop for anything!)

Fear once again gripped Zane as he said (Oh God…) and broke into a lumbering run.

He glanced behind him, and saw Wu jerking his body back up into a bipedal stance, three-toed feet squelching in the wet, muddy earth as he raced towards them.

Right then, from around a hill, spreading out over the banks, came the flash flood, a surging, churning, white-capped mass of chocolate brown water filled with tumbling logs and branches-even other dinosaurs! It was like a runaway train, with the sheer power and terrifying speed with which it leapt forward. Zane guessed there must've been some natural dam or levee far upstream, perhaps a logjam, against which the water had built up and built up-until the pressure had made it burst.

Even as she ran for her own life for higher ground, Patience briefly cocked her head to glance back over her shoulder as she roared, (Henry, run!)

Wu was doing his best, Zane could see. But he'd gotten a late start.

And then, the churning wall of brown water was right there, in their part of the valley!

The good news was that the part of the flood that hit Zane and the others was shallow, only two feet deep as it swirled around their feet-and they were already going up an incline, both Nedry and Harriet easily evading the surge to dart uphill to safety.

The bad news was that Wu wasn't nearly as fortunate. With the sickening sense of inevitability and helplessness that he might've had watching a dog or child run out in front of a car, Zane could only watch and trumpet in alarm as the force of the flood smashed into the Iguanodon bull's body broadside, sending the three and a half ton animal sprawling, tumbling as he bellowed in distress. The churning mass overwhelmed his struggling form, sweeping the geneticist off his three-toed feet as Patience shrieked, (NO! Henry, no!)

And then Henry Wu was carried away, disappearing into the brown torrent.

---

Uh-oh, is this the end for Henry Wu? I know Patience will definitely be sweating...

When Scott Ciencin wrote the Dinoverse series at the tail end of the 1990's, how exactly pterosaurs reproduced was a long-standing, vexing riddle for paleontologists, even though pterosaur fossils had been studied and excavated for at least 150 years. For all that time, there was no concrete evidence to go on about the beginnings of pterosaur's lives. It stood to reason that being reptiles, they laid eggs of course. But where? Did they make nests like birds? That would make sense. But were they built on cliffs? In trees? On the ground? Maybe nesting habits were every bit as varied as birds today. Were they hard-shelled like the eggs of other archosaurs, birds and crocodiles? That too, seemed reasonable. But when it came down to brass tacks, we were in the dark.

And then, in 2004, scientists got an answer at long last, when the fossil remains of pterosaur eggs were discovered in Chile. Further information was added in 2013 and 2014, when the fossil of a female individual of a genus of pterosaur called Darwinopterus was found in China-with a mature egg partially pushed out of her cloaca by decomposition gases. Later, an actual rookery of a new pterosaur genus was found in another area of China.

Based on these finds, scientists have now deduced that surprisingly, instead of being hard and brittle, the shells of pterosaur eggs were more like those of turtles, lizards, or snakes, soft and leathery in structure and permeable to moisture. Not surprisingly, all known pterosaur eggs found "free" had been buried in soft sand or dirt, where they would be warm and moist-again, like turtles or lizards. It seems that female pterosaurs, therefore, laid their clutches at special islands or beaches, digging pits close to the water where they wouldn't be flooded or get too dry.

As for what the actual babies were like when they popped out, fossils of embryos and new chicks (delightfully known as 'flaplings!') show that they were very well developed when they emerged into the open air, probably able to fly on their own steam within a week's time, if not within minutes. What does that mean for parental care? Scientists still aren't sure. It's possible that depending on species, a flapling might've been on its own, guarded and guided by one or both parents for an unknown amount of time, or actively taken care of at the nesting grounds by both adults, protected and fed until it had the strength and skills to make it on its own.

The pterosaurs in this chapter are a species belonging to a genus of ornithochierid known as Coloborynchus. Despite the advances we've made with digital modeling, CAT scans, studies of trackways, and hands-on models, pterosaurs continue to quite puzzlingly be portrayed wildly inaccurately in regards to locomotion. Because their wings are superficially bat-like, it's been traditionally assumed that grounded pterosaurs also clumsily scrabbled along in the sprawling manner of bats-even that they hung upside down like bats, as depicted in Fantasia. In actual fact however, it is now known that pterosaurs held their hands and feet squarely underneath their bodies, supporting themselves on strengthened legs and arms as they walked in a posture similar to a gorilla or a person on crutches. Indeed, if there's any types of bats that pterosaurs can truly be compared to in their movements on land, it's the three species of vampire bats. Amazingly versatile on terra firma, vampire bats can hop about like frogs, scramble like voles, stand erect on their feet and walk like a chimp-even gallop like a rat! Pterosaurs could very likely get around with equal aplomb too.

I can't help silently laughing whenever I see a pterosaur portrayed as carrying off some helpless damsel in its made-up "talons" like some prehistoric, leather-winged giant eagle. That's because it's quite simply, total bullshit. The hind feet of pterosaurs were plantigrade like ours, lacking the opposable first toe of birds. And to be perfectly frank, a person that was attacked by one wouldn't really have much to worry about-a good punch or blow from a big stick would seriously injure or even kill even a bigger species immediately.

Last of all, pterosaur wings, instead of being like the leathery membranes of modern bats, were actually quite complex structures, containing sheets of muscle fibers, veins, and ligaments, all working in concert to give the animal exquisite control. And like the rest of their bodies, they were covered in sleek pycnofibers, structures that were pretty much like mammal hair, but not totally the same in structure.

P.S. As always, I'd be delighted if you did the two R's!