Echidna
III
The construction crews are on break as the white car pulls up to Paddock 11. Ms. Dearing and her mistress step out first, followed by Alpha and me.
Owen stares up at the towering walls, looking unconvinced and more than a little uneasy.
"Taller than Honey's walls?" I murmur to him and he nods his head. Honey is the pet name given to the T-Rex by the trainers. "But are they tall enough?"
"We've been pre-booking tickets for months. The park needs a new attraction every few years in order to reinvigorate the public's interest. Kind of like the space program," Dearing explains and walks over to the flight of stairs leading to the observation tower. Luciana is close behind her while Alpha and I stagger our steps after them. "Corporate felt genetic modification would up the "wow" factor."
"They're dinosaurs. "Wow" enough," Alpha deadpans.
"Not according to our focus groups. The Indominus Rex makes us relevant again," Claire counters and Owen grins in disbelief.
"Not to mention I thought this whole genetic modification ended after Project RH, aka yours truly," I cut in and wave nonchalantly. Claire and Luciana give me matching looks of disconcertment and I suck in a sharp breath. "Right my bad we don't talk about that! The scientist responsible was arrested and we all signed happy nondisclosure agreements-oh wait! My signature means nothing as I am not human, my bad," I rattle sarcastically and the business women gape. Owen is grinning at me like a proud father and claps his hands. "Back to the Indominus Rex! Cool name by the way."
"The Indominus Rex!" Owen scoffs and Claire rolls her eyes. Ms. Dearing and her lover are shakily moving past my sardonic outburst and returning to the topic at hand.
"We needed something scary and easy to pronounce. You should hear a four year old try to say Archaeornithomimus," Claire points out and swings open the observation tower door.
"You should hear you try to say it," Owen grumbles.
We enter the observation room and step up to the glass. A security supervisor, his name tag reads Nick, is sitting at his desk on his lunch break, munching a sandwich. Besides us, he's the only one present.
The I-Rex is nowhere in sight, just the dense jungle of the paddock interior beyond the glass.
"What's this thing made of?" Owen asks and I tilt my head.
"The base genome is a T-Rex, the rest is..." Claire trails off and fluffs her hair nervously.
"Bet it's got some chameleon, some raptor, maybe a lil human in there too," I guess, referring to my own genome. Owen lets out a huff of laughter and I smirk. "Maybe that's just me, who knows what this thing has."
"You made a new dinosaur but you don't even know what it is?" Owen questions dubiously in continuance to my words. Claire and Luciana are already annoyed by his line of questioning and my line of sarcastic remarks.
"The lab delivers us new assets and we show them to public," she states and then turns to Nick. "Can we drop a steer, please?"
"Should we feed her without Al-"
"Drop a steer," Luciana barks, quickly cutting Nick off. Annoyed and indignant, Nick presses a button to drop a dear.
"How long has the animal been in here?"
"Since it hatched, all its life," Claire responds.
"Never seen anything outside of these walls?"
"We can't exactly walk it," Claire defends in a clipped tone. I resist making a joke about me getting walked in favor of remaining focused on the task at hand.
There's a rumbling noise outside and a huge crane lowers a hunk of beef down from above.
"And you feed it with that?" Owen is fiercely judging Claire and her choices concerning the I-Rex now. Claire isn't getting his point, seeming bemused and still mildly annoyed.
"Is there a problem?" Claire says, challenging him.
"Animals raised in isolation aren't always the most functional," Owen elaborates.
"Your raptors are born in captivity-"
"With siblings. They learn social skills. And I imprint on them when they're born. There's trust. The only positive relationship this animal has is with that crane," Owen states sternly, cutting off Claire. "At least she knows that means food."
Sighing I smile at the remembrance of my childhood. Like my sisters I imprinted on Owen when I was born, but I matured much slower than them.
Owen seems increasingly concerned, but Claire isn't sharing his opinion. She adopts a very patronizing, sarcastic tone.
"So she needs a friend? We should schedule play dates? That sort of thing?" Claire teases.
"Probably not a good idea," Owen murmurs in a dark tone.
"Oh for God's sake Isla has a trainer!" Luciana blurts out abruptly, her frustration reaching its peak. Instantly she slaps a hand over her mouth and Claire's eyes widen.
Owen and I are taken aback by this news and he presses for more information, despite them clearly not wanting him to know of the trainer in the first place.
"Who is this trainer? Did they imprint on the I-Rex after she hatched? Do they feed her regularly? Why aren't they here?" Owen rattles off and the assistant hangs her head in regret.
"Did they name her Isla? Because I like it," I remark offhandedly.
"The trainer is a younger member of the park who up until the opening will not be allowed to discuss the asset. She was present when the I-Rex hatched and did imprint on it. She does feed the I-Rex regularly, in fact, the crane is a rarity. However today the trainer was busy so she couldn't make it." Claire answers each question carefully with timed precision and detail-lacking responses. "And yes she did come up with the name Isla."
"Who is she?"
"Why does it matter to you?" Claire counters and I raise an eyebrow. Why are they so intent on hiding her identity from us.
"I want to speak with her, you know consult like Masrani said," Owen responds. Slinking up I lean into Claire and sniff her jacket, there's a familiar smell of strawberry perfume and eucalyptus shampoo on her. Claire steps back, but it is too late I already know who the trainer is.
"Alpha do you remember what Althea Foster said she did the first night you met?" I prompt and Owen pales.
"She said she was a new asset trainer, but she wouldn't say for what animal...I assumed she was a new petting zoo attendant," Owen answers and then he scowls. "You're not saying she's...wait she is the trainer for this thing?!"
"Owen she-"
"No! She cannot be! She is nineteen years old," Owen argues vehemently.
"But she is. Sweet, young, naive, and innocent Althea Foster is the trainer for this parks newest monster," I hiss and glare at the two women. Althea does not deserve to be placed in so much danger.
"It was an accident," Luciana interjects on behalf of Claire and herself. "Her mother brought her to an investors meeting and Althea was left to her own devices. She snuck into the lab and watched the I-Rex hatch, therefore she imprinted on it and we had no choice but to make her the trainer."
"How did she get into the lab?" Owen questions incredulously. This news has made his protective side really flare up.
"She had her mothers security card and when she saw the eggs hatching she didn't want them to be alone," Claire explains and Owen shakes his head.
"Of course she didn't," he grumbles, though a fond grin plays at his lips.
At this moment I take notice that the dinosaur hasn't emerged from the jungle to eat the meat.
"Not concerning dear Althea, but shouldn't the dinosaur have come out by now?" I pose to redirect the conversation. Owen gets mopey and depressed when he hears about the girl he loves, the girl he let go.
Claire leans over and taps on the glass with furrowed eyebrows. I roll my eyes, the dinosaur isn't a fish in a fish tank.
"Where is it?" she whispers. Now it is Owen's turn to be sarcastic and he takes his chance.
"What? Is it in the basement? Is there a downstairs? Maybe it's in the rec room." Ignoring him, Claire shakes her head and steps over to a security console.
"It was just here. We were just here," Claire mutters.
"Yes and so was the trainer, you know at times Isla won't show herself unless she's here," Luciana reasons and Claire frowns. The park manager goes to one of the thermal imaging consoles and activates it. It performs a scan of the jungle.
After a moment it emits an annoyed buzzing sound and flashes the readout "NO THERMAL SIGNATURES DETECTED." The other computer screens arranged around the room begin beeping in alarm and they all show the same words. They're not detecting any body heat inside the paddock. The Indominus Rex isn't showing up.
Owen walks over to a window at the far end of the room and frowns at something. I follow behind him and gape at the huge claw marks covering the side wall. My stomach drops at the sight, what if they created something that could climb out?
"Oh, shoot," he says, almost swearing.
"That doesn't make any sense. These doors haven't been opened in weeks," Nick muses in alarm. Across the room, Owen points out the window and poses a dangerous question.
"Were those claw marks always there?" Claire and Luciana turn sharply and come to look at the marks.
"You think it...?" Claire trails off and in a snap the realization hits her. The reaction is immediate she begins trembling and grabs the arm of her assistant in a protective move. "Oh, God!" Claire whips around and starts for the door, dragging her blonde along with. "She has an implant in her back! I can track it from the control room!"
Owen and I watch them sprint out then turn and look back out the window. By the rear door of the paddock, I can see numerous deep scratch marks in the concrete going up almost the entire height.
III
Luciana
III
The white Mercedes tears down the dirt path, going full speed without a care. Claire is driving while I sit silently. We are racing back to the main area of the park in panic.
I desperately hope the I-Rex has not escaped, I cannot imagine the amount of destruction that could occur if it really has escaped.
"We have an asset out of containment! Put ACU on alert! This is not a drill!" Claire shouts into her phone to ACU and then tosses it aside. "Lucy dial up the control room." Numbly I sit up and dial the control room on my phone then put it on the Bluetooth.
"Yeah, hello?" Lowery picks up after the second ring and Claire snaps into the car's speaker instantly.
"Lowery get me coordinates on the Indominus!"
"Okay, yeah, uh...let me do... uh, I'm doin' it right now," he stammers.
"And get me Althea Foster!"
III
Echidna
III
"Alpha I want it on the record that I disapprove of this plan," I comment as the personnel entrance to the main area of the enclosure slides open.
"Noted," Owen allows as we enter the paddock. Warily Nick, Owen, and I walk through the jungle to the back wall, where a worker, his nametag reads Ellis, is inspecting the claw marks. Owen is alert and Nick looks nervous, but we made it to the back wall without incident. Alpha raises his arm and feels the deep grooves with his bare hand while I look up at the looming wall.
Our enclosure isn't nearly this closed off and militaristic and somehow this faux jungle is much more imposing.
"That wall's forty feet high. You really think she could've climbed out?" Nick wonders out loud sounding worried and hopeful.
"Depends," Owen replies
"On what?"
"What kinda dinosaur they cooked up in that lab."
My skin crawls at the near silence and foreign smell of a hybrid dinosaur. Something feels off in this cage, something is definitely wrong.
III
Luciana
III
"Wait, what the hell? It's in the cage," Lowery reports.
"Oh thank God," I breathe in relief, she's still in the cage.
"Well, that's impossible. I was just there," Claire says, dumbfounded.
"Claire, I'm telling you, she's in the cage," Lowery repeats intently.
There is drowning silence before Lowery speaks again.
"What? Wait a second, there are people in there." Claire and I both gasp in terror before she screams a desperate order.
"Get them out of there now! Now!"
"Paddock 11, this is Control! You need to evacuate the containment!" Vivian squeaks frantically and my heart clenches.
III
Echidna
III
The radio on the guard abruptly crackles to life as I reach out to the wall.
Something about the scratches isn't right, they don't look like climbing scratches.
The voice is garbled and fast in the radio and calls my attention.
"Paddock 11 do you copy!?"
Nick answers, he doesn't seem concerned, although Owen is already glancing around, suddenly uneasy. Alpha makes a move to grab my arm as the voice comes in more clearly.
"Yeah, what's the problem?"
"It's in the cage! It's in there with you!"
Nick looks confused, but Owen and I spring into action. The fleshy disguise on my skin melts away instantly, as survival overcomes vanity.
"Go!" Owen shouts and pushes Nick and Ellis to run for the door.
My protective instincts kick in and I roughly pull Owen into a sprint, pushing past Nick. Nick is slow and lags behind, but I cannot concern myself with him. Turning, he runs back the other way. Owen and Ellis skid to a halt as the I-Rex emerges from the jungle and blocks their escape. It bellows forth a mighty roar. We whip around and scramble back the way we came, but Ellis isn't fast enough. The I-Rex snatches him up and swallows him whole.
The sight of it sends me into hyperdrive and my true eyes flash out as I let out a panicked snarl.
I stand my ground for a solid moment as to allow Alpha to get a head start.
III
Luciana
III
An unbearable crunching sound echoes on the speaker and I flinch harshly.
"Oh Ellis," I whimper and hastily wipe tears from my face. Looking over I can see Claire is equally as shaken and horrified.
III
Echidna
III
Reaching the back door, Nick uses a handprint ID and a security code to override the door lock. It's a stupid move and one we'll all pay for.
"DON'T!" I screech, but to no avail. The huge door begins to open.
The idiot guard jogs to the opening door, hesitating only for a second. He looks to Owen and I and then the dangling severed legs of Ellis in the I-Rex's mouth before bolting out.
III
Luciana
III
"Somebody talk to me! What is happening?"Claire yells as she presses the gas pedal to the floor, desperately willing the car to move faster.
III
Echidna
III
The door begins to slowly close and I sigh in a millisecond of relief. Maybe this dinosaur won't escape, but my Alpha sure as hell needs to.
Air pumping through my lungs I press forward to take the hand of Owen and help him stay ahead of the Indominus.
"Shit!" he swears and we slip through the narrowing open with the predator gaining on us from behind.
Outside the paddock workers rush around in a wild panic, trying to escape, as Indominus gets halfway through before the door closes on her.
"It won't hold," I breathe. She snaps her jaws at Owen and flails her one free arm. Owen slips his hand into mine and slides us both underneath the construction crane. He falls flat on his stomach while I roll on my side, both of us in view to watch the I-Rex.
Isla pushes the door off of its track partially, but completely breaks it apart. She steps out and surveys her new freedom.
We watch, wide-eyed, as Indominus stomps over to where Nick is sitting in front of a pickup truck.
The man is whimpering and begging and praying, but it won't save him.
I hear her thundering steps as she walks around the left side of the truck. Nick peers around the bumper and promptly sobs when he sees the huge tail disappearing around the rear of the truck. He turns back, closes his eyes, and kisses a crucifix.
Suddenly the truck is violently knocked aside, flying through the air and crashing noisily to the ground, leaving the Nick sitting out in the open completely exposed.
Owen meets his gaze before large jaws snap down and complete a full hemicorporectomy.
Unable to comprehend how ill save Owen from this I stay still frozen in fear.
Acting quickly, Owen draws a survival knife and rolls over onto his back. Reaching up, he grabs the crane's fuel line and hacks desperately at it with his blade until he finally slices through it, rupturing it and spewing gasoline down onto us. Hurriedly, he smears it all over himself and then me in an effort to mask our scents. He continues to cost us until I hold up my hand and nod in a signal that I can no longer recognize our smells.
Silently he rolls to hide side and encases me in his arms so we can both watch her clawed paws on the ground.
Having finished eating Nick, Isla now approaches the crane and crouches down on all fours, sniffing. Owen lies back, perfectly still, as the dinosaur's bloodied, gore-encrusted jaws inch closer and closer. My heart pounds in my ears and I hold my breath until finally she withdraws and lumbers away.
Slowly, Owen lifts his head, watching her go. Her thudding footsteps retreat into the distance and thunder in my eardrums.
Owen lies back and exhales in relief. I remain curled up and tense all over until she's far enough away that I can't hear her.
That wasn't a dinosaur, that was a monster.
