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. Yes, this story is a bit similar to Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs, I really liked the storyline and it just seemed to work for me.
Juniper
Nathaniel was all in tizzy with Alicia entering her final week of pregnancy and Alicia wasn't taking kindly to it and neither was the colony. Alicia needed to be careful when addressing him, because quite often it resulted in an outburst of panic for the expectant father.
His most recent outburst cost Nethania a few broken ribs and loss of a serious amount of down feathers from her Velociraptor form. He also spoiled goods in the market and unnerved the colonists.
"Nathaniel, I will let you know when it's time," Alicia said as she tended to Nethania.
"It's getting to be the colder months down south and I've lost a good number of my Velociraptor down," Nethania complained. She had just shown up in Terra Nova after her father sent her an urgent message about lucas going off to a dangerous part of the world and having not heard back from him for several weeks.
"I'm sorry; it's just been so long since I was last an expectant father," Nathaniel said.
Alicia finished cleaning the loose feathers that hadn't fallen out from Nethania's feather coat and Nethania began grooming the leftover feathers still attached.
"These are really soft," Alicia said, picking up the gob of feathers.
"If you think those are soft, you should feel my Utahraptor down feathers. The quills are soft and supple," Nethania said.
Nathaniel walked up to them and stroked Nethania's headdress feathers back.
"I'm sorry sweetie," Nathaniel said.
Nethania pushed her head into his hand, closed her eyes and smiled.
"Commander Taylor," Malcolm said, walking in.
All three Taylors looked at him.
"Did I interrupt something?" Malcolm asked.
"No, what do you need," Commander Taylor said.
"Lucas went OTG out to the Plateau a few weeks ago to look for minerals and he hasn't been back or checked in now for over two weeks," Malcolm said.
"Well duh, no signal can get in or out of the Plateau," Nethania said.
"He said it shouldn't have taken this long, I think he's in trouble," Malcolm said.
"The plateau is a treacherous place even for the most experienced. Very little wildlife lives up there but the terrain is dangerous. There are gas chasms, canyons with fragile plates that line the walls and are suspended upon dead trees, thick jungles that can disorient you, snowy mountain crags, rough rivers with raging waters, and the wildlife that does live there are a species of ornithopod that have razor sharp teeth that can sheer large hunks of meat off. They are omnivorous, but when ever meat is presented to them they turn into vicious unstoppable dinosaurs and will go for the easiest prey," Nethania said.
"We have to go," Alicia said.
"We…no…you are staying here," Nathaniel said, looking at her sternly.
"I'm not going to argue with you Nathaniel, I am going too," Alicia said.
"Alicia, you could give birth any day now, I'd never take a chance with your lives," Nathaniel said.
"We don't have time to argue," Nethania said.
"Come on," Alicia said.
"Let me gear up first," Nethania said.
Nethania headed off to the Nanosaur Hangar to grab supplies.
Nathaniel looked at Alicia with worry.
"If you're so worried about it, then have a doctor come with us," Alicia said.
Nathaniel nodded and went to get a doctor.
"Hookclaw, where is my Utahraptor Headlamp and my Utahraptor hip-torches?" Nethania asked.
"Where they usually are?" Hookclaw said.
Nethania found the lights and she strapped the hip lights on. She pulled her pack out of the closet and stowed her head-lamp away. She packed rope, power cells and water tanks. She pulled the pack onto her back and strapped it on.
"Hookclaw, the guns," Nethania said. Hookclaw walked over and began hooking the Plasma-Rifles onto their slots on the backpack and secured them. Then Nethania strapped on her wrist compass and map of the Plateau.
Then she headed out to wait for the others.
"Dr. Shannon," Nathaniel said.
"Yes Commander," Dr. Shannon said.
"I need a medic to go with us on an expedition to rescue my son," Nathaniel said.
"Okay," Dr. Shannon said.
"I tried to talk her out of it, but Alicia insists that she goes," Nathaniel said.
"I'll pack my things and meet you at the gate," Dr. Shannon said.
"Thank you," Nathaniel said.
"We all set," Nethania asked.
"We are all ready to go," Nathaniel said.
Dr. Shannon, Mr. Shannon, Reynolds, Dr. Wallace, Nathaniel and Alicia rode in the Rhino while Nethania traveled by foot.
They traveled up to the plateau and took a pause for Nethania to get her bearings.
"Where did Lucas say he was heading?" Nethania asked.
"He was going to look for mineral deposits in the South Eastern section of the plateau," Dr. Wallace said.
"Tell me you're joking," Nethania said looking at him.
"No why," Dr. Wallace said.
"Alicia, come here," Nethania asked.
Alicia walked up to her as best as she could.
"Are you really sure you want to make this trip? We're going to be hiking the most dangerous part of the whole plateau," Nethania said to her.
"Yes I am. It's not just because of Lucas," Alicia said. She looked over at Nathaniel who was talking to the Shannons.
"I don't want to be away from your father if I go into labor," Alicia said.
"I understand," Nethania said.
Nathaniel walked over to them.
"Alicia, Shannon gave me an idea. Just so we don't have any unnecessary panic attacks, we need a code word for if you go into labor," Nathaniel said.
"Like what?" Alicia asked.
"Juniper," Nethania said.
"What kind of a code word is that?" Alicia asked.
"No, I mean there is wild Juniper with unripe fruit up here. I'll have to remember to gather some Juniper for my homemade root beer," Nethania said.
"I like it," Nathaniel said.
"How can you like it? You've never even tried it," Nethania said looking at him.
"No, I like Juniper for the code word," Nathaniel said.
"Alright," Alicia said.
"Let's get going then, we'll have to travel by foot," Nethania said.
"What," Nathaniel said.
"The forest is dense, too dense for the Rhino," Nethania said.
"Alicia," Nathaniel said looking at Alicia with pleading eyes.
"I can carry her," Nethania said.
"Alright," Nathaniel said. He helped Alicia onto Nethania's back.
"I'm not too heavy for you," Alicia asked.
"Nope, I've carried guns that are way heavier," Nethania said.
Nethania took the lead and the adventure began.
"Well, here's the first of our problems," Nethania said when they got to even denser forest.
"We'll get lost," Mr. Shannon said.
"I have some rope in my pack if Alicia can get it out," Nethania said.
Alicia scooted back and got into Nethania's pack.
"Here," Alicia said pulling it out.
She handed it to Nathaniel who tied an end to Nethania's hip-lights. The others took hold and Nethania led them on.
"Step one; get past extremely dense forest, complete. Step two, the Black Cavern," Nethania said when they came to the entrance to a pitch black cavern.
"No way," Mr. Shannon said.
"Alicia, you'll have to walk, the ceiling is five and a half feet high and with you on my back we're about six feet high," Nethania said.
Nethania crouched down and Nathaniel helped Alicia down.
"You all right?" Nathaniel asked.
"Yes, I'm fine," Alicia said.
Nethania reached into her pack and pulled out her headlamp. She put the lamp on and turned it on and then switched on her hip-torches.
"Way to go Nethania," Nathaniel said.
Nethania led them on.
After a half hour of walking, Alicia got exhausted.
She sat down on a stout stalagmite.
"How much further Nethania?" Nathaniel asked.
"Hmm," Nethania said.
"What's that," Nathaniel said.
"Well, we still have to get past the Helium Canyon and then it's the Despair Shelf Gorge after that it's an easy hike up to the deposits," Nethania said.
"Alicia, please," Nathaniel said, looking at his wife.
"I can do this," Alicia said.
"What are these walls made of?" Dr. Wallace asked.
"Black marble," Nethania said.
"Incredible," Dr. Wallace said.
After a short break, they continued on.
They came out of the Black Cavern and Nethania turned off her lights. She led them through a narrow canyon until she came to a cliff where fumes rose up.
"Try to hold your breath for as long as possible," Nethania said.
"Alicia," Nathaniel said with worry heavy in his voice.
"Relax, I brought my oxygen tank for her," Nethania said.
Nethania pulled it out and gave it to Alicia.
"Thank you Nethania," Alicia said.
"We're first milady," Nethania said.
Nethania led her down to a gondola that would take them across the chasm.
Once on the other side, they got out and sent the gondola back to the others.
The others got in and held their breath. Nethania began to crank the winch to bring them over.
Half way over the chasm, Jim couldn't hold on any longer and breathed out then back in sharply.
"Oh no, Jim breathed in the gas," Dr. Wallace said and started breathing again.
Jim waited for a moment, breathing fine.
"It's not poisonous," Jim said in a helium voice. He clapped his hand over his mouth.
"You sound funny," Dr. Wallace said also with a helium voice.
"So do you," Jim said.
Suddenly all four started laughing.
"STOP LAUGHING," Nethania yelled.
"What's wrong with laughing?" Alicia said.
Nethania stepped up to the edge of the chasm and pointed down.
"They died laughing," Nethania said.
Alicia walked up next to her and looked down to see skeletons of ornithopods in the position of laughing.
"Nathaniel, stop laughing, we're serious," Alicia yelled.
They started cracking jokes to each other and kept laughing.
"What is that gas?" Alicia asked.
"It's a mixture of helium and laughing gas," Nethania said.
She cranked the winch hard and fast, getting the laughing quartet over the chasm.
Once they were over and the last few jokes got out, everyone returned to normal.
"That was crazy," Dr. Wallace said.
"That…was a deadly mixture of Helium and Laughing gas," Nethania said.
"Oh," Dr. Wallace said.
"Well, that explains the squeaky voices," Dr. Shannon said.
Nethania led them on to the next obstical.
"Whoa," Nathaniel said.
"Stay away from the edges," Nethania said.
They began making their way across. After another half hour of walking, Alicia became exhausted again.
She sat down on the ground to rest.
"Want me to carry you?" Nethania asked.
"No, I don't think I'd be able to hold on," Alicia said.
"How far to the deposits?" Nathaniel asked.
"Without Alicia, it could take us ten minutes to get to the deposits," Nethania said.
"Will it be alright for her to stay here," Nathaniel asked.
"Go, I'll be fine," Alicia said.
"Here Alicia," Nethania said. She pulled off one of her guns off and gave it to her.
"Just in case," Nethania said.
"Thank you," Alicia said. Nathaniel knelt beside her.
"I will come back for you," Nathaniel said.
"I'll be alright," Alicia said, they kissed and then Nathaniel departed with the others.
After a few minutes of walking and clearing 5 feet of the shelf after leaving Alicia on the ledge, Nethania had the others go in front of her. The others continued on, but as soon as Nethania took another step, the shelf began to crack out from under them.
"GO, go, go go go go," Nethania yelled.
They ran to the other side and turned back. Fifteen feet of shelf had been reduced to only 5 feet and all that was left of the lost ten feet was a narrow ledge that was barely 6 inches wide.
"How will we get back?" Nathaniel asked.
"I'll figure a way," Nethania said.
They continued on till they found the mineral deposits and Lucas.
"Lucas," Nathaniel called.
Lucas turned to them all, shocked to see them.
"Whoa, what are you all doing out here?" Lucas asked.
"Coming to get you, you've been out here longer than you said," Dr. Wallace said.
"Oh, sorry," Lucas said.
"We need to get back, we left Alicia at the Canyon," Nethania said.
"You brought Alicia here," Lucas said, shocked, knowing the difficulty of the trip.
"She insisted," Nathaniel said.
They made their way back to the canyon.
"Alright Nethania, now we could use one of your brainstorms," Nathaniel said.
"I'm thinking, I'm thinking," Nethania said.
"Can't you just go Spino and get us across?" Lucas asked.
"Unfortunately the Black Cavern has a way of turning off my Nano-morphing. I won't be able to change forms until we get back home," Nethania said.
"Bummer," Dr. Wallace said.
"I got it," Nethania said. She took her pack off and pulled the rope out.
She secured one end of the rope to a large rock.
"I'll head across and then you guys can use the rope to brace yourselves against the wall and cross the narrow ledge," Nethania said.
Meanwhile back at Alicia, she was resting with her back against the wall of the canyon. She could hear the others talking at the end.
That's when it happened.
"Of course, just when your father's gone," Alicia said.
She gritted her teeth as her body contracted.
"Nathaniel, blueberries," Alicia yelled.
"Blueberries," Nethania said.
"Food cravings," Nathaniel said.
"Raspberries," Alicia yelled.
"Guess she wants some berries," Lucas said.
"Lemon," Alicia yelled.
"Are you a lemon?" Nethania said looking at Lucas.
"What," Lucas said.
"You smell like a lemon," Nethania said.
"What," Lucas said.
"You look like one too," Nethania said. Lucas shook his head.
"Peaches, apples, plums, pears," Alicia yelled.
"She wants a whole fruit salad," Lucas said.
"Oh god what is it," Alicia said to herself. She thought hard trying to remember the code word.
"Hey you forgot apricots," Nethania called back.
Lucas started laughing.
"JUNIPER," Alicia said.
"Juniper, that reminds me, I need to grab some before we leave the Plateau," Nethania said.
"And some for her too," Lucas said.
"JUNIPER," Nethania yelled with realization.
"Yeah alright we get it, juniper berries," Lucas said.
"No, she's going into labor," Nethania said.
"We need to get over there, now," Nathaniel said.
"Jump on," Nethania said. She discarded her backpack and hip-torches, but kept her remaining three guns and their holder on. Nathaniel and Dr. Shannon got on her back and held on.
Nethania lunged across to a platform being held up by a tree, and kept jumping the platforms.
"Hang on sweetie, we're coming," Nathaniel yelled.
"We got unwanted company," Nethania said.
The ornithopods Nethania had spoken of began coming out of hiding places below them.
"They smell an animal in distress," Nethania said.
"I'm not waiting for the rope," Lucas said and began inching his way over.
"We'll wait here," Dr. Wallace said.
Nethania leapt over to where Alicia was and let her passengers off.
Nathaniel and Dr. Shannon ran over to Alicia.
Jim pulled his pistol out when the ornithopods began coming after them. He shot them while Dr. Wallace threw rocks at them.
Nethania began shooting her plasma-rifles which had a whisper soft whir when it fired.
"Get back you devils," Nethania said.
She noticed one climbing up the side and whacked it with her tail.
"Hang on Nethania," Lucas yelled.
Alicia was now screaming and crying.
Lucas got to them and went to help Nethania.
"Grab a rifle," Nethania said.
Lucas took one off of her rifles off the holder and began firing at the ornithopods.
"What are these things?" Lucas asked.
"I call them Dire Gallisaurs," Nethania said.
"Terrible Chicken Lizards," Lucas said.
"That's it," Nethania said.
Alicia screamed again.
"Her screaming is attracting them," Nethania said.
"Just keep holding them off," Nathaniel said.
"I'd rather be attacked by those things than go through this," Alicia said.
"Don't say that Alicia, you'll change your mind right quick. I've been attacked by them, it's not fun, I'd rather be shot," Nethania said.
Nethania's gun clicked, indicating it was empty.
"Uh oh," Lucas said.
"You forget I still have these babies," Nethania said showing off her claws, teeth and tail.
Nethania slashed, swiped, swatted and whipped the Dire Gallisaurs.
"Just hold out a little longer," Dr. Shannon said.
"Nethania," Lucas said, as one Dire Gallisaur climbed up onto the ledge and charge at Alicia.
Nethania lunged at it, biting its head. They wrestled with each other and then Nethania snapped its neck and threw it down at the others.
The other Dire Gallisaurs screeched with fright and began to retreat.
Lucas and Nethania looked down at them. Lucas shot at them a few more times. Then it seemed the noise of combat was drowned out by the cries of a newborn baby.
Nethania and Lucas looked back and then at each other.
"You're a big cousin now," Nethania said.
"Yeah, imagine that," Lucas said.
Several more frightened cries from the Dire Gallisaurs and even the ones that were going after Mr. Shannon and Dr. Wallace retreated.
Nethania went and secured the rope and then she and Lucas went to join up with the rest of their family.
Nethania hung back a bit.
Nathaniel looked up at her.
"Come over here Nethania, come see your sister," Nathaniel said.
"I don't want to frighten her with my Utahraptor form," Nethania said.
"Get over here, she won't know what a Utahraptor is and that it's dangerous," Alicia said.
Nethania walked over to them and looked down at her baby sister.
"We need to get them to an infirmary and out of this dreadful place," Dr. Shannon said.
Nethania thought for a moment then began tapping the wall of the canyon. Mr. Shannon and Dr. Wallace rejoined them.
"Where is the new little one," Dr. Wallace asked.
"Come look," Dr. Shannon said and backed away.
"Ah ha, found it," Nethania said.
"Found what," Nathaniel asked.
"My secret passage out of here. The closest infirmary is back at NBTI Headquarters and the secret passage takes us right within the perimeter," Nethania said.
She tapped on her wristband compass and the passageway opened up and the lights came on. It was a steel passageway through the canyon wall.
"Can you stand?" Nathaniel asked.
Nethania walked over to her and knelt down. Alicia handed her baby to Nathaniel and grabbed onto Nethania's feathers and pulled herself on.
Jim Shannon went and cut the rope loose and used it to secure the Lieutenant's legs to Nethania and her gun holder.
Alicia took her baby back and Nethania took them into the tunnel. The door closed behind them.
"I change my mind, I think we should name her Juniper," Alicia said with a soft and weary smile
"Juniper, I forgot to get the juniper. Oh well, guess I'll have to wait till next year to get it," Nethania said.
"I love it," Nathaniel said.
"I would lean down to kiss you, but I'm a little restrained from doing so," Alicia said.
"I'll kiss him for ya," Nethania said.
"Nethania," Alicia said with an amused look on her face.
"Nah, Nethania deserves a kiss," Nathaniel said. He went to Nethania's head and Nethania lowered it a bit and he kissed her on the cheek.
"You'll never see him French kiss a dinosaur that has carrion breath," Lucas said.
"I do not have carrion breath," Nethania said.