Exploring was Good. Outside was Good. But the sound of many, many large things
nearby was not.
Talon had been hearing the noises for the past few hours, and had become more and more
concerned. There had been rumblings in the distance, roars of creatures much larger than
he was. This was quite disconcerting…he had no idea what sort of animals were making
the sounds, whether they were predator or prey. All he knew was that they were big, far
bigger than he was used to.
And even large prey could be dangerous.
If the raptor had been able to frown, he would have. There were creatures out there that
were huge. What were they?
For the first time since coming to Isla Sorna, he was feeling a little less than confident.
What could be making noises like that? He knew about animals that were raptor-sized
and human-sized, as well as some creatures that were bigger and that walked on four feet
instead of two, but he didn't think he'd ever encountered anything much larger than them.
What he was hearing sounded a lot bigger than cows or horses.
He clicked his toe claws nervously on the ground, wishing that the raptor-scent wasn't so
strong in the direction of the sounds. Because he needed to get to the others, he would
have to face whatever was between them and him. But everything was so strange and
unfamiliar here that he wasn't quite sure what to do next. He would have to be careful,
he knew that. Once he found others of his kind, perhaps he would be a bit more bold.
"Stop pacing. You're making me nervous."
The man snorted, but did as she asked. He lit another cigarette and sat down next to her.
"I wish they'd get those damn cameras working," he muttered. "A dot on a screen
doesn't tell us much, except where he is."
"They say they'll be up and running in a few weeks, a month at the most," she replied,
hoping to soothe his nerves. In actuality, she was hoping the repair teams would be sent
to the island a little earlier than planned. She supposed she could press them, but Ingen
had been bending over backwards to accommodate her (and her family, and her friends),
so she didn't think the work could be completed any faster no matter how loudly she
protested.
"I don't want to have to wait that long to see what he's doing," her companion declared.
He'd never been one for patience. "And these people better know what they're doing,
that's all I can say."
"They're all very well-trained; I'm sure the equipment will be fully functional once they
hook it back up to the grid. It's geothermal power, so it's not like they can run out of
juice."
He frowned. "That's not what I meant," he said archly. "I meant, do they know how to
deal with what lives on that island?"
"They've been trained," she repeated slowly, "trained by Ingen to get in, do what they
have to do, and get out as fast as possible, while keeping interaction with the local
species to a bare minimum."
"Really," he said, unable to keep the skepticism out of his voice.
"They won't have guns," she promised. "Real guns, anyway. They will have tranquilizers,
though."
"And tasers?" he asked pointedly.
"Yes, they'll have tasers," she sighed.
The man glared at her. They were a necessary evil, but he didn't want to think about the
times he'd seen them used. "Do they know not to hurt him?" he asked, still dubious.
This time, she smiled. "They know. And anyway, I think it's more of a question of him
hurting them, if they happen to run across each other."
"He won't necessarily attack them," he retorted. "Remember that one time he was loose?
Knocked me down from behind, then flipped me over. I still don't know how he did it.
Stuck his face right in mine, sniffing me…I thought I was dead." He couldn't help but shiver
at the memory, but he brought it up because it proved -- at least to him -- that the creature
they were monitoring wasn't a mindless killer.
"But he didn't hurt you."
"No, he didn't," he replied, and shook his head. "I swear, it was like he was looking for me.
He knew I was there, and he was looking for me..."
"He probably thought you had more food for him," she said gently.
"It was more than that. I know it."
"How do you know it?"
He wasn't in the mood to argue now, not even with her. "You said before that you knew him?
Well, I do too. And I know that he's more than an animal." He looked away. "If he wasn't,
then all of this would be pointless. All of it."
nearby was not.
Talon had been hearing the noises for the past few hours, and had become more and more
concerned. There had been rumblings in the distance, roars of creatures much larger than
he was. This was quite disconcerting…he had no idea what sort of animals were making
the sounds, whether they were predator or prey. All he knew was that they were big, far
bigger than he was used to.
And even large prey could be dangerous.
If the raptor had been able to frown, he would have. There were creatures out there that
were huge. What were they?
For the first time since coming to Isla Sorna, he was feeling a little less than confident.
What could be making noises like that? He knew about animals that were raptor-sized
and human-sized, as well as some creatures that were bigger and that walked on four feet
instead of two, but he didn't think he'd ever encountered anything much larger than them.
What he was hearing sounded a lot bigger than cows or horses.
He clicked his toe claws nervously on the ground, wishing that the raptor-scent wasn't so
strong in the direction of the sounds. Because he needed to get to the others, he would
have to face whatever was between them and him. But everything was so strange and
unfamiliar here that he wasn't quite sure what to do next. He would have to be careful,
he knew that. Once he found others of his kind, perhaps he would be a bit more bold.
"Stop pacing. You're making me nervous."
The man snorted, but did as she asked. He lit another cigarette and sat down next to her.
"I wish they'd get those damn cameras working," he muttered. "A dot on a screen
doesn't tell us much, except where he is."
"They say they'll be up and running in a few weeks, a month at the most," she replied,
hoping to soothe his nerves. In actuality, she was hoping the repair teams would be sent
to the island a little earlier than planned. She supposed she could press them, but Ingen
had been bending over backwards to accommodate her (and her family, and her friends),
so she didn't think the work could be completed any faster no matter how loudly she
protested.
"I don't want to have to wait that long to see what he's doing," her companion declared.
He'd never been one for patience. "And these people better know what they're doing,
that's all I can say."
"They're all very well-trained; I'm sure the equipment will be fully functional once they
hook it back up to the grid. It's geothermal power, so it's not like they can run out of
juice."
He frowned. "That's not what I meant," he said archly. "I meant, do they know how to
deal with what lives on that island?"
"They've been trained," she repeated slowly, "trained by Ingen to get in, do what they
have to do, and get out as fast as possible, while keeping interaction with the local
species to a bare minimum."
"Really," he said, unable to keep the skepticism out of his voice.
"They won't have guns," she promised. "Real guns, anyway. They will have tranquilizers,
though."
"And tasers?" he asked pointedly.
"Yes, they'll have tasers," she sighed.
The man glared at her. They were a necessary evil, but he didn't want to think about the
times he'd seen them used. "Do they know not to hurt him?" he asked, still dubious.
This time, she smiled. "They know. And anyway, I think it's more of a question of him
hurting them, if they happen to run across each other."
"He won't necessarily attack them," he retorted. "Remember that one time he was loose?
Knocked me down from behind, then flipped me over. I still don't know how he did it.
Stuck his face right in mine, sniffing me…I thought I was dead." He couldn't help but shiver
at the memory, but he brought it up because it proved -- at least to him -- that the creature
they were monitoring wasn't a mindless killer.
"But he didn't hurt you."
"No, he didn't," he replied, and shook his head. "I swear, it was like he was looking for me.
He knew I was there, and he was looking for me..."
"He probably thought you had more food for him," she said gently.
"It was more than that. I know it."
"How do you know it?"
He wasn't in the mood to argue now, not even with her. "You said before that you knew him?
Well, I do too. And I know that he's more than an animal." He looked away. "If he wasn't,
then all of this would be pointless. All of it."