The team sat in their tent, by the treeline whilst the rainstorm weathered on outside. More rain fell in a few hours than had fallen in the last few months. Eventually, the rainstorm stopped and the team got out of their tent to look at the changed landscape. The landscape was now criss-crossed with small rivulets and the lake had doubled in size. The parched scrublands were soaking. The team's train of thought was suddenly interrupted by a small, whining noise, like a sad puppy.
Bursting into an area half-submerged by the enlarged lake, they looked around to see a bedraggled-looking Cynodictis pup looking forlornly at a collapsed burrow; inside the burrow, they could see a dead adult Cynodictis. They knew what it meant immediately; the pup's family had died when their burrow had been flooded, and it was orphaned. Alice gently picked up the terrified, exhausted pup and carried it through the portal, into the park. A few minutes, she returned, head hung in sadness.
Suddenly, they were cut off by a loud and all too familiar bellow. They turned to see a herd of six Indricotherium approaching the lakeside. They varied in size, from approximately the size of the young male they'd encountered before to a large male fifteen feet at the shoulder and twelve tonnes in weight.
As the giants moved closer into view, the three humans went silent; transfixed at these giants. With an almost stately walk, the Indricotherium walked up to the lake and began drinking from the water. Drew, quietly, crept up to the herd and pressed the button on the portal remote. The herd stared, transfixed at this glowing orb, and, one by one, walked slowly through the portal. When the last one had gone through, Drew closed the portal. After the last one had gone through, the team all looked at each other, smiling. Suddenly, they heard loud, distressed bellows from another Indricotherium; looking at each other, the team ran in the direction of the sound.
Following the source of the distressed Indricotherium's bellows, the team ran toward. What they saw pained them. It was the young male Indricotherium, stuck to his knees in quicksand. Alice said, her voice trembling in horror, "He must have gotten trapped when the rains turned this into a quagmire. We have to help him..."
Suddenly the team heard some very familiar whoops. They turned and saw the Hyaenodon pack loping towards the Indricotherium, their eyes gleaming with hungry glee. The Indricotherium continued to struggle, and let out several, low anguished bellows as he continued to struggle to get out of the mire. Drew said, with a note of urgency in his voice, "We need to act fast, or he's going to die." Leon said, "Have you got a plan?"
Drew smirked, "In fact, I do. Alice, keep the Hyaenodons occupied, whilst we get everything ready; we're doing a Balerion manoeuvre."Alice looked at him, "What do you expect me to do, throw a stick?" Drew shrugged, "Maybe; if we don't do this, he's going to die." Alice and Leon nodded, and Alice said, "OK."
Drew smiled at them, and he and Leon went through the portal to the present, bringing back the Jeep. Once he had come through, As the boat pulled forward, Leon threw down a corset-like sleeve, which Drew attached to the winch, before running on to the quicksand, wrapping it around the Indricotherium's torso. For good measure, he wrapped a large belt around its rump. He ran towards the Jeep, which Leon was driving, and gave the thumbs up. Leon nodded and began moving slowly forward.
Alice looked at this; now was her cue. Advancing towards the Hyaenodons, Alice grabbed the air horn and began blaring it at the creodonts. The Hyaenodon pack, in response let out indignant snarls and whoops at her. Alice began, slowly, moving backwards, blaring the horn again. When the Hyaenodons had gotten close enough, they charged towards her. Alice dived out of the way and pressed the button on the portal remote, causing it to whirr into life. Not changing their trajectory, the Hyaenodons dived through the portal into the present.
Meanwhile, Drew and Leon were slowly moving the Jeep forward, pulling the Indricotherium, who was beginning to move forward with it. There was method in this seeming madness; every time the Indricotherium pulled forward, he moved slightly forward in the mud. Eventually, he had moved close enough to the edge of the pool to pull himself out. After he had done that, Drew detached the sleeve from the winch and Leon activated the portal. The male Indricotherium walked, on unsteady legs, through the portal, into the present. After this, Alice ran up to them and Drew smiled at her, "Doing the Drew manouvre; clever." Alice rolled her eyes and got in the back of the Jeep; Drew got into the passenger seat and the Jeep drove through the portal into the present.
Once the portal had been shut off, Drew briefly looked up to see Jack, Collete, Kyle and Nikolai giving him flabbergasted looks. It was a few minutes before Jack yelled down from the walkway, "What the hell happened?" Drew smiled, "I'll tell you all about it."
After that, all the Oligocene creatures were being transported to their new homes. The Indricotherium and Chalicotherium had been given a large paddock in Mammal Mania. It was decided that they could share a paddock, since they were both herbivores and unlikely to harm each other. They were all either feeding or resting in the sun. A large platform had been built over the paddock, to serve as a "feeding station" when the park ultimately opened.
The Hyaenodon pack, who had been given a large paddock nearby, were all napping in the sun, waiting for their next meal, whilst the Entelodons, their neighbours, were all either feeding on the plants in the exhibit, or rolling in the mud pit they had been given. The Cynodictis family had been put in a small exhibit nearby; the adults were napping in the sun, whilst the pups were playing with each other.
Meanwhile in the vet offices, Alice and Yolanda were looking over the orphaned Cynodictis, a female, as she walked unsteadily around her recovery pen. After a brief checkup, she had been sent over to recovery. Alice and Yolanda looked over the little mammal, scared in this new environment, and felt a pang of sympathy; the family they already had couldn't take her in, since they had pups of their own. They were going to have to hand-raise her themselves.
Next time on Prehistoric Earth
The team go back to the Pliocene
(A Deinotherium charges at the team)
To meet humanity's earliest ancestors
(The team watch a group of Australopithecus)
Meanwhile, Alice has a baby bear dog to care for
(Alice bottle-feeds a baby Cynodictis)
All next time on Prehistoric Earth: The Anthropomorphous Apes!
Meanwhile...
Leon paced up and down outside the vet offices, muttering to himself, "Hi, Yolanda, hope you're doing well; I've had a crush on you for ages and I hope you feel the same way. Come on, remember what Alice said to you; Just do it. Don't hesitate; just do it." He repeated the last three words like a mantra, before the door opened and the words disappeared from his mouth.
She stood, silhouetted, in the light and he was awestruck. Those kind eyes, that radiant smile... she was beautiful. She made the white veterinary gown she was wearing look the picture of elegance and beauty. Suddenly, his already-feigned confidence evaporated; what if she rejected him? What if she laughed in his face and told him to get out of her sight?
"Is there something you want to say?" Leon knew that it was meant as concern, but, in his head, it took on an accusational air, as if she was judging him; the worst-case scenarios all flashed in his head again. He couldn't do this; he just couldn't.
Looking at the floor, bashfully, he said, "I just wanted to see how the baby bear-dog was." Yolanda smiled, "She's doing fine, thanks for asking.", before she turned and walked back into the vet offices. Leon sighed; he'd taken the coward's way out, yes, but at least he had been saved potential embarrasment.
Unbeknowst to him, Sharptooth was watching all this happen. He was an intelligent animal; he understood what had happened. The male had wanted to make overtures towards mating, but had chosen not to at the last second. He briefly felt a pang of sympathy; however, it was transient. He laid down to sleep.
Rescue tally:
Paraceratherium transouralicum: 7 (2 males, 5 females)
Hyaenodon gigas: 5 (2 males, 3 females)
Entelodon magnus: 8 (2 males, 6 females)
Chalicotherium pilgrimi: 10 (2 males, 8 females)
Cynodictis elegans: 8 (4 males, 4 females)
