Secrets
The Velociraptors were stalking us, snarling and surrounding us, trying to close in from all sides. Just the perfect time to not have uncle Owen here. He once told me that Velociraptors are social creatures that only accept care from another species if raised that way or trained. Doesn't help that Velociraptors hate those that intrude into their homes and nests that do not belong in such places like us at this moment. I fire a warning shot at the foot of the leader, Blue, remembering the name that Owen told me. The raptor had looked down than up like I offended it or something...bad idea.
"It's okay, it's okay." Shortie tries to reassure...himself...everyone...doesn't matter at the moment. Kenji is still whimpering and the raptors are still closing in. "Just shoot them already." Kenji says. I grunt in frustration. "You don't really know anything do you. If I shoot one, the rest won't stop untill they tear you to pieces." I move back slowly keeping Shortie and Kenji at my back and the raptors in front. I thought to myself, I need to convince them that they should trust me. I lower my rifle...this is a dumb idea. "Blue." I see the leader perk up, recognising her name. "Stand down." I ordered firmly. She shakes her stupor and snaps at me. "Hey, that rude." I see the green striped one on my left.
"Charlie, I can see you...back off." She snarls at me, teeth bare and claws ready to pounce, they have slowed their advancement, I could see the curiousity in Blues eyes. "Get to the ladder." I tell Kenji and Shortie. "Are you insane." I retort back. "Yep, now go, slowly, no quick movements." As they shuffle back, so do I when are sudden the paddocks lights blare out blinding us and the raptors. "Come and get it." We hear Roxie shout, she throws food to distract the raptors, all go but Blue who still advances forward, clever girl. Kenji and Shortie run for the main gate that opens with Dave pulling Kenji and Shortie out.
"Don't close it yet, Ryan still in there." I heard Shortie exclaim. The second that I look away, Blue launches herself towards me, with my reflexes, I raise my rifle blocking her from completely pouncing on me and with all my strength push her a good distance onto the dirt. As she is thrown her right foot gazes my side, her sickle claw cutting through the small gap on my gear, I feel the claw puncture and scratch my left side...fucking hell that hurts...on pure adrenaline I run back to the gate to see the inner gate closing. I slide under it on my right side just as it almost closed. Finally got out of that mess.
I hear jeeps being pulling up and workers hasting towards the enclosure. "Secure the paddock." One said. I hear that Shortie is thanking Dave for pulling them out...I so want to remind them that it was me that kept them from being a raptors late night snack. Dave hurls up some nasty vomit, can't say that I blame him, scary shit tends to make the weak willed nauseous...no offence mate. Roxie comes in and checks on Dave than turns towards me as I unbuckle my gear and lift my shirt to see the damage.
"Are you alright Ryan?" I check the wound. "It's not deep but still requires some disinfectant and stitches, I have some in the bags back at camp, I can fix it." Roxie then notices Kenji trying to walk away. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, where do you think you are going...you and Darius are in big trouble. Shortie tries to defend himself, just take it mate be better off in the end. "We'll decide what to do with you later...if you get to remain here after a stunt like this...if Ryan wasn't here, I can't image what would be the outcome if we were any later." Damn, knew I would like Roxie when I met her. Pinkie has her phone back, surprisingly, she looks scared, well that's what happens when you run off somewhere without knowing where your going. I hear the gate close behind and as I turn, I see Blue gazing at me through the bars.
Camp Cretaceous:
Back at camp, I'm in the common room with stitching equipment, some disinfectant and bandages. I hear Kenji mouth popping and it's starting to get on my nerves, but I'm too tired and hurt to give a shit. I see Shortie queeze when he sees me disinfecting the scratch. "Don't worry Shortie, it's not the worst one I've gotten." He looks at me and smiles. "Ahh, thanks for saving us." He thanks me. "Don't worry about it, but I will say what you guys did was stupid, reckless and super dangerous and the next time you do something like that, I won't bother saving that case of lost brain cells and yes that was directed at you Kenji." He looks at me like he was going to say something but Shortie beat me to it. "Yeah, how you could so stupid." He yells at Kenji. "I do a lot of stup-". I cut him off. "You jumped into a Velociraptor paddock without any reason and besides, this is the second time that you have done something stupid like this." I remind him of Allison. He narrows his eyes at me. "Girls love a grand gesture junior, I'll tell when your older." He answers Shorties question from before. I shake my head at his arrogance, typical Kenji. He then leans back with sombre expression, he goes into depth about how he always wanted to make him proud and if he mess up AGAIN his dad would give up on him for good, hmm curious, what he said was a lie but also true at the same time, meh, not going to call him out on it, maybe tomorrow.
Dave and Roxie come back from giving a warning to Pinkie. "Umm, I'm all good or am I going home too." I say with a little bit of hope. "No Ryan, what you did is what you were trained for but we are giving a warning because you didn't tell me or Roxie about where you going." Fair enought I suppose. "Alright, I'm going to bed." I head off to my room before I enter, I hear Shortie defending Kenji...you poor naive little man...that's going to come and bite you in the ass.
Next morning:
Turns out I was right. As punishment for their stunts last night, Shortie and Kenji would be staying back to shovel dino dung and all I got to say was. "Tough shit guys." Both just glare at me. I was in bit of a conundrum, I could go with the others to the genetics lab or stay behind to make sure they don't do anything stupid, hmm, tough to decide, fuck it, I'm going. I hop into the truck and before it goes off, I quickly put my seatbelt on. I see Dave throw Shortie cologne to help with the smell, sorry mate, only a hot bath for 2 hours can get rid of dinosaur shit.
On the road:
As we are making our way to the genetics lab, I see Pinkie looking dejected about losing followers, for real, does your whole world revolve around that phone. Bubbles gives her an idea of videoing a baby dino which will probably be there. I hear humming and me and Yasmina looking to the left to see Skits meticulously rub sanitizer up his arms and in his hands. "What is he doing." I ask Yasmina. "I don't know." Ben stops humming looks over to us to see me with my eyebrow raised and Yasmina looking freaked out. "Sanitizer." He says grabbing the bottle and putting some on his leg. "Who knows what creepy dino goo is at that lab. Gotta be ready for anything. The whole world is a grab-bag of gross and we're all along for the moist, sticky rollar coaster ride called life." He finishes. I'm honestly very worried for him now. I see Yasmina grabbing the bottle and pouring some of her hands and rubs aggressively.I laugh at the hilariousness.
"Is something...funny, Ryan." Skits asks sarcastically. "Skits, mate, when you are training in Asset Containment, you are trained to recognise physically and pathological threats." I retort. "But why, isn't ACU meant to catch dinosaurs that breakout." Pinkie asks. "Yes, but our job is to make sure that they stay in their confinements, any injury, disease or annoyance can compel an animal to breakout so we are trained along with vets to recognise physical and pathological threats so going back to Skits over there, when you have to inspect a Suchomimus' mouth filled with bits of rotten fish than baby dino goo is the least of my worrys." I finish my monologue. Everyone looks amazed and slightly sick after that. Skits looks ready to puke.
Genetic lab:
We arrive at the lab. Pinkie still vlogging, I got to give the girl credit, she's dedicated to her 'art'. "Hey Pinkie, maybe edit your voice in the video later not right now." I tell her, not in the mood to listen to her vlog. "My name's not Pinkie, it's Brooklynn." She angrily tells me. "Oh I know, and I don't care." I walk off while she huffs. We enter the lab, Bubbles talking about how shiny it is, I've personally never been in one before and honestly not impressive. I glance around to see everyone inspecting everything. Skits is keeping his distance from anything that could have been touched by goo which could be everything. I see Dave and Roxie talking to Dr. Wu, while I respect the guy for his innovation and appliance with science to the world...the guy has a God-complex the size of Mt. Everest. "I'm sorry but Mr Masrani has accelerated the timetable for our new exhibit yet again, I don't have time to supervise children." He says arrogantly. Prick. I see him tell Pinkie that she can't record in the lab, curiously though she able to manipulate Wu into believing that Pinkies video can get him recognition without standing in the shadows of Masrani and Hammond. Very impressive...Brooklynn.
Later on Brooklynn videos Wu explaining the process of the incubation of the eggs and how the process takes delicate and precise study, all while praising himself, great he's more fuckin self centred than Kenji and that's saying something. Bubbles starts to question everything about the lab to Wu. When she questions the dark corridor, Wu pulls her away saying it's his private office and is restricted, makes sense, can't have people snooping. I look over the eggs and see one hatching, curious, Wu said that they only be incubated for 10 weeks. It's early. Skits, Yasmina and Brooklynn get closer and finally...CRACK...a tail had broken out splashing the trio with goo, huh the irony, Ben furiously tries to wipe it off, I laugh at his panic. The baby rolls itself off the table, Skits catches it and reveals an asymmetrical Ankylosaur, oh it's cute.
I notice that both Brooklynn and Bubbles have wandered off. Great more trouble, I tap Roxie on the shoulder and signal that there is only three of us here now. She looks around. "Where's Sammy and Brooklynn." I hear Bubbles answer. "Sorry yall, had to go to the bathroom." Yasmina than says. "Then where is Brooklynn." I see Wu narrow his eyes at the dark corridor.
5 minutes later:
We were watching the Ankylosaur roll around, Skits seems really attached to the baby. "Well Ben, looks like you live here now." Roxie says jokingly. "Time for you all to leave, clearly this group has no respect for my lab." Wu returns with Brooklynn roughly shoving her towards the group, great, just had to stick your nose where didn't belong, good job. I frown when Wu presents the newly named Bumpy (cause of its horns) that when delivered to a herd of Anklyosaurs, she will be their problem like we are to him. We're kids mate, we are going to be kids. Well there goes another day. As we walk out, I see Skits looking back clearly upset about Bumpy. I place my hand on his shoulder. "She going to fine mate, come on, we have to get back, maybe there we'll see if Shortie and Kenji have moved that pile of dung yet." I try to reassure him. He just follows sadly to the truck.
Camp Cretaceous:
The sun was setting when we got back to camp. As we pull, we see Shortie and Kenji out of breath. Weird considering that only bits and pieces have been picked out of the pile of poo. "Fuckin hell, you two look like shit." I laugh at my own joke while the two glare at me. "Why are you two so out of breath." Roxie asks. "Yeah fellas, why are you out of breath, you look like you ran from a dinosaur." I say, seeing Shortie flinch slightly, gotcha. Hook, line and sinker. Shortie answers. "Just doing our job, how was the field trip." Yasmina sarcastically retorts. "Oh well, you know, Ben fell in with a dinosaur and Super-Star over there got us booted from the lab." "That's not wha-." "Brooklynn, you went stooping around in Wus' private stuff so that is what happen and you know it." I cut in. "Well then I hope you two learnt your lesson yes?" Roxie questions. "Oh yeah, we have learn haven't we, Darius, huh?" Kenji sucks at trying cover up his lies. "alright then, you two hit the showers and stay in there for awhile." Roxie advised. "Use soap, lots of soap." Skits puts his two cents in.
Those two were up to something, they stunk, but not because of the poo, they were out of breath, but nothing had been done and Shortie flinched when I said that they ran from a dinosaur. After my outburst, Roxie had placed sensors and speakers that would divert herbivores away from camp. So the only dinosaur that they would run would have to Toro, the Carnotaurus. Like Allison, he was placed in confinement because of his aggression. And knowing Kenji like I do and knowing Shorties extreme love for dinosaurs, it was the only conclusion that I can come to. I don't know if Kenji is a daredevil or has a death wish but he seriously needs to stop fucking around or he's going to get himself killed one-day.
