Thank you to everyone that have left reviews and have added this story on their favourites and story alerts. I am really overwhelmed by the response. Some of you will notice that I use British spelling rather than American, it is merely because this is the way I have learnt to spell.
I hope you enjoy the new segment. Happy reading!
Chapter Three
I follow behind Claire as she talks about the other exhibits. She is definitely a control freak and her need to always be in control can and will get her into major trouble one day. She points out the things that were meant to be important to me but at this moment I really couldn't care less about anything she was saying. All I needed to see is the area in which I will be working in and the hatchling that I promised to take care of.
Several uniformed men were running around the place as she gave out orders and she smiled at me before taking me to the laboratory in which I saw multiple eggs being made right in front of me. I wonder how long it would take for them to realise that making dinosaurs and playing with nature wasn't the job of humans. My personal belief is that dinosaurs should have been left alone in the first place. If they were meant to exist in harmony with us then they would have. At the same time, had scientists not made the leaps and bounds as they did when it came to science, I wouldn't be standing here only half listening to Claire as she told me something about how the dinosaurs were made and then hatched separately, depending on the species.
"Look Claire, all of this is entertaining but I'm more interested in what exactly I will be doing"
"Of course, I'm getting to that part"
I silently sigh as she talks on but eventually I'm led out of the laboratory and back into the park. We get into a car and she drives off, towards a different area. I get off when she stops and look around at the grassy area. It is a wide open space and the skies were the bluest I had ever seen in my life. Maybe there would be some upsides to this job…
"Please follow me"
We get into a large building and she leads me down more corridors than I can remember since each one looked exactly the same as the next one. Eventually we came to a large window and she pointed down into the foliage. I could see a small nest and inside of it was a rather large egg. It could have been slightly more than half a metre in height and was white in colour. Scientists that work here clearly have no imagination to work with, I doubt they even had casual Fridays when Iron Woman here ruled with an iron fist.
"Are there any other animals in the exhibit?"
"No, it is only the egg in there"
"Then how are you all expecting for it to hatch?"
"That room is temperature controlled. It is a controlled environment, that way the egg doesn't need a mother to hatch it"
"That means I can take a stroll in there without being eaten then?"
She gives me a tight lipped smile
"I really wouldn't recommend it…"
"Come on Claire, Masrani expects me to take care of the thing living inside that egg. What better way to begin than to get up close and personal from day one?"
"I could let you in if only for a moment or two"
She goes to open the door using her authority
"Remember there are cameras around the room, so we will be getting visuals and sound"
"No problem. I won't be long"
I walk through the door and the temperature in the room was at least double that of the air-conditioned room. I walk around the small enclosure and take a look at everything in it, occasionally touching a plant or two. I wave up at the cameras when I spot them on the ceiling. Suddenly Claire's voice fills the room
"Having fun?"
"Wouldn't you if you had the chance?"
Silence took over again and I went back to exploring until I heard a crack.
I turn back to see the egg was beginning to shake from side to side and the cracking was getting louder. I walk up to the egg and watch in fascination as the shell begins to have cracks spreading along the top and sides. The egg begins to shake violently and I have to stop myself from grabbing it
"Guys I think the egg is hatching right now"
Suddenly the top is flung away and a scaly head pops out and a wailing cry is heard. The egg falls onto its side and the hatchling struggles to break free. The goo that was surrounding it probably didn't make it any better. I want to help the hatchling, but then remember that helping it wouldn't make it any better for it. Any creature that wasn't able to break out of the egg shell on their own merit would most likely not survive in the wild. Eventually it does break free from its confines and struggles to stand. I look at the cameras
"What are you all waiting for? Bring in towels and warm water"
The hatchling begins to smell the air, raising its nose higher, trying to catch a scent that would be comforting. I walk towards it, slowly and it turns to face me. Its eyes zero in on me and I stopped walking, rather letting it come to me. Slowly it walks forward, eyeing me as if it couldn't decide whether or not I was a threat. It comes as close as it possibly could before sniffing at me. I turn away from the cameras, letting my eyes turn amber and the hatchling looks at me with fascination before letting out an experimental sound. I tilt my head and let out a similar call, a call of belonging. This hatchling was mine now.
It pushes itself into my arms and the amniotic fluid is rubbed all over my clothes. I make an expression of disgust
"Bring it some food too"
Some men come in and I stop them before they get further than a metre away from the door
"Leave the things there. I will come and get it"
It walks along beside me, still unsure about how its legs actually work but I stop the little one from tipping over. I wet the towels thoroughly before beginning the task of wiping him down from the cold goo. Once that was over I thought of various ways of getting him to eat only for him to solve the problem on his own by diving into the bowl of meat provided. I watch in a kind of twisted fascination as he eats the meat, blood smearing on its face and miniature teeth. Suddenly he stops and looks at me then trots over with meat in his mouth, he drops a piece in front of me and I look at it. It watches me expectantly and I pick the meat up and offer it back to him. He excitedly gobbles it from my hand before going back to the bowl. Even at just a few hours old, he proves that he might be brighter than the others of his kind.
Afterwards he goes around the small space to explore; sniffing everything within reach and eventually tuckers himself out. He walks up to me, eyes droopy and nudges me. He lets out a small sound and I somehow find myself on the floor with him in my lap, absorbing the warmth of my body. He snuffles slightly as he sleeps and I pet him on the head. Gently I move myself out from under his body and make my way to the door only for me to stop dead in my tracks when the hatchling makes a sound. I turn to see that he hasn't woken from his sleep but is shifting restlessly. Feeling guilty I go back and make myself comfortable for a while. After nearly falling asleep a few times, I get up and silently make my way out of the room. When I get to the surveillance room, everyone's eyes fall on me and I shrug my shoulders
One of them men ask
"How did you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Dinosaurs when hatched are like baby ducks, they tend to imprint on the first thing they see"
"Who told you that?"
I turn to face Claire who had spoken
"It's common knowledge"
She turns and begins to walk away
"I'm sure you will be needing a change of clothes, for now I will have someone take you to the hotel to get cleaned up then meet not too far from here"
"What's not too far from here?"
"You will be meeting another trainer; he works with the raptors and studies their behaviour"
"By any chance does this person have a name that I can call them?"
"Grady, Owen Grady. I think the both of you will be able to learn from each other as time goes on. Should you need any advice about dinosaur behaviours or are unsure about anything, he is the person you should talk to"
I nod my head and follow someone to the vehicle and I am taken to my hotel room. I give the room a cursory glance and admire the décor before heading to take a shower. Claire must have a schedule about what time to meet and to ruin that would most likely earn me a sour face. I hop into the shower and get ready to meet this Mr Grady.