Hello, my name is Braeton. I don't normally like to share my work with others. It has taken many many revisions to get to this point. If anyone notices any inconsistencies within my series please point them out to me.
Disclaimer: I don't own and I am borrowing for my story: Terra Nova characters, one Jurassic Park the lost world character (Roland), Nanosaur the Mac Game. I have also utilized Dinotopia's style of naming the 1st and 2nd Generation Nanosaurs. Some of my 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation Nanosaur will be named after some of the characters of Dinosaur Train. Ute Utahraptor's name comes from the Ute Indians in Utah.
4. A Flaw in the Program
"I'm heading out OTG," Nathaniel said.
"Where are you going?" Alicia asked following him down the command center steps as best as her 8 month pregnant belly would allow her to.
"Nethania's off removing Lucas's equations off the rocks up by Snakehead Falls; I'm going to go check on her progress. I should be back tomorrow," Nathaniel said.
"Nethania said some of her Nanosaurs have been acting wild lately," Alicia said, concerned for his safety.
"Nethania's up there right now, supervising the operation," Nathaniel said.
"Good," Alicia said.
He mounted up on a bike.
"I'll be alright dear," Nathaniel said, kissing her gently on the lips.
"If you're not back in forty-eight hours, I'm going to be sending someone out there," Alicia warned him.
"I'll be back within twenty-four hours," Nathaniel assured her. He pulled his goggles down and after giving her another kiss, this time on the cheek, he zoomed off.
"I just don't understand what is causing all this feral behavior," Nethania said scratching her head.
Even Ute had been acting strange since getting up there.
"Their language barrier seems to be diminishing as well," Maxwell pointed out.
"It's almost like my Nano-Tech is failing. I've been having difficulty nano-morphing too," Nethania said.
Suddenly a vicious fight broke out between a Nano-Utahraptor and a Nano-Ankylosaurus. The Utahraptor was snarling and snapping at the Ankylosaurus who began swinging his club tail at the Utahraptor and bellowing at him at the top of his lungs.
"Oi, break it up," Nethania ordered. The Utahraptor and Ankylosaurus shook their heads, as Nethania's demanding tone snapped them back.
Nethania turned around when she heard the splish-splash of someone approaching her from behind.
"Captain," Nathaniel said.
"Commander," Nethania said. She reached her hand out to him and he shook it.
They turned to watch the Ankylosaurus raise his high-carbon steel covered tail and slam it against the rock.
"How goes the demolition?" Nathaniel asked.
"Slow going, what with my Nanosaurs suddenly reverting back to their wild mentality; I can't seem to figure out what's causing it though," Nethania said.
"Well perhaps you should take a break from the demolition and find out, before problems arise," Nathaniel suggested.
"I really don't want to delay this," Nethania said.
"You can use the lab at Terra Nova if you need to. I can ask Dr. Wallace to vacate it for your needs," Nathaniel offered.
"No, my nano-tech scanning and researching equipment is back at Nanosauria. I'd need to return there to figure out what's going on here, but thanks for the offer," Nethania said.
Four Deinonychus walked down to the river and eyed the three humans. The larger one glared at them hungrily. He growled and snarled and hissed at them and then began to stalk towards them.
"Uh oh," Nethania said. She handed the plex she had in her hands to Maxwell and stepped towards the Deinonychus, while Maxwell and Nathaniel took a step back.
Now all four Deinonychus were snapping and snarling at her. Nethania closed her eyes and imagined she had all the strength and power of a Utahraptor. Her Utahraptor Nano-Morph Tech fritzed out, causing her to morph into a Utahraptor for a fraction of a second, but then reverted back to human.
"Dagnabit," Nethania cursed. Now the Deinonychus were getting ready to pounce on her.
Nethania shook her failure to Nano-Morph off.
"Stand down," Nethania barked at them in her most commanding voice ever. It seemed to not have any effect on the Deinonychus.
The largest one lunged at her and a sonic pulse knocked him back. The other three Deinonychus looked at their leader and all of a sudden snapped back into the Nanosaurian state of mind.
"What the devil?" replied one of the Deinonychus?
Nethania turned back and saw her father holding his sonic pistol, pointing it at the downed Deinonychus.
"What, you didn't expect me to stand here and watch them eat you did you?" Nathaniel asked as he stowed the gun.
"Nanosaurs, remove yourselves from this area until further notice we'll resume demolition after I've figured out what's causing problems here," Nethania ordered.
Nethania, Maxwell and Nathaniel walked down to where Nathaniel's motorcycle, Wildraptor and another tamed Utahraptor were.
"I just don't understand it. I've never had this problem before," Nethania grumbled.
"Never," Maxwell asked.
"Well there was one time when I was looking for Iridium up on the Hadrosaur Plateau," Nethania said.
The Hadrosaur Plateau was a rugged and dangerous. Terra Nova knew very little about it because to get to it, they had to go through uncharted dense and rocky forest that restricted vehicle access and choked radio signals. Nethania had used the rugged land to house some of her most prized nano-creations such as Saber Tooth Cats, Cave Lions, Dire Wolves, Dimetrodons, Phobosuchus, a pair of genetically mutated pterosaurs called Giganopteryx and a pair mean and nasty Baryonyx. She also had a secret laboratory built there where her portal to the many time periods was hidden.
"It was in a black marble cavern tunnel up there that led to the Helium Canyon. I became trapped in Saber Tooth Cat form when I traveled through that tunnel. I couldn't change forms," Nethania explained.
"Maybe there is an outcropping of black marble here," Maxwell said.
"It may not have been actual black marble though. It just looked like black marble," Nethania said.
"Best we not let other ears hear about this little mishap brother," Maxwell said to Nathaniel.
"My lips are sealed," Nathaniel said.
"The last thing we need is the Phoenix Group discovering a way to stop me in my tracks," Nethania said as they mounted up on their steeds.
Nethania later returned with Reynolds, Reiley and Dunham to search for clues. This time Nethania was in her Velociraptor Nano-form.
"What are we looking for exactly," Dunham asked.
"You're not looking for anything, you're just supposed to guard me in case I can't Nano-morph," Nethania said.
"Nethania has been having trouble controlling her Nanosaurs up here for some reason, so Commander Taylor asked us to come up here to provide extra protection for her," Reynolds said.
"That's Captain Taylor to you Private," Nethania said with a growl.
"Sorry ma'am," Reynolds said.
"Don't call me ma'am either," Nethania said with a snort of disapproval.
"Sorry…sir…" Reynolds said cautiously.
"Now that's better," Nethania said with smile and a nod of approval.
"What are you, a lesbian?" Dunham asked with a snicker.
"I'll have you know, Carter and I dated for nearly three years before my death was faked and then we dated for several more years after he got here," Nethania said.
"Oh," Dunham said, feeling embarrassed and going red in the cheeks.
"I just prefer to be addressed as sir over ma'am, just as I prefer to be called Captain instead of Major," Nethania said as she returned to checking the rocks.
"You're a Major," Reiley asked.
"Indeed I am," Nethania said as she sloshed through the water when suddenly she was forced to return to human form.
"Ouch," Nethania groaned.
"There's something in the rocks next to you," Reynolds said.
"Really, well what ever gave you that idea," Nethania snapped at him and he coward away from her. She withdrew her geology hammer from her pack and began hammering away at the rocks until she broke a chunk off.
"Now we can leave," Nethania said.
After melting the rock down and separating the different elements she was able to begin to analyze the rocks properties.
"Meteoric iron, traces of gold and copper, traces of zinc," Nethania went through the list of elements she found.
"Those are found all over the world," said Dr. Hardhead, one of Nethania's medical doctors and a Pachycephalosaurus.
"Oh here's something, Neptunium," Nethania said.
"Neptunium," Dr. Hardhead said.
"Yeah, it's a radioactive rare earth metal," Nethania said.
"Radioactive, meaning it generates a pulse," Dr. Bashskull, another Pachycephalosaurus said. He was on his break and resting in his chair.
"It generates a microwave you mean," Dr. Hardhead said.
"Same difference you two," Nethania said.
"A microwave can affect the brain," Dr. Bashskull said. He put down his plex, upon which he was reading the New York Times, how he got that and why he reads it is beyond anyone. He hopped out of his chair and went to join them.
"It can also affect my organic nano-cells which enable you Nanosaurs to have human like qualities and enable me to nano-morph. It must be what is disrupting them," Nethania said.
"Now that we know what causes those problems, how do we fix it?" Dr. Bashskull said.
"I am not sure Bashskull," Nethania said.
"How come it isn't affecting us right now?" Hardhead asked.
"Because the elements are kept inside this lead-lined, magnetically sealed container, preventing the microwaves from escaping and doing harm," Nethania said tapping on the metal container in front of them.
"There was a problem when she switched them over to the container," Bashskull said.
"Well before the Nanosaurs can return to working on removing Lucas Taylor's equations, we'll need to find a way to protect them from the emissions," Nethania said.
"All I can come up with right now is suiting them up in the biohazard suits," Dr. Bashskull said as he walked back to his chair and picked up his plex.
"Dr. Bashskull, have I ever told you how much you remind me of a barber?" Nethania asked.
"No you haven't," Bashskull said.
"Well you do," Nethania said. She picked up the container and turned to leave the Laboratory at her Headquarters.
"Thanks for your help you two," Nethania said.
"Always glad to help Captain," Bashskull said.
"Anytime Captain," Hardhead said.
"Neptunium," Nathaniel said.
"It's in small quantities, but still powerful enough to disrupt my nano-cells," Nethania said. They were walking the perimeter, checking the sonic mines.
"That's not good," Nathaniel said.
"Even worse, the only way we can protect the Nanosaurs from it is by having them suit up in Biohazard suits. Until I can come up with another solution, those markings will have to stay there," Nethania said.
"What if there is neptunium up by the colony?" Nathaniel asked.
"Neptunium is extremely rare. You're more likely to find plutonium and uranium than neptunium," Nethania said.
"I hope you find a solution to the mess soon Captain, I'll feel better after you do," Nathaniel said.
"You know me, I won't eat or sleep until I do," Nethania said.
Nethania sat on her sofa in her Nanosauria Quarters. Dario was stretched out on the couch next to her, his head resting in her lap. Over and over she ran the problem through her mind. Her uncle had always told her that to ever problem there is a solution.
She just wished that there was a better solution besides that of wearing lead lined suits. She needed to find a way to naturally repel the microwaves or so that the nano-cells are not affected by the microwaves.
A loud ping drew Nethania's thoughts from her. She looked over at her plex and saw that she had received a message. She picked up the plex and tapped it to read her message.
"Nethania, Lucas has gone up to what Hookclaw says is known as the Hadrosaur Plateau. It's been almost a week now and we haven't heard from him. We need you to go with us up there to fetch him back. He's making me nervous," signed Cmdr Nathaniel Taylor.
The Hadrosaur Plateau was extremely dangerous.
"I'll leave right away," Nethania responded to the message.