The Core
A.N: These last few chapters were the ones that I was the most excited for, these episodes were some of my favourite and I was looking forward to writing them. I had plans on top of plans for these chapters, particularly this one. I won't spoil anything but the only thing that I hope for is that you, the readers, will see this and the final chapters and say..."Legendary". But that's my hope, I'll leave the opinions up to you. Enjoy.
Forest Biome, Mantah Corp Island:
P.O.V Change: Yaz
"Come on, slow poke!" I shout out happily to Ryan as I run through the trees of the biome. I hear Ryan laugh, glancing over my shoulder, I see him vault over a rock as he edges ever closer to me. "I'm not slow...and for that, you better run faster." He says jokingly as I quicken my pace. "Or what? You'll catch me?" I say teasingly as I dart under a log. I glance behind and see Ryan almost right behind me, I nearly trip at seeing him get so close. "Yeah. That's the idea." He says with a smirk. I smile at him and drop into a full sprint.
This is what I needed. Time to just relax, not worry about anything other than the run. When I told Ryan and Ben that I was going out to have a run, at first, they were apprehensive because of the Rexes but eventually conceded. Ryan decided to join me the run, saying that it'll be like old times back on Nublar. I smiled at remembering how we used to run and train before the break of dawn. Before we started the run, I slapped Ryan on the chest, 'Tag! You're it!', I said to him, before bolting into the trees, Ryan's roar of laughter was the only thing that I heard. I break from my thoughts when I cross over our path, avoiding a thick tree. I push through the shrubbery and see that I have come out to where the lookout platform is. I smile at getting here first but my smile drops when I hear the thudding of feet on wood. I look to the side and see Ryan running up along the length of a fallen tree trunk before jumping towards me. I slow down to avoid him colliding into me but to my amazement he continues his momentum and rolls into a ball before kicking back up into a sprint.
"Gotta keep up!" He shouts as I narrow my eyes. "Hey! Not fair!" I shout before sprinting again. Ryan might be conditioned to run but I have been training to run for my whole life, I will not let him have this...no way in hell. I catch up to him as we stand side by side, seeing his eyes alight with joy and his lips curl into a mischievous smile. I return his expression and cross in front of him, weaving through the trees and shrubs of the path. Ryan mirrors my movement as we interchange and weave with each other, mimicking each other in synchronization...almost like a dance.
We turned around the last tree, finally coming to the final stretch, through the foliage, I can see the plates and spikes of Pierce but also the faint whit wand blue spine of the hybrids. Me and Ryan run shoulder to shoulder, almost perfectly even as we run with everything that we have left in the tank, out breath is starting to become strenuous, our muscles are exploding with soreness but neither of us acknowledge them. The only thing that is on our minds...is beating the other person. I shallow my breath and power through the pain and push forward, slowly gaining a few centimetres ahead of Ryan. And finally, at the finish line...I run through the foliage, see Angel and Rebel being attended by Ben. Seeing that I have the lead, I jump over his head, earning a startled scream as he ducks underneath. I come to stop at the water's edge as I get my breathing back. I hear Ryan catching his breath as well as I glance out of the corner of my eye and see him with his hands behind his head, his chest raising and falling with each intake of breath. I see the sweat rolling down his forehead and arms as I gaze, appreciating, at his fit form. I see him glance at me, catching a leering gaze as I embarrassingly look away. Ryan laughs at me, and I look back up at him. Feeling his infectious humor, I start laughing too. "Um...you guys, ok?" I hear Ben ask as I hang my head back in a satisfied sigh. "Oh yeah. Definitely." Ryan says as he sits and lays down, opening is arms out in a relaxed spread. "I agree...I forgot...how good it feels to run. I mean...really run." I say as I lay beside Ryan, gazing up at the clear sky above. "For fun, right?" Ryan teases as I playfully slap him. Ben walks up to our heads as we look up at him, he has his hands on his hips as he smiles at us...I think. I can't tell from being upside down. "Can't say I relate. But I'm glad you guys had a good time." He says before walking back over to Angel and Rebel." I chuckle at Ben's compliment.
"Thanks Ben...but I think it was better than good." I say as Runs sits up suddenly and pulls me up. I gasp in surprise and laugh as he stands and hoists me up, holding his arms around my knees as I keep my hands on his shoulders, keeping myself upright. "Better than good, yeah? Remember what I said when I told you to run faster?" He says with a smile as I smirk at him. "Yeah. I also remember saying that you were going to catch me...and you never did." I say teasingly to him but my heart drops when I see his mischievous smile as he turns to face the water. "Didn't I?" He says before dropping me into a tight embrace sand bolting for the water. "Ryan! No, no, no!" I shout in distress as I try to break free but he had already run in and splashed down on the water, our combined weight crashing down onto the water, kicking up enough to completely drench us. I breach the surface with a gasp as I wipe the water from my eyes and hair. "Ryan! That wasn't funny!" I shout at him as he comes up to the surface with a smile. "It was pretty funny." He says, smiling at me. Seeing no point in being angry, I should have known that he would have gotten the last laugh after I beat him. I scoff playfully and splash him with water but he returns it, soon enough we are acting like five-year-old's and just trying to drench each other in water...more so than we already are. "You guys know that I'm still here, right?" Ben says as we stop and look at him. Looking back at each other, seeing the familiar glint of evil in each other's eyes, we march slowly out of the water and approach Ben...who is now sweating.
"Ah, guys? I don't like that look. What are you doing?" He says as he backs up but me and Ryan circling him, like two predators surrounding a helpless prey. Ben's eyes widen as he realizes our plans as he makes for the trees. "Help!" He screams but Ryan bolts and grabs him before he can run. As Ryan grabs his arms, I run forward and grab Ben's failing legs as we slowly walk him over to the water. "Come on, guys. Let's talk about this. I'll leave, ok? I'll take Angel and Rebel and leave you two alone to do...whatever. Come on, guys...can't we discuss this? We're friends...right?" He asks in a frighten tone as we stop, just before the water reaches our knees. Me and Ryan look at each other before gazing down at Ben, his eyes jump between each of us as we shrug. "Yeah, we're friends." I say as Ryan follows up. "And that's why we're doing this...no hard feelings." He says before we swing and throw him into the water. "No, no, no, no!" He shouts before crashing into the water. Ryan and I start laughing our asses off at Ben's predicament. To my surprise, Angel, Rebel and Firecracker stand beside us, chirping happily...almost like laughter. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Laugh it up." He says with no real anger as he gets up and sends a large gust of water at us. Seeing that he is taking the joke in stride, me and Ryan run back into the water, splashing Ben and each other with water. I feel like a little kid, like being at a waterpark and just having all the fun that I could ask for. After about 10 to 15 minutes where we were playing around, we started to die down our fun as me and Ryan sat together at the bank of the watering hole. I sit with my back against Ryan's chest as he wraps his arms around me, both protectively and comfortably. "We should do this more often." Ryan says randomly as I turn and look up at him.
"Splashing each other with water?" I say as he smiles. "That two...but this...also." He says, gesturing to our position. "Just the two of us. No dinosaurs, no worries. Just us." He says quietly as he places a quick peck on my cheek. "Can't think of anything better." I say as I smirk and position myself to straddle his waist, he looks at me in surprise as I pull him by the collar of his drenched shirt and smash my lips to his. The passionate lip lock does down to a slow, loving battle for dominance. I try to out-tongue him but to my regret, he gets the upper hand. I break away from him as I Lena my forehead on his, gazing into his eyes lovingly. "I can think of a few better things." I say seductively as I slowly tease him, slowly grinding my hip. I hear him groan in pleasure at my actions as I kiss him again. "Oh, come on, guys. Get a room at least." Ben says as we break our kids and look at him, he covers his eyes but notices Firecracker looking at us, confusion etched on her face but Ben quickly covers her eyes as he leads her away. I flush embarrassingly at forgetting that he was close by. Not to mention it probably wasn't a good idea...doing it...out in the open, in the first place. I pecked Ryan's lips one last time before getting up. Ryan follows suit but before walking over to Ben and the rest of the animals. Ryan draws me into his chest as he places his lips, just above my ear. "When we are alone...we are finishing what you started." He says as he playfully nibbles on my earlobe. I stifle a moan, breaking away from him, I slap his on the chest with an embarrassed blush. "Ryan..." I say with a mock complaining tone, but he chuckles softly as he hangs his arm over my shoulders.
Walking over to Pierce, we hear Sammy dragging meat along the ground, obviously seeking to satisfy the Eatie's without using any of the babies or Pierce to do so. "Let's go help her." I say as I break from Ryan and join Sammy. "Need help?" I say to her as I help her with the big piece of meat. Her eyes alight when she notices me. "Oh absolutely." She says in her usual happy tone as we fling the meat over to the rest of the pile. The stack had gotten quite high, coming up to my waist. Wiping our hands of any slime and muck of the meat, we gaze appreciating at the stack. My thoughts break when the thudding of footsteps and the bellow of a roar is heard, we gasp in fright and make a break for some foliage. We watch from a safe distance as the Eatie's come up to the meat, their eyes alight with joyous hunger. "That's right, ladies, suppers on." Sammy says as we watch the Rexes eat at their leisure. "You know, Mae was right." Ryan says as me and Sammy look at him, our faces etched in confusion at his statement. "You know...when she said that when they eat, it's kinda sweet. Look." He says as he gestures to the duo. We follow his eyes and see that Little Eatie had reared her head back and gobbled down some meat, but a piece of meat had landed on her head from the rear back. Big Eatie, noticing the piece, grabs it off Little Eatie's head, startling the younger Rex. Rather than keep it to herself, Big Eatie had offered one half of the piece and Little Eatie grabbed it. Both Rexes pulled and claimed one half of the meat. "Awww." Me and Sammy say, I got to give it to Mae, she was right. They might be big...and terrifying, they are really cute when they eat together. My eyes widened when I realized that I basically just complimented one of the most terrifying dinosaurs that have ever walked the Earth.
I shake my head from my train of thought as I notice the two Rexes have nearly eaten all their food. Little Eatie picks up a particularly big piece of meat and shakes it about. My eyes widen when pieces of the meat break off and are sent flying all the way over to us. We duck to avoid the meat but we were too late. I perk my head up and see that Sammy has a chunk of meat in her hair, Ryan has a piece sliding down his face as he flicks it off with an annoyed sigh. I hear Sammy laugh as she points to my shoulder, I see out of the corner of my eye that a piece had fallen on my shoulder. "I think Little Eatie needs to learn some table manners." Sammy says as she picks the meat off of me and throws it away. I laugh at her joke as I brush the chunk out of her hair. "Got that right." I say. "One thing you can expect from carnivores...they always make a mess of their food." He says with a smile as he opens his arms up, featuring to the broken pieces that Little Eatie made. "Oh, Darius and Brooklynn are back." We jump as we turn and see Ben not far behind us, how in the hell did he sneak up on us? We head over to meet up with the trio as Ben welcomes them. "Fancy seeing you guys here." He says dramatically as he leans against a tree. "At the meet up spot? Yeah, who saw that coming?" Darius says sarcastically but still with a happy smile.
"Hey, y'all? Any luck?" Sammy asks Brooklynn as we await her answer. Darius and Brooklynn had decided to return to the compound to steal one of the drone and BRAD tablets. With Brooklynn knowing how to access the system and knowledge of how to operate the drones, they came to the conclusions of using the drones to set a perimeter around the island. To alert us when the Kon's come back. Ryan said that it was ironic, that we are using the Kon's own technology against them. "Yup. I managed to set a drone perimeter around the island. Now, well her an alert as soon as the Kon's come back." Brooklynn says as we all nod. "That's one more advantage to us. We have control of the system and the tech on this island. Now with the drones, we can prepare for when they come back, even better that we'll know of their arrival before they even set foot on the island. We are two steps ahead of them...I say we keep it that way." Ryan says as I nod at his reasoning. "He's right. There is so much more that we can do that can make the Kon's lives miserable when they get back. We should take every opportunity that we can get." I say, agreeing with Ryan's point of furthering our advantage over the Kon's. Sammy wraps her arms around me and Ryan, drawing us into a hug. "Oh, come on, y'all. We've done well already. We made sure that all the dinos had something to eat, so they won't go after each other." Sammy says as she points to the watering hole. Pierce stands on one side, drinking as the Eatie's stand on the other, also drinking. Firecracker is gorging herself down on leaves while Angel and Rebel are playing, not far from Pierce. "We did that. I don't mean to brag...except I do, because it's beautiful and we should be proud." Sammy says happily as me and Ryan chuckle at her antics.
"You're right." Darius says with a nod as he turns to Ben and Brooklynn. "Not that there's anyone around to appreciate it." He says with a Downing tone but Brooklynn smirks before holding the stolen tablet up. "Time to change that." She says as stands away from the group, holding the tablet up like a...camera. Oh no. "Whoever's watching this...be ready to be amazed...but these guys. Some of the most incredible people that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting." Brooklynn says dramatically as we all raise an eyebrow at her antics, she has fallen back into her 'Superstar' persona...been a while since I've seen it...honestly, refreshing. "Are you recording us?" Sammy asks with her hands on her hips, acting like a disappointed parent. "Yeah. Because someone needs to know that we survived Isla Nublar. And that we're here now. And that we protected the dinosaurs from big game hunters..." Brooklynn says as she holds up the tablet and aims it at us... particularly, me first. "A horrible hybrid." I say with tiredness...still hate having to remember that Indominus. "Actually, two horrible hybrids." Darius says as Brooklynn pans to him, he holds two fingers up to the camera as he says his line. "Technically three horrible hybrids." Sammy says as she hangs her head in front of the camera. "I still have nightmares about them...uh." She says dramatically with a shudder at the end. Ryan waves his hand in front of the camera to pan it up to him. "Escaped a fearsome and tenacious Allosaurs." He says dryly. Ben hangs his arm around Darius's shoulders, catching Brooklynn's attention. "A lunatic that wanted to force dinosaurs to fight." He says with a dramatic, angry tone. "And we even got carnivores and herbivores to play nice. So, wave to the camera, people. You're kind of a bug deal." Brooklynn says as she prepares to take a photo. "Wait...don't you want to be in the shot, too?" Sammy asks but Brooklynn drops the camera slightly as she shrugs. "Nah. That doesn't feel like 'me' anymore." She says as Ben nods. "I guess we all have changed since we first met at the dock." He says as we all nod, agreeing with his statement.
Darius smiles and hangs his arm around Ben's neck and shoulders, drawing the taller boy down closer to his face. "Yeah. If I told the old you that you survived the jungles of Nublar...and made friends with an Ankylosaurs..." Darius says jokingly as Ben chuckles. "I probably would have had a heart attack." He says as Ryan laughs. "Truer words have never been spoken, Skits." He says, using Ben's old nickname. We all laugh at the joke as I hang my eyes, remembering back to how I was when I first arrived. "Yeah. And I didn't want to talk to anyone. Like...at all." I say as Sammy playfully nudges me. "Except for me. Well...really, except when I was talking to you and eventually, you had to respond." She says as I laugh at her reasoning. "I think that I have the honor of being the first one that Yaz talked to." Ryan says as he wraps his arms around me, drawing me into his chest. "Isn't that right?" He says as I look up at him. "Keep telling yourself that." I say to him as he laughs and pecks me on the cheek. I smile at his show of affection as everyone starts laughing as we remember the good old times. "Meanwhile, Kenji never stopped...talking." Brooklynn starts to say happily but drops off into one of sadness as she, and us in turn, remember Kenji's betrayal. Seeing that the mood has effectively died, Brooklynn shuts of the camera and holds it close. And awkward silence rings as we remember the times that we had with Kenji. While the guy was a pain in the ass, he meant well and did keep everyone's best interests at heart, he was a true friend...which makes his betrayal all the more personal...and heartbreaking.
"So...uh, I've been thinking." Darius says, breaking the silence as we all turn to him. "We've done everything we can to prepare for when they come back, but...why are waiting for them to act first?" Darius says as we all ponder and nod at his reasoning. "We've set the board...now we make the first move." Brooklynn says as I nod. "Like I said, advantage." Ryan says as he crosses his arms. "That's all good and well, but what do we do to keep us ahead for when the Kon's do come back?" Ben says as Darius gesture us to follow. After walking through the forest, we come to the airlock and head inside.
"We're the ones with the upper hand. Besides, even if the Kon's know we got out, they have no idea that Brooklynn shut down the drones, the BRADs and changed the password...except the one that Ryan and Sammy ran into." Darius says as I see Sammy slightly shudders and remembering that particular BDAD, when she and Ryan told us of it, we were all horrified that the BRAD managed to stay online but also the fact that it fired tiny missiles. We've been shot at before, but they were electrical, these missiles were designed to main and kill. "Not to mention that we moved most of the dinosaurs to the forest biome. With the exception of the Dilo's, Mammoths and the Yutyrannus." Ryan says, following up Darius's reasoning. "Yeah. Kon is totally underestimating us. A big mistake." Sammy says confidently as we all smile at her optimism. "While that may be the case. Daniel Kon is not like anyone we have faced before. He might underestimate us, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know how to bounce back from failure." Brooklynn says as I nod. "Brooklynn's right. Kon has proven to us that he is smart...and creative. Anything that we use to slow him down won't be there forever, he'll find a way around it." I say as Darius nods. "That's why we have to make sure that there are plenty of things to slow him down. But first, we need to take him by surprise for when they come back." He says as he stops at a door.
"I'm going to guess that you have a genius plan to take him by said surprise?" Ben asks as we wait for Darius to explain. "Yeah, we trap them in here as soon as they land, take their drone plane, get to the mainland...and get some help." He says tiredly as we stare in silence. While the idea is not a particularly good one...it's the best one we have. "It's a good plan." I say, breaking the awkward silence. With my reassurance, everyone nods in agreement. "The only problem is that we have to keep the doors shut to keep them in...anyone have any ideas on how to do that?" Ryan says, for a quick second...we ponder...before looking at Brooklynn. She looks at us one by one beige sighing in accepted defeat. "I might get it work. But if we do this...we've trapped Kenji as well." She says as we downcast our eyes. "We don't have a choice. It's either them...or us. Besides...he locked us up first. I guess, it's only fair." Darius says but I slightly narrow my eyes at his cold answer. Kenji only locked us up because of what Kon was able to manipulate out of him. While it hurts that he betrayed us, he didn't do it out of malicious intent, I wanted to voice my opinion, but I feel Ryan grab my hand. I glance at him and see him shake his head. I nod my own head at his silent reasoning...it's neither the time nor the place to argue.
"You're right. It's what we have to do." Brooklynn says as she approaches the door mechanism pad. Darish stands beside us as Ryan and Ben stand behind her, hovering over her shoulder. I watch as Brooklynn begins opening the doors and shutting them...trying to figure out how to shut automatically, but to no-vail. "I can get them to close, but not automatically." She says as Ryan nods. "It must only be automatic for the BRADs." He says as we nod at that logic. I doubt that Kash was able to make the BRADs smart enough to work the pad, but it does make sense for the doors to have sensors that we'll detect if a BRAD is coming through, save time opening and closing manually. "Well, option A, you show us how. Option B, can't we just short out the console?" Ben questions but Darius shakes his head. "That will shut down the power to the door, effectively keeping it shut. While we want the Kon's to stay trapped, we need to find our own way out as well. Can't do that if the power to the doors is cut off." Darius argues back as I tune out the conversation, they have it covered...I turn to talk to Sammy but see that she is gone. I look around for any sign of her but there is none in sight.
"Sammy?" I question as I walk away from the others and down the corridor. I turn down a corner, heading to the door but Sammy pops up and shouts. "Boo!" I shout in fright but quickly narrow my eyes at Sammy's laughing and wheezing. "Hahahahaha...you...you should...see...your face...hahahaha." She says in-between breaths. "That wasn't funny.' I say with annoyance, but it doesn't stop the smile from forming. "It was to me... couldn't see me, could ya?" She asks as I cross my arms. "If I did, I wouldn't have jumped." I say sarcastically as she giggles. "Good. Then neither will Mr. Kon." She says dramatically. "Scare him like you did me and you might give him a heart attack." I say jokingly which earns a laugh from Sammy and chuckle from me. Before we can walk back to the others...the door closes unexpectedly. "Sammy." I say in surprise, I narrow my eyes as I glance back to the corner. "Guys. A little warning would be nice if you are testing with the doors." I grit out in annoyance but to my shock, all four of them are coming around the corner. "That wasn't us." Ryan says. Before I can say something...the ground and the walls start to rumble. We gasp when it comes but we wait anxiously because it's so steady. Creaking and cracking can be heard but not so much as before. The rumbling dips into a full-on shake as the walls, ceiling and floor starts to break and crack. We gasp when we try to keep our feet underneath us, an ominous red light fills the corridor as the alarm blares. I turn back to the door, realizing that Sammy is still on the other side. "Sammy...hold on!" I shout as I try to pry the door open. Ryan comes over and tries to help. "Brooklynn! Get the door open!" Ryan shouts to Brooklynn who runs over to the pad.
"I can't get it!" She says as Darius and Ben stand beside her. "What do you mean 'you can't get it'." Ben questions as Brooklynn grits her teeth. "It means that I can't get it to open! The whole systems malfunctioning!" She says frustratingly to Ben. We all gasp when we the metal deal under pressure as we look down the corridor and see part of the ceiling and wall collapse from the rumbling. "Try harder!" Ryan shouts as I pull, and he pushes with all our might to get the door to open. Brooklynn manages to slip past the malfunctioning system and get she door open. Me and Ryan are sent aback when it opens, we watch aa Sammy comes stumbling onto us. Me and Ryan hold her steady. "Thanks." She says as we nod. The rumbling gets louder as our eyes turn upwards. Deep, severe cracks form within the ceiling, almost like rivers forming. "We got to get out of here!" Ryan shouts and no one have any reason to argue it. We run to the forest biome airlock, I don't know how but Brooklynn manage stop use the tablet to get the door to open before we get there. Our eyes widen in shock as we stand within the biome looking up at the sky. The biome's simulated sky shimmers as it turns to the same ominous red as the corridor. A symbol of a triangle with three exclamation marks within are seen. I remember seeing the same image whenever the old tablet would show an emergency...fitting. "Geothermal energy core. Critical malfunction." A female automates voice is heard as the biome sky shimmers again, signaling to us that the system is getting worse and worse. "The core is unstable. We have to get down there." Ryan reasons. "Come on, let's go!" Darius shouts as we run towards the waterfall cliff face, but before we can go. "Do y'all think these earthquakes are what's making the core malfunction?" Sammy asks but Brooklynn shakes her head. "The core is geothermal. It drills into the earth, that's how it gets its power. But if the drill is near a fault line, it could be causing the earthquakes." Brooklynn reasons as we arrive to the cliff face and climb up the vibe, but before we go, Run runs towards the waterfall. "Ryan, what are you doing?" I question as he turns to me. "If we're going down onto the sewer, I'm grabbing my rifle. No way I'm going down there with that BRAD still walking around." He says before turning back. "Grab my machete while you're there!" I shout to him, before he can turn into the secret cave, he raises his thumb up.
The rest of us get to the top and walk over to the sewer entrance. "Great. So, the core is right on top of a fault line and if we don't fix it, it could release an enormous earthquake. Perfect...anyone know how to fix or stop that?" Ben asks sarcastically. "I don't know. But we gotta do something. If we don't..." Darius starts but we stop when the alarm blares again. Looking up to the sky, we see the symbol again. "Geothermal energy core. Critical malfunction." The voice says again as Brooklynn groans. "We can't listen to that forever." She says as we get to the hatch. "Remember, that BRAD-X is still down there...and the Sarcosuchus." I warn to the group as they gulp. They are right it be afraid, that croc is more deadly than anything we have faced on this island and most likely the most powerful thing here, Ryan might have gone and grabbed his rifle to combat the BRAD but what are going to do if that croc wants to make a snack out of us? "At least that alarm will make it harder for them to hear us?" Sammy asks as Ben nods. "Yeah, but on the flip side...it make it harder for us, to hear them." He says as Darius opens the hatch. "Let me go first." We turn and see Ryan walking up to us. He has his rifle in hand, his trusty axe holstered at his side and also my machete in hand as well. He stands next to me as he passes my machete. I nod thankfully to him as he smiles. Take these as well." He says as he hands each of us a flashlight. Good thinking, there is little light down there to begin with and with the fluctuating power, the lights will be all but out.
P.O.V Change: Ryan
I went down first, keeping my rifle at the ready...I light the flashlight and scan down the dark corridors of the sewer. Seeing that nothing is near to warrant danger, I call down the others. "Ok. We'll all good." I say before moving out of the way. Keeping my rifle pointed, in case of any surprises, I glance to see Yaz dropping down and turning her flashlight on. Sammy, Darius, Brooklynn and finally Ben makes their way down. We walk along the walkway and head towards where the core is. "Keep your eyes on the walkway and the water." Darius says as Ben gleams his light on the black, still water. I hold a corner as I stop the group. I glance around and see that nothing is there. I signal them to go in front of me as I pull up on the rear, making sure that nothing is sneaking up on us.
"Anyone smell that?" Sammy says as I turn back and see her cover her mouth and nose. Yaz groans in disgust as she does the same. I walk up to them and am hit with a foul stench, worse than anything else down here. "What the fuck?" I say as I nearly hurl up my breakfast. "I forgot how bad it smelt down here." Yaz says as everyone coughs from the smell. "Is it just me or is it worse than before?" Brooklynn asks. "Don't know...don't breathe through your mouth either...or you'll taste it." She warns dramatically. We all chuckle at her attempt to humor and while it's a bad joke, it's not unwelcome. I see something over their heads. A red glow and a yellowish green mist. "Everyone, stop." I say as they do so, walking to the front of the group, I see the more clearly that it's little steam but thicker than I would have thought. "We're nearly there." Me and Darius walk along the wall, before I can turn the corner, Darius does, and he screams in fright. We jump back from his scream as Yaz pulls out her machete and I hold up the rifle. I go to turn the corner but Brooklynn stops me. Pulling out the tablet, she flips the camera and turns the flash on. We sigh in relief when it's revealed to be a half destroyed and rusted BRAD-X. "We're ok." She says as she walks out and around the corner. I follow behind her and my eyes widen when seeing the corridor. It reminds me of the dark tunnels where the freaky dinosaurs where back on Nublar. How the corridor was lined with bones...only this time, the corridor is lined with half destroyed or completely destroyed BRADs. Looking down at the water, just barely, I can see faint white eyes flickering before disappearing completely. "What happed to them?" Sammy asks as we carefully make our way to the end of the tunnel, right before the edge of the water. "I guess they tried to repair the core, but they ran into the Sarcosuchus." Darius reasons as I nod. "They put a fight. You can see the burn marks all along the walls." I say. Everyone looks around and see that the walls are lined with scorch marks, but also faint stains of blood. The Sarcosuchus didn't walk away from it unscathed either. We get to the edge of the walkway, looking up at the power core. "How are we going to get up there?" Ben asks as we look to the side and see that the ladder is gone. I shudder when I remember how the croc had chased Yaz up the ladder, nearly taking her with it when the ladder gave way. "We'll go the back way, up to the railing." I say as I point up to the forest biome walkway.
After backtracking through the sewer, we manage to get up to the railing. I notice that the walkway is damaged from when the Sarcosuchus attacked me but also the fact that corrosion is setting in and eating away at the metal. "Be careful. The railing is not in the best shape." I say to the group who nods at my warning. Now that we are level with core, I can see the damage that is being done it. The alarm is still echoing throughout but the thing that is worrying me are the small quantities of yellowish green mist that is getting sprayed out. The creaking of metal can be heard, obviously the pressure building up...if we don't act fast, it's gonna go and that won't be good for any of us. Everyone walks around and inspects the core while me and Brooklynn stand at the computer screen. Tired of the alarm still going, she turns it off. Everyone sighs in relief of not having to hear that thing keep going off. Now that we can focus on silence, me and Brooklynn see what is wrong with the core. "The drill is out of alignment. The whole core is overheating." She says in shock as I take in that information. "If we didn't come down here, the drill would have broken apart, causing a chain reaction. The island would have exploded or the reaction to the fault line would have sunk it beneath the waves." I say in horror. We are so close to utter destruction, we have to fix this and fast. We all gasp when hearing a growl, we lol down at the water and see that the Sarcosuchus has pulled itself up onto the walkway that we were on before and to my shock, it collapses. "How the...?" Ben questions as metal rattling is heard and we turn to see a pipe, the same must from before sleeping out. I look down and see that the mist is so dense that it hangs above the water, the croc must have breathed it in. "It's the gas." I say as the pipe burst, releasing a heavy spray of gas. We gasp and cover our mouths before bolting scores the walkway, carefully not trying to fall or break it even more.
We stand a good distance away from the core and the gas, our gaze filled with dread that the core room is be filled with a thick gas. "It's a by-product of the core. Could be poisonous. Even worse, the core is overheating." Brooklynn explains to the group as they look at her with fear. "If the pressure builds up enough, the whole thing could blow." She says fearfully as my eyes narrow. We have to go back in there, but that gas is providing a problem that is not needed but have to overcome...somehow. "So, then it's lights out all over the island?" Ben asks ignorantly as I shake my head. "No...it means that if it blows, it'll make a big boom 'there goes the island' boom." I say as realization sets in. We all look at the core, the most dangerous thing that we have to do is upon us. "If I could find a way to breathe in there, I can try and fix it from the console." Brooklynn says as we nod, it's not without risk but it's the best we have. "Ok. To stop the gas, we have to tape up the pipe. I think there might be some in the Med-Bay." Darius points out as Sammy follows up. "But what about the Sarcosuchus? We can't just leave him here to die, right?" She questions as we look down at the unconscious croc. "We're gonna have too, that thing has to weigh about 10 tons, and I don't know about you, but I don't think we can carry him all the way to the Med-Bay." Yaz points out and while I agree with her logic...something in my gut tells me that there is a way. "Brooke...how many BRADs are still operational?" I ask her as her eyes widen. Rather than question it, she pulls the tablet up and opens up the BRAD schematics. "What's your idea, Ryan?" Darius asks as I look over Brooklynn's shoulder. "I have about over a dozen still operational. Two in the jungle, five in the arctic, two in the desert, three in the swamp and four down here." Brooklynn answers as I think. "Which one of those aren't damaged?" I ask as she checks. The four down here are a little bit damaged but other than that, they are fine." She says as I nod. "What's your plan, Ryan?" Darius asks again as I turn to him and the others. "Yaz is right. We can't carry him out, but the BRADs can. Brooklynn can order some BRADs to come down here and remove the croc and take him to the Med-Bay." I say to them as they ponder my plan. "What about the core? Aren't the BRADs powered by the core?" Ben asks, providing a good argument to my plan.
"They are connected to the islands internet connection. It's basically a Bluetooth. But with the core fluctuating, the BRADs are at risk of malfunctioning." Brooklynn reasons but am idea pops into my head. "What if we power them down so they only need the necessities?" I ask as Brooklynn's eyes widen in realization. "Yeah. The BRADs are connected to the internet, but their protocols and weapons need more energy. So, when they are needed for a recharge, they get it from the core. I can disable some of the protocols and weapons to lower their energy intake, leaving just enough that I can program them and it's low enough that the fluctuating power doesn't have an effect." She says excitedly as she shows us the idea on the tablet. Our eyes glean with happiness at knowing that the croc would get away from here.
Med-Bay, Mantah Corp Island
We watch as the four BRADs load the heavy croc onto the platform. "Would you look at that? Ryan's plan actually worked." Sammy says as I stand next to her. "And when did any other of my plans didn't?" I trade with a faux angry tone. Her eyes go wide at thinking that I'm angry. "Oh no, no...I didn't mean it that way." She says but I smile. Releasing that I have played a joke on her, she playfully nudges me away. "What's better is that besides Yaz reasoning, we didn't even argue about whether or not we should save an animal that tried to eat us." Brooklynn points out as we all laugh at that. "Yeah. What is wrong with us?" Yaz jokingly complains as we all laugh again.
I kneel next to the crocodile and open his eyelid, shining a flashlight onto the eye. The pupil dilates to show that he's still alive, but the heavy snoring tells me that he is out cold. "He's alive, thankfully but he is knocked out, we shouldn't have to worry about him for a while." I say as I come back over to the group. "I'll send the BRADs back down to the sewer to see if they can try and fix the core." Brooklynn says as we nod. "We should still head down there anyway, just in case the core spikes again and the BRADs shut down from the flux." Darius reasons as Brooklynn nods and sends the BRADs away. We walk over to some crates and boxes to catch a minute to ourselves. "It won't last forever, but this might stop that gas leak." Brooklynn says as I see her pass some duct tape to Darius who takes it form her. "You're going to need some backup. You guys ok to take him to the swamp biome?" Darius asks us but I shake my head. "You two aren't going down there without me. Like you said, don't know when the power could spike, all we know that could reboot the computer system and bring the BRADs back online. You're going to need me." I reason to him. Darius and Brooklynn nod in agreement before turning to Yaz, Sammy and Ben. "Yeah. But why not take him to the forest?" Ben asks. "He spent his whole life down in the sewers, I don't think he's ready for that much social interaction." Darius says but I shake my head. "Yeah, let's not forget that he's a giant crocodile...he'll be able to take down Big Eatie. I don't feel comfortable with the idea of a Sarcosuchus being anywhere near where Pierce and the babies are. Plus, the Dilo's will breed like rabbits, Sobek will be able to keep their population down." I say to the group but they all stare at me in confusion. "What?" I ask with a raised eyebrow. "Sobek?" Sammy asks as I realize their confusion. "What? We can't keep coming him 'croc' or 'the Sarcosuchus'. Plus, Sobek was the Egyptian god who created the Nile River. He's famous for having a crocodile head." I saw as I gesture to Sobek. Their eyes widen at my reasoning. "Oh, now that makes more sense." Yaz says jokingly as they laugh. I shake my head and throw them all the bird. "Get stuffed...the lot of you."
"But more to the point. If the gas did that to Sobek, what will it do to you?" Yaz says, bringing the conversation back to its focus. "Maybe that'll help. We're there more of these?" Brooklynn asks Sammy who is holding a towel that she found. "Yeah. Do be careful." Sammy says as she hangs me, Brooklynn and Darius some towels. They aren't the best to block out gas but I'll take whatever we can get. "Oh...when are we not?" Brooklynn jokes back as she takes her towel. "You guys stay safe too, Sobek might be unconscious but don't take any unnecessary risks." Darius tells Sammy, Yaz and Ben who simply wave him off. "Don't worry. We got this. We are the dynamic trio. I know it's not a thing, but it should be." Sammy says as she hangs her arms along Yaz's and Ben's shoulders while also pulling them closer, hugging them.
"Then I guess we have nothing to worry about. Meet you at the watering hole, we'll go from there." Darius says as we nod in agreement before walking away. "Ryan." I hear Yaz's voice call out to me, I turn and face her. I see that her eyes are droopy, she's upset at something. "Hey...what's wrong?" I cup her chin, pulling her eyes up to mine. "Nothing, it's just...I'm worried." She says as I smile and wrap my arms around her. "It's going to be ok, Yaz. I promise." I say to her as I break the hug but still keep my arms around her. "I know that...it doesn't stop me from worrying." Her says as I cup her cheek. "Then how about this. After this is done, you and I take some time away, sit on the beach and have some time to ourselves. Maybe we can find a nice blanket and have a quiet dinner...just ourselves. How does that sound?" I say as she smiles. "Sounds like a date." She says teasingly as I rest my forehead on hers. "If that's what you want...than that is what it'll be." I say softly. Staring into each other's eyes, I lean down and kiss her. She returns the kiss, I feel my love for her skyrocket. I don't know what I would do without her. It's at this moment that I promise...tonight, I'll tell her, from the bottom of my heart...I'll tell her what I feel for her. And that's a promise I intend to keep. We break the kiss as we just stand and hold each other close. Knowing that sooner or later, we have to let go. Yaz is the first as she breaks away and wipes small tears away. "Come back to me." She says, barely above a whisper, leaving me the only to hear her words. "I will...I promise." I whisper to her. I got to leave but not before giving her one last reassuring peck on the lips. "I'll be back." I say jokingly, trying to relieve some of the emotional tension that just happened. "You better...or I'll be very cross with you." I hear her jokingly say back. I don't say anything or even turn around, I just smile and follow Darius and Brooklynn. I don't want to be away from her but these two need me for what has to happen. I just hope that we can get it down quickly and without any issues. I smile when I think about the promise of a date on the beach later tonight. Just the thought of it just being us as we watch the setting sun, the cool, calm water of the ocean and the natural, non-simulated stars shinning down onto us. It's a dream...but a dream that I'll make sure becomes a reality.
Energy Core Room, Mantah Corp Island:
We arrive back at the core and see that thick gas has set itself, leaving almost no room to breathe properly. "Ok, me and Ryan have the pipe. You cool the core. Ready?" Darius says as I tie the towel around me head, making sure that it covers my nose and mouth. "Make sure that you open the air ducts in the ceiling. Funnel the gas out of here, if you can." I say to Brooklynn who nods. "Every 30 seconds, we get out of the gas and meet back here, just to be safe." She says as she shows us the timer on the tablet. "As soon as we hear this." She continues as a timer alarm is heard. We nod to each other and head into the gas. We act carefully along the rail, still too dangerous to needlessly run across. Brooklynn diverts from us as we head to the broken pipe. Kneeling down, I move my rifle out of the way as I push the pipe into place as Darius drops his towel and wraps the pipe in duct tape. "Wrap it as good as you can, we don't want it to break off." I say to him as he nods and work overtime in securing it. I hear the groaning of power as I look and see the red light go as the normal ones come back on. The rumbling settles as I see the valve of the pipe start to decrease down into one of a stability. The timer alarm rings as Darius finishes the taping the pipe. The gas starts to close around us, and he covers his mouth. We retreat back across the walkway to the large door of the forest biome tunnel. We get back and drop our towels as we breathe in...'fresh' air. "I ran out of air. But I think I got it." Darius says as I slap him a 'well done' pat on the back. I still hear the timer alarm but it's not close...like it should be. "Where's Brooklynn?" I say as we turn and look back to the core and see that she hasn't come out. "No." Darius says fearfully as I quickly tie mine towards again my mouth and nose again. "Hold on, Brooke... we're coming." I say as I tighten the knot.
P.O.V Change: Yaz
Me, Sammy and Ben were waiting as the platform was raising towards the surface. Because of his large size and bulk...we had to sit in a far corner, away from Sobek's teeth. While he might be unconscious, we're not taking any chances with him. Ben had been wise to raid some of the boxes and crates in the Med-Bay. He had come away from several cannisters of knockout gas...'he might be out, but we don't know when he'll wake up. Safety first', that's what Ben said when we asked why he has the cannisters.
The ride to the top was slow but it gave me the time to think. I say with my knees up to my chest as I rested my head. Just the memory of parting with Ryan, while I feel great about my feelings...me hoping to have tonight on our date, I tell him how I feel, but I feel this pit forming in my stomach. Surviving on Nublar gave us an almost sixth sense of sensing danger...I felt this feeling before, but when I was parting from Ryan, I felt that same feeling. It scares me to feel that it's making me scared of what might happen in the next hour or so. Sammy, probably from seeing my distress, sits next to me. "You, ok?" She asks as I nod my head, I don't want to worry Sammy with this. "I'm fine...just nervous...about him." I say, pointing to Sobek. I hoped to use him as a cover to hide the lie that I'm spitting to Sammy. I feel bad but she seems to take it. "Yeah, I'm nervous too. This platform is only so big and he is huge." She says as I smile, it's not right that I'm lying to her, but this is something that I need to keep to myself...it could be nothing. It honestly could be just because of the massive crocodile just 10 feet from me.
I hear a snort of air, I raise my eyes and see Sobek twitching and groaning. "Ben..." I call quietly to Ben who notices Sobek coming too. "Don't worry, I got this." He says confidently as he pulls a cannister out of his fanny pack. Before he can press it, Sobek's tail comes toward him. "Look out!" I shout as I get up and pull him away, accidentally forcing him to drop the cannister. Sobek's eyes open as his pupil's dart all over the platform. He pushes himself up as he roars in fight and confusion. "Get the can, get the can, get the can!" Sammy screams as Ben scrambles to get the cannister. Sobek, hearing Sammy shouting, turns his head and focuses on us. I can see from here his pupils dilating as he sees us. "Fuck." I whisper in fear as he roars. The bellow echoes off the metal walls as he tries to charge us. But his large frame and heavy mass makes it hard for him to turn. "Go, go, go!" I shout as I get to my feet and head into the corner, far away from him. Ben presses the cannister and throws it at Sobek's head. The gas fills his nostrils as he barks and wobbles from the gas. Sammy and Ben stand beside me as Sobek turns away, looking up, I can see that we are still a way to go until we get to the surface. "Why isn't it working?" Sammy asks as Ben shrugs. "The core gas worked but this is typical knockout gas. It might have worked on the Eatie's, but we can't be sure how long it might take effect." He reasons back and he's right. The gas is making Sobek disorient but not knocking him out.
"So this is the only safe place? This corner?" Sammy asks as I asked my head. "There is no safe place here. The only place that is safe is his back." I say sarcastically but the thought gives me an idea. "Run at him. Get on top of him!" I shout as I bolt from the corner and hop onto his neck, tightening my grip by wrapping my arms around said neck. Sobek doesn't like that I'm on him as he tries to shake me off but with him out of the water, along with his size...he can't actually maneuver himself to buck me off. Ben and Sammy stare wide eyed at my actions but nonetheless jump on his back and tail respectively. We all clamor and grunt in fright and exertion as he continues to try and shake us off. The platform raises ever so and eventually gives way to light and dirt. I see that we have reached the surface and now with more room, Sobek shakes us enough that our hold has come loose, we are sent to the ground, though we do back up to give him space. But to my everlasting frustration, a Dilophosaur just had to be here at this time. Seeing us, the carnivore snarls at us while opening its frill. We gasp in terror and move away, just as the Dilo was going to spray its venom, Sobek had snapped his jaws onto the dino and drag it into the water. We look and see Sobek raise his head out of the water before violently shaking the Dilo. A piece is thrown over to us as we duck underneath. We turn and nearly hurl when we see that's it's a severed leg. "Let's get out of here." I say as I run to the airlock. "Good idea." Ben and Sammy say respectively as we bolt out of this hell hole.
P.O.V Change: Ryan
We run back across the railing, honestly not caring about the danger if it breaks. We have to get Brooklynn and get her out here as fast as possible. "Brooklynn!" Darius shouts before coughing. I get to the console and see Brooklynn, unconscious, laying on the floor. "Over here!" I shout to Darius who races over and checks her. Seeing that she's fine and that the gas is not really poisonous, I walk over the console. I need to get those ducts open, otherwise, we're going to be here for a while. Flicking switches and finding the system for the air ducts, I open them up and sigh in relief as the gas starts to raise up and out of the room. "We're good, let's go." I say to Darius as we pick Brooklynn and the tablet up and carry her to the end...but we stop dead when the console rings a beep. We turn and see the animation of the other four doors opening. The creaking and groaning of metal is heard as the biome tunnel doors open up. Looking down one of the tunnels, the one that leads to the mountain biome...I stare in shock as red eyes start to glow from the darkness. Checking the other tunnels result in seeing the same thing. Our of the shadows come a horde of BRADs, but what shocks me is that some oof them are broken apart, spending days down here, with the heat and steam of the core has rusted them, deteriorating them to absolute nothingness. The ones that were down in the tunnel when we first got here have come online, some of them pulling themselves out of the water. "You got to be fucking kidding me." I grit out as we turn and head down the forest biome tunnel. The BRADs on the lower level are forcibly pulling themselves up along the walls while the ones coming out of the tunnels are waddling in. They are like zombie Terminators. "Be careful, the railing." I say to Darius as we carry Brooklynn, slowly but carefully along the walkway. I keep my eyes on the BRADs who are in no particular hurry to get to us. Hearing a clang, I turn and see a BRAD, with no legs and one arm crawl its way along the walkway. Seeing the robots making their way to the walkway and the ones that are climbing up the wall, attempting to cut us off...I say stuff and drop Brooklynn's arm off my shoulder. "What are you...?" Darius starts to question but I push him and Brooklynn along the walkway. "Whatever happens, don't stop." I say to him as I flick the safety off my rifle and fire at the ones climbing. The sound of gunfire echoes through the massive room and to my great relief, the force of the bullets and the wear of the BRADs armor was more than enough for the bullets to puncture and completely disable them. Many bots fell into the water below but the sheer number of them was getting too much and with Brooklynn out cold, she can't get into the system and shut them down. Darius carries Brooklynn along the railing and gets closer to safety but the weight of all three of us and the BRADs are now starting to strain the rusted and damaged metal. Spokes are starting to crumble and break off, causing the railing to become rocky and uneven. I steady myself before turning around, seeing the horde that is slowly coming.
Firing round after round, the bodies of the boys starting pile up, adding to the weight of the walkway. After some time, the gun starts to run out of ammo, and with only two magazines left, I have to use them sparsely. Deciding to forgo the rifle for now, I pull out my axe and start swinging and hacking at anything that came close. While they are machines, they are not programmed to be smart enough to co-ordinate their position not their attacks, Kash design them to be bug, strong and tough...not intelligent, and that's the only thing that I'll praise him for. Seeing a crawling BRAD attempt to grab my leg, I bring my axe up and force down and deep into the robot's head. I pull the axe out and move away from the pile up, the railing nearest to the core is now starting to creak and bend...soon enough it'll snap completely. Seeing that I had some difference in distance, I turn and focus back on the climbing bots. Darish and Brooklynn are getting near the edge of the walkway and through the tunnel door, where they'll be safe but with those bots still climbing...I can't let them be cut off and if the walkway breaks...I banish those thoughts away and fire at the base of the wall. The bots seem to be climbing on top of one another, almost forming a tower or anthill. And while they might have strong grip on the wall, if a foundation is taken out, then any slippage from everyone else will cause the tower to break and fall. Firing at the base, I smile in glee at seeing the tower begin to fall and crumble, and in turn, the BRADs begin to fall. Crashing onto the cement or into the water below. Hearing clanking nearby, I twirl around and is met with a black, backhand fist. Feeling rocked, I try to steady myself from the hit, only to suffer another backhand, only for this one to come up to my face and sending me flying down the railing. Coming to with a groan of pain, I focus my blurry eyes on the bot that hit me and to my displeasure...it's the one that escaped being shut down. The one that I cut when me and Sammy filed the watering hole. "Oh, you." I say with a groan as I pull myself up to my feet. I already feel the black and purple bruise forming on my face from the hit.
The BRAD stands, slightly tilted downwards and I see behind him that the railing bar has nearly bent, seeing another BRAD walk over the bodies that have piled up...I think that I can two birds with one stone...or rather...one bullet. Checking my magazine and seeing one bullet left, I aim towards the scarred BRAD that is approaching, only for me to change my angel slightly and fire. The shot echoes as I almost watch in slow motion as the bullet whizzes past the scarred BRADs head and puncture a hole in the one behind it. I see the BRAD recoil from the impact...and slowly but surely falls to the metal flooring with a sounding thud. And with that, the railing finally snaps from the weight of the impact. Cracking and groaning is heard as I lose my centre of balance with the new level of the walkway. I lost my footing and started to slide down the railing, but I grabbed by axe and hooked it on the bar. Looking back at my work, I nod in acceptance, glad that is done and dusted...not to mention that scarred BRAD had finally bit the dust. Now to get up, rejoin the others and get out of here. Pulling myself to the more level part of the railing, I gaze ahead and see Darius standing at the end of the walkway, Brooklynn is still unconscious, but I can't fault her for that. Darius waves at me with a happy smile as I return one of my own. I feel my body starting to relax and weigh down from the fatigue of fighting off a horde of BRADs. I limp my way to the end of the walkway, getting close to Darius. But I notice his smile drop into a look of horror. "Ryan! Behind you!" He shots as I turn and see the scarred BRAD swing a back hand at me.
Reacting purely on instinct, I bring the gun up to shield myself. While it does protect me from the initial blow, the weapon had been forced out of my hands and into the water below. The BRAD reaches forward and grabs me by my neck and throws me down the railing, towards the massive dip. I hear Darius shout my name in fear as I pull my axe out, slamming it down onto the grated floor, the sharp blade cuts through the weak metal with ease, kicking up sparks to my face. The axe finally manages to find an anchor point, bringing me to a complete stop.
P.O.V Change: Darius
Seeing Ryan dismantle as many BRADs as he can was something that I never thought I would see. He was so calm when he kept firing upon them. The effortlessness that he had when he backed and slashed with his axe. It was almost a beautiful dance of gunfire, zombie robots and brutal efficiency. When the railing gave way at the far end, I was so scared the Ryan would lose his balance and go down with the persistent, scarred BRAD. And while he did go down, he was able to hold on and get back up. I thought that that would be the end. The BRADs are all but destroyed and if not inaccessible to operate and Ryan was alive and well. And while I'm not a fighter or a soldier, I can see that the short 10 minutes of constant action has started to wear down Ryan. He was limping and even from back here, I could see the ugly bruise starting to form on his face.
But my joy quickly turned to dread when I spotted the scarred BRAD come up from the broken end and approach Ryan. "Ryan! Look out!" I shouted to him, just in time too for Ryan to bring his gun up to defend himself. The backhand blow from the BRAD knocked the weapon from his grasp. My dress turned to absolute horror when I saw the machine grab Ryan by the neck and throw him down the walkway, toward the broken end. "Ryan!" I shout in fear that my friend had been thrown to his death, only to find the scarred BRAD turn to face me. Seeing the glow, blood red eyes and the mean scar running down the face plate of the BRAD sends chills down my spine that I haven't felt since seeing the Indominus and Scorpios for the first time. The sense of imminent dread and the feel that prey fell whenever they are in the presence of an apex predator. I grit my teeth and narrow my eyes at the incoming robot. I might be afraid, might be terrified but I'll be damned if I let a machine threaten me. Channeling my inner Yaz, I hold my ground and open my arms. "Well? What are you waiting for? You want me? Come get me then you hunk of junk!" I shout in defiance of the robot. He takes a step towards me but the walkway bends from its weight. I glance and see that the spokes of the railing are starting to give way on this end of the walkway. If the BRAD walks further towards me, the whole walkway will break, taking the robot and Ryan with it.
The robot looks down at the floor before stepping back, releasing the tension in the railing. Its gaze turns back to me as I stand my ground. "Well, come on then." I say, almost goading the robot to do something. "Unauthorized life form detected. Initiating Elimination Protocol." The robot said as its mouth opened, its mouth glowing with a bright orange, yellow glow.
P.O.V Change: Ryan
Pulling myself up, I see the BRAD keeping its eyes trained onto Darius who is standing bravely at the end of the walkway. I don't know whether I should congratulate him or throttle him for not taking Brooklynn and making a run for it, but if I was in Darius's shoes...I probably would still stay behind. Getting to the more level space of the walkway. Steadying myself other railing, I ready my axe, tighten my grip and run with all haste to the machine. This bastard needs to go and go now. I run and jump towards the BRAD, rearing my axe back...I prepare to cleave the machine. But to my shock, the bot turned its upper body around and caught me but the neck, the force of my stoppage made me lose my momentum, causing my axe to brush harmlessly against the machine. I glare hatefully into its red eyes which stare unemotionally back at me. I try to hack at its collar but it's reflexes are faster than I anticipated, and it catches my wrist.
Bending my arm back, I groan and grunt in pain as my arm is bent away from it. "Initiating Elimination Protocol." The BRAD says as its mouth opens, revealing a yellow and orange glow, signaling that it's incendiary missile is being charged. I grit my teeth and reach down with my free hand. "Initiate this, fucker!" I shout as I pull a knife out and stab right beside the BRADs shooter. The missile is blocked as the bot starts to short circuit, its strength begins to leave. Pulling my axe hand out of its loose grip, with a shout of pure rage I slam the blade right into the ribcage of the machine. Rearing my body back as far as I can, I throw my shoulder into the torso of the bot, the leverage forcing the blade further into the machine, but to my shock, the BRAD is still operating. "Are you fucking kidding me?!" I shout but my anger turns to dread as I notice the spokes of the railing...are giving way. The walkway is nearly breaking off. Time slows down as I look over the BRADs shoulder and see Darius standing there with his eyes wide with fear. Brooklynn is awake but still weak from the gas, her eyes are wide with horror. Seeing that there is no way that this robot will stop nor any safe way that I can make it to the edge...I have no choice.
Swallowing my breath and steeling my resolve, I look at Darius and Brooklynn. "Darius...Brooklynn." I call out to them as Darius helps Brooklynn up. "When it happens, I need to take cover." I say but I can see their confusion. "Wait, what...what are you doing?" Brooklynn asks as I sigh. "This walkway is coming down, that's a given. But this BRAD won't stop, it won't stop until we're all dead...you both are some of the best friends that I have ever had." I say sadly to them, but they shake their heads. "No, no, no, Ryan!" "Don't do this!" They say respectively but I sniffle my nose and smile sadly at them. "Promise to always look out for each other. And...take care of Yaz for me...will ya?" I say to them jokingly, but I know that the feelings that they are experiencing a far cry from joy. "You don't have to do this." Darius says in-between sniffles. "It's as we always said...to the end." I say with acceptance as I pull the axe blade out and cross my arms over. Forming an X shape with my arms, I push against the knife handle, the leverage of its placement snaps the joints in the BRADs neck, forcing the head at an odd angle.
The aim the head at one of the last anchors in the walkway before gripping the knife. With tears falling down my face, I steel my fear. "I'm sorry, Yasmina...GET DOWN! I whisper sadly before shouting at Darius and Brooklynn. Seeing them take cover, I pull the knife free, letting the incendiary missile fire. My aim is true, and the missile hits the anchor and the blast destroys it. The force of the blast breaks the metal apart and all I feel is the feeling of weightlessness. I turn my eyes up and see the ceiling of the room, knowing now that I'm falling down into the water, the BRAD falling on top of me and the destroyed railing falling above that. The last thing that goes through my mind...is the memory of meeting Yaz for the first time. I smile happily as I close my eyes and wait for the water.
P.O.V Change: Darius
"...GET DOWN!" Ryan shouts to us as we dive away and cover our head. I hear the missile firing and blowing the last anchor of the walkway. After the blast dies down, I get up and race to the edge, only to hear the splash of water. I kneel down and look at the water and see the destroyed remains of the walkway sinking beneath the dark blue water. I wait for a few seconds for Ryan to come up...but he never does. Nothing, no sign of him...anywhere. "RYAN!!!!" I scream out, hoping that he got somewhere and will respond back. I hear nothing for 2 minutes.
I sit back on my butt, still gazing at the water, tears are streaming down my face, my hands are trembling and all I feel is the dark pit of despair...he's gone. I hear Brooklynn sit next to me, I look to her and see tears pouring down her face. "He...he...he was right there." I say in-between crying breaths. "Darius..." She tries to say comfortingly but I feel nothing but anger and sadness as I get up to my feet. "Don't even! Ryan was right there! I should have gone out there! I should have helped him! I should...I should have..." I don't finish as it becomes overwhelming. I fall to my knees as I let my tears go. I feel the same pain that I felt when my dad died. He was special to me and Ryan...he was my friend. He was family. A brother and now...he's gone. Dead. Never to come back. Never to come back and make it better. Never to come back and laugh. Never to come back...at all.
I feel Brooklynn wrap her arms around me as I sink into her embrace. I feel slightly better by her comfort, but I can hear the crying. Me and Ryan were close, but Ryan and Brooklynn have gone through so much, Ryan really looked out for her...it doesn't feel like losing a family member, it's like losing a limb. Knowing that a piece of you, a part of your life...is gone. "It'll be ok." Brooklynn tells me, comforting and reassuring me but I shake my head. "No, it won't. Nothing will be ok...ever again." I say to her, nothing else needs to be said as we hug each other. Our cries for our fallen brother echo through the tunnels.
P.O.V Change: Yaz
After escaping the Dilo and Sobek, we ran to the airlock and arrived back for eh forest biome. While the visible damaged sky was seen, nothing else of out of place nor warranted for us to keep a look out. The Eatie's we're keeping to themselves and when we got back to the watering hole, Pierce was sleeping not far from the water. Not to mention Firecracker, Angel and Rebel were running around playing. Seems that they are content with staying here, near the water...or maybe it's the presence of Pierce that keeps them here. A familiar face to remember and return to. Cupping my hands, I draw some water up to my lips as I sooth my sore throat and quench my thirst. After all the drama today with the core and Sobek, I need some time to relax. With that thought, I think about what mine and Ryan's date tonight is going to be like. By the sea, a blanket, which Ben volunteered to go get, and just the two of us, beneath the stars.
I'm not the most romantic person on the world, but just the thought of scene of us just fills my heart with the kind of joy and love that can only come from someone that you cherish, above all else. Never thought not believed that I would find that person for me. Bad experiences, my own aloofness and attitude seemed to push many would be partners away but with Ryan...with Ryan, I feel a strong connection, one born of survival and trust. Getting up from the water, I walk over to where Ben and Sammy are, I can see their happy smiles and teasing gazes as they look at me. "What are you two so happy about?" I say, already knowing that they are just teasing me that soon, the others will be back, and I'll be one step closer to getting Ryan alone...on the beach...at night. Safe to say that their teasing was expected but still not appreciated. "Oh nothing, just noticing how happy you've been since we've gotten back." Sammy says with a smile as I roll my eyes. "She's right...you're shining like you're holding the sun in your hands." Ben follows up as I stare at him. "That was...poetic." I say awkwardly as he waves me off. "Don't worry about it, glad to help." He says as I laugh and lean against the tree. "Hey. They're back." Sammy says as I stand straight, awaiting Darius, Brooklynn and Ryan to join us, but from seeing Darius and Brooklynn...I don't see Ryan with them.
"Hey, y'all. How did it go? Is the core stable?" Sammy asks them but they simply walk past us, heads hang low and sit on rocks, their backs turned to us. Between the three of us, we glance confused before walking to stand in front of them. "Darius, Brooklynn. What's wrong? Where's Ryan?" I say as they shake their heads before looking up. I stare in shock at seeing the tears marks that line their faces. "Yaz...he...he told us to promise." Darish says quietly as he looks back to the ground. I feel my stomach sink into the pit as I hear his words. "What, what...what happened?" I ask in-between breaths. I have a feeling but I'm praying, parrying to whoever is listening to not let my fear be true. Darius doesn't answer and when I look to Brooklynn, she avoids my eyes. Getting fed up with their silence, I grab both of them and have them up to their feet. "Tell me? What happened? Where is Ryan?!" I scream at them, tears already building up in my eyes as I await their answer. "He stopped a BRAD from killing us...he...he gave...Yaz, I'm so sorry. I wish it was me instead, I'm sorry..." Darius starts to say but I've heard enough as I drop both of them. Backing away from them and the shocked Ben and Sammy. I stare aimlessly as tears fall down my face. "He...he's...is he dead?" I say in-between my sniffles as we all face Darius and Brooklynn. The quiet tears and hung heads answer my question. I let my despair go as I fall to my knees and hug my shoulders tightly. I can't believe...it can't be true, he can't be dead...he's Ryan...he can't be. "Yaz." I hear Sammy say sadly but I grit my teeth as I push her hands away and get up, facing away from them. "Yaz, I'm so sorry. I..." I hear Darius say but I turn with a snarl and push him to the ground. "GO AWAY...AND STAY AWAY!" I shout before running off towards Mae's Abode.
Entering the cave, I slide down the wall in despair as I cry out every single feeling that is coursing out of me. While I don't want to believe it, I know that neither Darius nor Brooklynn would like about it...I know it, deep down that they are right. Ryan is dead. Just acknowledging that fact brings a new set of tears to my eyes as they fall without mercy nor hindrance. Drawing my knees close, I hold them as I cry, nothing can be said, nothing can be promised that will fix this hole in my heart. Why...why did you go down there? Why did you have to fight like you do? Why did you have to leave me?
I know that these thoughts are very selfish, and Darius didn't deserve that, but I can't help and feel what I'm feeling. Raising my head, I turn to see the corridor that leads to the bedroom. Wiping my tears, I walk unsteady as I approach the sacred room. Crossing the threshold and the sight of the bed breaks me again. The soft white linen sheets, the brown mahogany frame...laying down on the bed, I hold the pillow and sheets tightly as I remember when we made love here. This is where I felt what I felt, knew that I wanted no one else but him. Here, in that moment...is when I knew that I loved him. And now...I'll never get to tell him, never get to hold him again, never to kiss him, me er to laugh, never to cry...never to love again. Exhaustion overwhelms me as I fall into a nightmare filled and sorrowful sleep. The only dreams that I see are that of happy memories of me and Ryan...and the knowledge that those memories are all that I have left of him.
P.O.V Change: Darius
I gazed sadly at Yaz retreating form as I get up and brush the dirt from me. I had nothing against Yaz for pushing me, I understand that she had feelings...possibly even loved Ryan so I understand that she is in a dark, miserable place right now, and looking back at everyone else, they are too. Brooklynn is comforting a broken Sammy. The happy, bubbly girl gone, replaced with sorrow and despair. Ben is not coping that much better, he slid down the trunk of a tree, hanging his head in his hands. I see that tears are falling down his cheeks, the silence unnerved me, but o know that Ben is handling the news the best he can. While they didn't have the best start to their relationship, Ben and Ryan grew very close during the time on Nublar and here. Almost like a big brother, little brother scenario. And the truth is...Ryan was like that with everyone. He was the oldest, so it came easy when Jurassic World fell, he always made sure that everyone was looked after, healthy and able. He might have been sarcastic and very pushy, especially when it came to our survival, but that pushiness forced us to grow into capable survivors. He taught us not just how to survive but to thrive on the chaos that was Nublar. He was a teacher, a protector, a friend...but most importantly, he was a brother. And I don't think I'll ever be able to forget him. His name, his face, his deeds will live on in my memories.
"This can't be happening. Why? Why did this happen?" Sammy asks in between crying breaths as I kneel in front of her. "It shouldn't have happened. And I hate that it did. As to why, I can't answer that...I don't know how or why but what I do know is that Ryan would want us to keep going. To keep moving forward. He saved me and Brooklynn, that's a debt I'll never be able to repay, and to keep going...is to honor him and his memory." I say to her as she looks up at me, wiping her tears away, she hugs me. Brooklynn and Ben join in on the hug as I wrap my arms around them, we share, in this moment of sorrow for our friend.
The moment is broken when the tablet rings an alarm. We break as Brooklynn checks and her eyes widen in shock. "Guys, it's the perimeter drone. They're back." She says as our eyes widen at the implications. The Kon's have returned.
Dock and Beach Overlook, Mantah Corp Island:
We stand on the cliffs above as we watch as containers are loaded off of a boat. Not a place, but a boat. The boat, technically a small ship, is huge, far larger and more practical than the yacht that we salvaged off Mitch and Tiff. "What are they?" I say as I point to the containers, seeing them self-automated was very trippy but something that shouldn't surprise, considering who owns it. "I don't know but that is not the drone plane. Anyone know how to drive a boat?" Brooklynn asks as I look at her. "Kenji could...and so could Ryan." I say sadly before shaking my head. "Look. They're not alone." Ben says while pointing, we follow his eyes as the last of the container's lines up, all of our eyes narrow, or widen in Sammy's case, at seeing Kenji, controller in hand and all. "And of course, he is here as well." Brooklynn says as she points to one of the mercenaries. Our eyes widen in fear at recognizing him as Hawkes. The leader of the mercenaries that Wu hired back on Nublar.
We watch with bated breath as the containers open and ramps expand out. We gasp when Grim walks out of the container with a merc controlling her. A Dimorphadon is escorted out of the container by another merc. The third one sets our fear response alight when we see the familiar shape of a rotor only to see it bigger and has a ton of feathers on it. "Utahraptor." I whisper to myself. "They're really not alone." Sammy says, just before she gasps when she and the rest of us see the fourth dino. The familiar burn marks and devil horns give him away in an instant. "Is that...Toro?" Sammy asks fearfully as I nod. "Yeah...and Kenji's the one controlling him." I say. Seeing enough, I get up and walk away, not bothered to see the last dinosaur that they brought. I walk back to the airlock, the day has been one of the worst in my life. The Kon's have come back with more dinosaurs that we are prorated for, and to make it worse...Ryan is gone. We are now five...to an army.
"Hey. Hey, stop." Brooklynn says as she stops me. Looking at her, I see her scared and hopeful expression. "What do we do now?" She asks as I narrow my eyes and nod my head. "We stop them. That hasn't changed...it's what Ryan would have wanted." I say as both she and Sammy nod. I look around for Ben and see that he isn't here. "Where'd Ben go?" I ask as they look around as well. We walk back to the cliff and look down. Our faces cross into one of shock as we see and hear the familiar Ankylosaurs. The aqua green scales are seen from our position but the thing that shocks us is the merc that is walking beside Bumpy, holding a controller up as she commands her to walk. Now, this...is the last straw. Kon took Kenji from us, his island...killed my friend and now, he has enslaved another friend of mine. Whether you want it or not...Daniel Kon, this...is...war.