Alan's Dinosaurs

by black dragon

Alan Grant famous paleontologist and dinosaur expert was the best in the field. That was five years ago and then all that changed when a crate somehow fell off a passing truck onto the dig site. Now five years later Grant has turned from paleontologist to animal wrangler? Oh boy what has the world come to.

41. Jungle Trek

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN JURASSIC PARK/WORLD THEY BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS!

A/n: To the reviewer who told me a bit about the carnivore riding thing. I already have things planned out of why they mounted their animals. As part of their training which will be revealed in this chapter.

As for all of you who have never been on an island let me tell you a thing or two. The trek around the island can be unpredictable. It is not all easy going as you will know within this chapter before we finally gotten to the worker's village. So as you know I am slowly starting to introduce the LW cast into this storyline before we get to the main event. As you all know Hammond's group arrived before InGen's, but in the novel it was the other way around. So I will follow the movie line more then the book for timeline events. But will incorporate some elements of what I remember from the novel since I had lost my copy a while back.

I am also excited about it being 40 chapters in since this story started, and the four other stories that are on my long running stories that list I have devoted most of my time to. It is all because of you guys. I love you guys so much.

Anyhow thank you all for faving this story and having been patient for me you guys are the best!

Warning not fully beta read (As I am too exhausted to finish).

ALAN'S DINOSAURS

Chapter 40: Jungle Trek

ISLA SORNA

The hot steaming forests of Isla Sorna where the group is going through is filled to the brim with bugs. For people like Alan and Robert they had grown used to it along with the many workers and locals who call this island home. For some of the new comers however the bugs have become a problem.

SWAT! The sound of someone slapping themselves when they were bitten brought amusement to Alan's face. Under him Rosco gave a rumble to show that had he been human would also find it amusing. He was also watching from where he was perched on Rosco's back the others doing drills that Robert insist they do with the dinosaurs in case of a dinosaur attack.

"Alright you remember what you need to do when a large predator comes charging through those bushes yes?" Robert yelled at his men. It was a military style training regime that involves them getting on and off the animals as fast as they could.

"Why do we have to do these stupid drills!" one of the newcomers complained and the others remained silent. Robert upon hearing this turned Rexy around and went right for the man who spoke. He was on top of one of the few triceratops that came from Isla Sorna. The Trike became defensive as it reared its massive horns at Rexy. Recognizing her scent above that of any predator. Rexy only snorted as she looked at the man on the back of this trike. Robert was not amused as he patted her down.

"Kenny right?" he said to the young man. He was dark skinned with an accent. From his notes Kenny hailed from Congo and Robert was more then happy to put the man in his place.

"Kenny need I remind you that you need to trust your dinosaur. When it senses danger then you have to be aware of it. Trust is what will get you along way here. Ain't that right Margaret?" he said to the Triceratops as he patted her side. All the gotten was a snort from the large animal as she had known him for a while.

"The reason why we have these drills is to ensure that when something does happen your animal can protect you and itself from danger. That means you need to leap off when it starts to sense danger. Find the nearest hiding spot and let the animal lead the danger away. When the danger has past then it will come back for you. They always do this you need to remember it," Robert said his voice loud enough for the others to hear. Kenny looked down his face showed his frustration, "Why can't we help?" he asked.

"You can help but not in a sense that it would put your animal in danger. The reason why we have such heavy vehicles with us as well as you running these drills is so that you can learn to trust each other. Both you and your dinosaur are a team! You need to trust your animal and it will trust you to have its back. When danger strikes it will come to your aid as you will come to its aid when it is in danger. Remember that and Kenny, Margaret is your Partner not your pack mule. She can carry the weight, but at the same time you need to respect the fact that she is a wild animal. Like an elephant you need to respect her as she respects you. But respect has to be earned in order for her to listen to you. Do you understand?" Robert said to him and the man slowly nodded.

"Good," with that he climbed back onto Rexy using the ladder that was made for passengers and Rexy gladly took off back into the jungle with the others following the roads that have started to become overgrown again with jungle plants.

The trek to the Worker's village is long and crosses into the marshy inner island where they know most of the predators linger. From what he understood there are more Titanoboa and Sarcosuchus here as well as other predators that once roamed the prehistoric jungles. InGen wasted no expense in bringing them back from extinction.

As they crossed out of the territory of the compound the roads lead up through a group of mountains where the Embryonics Center is located. Which is up the Western Mountain range. In order to get to the worker's village they have to cross through a shallow valley into another mountain range before hitting the swamps and meadows which are home to the predators.

As the group traveled they were met by strange wildlife. Most of which had gone extinct by humans such as the Dodo bird and surprisingly enough what Alan identified as a Moa. A giant bird that belonged on New Zealand along with its predator the Hast Eagle. There were even other creatures here that Alan was surprised to see. He saw a Dimetrodon not to long ago making its way through the forests in search of prey. As it neared the group it was the Rexes that chased it off knowing that there are bigger predators then itself in this area of the island.

They had witnessed a few other creatures in the forest the further they went in. One of them was perhaps a Titanoboa since this area is a good place for it but Alan was not too sure. As they trekked through the forests that surrounded their home. The land started to become more open the more they crossed the western mountains and into more arboreal terrain. Here some of the animals started to change too. The dinosaurs they had seen earlier was gone replaced by others. Larger herbivores that Alan identified as more cretaceous animals started to emerge.

Here he saw a herd of triceratops accompanied by some parasaurolophus and a few ankylosaurus. Tank bellowed a greeting to them which they replied back. The other ankylosaurs in their group also bellowed as they marched past them following the roads towards the interior of the jungle. Though they bellowed they did not follow the herd having been trained from an early age to follow their human counter parts.

By the time they made it to the swamps to begin the more westerly was when the first disaster struck.

One of the new rangers had been dumb enough to leave his partner behind and venture out into the bush to relieve himself. His triceratops started to bellow a warning. But by the time the others got wind of it he was taken by force and eaten by a hungry carnotaurus. The animal as it turns out can camouflage itself to blend in with its surroundings. The other rangers are instantly on alert with guns and dinosaurs ready. The triceratops that was with the man was wounded by trying to defend its partner with its horns dripping blood. It was not till about three hours later that they found the remains of their fellow ranger and the dead carnotaurus who suffered some severe stab wounds along his side. Which proved to be fatal as it bled to death and is currently being eaten by others of its kind and a large group of compys.

The group moved on through the bush keeping watch for any more stragglers. Robert and Alan were silent the entire time while some of the rangers were talking. But a quick glare from Robert silenced them.

It was not till they reached the first of many stops that they ran into their second problem. That being a dimetrodon that wanted to take a snack out of one of the smaller animals. It attacked during the heat of the day thinking that everyone was out for a drink at a nearby river when it came from the bushes. Thankfully one of the stegosaurs managed to hit it with its tail sending it bleeding into the bushes.

The fourth thing to happen which nearly killed another Ranger was a T-Rex rampaging through the bushes chasing after another animal. Upon sight of Rosco, Rexy and Junior it called for its other pack members and that turned into a nasty fight. The other dinosaurs had fled into the bushes in some occasions and had to be rounded up while the carnivores all fought off the intruders.

When the fighting ended there was a large amount of missing animals. It took them nearly a day to round them up before they began their trek again into the jungle of Isla Sorna. But they were without losses. One of the smaller Trikes had been hit by another dimetrodon not too far from where the camp was. It caught it by surprise and its remains was all that the group had to deal with.

Robert turned towards the new rangers. "This is what happens when one does not pay attention to their surroundings. It is just like in Africa. You fuck up, you or your animal partner will die. Understood?" he said to the group and the rangers all nodded their heads as they continued their way through the this swamps. When the land started to slope up again they began the long trek along the road left behind by InGen. It led deeper into the jungle. Where the land was lush and mossy in the beginning began to transform once more into an arboreal habitat. The trees began to become more sparse and more conifers and redwoods began to take over. It looked like a forest found in North America more then in Costa Rica.

But still the group trekked onward towards their goal. Spitz was becoming agitated by the sounds he hears and his feelings were also mirrored by Nico. Alan ordered a halt while he examined his animals. It was then that the other animals started to get agitated. Nodding to Robert they both got their guns ready.

At seeing their leaders doing so the rest of the group quickly gotten into position when a large mammalian animal stomped past. It was like something out of the ice age as it long fur and massive tusks made it iconic throughout paleontology.

"Holy fuck, the day I would see a wholly mammoth would be the day I got shot with a tranquilizer dart," Alan said and Robert snorted when he said that. The animal was not alone as it traveled through the forest. Other mammoths traveled with them some great and small.

"Ok I admit I never thought I would see them here either," said Robert as he noticed other animals beside them. A snort lets him know that Rexy was agitated by the smell of the mammoths. Even Robert could smell how musty their damp fur is compared to that of an African Elephant. The group lowered their guns, but did not put them away keeping them ready. As the mammoths passed them one trumpeted to them and it was replied by Rosco who gave a greeting of sorts...or was it a warning?

The mammoths turned to look at the group of humans and dinosaurs before moving on. The humans decided to move on as they gotten on their animals after their break and continued on their trek.

The arboreal forest gave way to temperate rain forests allowing the animals to see the world in a different view. It was also colder which made some of the herbivores nervous and cold. But luckily the rangers managed to put blankets on the ones effected. Tank was enjoying this scenery since the ankylosaur was reminded of her home in Montana. She would snort and shake her head and body which made the person who rode her namely Gerry a little annoyed.

"Jeeze girl! What is the matter?" he said as he tried to calm her down. Alan on Rosco turned around to see this. Chuckling to himself he could not help but call out to him.

"Don't worry she is just happy this place reminds her of home," he said to him. And Gerry looked at Alan strangely before smiling to himself.

"Ah you miss home don't you girl?" he said to her and all the got was a snort before she moved with the rest of them. Nico and Spitz both broke away from the group and started doing happy leaps and snap and play with each other much to the amusement of the rangers in the vehicle behind them. Rosco also snorted as he shook the droplets of water off of his feathers. He had started growing them as they were getting ready to leave. Now in the colder forests above they suit him just fine as they made camp near the peaks. Some of the animals huddled closer together for warmth.

When the dawn,s light came they made the trek down the mountain back through the different climates and into the lowlands. By now after much delay they made up the time the spent getting to the peak and down the mountain.

"Look an airstrip," Robert said to Alan as they pointed down the mountain slopes.

It was here that they saw the strip sitting there and waiting for a plane to land on it. The control tower was absent meaning that the pilots if there was any had to rely on their eyes and ears before take off and landing. From the looks of it, it was one way in and one way off of the island. As the group approached the airfield they noticed that it was along the border of the arboreal forests and the thick jungles of the lowlands. Both types of plants could be seen here. Meaning they are nearing the grasslands. The nearby river provided water to the animals. While the dinosaurs were resting the rest of the group met in the main tent that was set up for them.

"Alright where do we go from here Robert?" Gerry asked as they looked at a map of Isla Sorna.

"We have to travel further south at least for another hour before we reach the grasslands. The edge of the forest is here. So if here is the airstrip then that means the grasslands are here," Robert explains showing them a detailed map of Isla Sorna.

"So the raptors are here then?" said Gerry.

"No they are further south west near the worker's village," said Robert showing them the raptor sightings.

"So what do we do. There is a lot of long grass here and it is dangerous to travel through such high grass." said another ranger this one was a man with an African accent meaning he came from somewhere on the dark continent and he is someone that can relate to what Robert knows.

"Alright here is what we will do, we will split the larger animals first making a perimeter around the smaller ones. The vehicles are well protected against raptors. That is bullet proof glass so they should be able to withstand an attack. Plus you have those guns on the top that can track and kill one should they do come after us. If we keep this formation then it would be harder to attack someone. Remember these raptors are dangerous. They are not like the ones on Nublar they are more savage and that is because of the genetic structure they had undertaken by someone who was not of Dr. Wu's caliber." Robert said to them they all seemed to look at each other before finally one of them spoke.

"Dr. Grant I read your book on possible raptor behaviors. You think that they would exhibit those behaviors like you saw on Nublar?" asked another ranger this one was a short man with tanned skin and red hair. It made Alan think about some of the people he left behind in Montana.

"It is true that dinosaurs are unique and that their hunting patterns can only be theorized. But what I found fascinating with the Nublar raptors versus Nico here is their hunting patterns. Raptors hunt in packs of up to ten individuals. They might or might not be part of a larger group. They normally track their prey down first before attacking, and try to figure out the best course of action. In this case us. So a lot of prey animals would normally do the formation that Robert was talking about where they put the smaller members of their group towards the middle. It is a defense mechanism seen in modern animals today," Alan said to them. Some eyes lit up in understanding such as Gerry who has worked with larger animals before others seemed confused by the whole speech. But they did not say a word.

So when they reached the grasslands the group had split off into a tight formation. Rosco being the biggest was in the lead followed by Tank and another smaller ankylosaur on either side. They in turn had two vehicles flanking Spitz and Nico in the middle with the wounded triceratops. It was a good thing that it's flank was the one that was hit and not somewhere vital. Rexy and Junior being the bigger took up the rear on either side. Making sure the group was well protected.

But Alan and Robert knew raptor behavior and they indeed watched the sides. So did Rexy, Rosco and Junior all three had experience. So did some of the others but the new rangers did not and so it was no surprise that it wasn't until their second day into the grasslands that the first attack happened.

They were sitting around their fire with a group of parasaurolophus came through grazing on the various grasses. They were joined by some woolly mammoths and some triceratops. It was a peaceful sight to behold.

"The raptors are just to the south of us so that means that we are fine here unless there is another pack. We don't know how far they travel to hunt but….." he did not get to say anything else because Rosco started to growl. The winds had shifted and so did the scent of new things coming up towards them. Alan instantly reached for his radio.

"Sarah are you there?" he asked her since she was in the air.

"Yeah I am here, I see six raptors coming in from the south. They look like they are hunting. Another group is coming in from the north so it might be either one big pack or they might be two different packs….wait...there are two different packs of raptors. The second pack looks more like our friends from the compound. The large white one must be the alpha since the others seemed to follow her orders. The ones from the south look like they don't have much of a leader. But we don't know that yet till we get closer." she said and Robert took the radio from Alan.

"Get clear of the raptor packs. Velociraptors are known to jump at least twenty feet in the air. Stay at an altitude of fifty or more out of range you hear me," said Robert and a brief amount of static came and then… "Understood," was all that was said. When he gave the radio back to Alan Robert looked at the rest.

"We will stay closer to the edge of the jungle for now. That way we can steer clear of the raptors. If the ones on Nublar has told me anything it is that Raptors are highly territorial and they would guard their territory and their nests with their lives. So we must proceed with caution." he said to them.

But one of the animals that was being hunted started to get closer to them. They noticed too late when another group came from the other side and without warning attacked the animal. That sent the group up in alarm as their dinosaurs started to panic.

"Calm them down before we start a stampede!" said Robert as he held onto to Rexy. The Rex was the first to take a defensive stance against this new threat. The rangers quickly formed up and gathered their animals as they moved across the meadow towards the safety of the trees. As they did so Sarah gave a warning as to the group coming after them.

"Shit! The orange group is coming right for us!" said one of the rangers. He was rather heavy set but luckily was on top of Tank. Gerry had since been moved to one of the vehicles alongside Eddie Carr one of the techs who were sent with them to work on the vehicles in case of damage. Tank was no stranger to raptors and swung her tail just in time. The raptor went flying some distance away. The second raptor tried to get at the ranger on top, but she moved out of the way just in time. Nico and Spitz were instantly on Tank trying to fend off the raptors.

"They are trying to separate Tank from the group! Quickly form up! Red one, Red Two flank that ankylosaur and open fire!" Robert said to them. Suddenly gunshots were in the air as one of the rangers opened fire. The one riding Tank did the same as he locked his legs into his saddle and began shooting at the nearby raptors. Spitz was on his backside teeth and claws ready. Then two jeeps joined them with mounted guns they started opening fire on the raptors. That caused the herd that they were trying to avoid to run.

"Oh shit STAMPEDE!" one man shouted as a whole herd of dinosaurs came right at them. The group ran for their lives as their animals did the same. Robert and Alan both rode side by side on the Rexes. Gerry was inside the vehicle as Eddie drove beside Junior as they headed for the trees. They were followed by the vehicles and several of the others. Luckily for them the raptors were not interested in them. They were more interested in the herd. When the sounds of an animal falling were heard they feared it was one of them.

Luckily for them none of their animals were hurt. Their Rangers took a hit in a few ways or not but they barely managed to get to the trees. One of their vehicles however didn't make it as it was hit by a Triceratops and then later smashed by some hadrosaurs. The humans inside also didn't make it. Robert and Alan both took off their hats to show their respects to the dead. Several others followed suit as they all put down their hats and gear to give respect.

"We make camp here," Robert said to them and started barking orders.

As the group started to gather materials the dinosaurs were either allowed to hunt or feed or keep a look out. Rosco was particularly protective as he refused to move while Rexy went to hunt. She was followed by Junior who returned with a large chunk of meat for him. Nico and Spitz also had hunted in the forest with a return with some kills.

While they sat there in the light of the fire one of the rangers finally spoke.

"When do we mourn the dead?" he asked Robert. Robert looked up at him with eyes glazing in sadness.

"We mourn now while the fire burns and the moon is not in sight," he said to them. The other rangers turned towards him one of them voicing their opinion.

"Why such poetics? Our companions have died!" said one man a Latino Man his Spanish Accent made his anger more prominent as he glared at Robert.

"Don't you think I know that shithead! I was there! We were all there! We saw them die in this God Forsaken Place!" Robert nearly shouted. Alan had to put a hand on his shoulder to keep him from going after the man. His own tears on his face as he saw them die.

"We cannot fight like this. I have seen many people in my lifetime die to large predators. Tigers, lions, crocodiles, snakes, you name it I've seen it. I've been everywhere and death is all around us." said another man this one an African man. He was not very tall but he held himself as someone who has seen a lot in his life. Robert nodded his thanks to that man. The others seemed to look nervous as they glanced at each other.

"I thought we were just going to bust people for trespassing not come here to run for our lives," said one young ranger. His face showed his youth. Alan sighed remembering the days where he would argue with his own mentor.

"You think becoming a ranger for dinosaurs is fun then you are just as stupid!" said one older woman. She was there with Robert at Jurassic Park so she was was used to seeing death. In fact the death of her dear friend Joffrey was still on her mind right now. She turned that into anger at her fellow rangers.

"I thought it was going to be fun, not filled with terror," said another one.

"It can be fun if you follow the rules. But you have to learn how to respect the animals that you are with. You are lucky that your Stegosaur was there for you or else you could have died," she said to him. The man flushed in embarrassment. Six months of bonding with his dinosaur and the results are finally in. As if to emphasize his stegosaurus ran him over with her head and slobbered him with her tongue.

"Awk! Archie" he said to the dinosaur trying to shove it away. The Stegosaurus tried to get at him again until the man relented and finally reached into his pocket to retrieve something.

That something was a bag of something white.

"What the fuck is that?" one ranger asked.

"Oh this is home made tofu. Archie loves it don't ya girl," he said and the stegosaur opened her mouth and gladly chewed on the snack.

"Tofu? You give your stegosaur tofu!" said another man whose own stegosaurus was sleeping nearby surprisingly next to Tank and another Ankylosaur.

The first ranger shrugged as he stroked down his companion and tried to push it away, "Yeah Archie has a thing for tofu. I mean it is made from soy which you guys give them right?" he said to Robert. The man nodded, "Foods high in Lysine if we don't give it to them they die." he said to them.

"That does not mean we have to like them. We were just put here to rot in nothing but makeshift buildings that are murder scenes and stuck hunting dinosaurs, which can kill us by the way. I never signed up for any of this," he said and Robert laughed.

"Yes you did asshole. When you signed the contract with InGen you signed your death warrant. So you are basically stuck with dealing with dinosaurs. So you might as well shut the fuck up and live with it," Robert said to him.

As if laughing Rexy who was resting next to Robert snorted causing the flames to flip and spin and pieces of debris and ash to land on the said person. One large golden eye was looking at him as if amused before returning to sleep.

"Well I don't know about you guys but I am going to turn in for the night. Who has first watch?" another female ranger said. She was Asian with dark locks going in front of her face. When the dark skinned ranger raised his hand she clapped him on the back. The man winced at the force of it all but the woman was undeterred. Her own dinosaur was in her backpack being it was far too small for use. She unzipped her pack to feed a young parasaurolophus which poked its head out. The woman was one of the newer rangers who just got their partner the young herbivore enjoyed his treats of ferns and grass. Henry did a good job to fix their genes to allow them to eat modern food.

"Look I've had my fair share of dangerous animals that I've studied over the years. And frankly this is the most challenging field job I've ever done. I mean who gets to study the behaviors of living dinosaurs. Some of you are seeing something else but I see opportunity. If you decide to leave at least you can claim that you have studied dinosaurs with the rest of us. My father maybe the head veterinarian but only my sister had experienced what I had seen now. Dinosaurs and humans living together that is not fascinating or what?" she said. Her voice filled with wonder at the possibilities of doing things out here." Said Sarah Harding as she sat there petting Spitz whom was laying down next to her.

"Says the enthusiast." said one of the other rangers. He was disgruntled as some of the rest of them. But that did not discourage him from doing what others can't. He wore his tanned skin and weathered look well. Unlike some of the others who either looked like they came from a war zone, which was probably true or came from the city and the more peaceful ranger jobs.

Robert was finished listening to the complaining. He stood up his face looking as stern as it always been. Those who knew him knew that look well.

"Now you listen to me and you listen good. This place is dangerous and everyday could mean the end of your life. Most of you probably came here thinking this is a cakewalk. Like the previous parks you've been here before. Those of you who had experience with dangerous animals knows what the stakes are here. But unlike out there the stakes are higher." he said and now everyone is paying attention to him.

"Here this world around you is a lost world full of prehistoric animals brought back to life. Men who wish to play god have brought back these animals and because of this our job is to ensure that we work alongside them to keep them out of the world we come from. Man and dinosaur separated by time are here now. It is our job to ensure that both species can coexist together at the cost of our lives. Just like anywhere else in the world where we deal with large and dangerous animals. We are rangers and it is our job to ensure that the balance between man and nature stays balanced. Meaning that anyone who comes here follows the rules and the animals are kept safely away from those who wish to destroy this new ecosystem they have created. So we need to get our heads out of our asses and do what we came here to do and that is to protect this island and the other islands like it from danger." he said sitting down again and taking a drink from his canteen. It was at this time that Alan stood up. He appeared nervous as he addressed everyone. But the took a breath and imagined it was like back in Montana where he introduced everyone to his dinosaurs.

"Now when you were children did you ever wonder what bones in a museum actually looked like if they were alive? What the animal would have appeared as had they lived and breathed like us?" Alan asked them and they all looked at each other in confusion.

"Let me put it to you this way. Have you ever went to a zoo or a park and wondered what it would have been like to wonder the woods and see creatures that no one else has ever seen before? Dragons maybe or dinosaurs? Perhaps going under the sea or flying in the sky on a creature no one has seen before? Well here on Isla Sorna we give you that. As a ranger your job is to protect that world from ever hurting yours. We are the frontline team that stands between the outside world and the creatures that live in this one. We were brought here by choice or by circumstance. But in a way we are here and we are protecting what should have been left alone. Now mind you many would want to kill these creatures or worse sell them on the black market to the richest bidders. I have protected my animals for over five years now. They have become my family and through them I have lived my fantasy. If it is not yours I understand and if you wish to leave I can arrange for Jose to take you back to the mainland on his next run. But for now you are here right now in this world. So you might as well survive it till you can decided whether you want to stay or to leave. It is up to you. But we are here for one reason or another and mine is to protect my family. What is yours?" he asked them.

Just as he said it a snort came from behind him and Rosco lifted his head and snorted causing the fire to flicker again and some of them to jump back in alarm. Alan started laughing as he stroked his head.

"I guess I will take first watch then," he said to them and the Asian girl volunteered again as they assigned themselves to watch. Robert could only dread what the day would bring tomorrow when they finally reached the Worker's Village.

TBC

A/n: Hey there sorry for the hold up but I have been busy with life. Changing shifts and all sorts of crap. Leaves me with no excuses but when you work as hard as me then you should know that you get home tired and sore plus you have to cook and get ready for the next day. Then trying to lift your fingers to do anything hurts. So I will leave this with you as a fun little snack. And remember no FLAMES, BASHINGS OR LORE MONGERS PLEASE thanks!