A.N. I apologize for the delay. To anyone who doesn't know what's been happening on my end, my car's catalytic converter was stolen, so I'm currently working to get it back in working order. It's been quite a headache trying to get things back in shape.
Anyway, here's the next chapter in TWoF. We don't own anything. And that includes the title, which is actually from a song.
Soundtrack: Open Plains by Daniel Pemberton/The Duel by Michael Fitchett
Daniel set himself on the dilapidated log. Despite the moss and the fact that parts of it were beginning to fall apart, it stood firm for him. The tree itself was rather young as it wasn't as tall or as thick as the others around it. Between this and the set of sloping rocks nearby, this was the better choice.
He set his phone on the tree stump in front of the log, no doubt this was where it came from. It was still pointed on the edges and it wasn't exactly meeting the height requirement. He grabbed his bag and used it to elevate the device. Once it was ready, he prepared his phone for his video.
A man wearing a dark green T-shirt and a vest appeared on the screen. His brown pants with several pockets had dirt streaks on certain parts. His shoes were also looking a little dirty as he had been trekking through moist areas. Unlike his previous rescue adventure, Daniel chose to wear something different than the usual Park uniform. It was by choice. Hazel never wore a Park uniform and the staff were lenient with attire. He wasn't working in the Park right now; he was in the Late Jurassic.
In contrast to his visit to the Late Cretaceous, the Late Jurassic was dry; warm, but dry. Instead of a pseudo-marsh, he was in a large conifer forest. The ground was littered with debris, ferns, and small cycads. Had it not been for the agenda of today, he would have taken the time to fully explore this forest.
It was cloudy right now, with patches of dark grey clouds looming. Booms of thunder echoed from far in the distance, and it was closing in. This land was about to get rain after months of drought.
It had been about a week since the Late Cretaceous rescue. With Lilith now added to the Resident roster, the two Carnotaurus have calmed. Diablo was now protective of the female Carnotaur and she was slowly getting acclimated to life in the Park. However, out of safety and just to make sure the mating period has ended, the two Carnotaurs remain in their enclosure until they believe it has subsided. The Park was inclined to agree.
The Dracorex Knights were doing well in their new setting. Already, they're getting to know the other Residents in the Park, including the Resident carnivores. Daniel was in charge of handling the introductions, courtesy of Hazel as he needed to have some experience on it (plus she tagged along to help him out). While Lancelot and a few Dracorex were quickly getting used to their presence, a few of them would take a bit more time to open up, especially Lucan, Gawain, and Lamorak. Because of their drive to protect, they asked if they could do ground patrols around the Park. While they were now in the 21st century and very few natives would dare attack the Residents, it didn't hurt to make sure no intruders came along. The Park did little to stop them and allowed them to perform their patrols, provided they were informed of the few other Residents that like to do it.
The Velociraptors were a different story. Daniel came across them the day after they returned from their trip. Their enclosure was sizeable as it offered enough space for them to run around in. Actually, if it weren't for the metal barred walls they had to use, it would have been similar to the raptor enclosure in Jurassic World. It was outfitted with similar plants, a large pond, and ample places to rest. It was set up in a similar way too for the employees; there were two sets of walkways for them to go and observe them from above as well as safely lower their food.
They weren't too peachy keen with remaining in an enclosure. At separate times, they tried to break out and thus they all needed to be outfitted with Perimeter Collars temporarily...until they calmed down and got used to how things were in the Park. However, they were amiable towards being fed free food.
When Daniel and Hazel came across them, they sounded much like a Colombian Drug Cartel gang. They were rather respectful, but they got a glimpse of their bad side when one of them got a little greedy with their meal. They stole another pack member's share, which kicked off a frenzy. That thief got a little beating, which also led to Hazel radioing the vets to come and check on him. The wounds were superficial and would recover. The leaders were Osiris, and his mate was Innana. How these denizens knew about the names of ancient gods from mythology was beyond Daniel. His trainer told him to not question it; there were a lot of things that posed questions when it came to the Residents.
Because of how well he and Aeros did on that rescue, Hazel asked if they were ready for another one soon. Needless to say, the two of them were prepared for whatever mission they were about to go through. Daniel learned quite a bit during their last venture. Hazel mostly recovered from seeing Diablo and Lilith...doing their business, although if anybody mentions even a small detail about it, she would cut them off.
Which brought them to their current situation. With his camera set up and on record, Daniel began his video journal.
"Uh hi there," he waved.
"Hazel recommended I do something like this, so...heh, here I am. Let's see, it's Day 4 in the Late Jurassic. Hazel, my partner Aeros, Flia, and I went here to try and find a group of Brachiosaurus. Reason being is because we've noticed our friend Baylene, the only Brachiosaurus in the Park, looking a little under the weather. Hazel figured it's because she's the only one of her kind there, despite being friends with the other longnecks. That's understandable, hence why we're here now."
"Let's see...overall, our search for the past few days has been fruitless. Other than narrowly escaping some large carnivores, one of them Hazel said was a Torvosaurus, some smaller carnivores that ambushed us, and almost getting trampled by an Apatosaurus high on shrooms," he cringed, "yeah that really happened, we haven't found any Brachiosaurus. Oh yeah, that Apatosaurus that ate that red mushroom rolled down a cliff and broke its neck. It was pretty gruesome. Poor Hazel was shaken by that."
He shuddered, remembering the death in its eyes as it died from that tumble.
"Hazel told me she loves eating mushrooms with some foods, but after seeing that, I think she'll be off them for a while."
Daniel saw movement from his peripheral. Looking over to his right, he saw Aeros had perched himself on a log that was supported by a few large boulders. He was preening his wings.
"That's probably for the best," he offhandedly said after finishing with one wing. "Then again, I don't eat those things so what do I know?"
The man smirked and shot him a joke. "Maybe I should feed you a fish stuffed with a few sometime and we'll see what happens."
Aeros squawked in alarm, which was followed by a wary growl. "You better not or I'll drop you in the lake at dawn again."
Daniel made a small swiping motion of his hand as if he were pushing something. He wasn't in the mood to deal with his threats at the moment. "Relax, I'm just teasing."
He turned his attention back onto the camera. "Anyway, the girls went on ahead to scout the area. Actually, that's what we've been doing all day today. We got word that a lot of herds pass through this area during this time of year. I think it's their migration to their Feeding Grounds. I'm not sure. We're hoping we'll get some luck here."
The rookie flexed his arms, his muscles beginning to ache. He then heard and felt his stomach growling. Glancing down at it and then at the camera, he did his best to upkeep his professional facade.
"I hope they get back soon with the Brachs. I'm ready for some dinner," his thoughts went to eating a nice juicy steak at the bistro.
That was when he smelled smoke and the familiar scent of burning wood. His immediate assumption was Hazel starting a fire to cook some food. That pleased Daniel as all he had been eating for the last few days were fish and power bars, not that he was against them. He was just ready to eat something new.
"Hm...actually something smells smokey. Is Hazel grilling something? I hope she brought some barbecue," he looked around, trying to locate the direction of the smell.
That was when Aeros shrieked in alarm. Snapping over at his partner, he saw him with his wings outstretched and looking at the left.
"That's not food burning. Look!"
Doing that, he found where the smoke clouds were drifting from. Passed the trees in the distance were clouds of smoke. Even beyond those clouds was the faint orange yellow glow that went in a line. Daniel paled.
"Oh shit...it's a forest fire!"
"We need to get out of here or else we'll get fried to a crisp!" the Pteranodon warned.
Daniel stood up and went over to his camera. He placed his hand on it and lifted it up. "Sorry, I'm going to have to cut it short."
Right when he said that, the screen went dark. Daniel stored his device away, grabbed his supplies and reunited with Aeros. The two of them took off into the air to flee the oncoming blaze. The lightning from the thunderstorm behind them had ignited the forest.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Daniel had been on a lot of missions. One of them involved escaping a burning building after stealing a list from a target organization's database. Their data listed splinter facilities where their members were based. That particular organization worked as a Black Market of sorts, which not only included selling rare and endangered species illegally, but also to use them to sell their…parts…for medicinal use and decoration. It was disgusting. He was glad that the main facility was destroyed.
Now, with him and Aeros escaping a forest fire and seeing the destruction all around, the memories of that escape came fresh in his mind.
The once serene, pure air forest was now being consumed by a raging inferno. Creatures large and small fled away from the flames towards the open plains bordering the woods. Pterosaurs smaller than a Pteranodon zipped through the trees or above the treeline. Those that were fast on their feet and were good at avoiding obstacles had an easier time escaping. Those that were too confused by the chaos, took a wrong turn, or were too slow were caught in the flames.
Daniel and Aeros worked to lead the survivors to the open plains. At the same time, they were trying to figure out where the girls were. During their efforts to get everyone to safety, Hazel had called Daniel on his phone. He was amazed that her phone could do that despite the lack of satellites at the time. He was told it was because the phone she had was specially designed for her to contact others regardless of the temporal distance. She told him they found a Brachiosaurus herd and they were leading them to the plains beyond. Being so large, they needed more room to maneuver. Going through a forest with trees so close is a hindrance to them.
She also said a few Dryosaurus were following them. Knowing how Nigel is with his past rescues as well as Hazel right now, the additions came as no surprise. It was too chaotic to set up the Time Poles and the flames were quickly catching up. Hazel instructed the two of them to make for the plains where they will rendezvous.
Out speeding the fire would have been easy under normal circumstances. It was the forest itself that proved problematic. The tight-knit trees proved to be difficult for a large flyer like Aeros. They had to weave around them all just to avoid getting hit, which also slowed their progress. This really put Daniel's training to the test as he had to angle his body to keep up with the Pteranodon's turning. Lean with him and put the weight downwards, that was the key.
"Agh! Cluttered airways!" Aeros strained as he turned.
Suddenly, a large tree that barred their way after the sharp turn messed up the pattern. Aeros slammed into the trunk like a fly being swatted. The sudden vertical shift and the impact had caused Daniel to lose his grip. Like the Pteranodon, he free fell to the ground.
The man screamed. They were up pretty high by about 7 stories. His arms flailed as he tried to grab onto whatever branch he could. Past a certain point, there were no branches on the tree. If he went past that point, he would fall face flat; he would be in real trouble. Splinters pricked at his skin as he tried to grab for the nearest branch. Other branches broke under his weight.
Just when he was about to pass the last layer, his back collided with a large branch. Rather than break, it supported him. Daniel shook his head. Around him, pieces of tree debris fell. His head hurt from the wood sticking on them. He brushed off as much as he could, with the last few staying stuck on him. He winced when he tried to pull them.
Daniel shook his head. He'd have to fix them when he got back. Looking over the edge, he saw he was still fairly high up. The screaming of his friend got his attention too. Looking at Aeros, he too had fallen through some branches before one of them managed to get him leveled again. That allowed him to get back in flight. A few flaps and head shakes later, he was circling around the tree.
"Hey a little help here!?" he called out.
Doing that, Aeros circled to where he was. Once he hovered a reasonable distance from Daniel, the man balanced on the tree. The moment was right and he jumped. Aeros squawked as he sank a little, but he recovered. Daniel grabbed onto the reins and the two of them flew onwards, the heat of the flames now closer on their backs.
They wove through the trees, making sharp turns and spins. Below them, dinosaurs and other creatures fled, not noticing the giant pterosaur above their heads. It wasn't long before the army of trees turned into open plains. When it did, the Pteranodon shot into the sky and made a slight turn to see the devastation.
Had it not been for the flames, Daniel would have found this view to be astounding. The open plains had shrubs and primitive plants spanning the ground, with the occasional high-top greenery for the creatures with tall necks, or anyone else that can get to that height. The next forest area was a few miles out from their position, which looked like a green sea to him.
The few creatures with wings glided above the plains, relieved that they were able to escape. Anyone else that did manage to escape gathered in the Jurassic "grassland" to recuperate or they continued to run from the area. Looking at the destruction, Daniel was both horrified and amazed by how large the wildfire was. The air blew in their direction, which helped the fire travel towards the edge. Much of the forest behind the flames seemed to have mostly been spared.
It was when they heard a sonorous bellow that they got their first sign of hope. Over to their right, they saw a small group of Brachiosaurus charging into the open. Flitting just ahead of them and hovering before the exhausted sauropods was none other than Flia. On her back, hanging on tightly, was Hazel.
Together, they flew down to the girls. They hovered beside them and the two knowingly landed in front of the Brachiosaurus. Gathered around them, consoling each other or just catching their breaths, were a small group of Dryosaurus.
Hazel dismounted from Flia. Daniel did the same and the two of them met face to face. "I'm glad you guys got out safely."
The man turned his neck to fix a crick. "A little worse for wear. It was hard maneuvering around the trees."
Relieved they made it out in one piece, the leader of the operation swung her bag onto the ground and opened it. "I'm going to set up the portal. You guys make sure they're all accounted for."
That was when they heard a Dryosaurus come up to them, crying. Much like the other Dryosaurus, she had green scales with brown vertical stripes on her back. Her eyes were surrounded by blue scales in a circular pattern. The one thing she had that the other females had, besides a slim figure, was a yellow stripe that colored the top of her beak. The males had thicker muscles and had a red stripe over their beaks.
Alarmed, the four of them came over to see what had transpired.
"Help! My baby!" she wept, the bottom of her eyes now streaked in tears. Her eyes were borderline red as she had been crying out of fear and the new worry over her child. She gestured to the flames and back to them. "He's trapped in there!"
Flia reared her head back, her expression becoming serious. "What? He's in there?"
She let out a shaky gasp. Her sobbing was interfering with her breathing. "A tree fell between us. He doesn't know where to go. Please, you have to help!"
"What is your child's name?" the female Pteranodon inquired.
"Brio. Please help! He's the only family I have left!"
Daniel had no idea what came over him. A smart person wouldn't have done what he had just done. He sprinted towards the burning forest, unaffected by the rise in temperature nor the smoke in the air. He went against his own code of conduct. He wanted to argue with himself on what he was doing, but for some reason, what he was doing felt...right.
No. That's what this was. For so long, he had only been following orders. Hazel had shown him to follow his gut. Now, he was only doing what must be done.
He was doing the right thing.
"Daniel!" Hazel called out to him.
He turned, just a few feet into the flames. He saw her, aghast and horrified at what he was doing. Why was she acting that way? Surely, this is what she always does. Was she worried about him?
Having no time to argue, he replied with an order of his own. "I'll look for her child! Get the portal running and get everyone to the Park! Just keep it open for as long as possible!"
He ran in, ignoring the protests of the others outside.
It was hot there. Once again, he recalled that time he escaped that burning building. Nearly everything in there was in flames. One touch and he could get burned. The debris was on fire too; he needed to watch where he stepped.
Daniel coughed. The smoke was getting to his lungs. He lowered himself to stay out of the smoke's path. The only times he straightened would be to find where he was. Finding himself on a forked path, he called out the child's name.
"Brio!"
No answer. He took the right path and went onwards. He dodged flaming obstacles and jumped over already fallen logs. Finding a good stopping point, both to catch his breath and to call out for him, he tried again.
"Brio! Where are you!?"
Still, no answer. He shook his head. He wasn't here.
"I'm here! I'm here!" went a young boy's voice.
Daniel stopped. His head snapped towards the direction of a large ditch. Sprinting, he made his way until he was overlooking the edge. It was a large pathway, which seemed like a good spot to go if one was a runner and needed an express path towards the direction of the outside. However, there was a large tree that fell over that split in half. Even if one was a good climber, there wasn't an area to properly grip the trunk.
Running around frantically, half covered in dirt and soot, was a small Dryosaurus. He shared the colorations of his mother, except they were in a lighter hue, indicating his age. A faint red stripe ran over his beak.
The flames raged behind him. His back started to feel hot despite them being far from him. The flames were catching up to the youngling. It was a wall of fire that burned even the ground itself. If Brio touched that wall, it would be the end for him. He only had a few minutes to act. Daniel coughed, his vision was becoming blurry due to the conditions.
"Kid!" he coughed, getting the youngling's attention, "I'm here to get you out!"
Brio looked up, becoming curious at the newcomer staring down at him. "Who are you?"
"A friend of your mom's."
Seeing a nearby vine draped over a fern bush, he grabbed it. It stemmed from the large tree right next to it. Giving it a tug, he found it to be sturdy. The vine was long enough to stretch halfway down the earth wall. That was fine for Daniel, he just needed it to be long enough to get him close to Brio.
The human held on to the vine tightly and made his descent. The vine strained from his weight, but it did not give. His feet remained planted on the wall as he climbed down. The leveled walls and loose dirt made it hard for him to properly get a grip, but he kept going.
It was when he was at the last foot or so that he stopped. He was about 7-8 feet from where Brio was. The little Dryosaurus jumped to get to him, but was short by 4 feet. He started to cry frantically at his failures.
Daniel outstretched his arm. "Give me your arm!"
The youngling obliged and strained. However, he was too small and the human was too far for him. The mound that he stood on only gave him slight elevation. One wrong step and the youngling was sent back on the ground.
"Come on, kid! Reach!"
"I...I can't!" he whimpered. "The ground is too low and shaky!"
Daniel wasn't going to take that. Looking at the flames, they were closing in quickly. The dry debris and the wind gave it more speed.
"You can do it! Use the other rocks to help you up!" he hollered, gesturing to the pile of rocks close by.
Brio shook his head. "But they'll fall!"
"That's okay! Jump on them and then jump to me. You got this!"
The ornithopod whimpered. He took a few steps back and charged at the rocks. He placed one foot on one and then on the next boulder. As expected, his weight made the rock pile loosen, causing them to clutter off each other. Following Daniel's advice, he jumped at the last second towards the waiting human, his arm reaching for the human's hand.
Daniel grabbed onto the wrist. The iguanodont and the human both swung in an arc, with the human using his weight and feet to stop the swinging. The little dinosaur planted his feet on the wall, just like how Daniel did it.
"Hold on!" he told the child.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Despite her worry over Daniel's safety, Hazel proceeded to get the Brachiosaurus and the Dryosaurus through the already created portal. It's appearance created confusion among them, but that was to be expected. Together with Flia and Aeros, they guided the survivors through the temporal window.
The Brachiosaurus herd was small, only numbering 5. As for the Dryosaurus, they numbered 7. 12 potential rescues, with the potential of 13 if Daniel succeeds, seemed like a good accomplishment for a mission. That is, if all went well.
The leader of the Dryosaurus was Tikal. She was easy to persuade to get her group going. The Brachiosaurus were led by a female named Valia, who seemed to be a bit more hesitant. They had to work a bit to get them moving. One by one, the survivors passed the threshold, with the smaller dinosaurs running after them.
Lagging behind was the smallest of the sauropods. She was a youngling of about 15-20 years of age. Unlike the towering Baylene, she lacked any wrinkles and was a little thin despite her species. Hazel couldn't help but imagine Baylene like this in her younger years.
Flia flew down towards the teen's eye level and made circles around her.
"Come on Cari!" she ushered. "Just a little further!"
"Wha-what is that thing?" the adolescent sauropod asked in a frightened manner.
"It's a portal," Hazel ran up to her, the sauropod now looking down at the miniscule creature. "It will get you to safety. Don't worry, it's not going to hurt you."
"What is that beyond it?" asked Cari, seeing the lush green valley beyond.
"Our home," Hazel replied. "You'll be safe there. Now come on! Hurry!"
"Uh okay!"
With Cari ushered on and disappearing through the portal's threshold, all of the rescues had been accounted for. All except for the three of them, Daniel, the Dryosaurus mother, and her child, Brio.
The Pteranodons landed near the portal. The three of them looked back at the burning forest. They scanned the edges, hoping to see a lone human pass by. Only, they found no sign of him. The only thing they did find was a Dryosaurus female standing a mere few feet from the flames.
The trio made their way to her. Well, technically the Pteranodons decided to circle in front of the forest edge for any sign of them. It was Hazel that remained by the mother's side. The woman wrapped her arm around her back, her fingers stroking the studded skin gently as the dinosaur cried.
"He's gone! My baby is gone!" the mother wept, her head drooping low in sorrow.
Hazel became somber. Even though she wasn't a mother, she felt for her. She couldn't do much except remain by her side to console her. She was equally worried for Daniel; he has not appeared at all. Her stomach began to knot. His safety was her priority, he is technically her responsibility. When he ran into the forest, she was horrified. He just barged in there without giving it a second thought! And without her say-so!
He was just...he just left them all there! He's completely alone without any backup! It's not only dangerous, it's stupid!
Then again, she is like that too. She didn't know who she should blame; herself, or him. If something happened to him, he was her responsibility. She caused this to happen.
The Pteranodons met back up a few minutes later. The flaps of their wings brought small gusts down on the land-bound individuals.
"Any sign of them?" asked Flia.
"No," went a frustrated Aeros.
"Let's keep looking. We won't stop until we find them."
That was when she saw it. The figure was obscured by the flames for a moment, but Hazel saw it. It was a human a little taller than her. His outfit was covered in dirt and soot. Parts of his face were dark from the smoke sticking onto his skin. Running close by to him was a small Dryosaurus.
The two of them shot out of the burning forest right as a flare exploded behind them in a fiery jet. They had made it out.
She felt her heart lighten. Brio was safe. Daniel was safe. His on-the -fly plan succeeded.
The Dryosaurus mother gasped and ran to her child. The two of them nudged each other, taking in each other's warmth. Brio stroked his head against his mother's side while she gently stroked her paws and her beak on his back and neck.
"Mother!" Brio cried tears of joy.
His mother did the same. "My baby! My little baby!"
Past them, the soot-covered human slowed to a stop before Hazel. The two Pteranodons hovered above them still. The woman showed signs of relief, but it was beginning to be eclipsed by irritation and anger.
"Everyone's out!" he declared.
"Then let's wing it and head on home!" Flia proclaimed with a smile.
Hazel brushed the thought for now. They can handle it once they're back home. With Flia descending lower for her, she grabbed onto the straps and got herself situated. Daniel followed suit when Aeros did the same. The forest exploding behind them, all of them raced towards the portal. Their forms zipped through the threshold. When they all got in, the portal dissipated behind them.
Instead of feeling the heat of the blaze and the dry Jurassic air on their skin, they felt a cool and fresh breeze on them.
While Daniel was out rescuing little Brio, Hazel worked on adjusting the arrival coordinates in the Time Poles. Rather than going to the Holding Pens, which would have become catastrophic because of the Brachiosaurus, the portal took them to a designated section outside of the main hub. Here, there was enough space for the Brachiosaurus and the Dryosaurus to move about. The employees were already notified of their location and were already gathering there.
The 4 of them worked to reassure the new arrivals that they were there to check on them. The Dryosaurus were easier to deal with due to their small size. It was the sauropods that proved the challenge. The behemoths were each watching where they stepped to avoid stepping on the humans.
The sector they were in was a leveled area with hills that dotted all around it. It lay between the Valley Herd's grounds and the main hub, with the elephant stomping grounds bordering it. Fortunately, Mujaji's herd (or the male elephant herd for that matter) were not there at the moment, making this a little easier for them to deal with.
With Daniel and Aeros handling the brief introductions with the new arrivals at the moment, Hazel and Flia sought to take a little break. Choosing a good area away from the chaos, they landed swiftly. When Hazel dismounted from her saddle, Flia stretched her wings and purred. She made a few giant flaps before she folded them to walk on all fours.
As the woman was about to reach into her bag for her water bottle, she noticed another employee kneeling down with a camera in his hand. Recognizing him, she went over to the lone recruit and greeted him. Her call tore him away from his concentration and caused him to accidentally take a picture that would no doubt be blurry.
"Hazel! Hi! Sorry, didn't see you there."
"Hi Ian," she waved. "Taking pictures again, I see?"
The rookie chuckled. "Uh, yeah. I am. I couldn't help but try to record the moment. Anyway, I came here to tell you that Baylene's here. She heard the commotion and came to check things out."
Hazel smiled. The elder had impeccable timing. "Perfect. Where is she?"
Ian told her the whereabouts of her friend. Flia and Hazel flew on towards the designated location, just a little bit of a ways from where the new arrivals were. Slowly making her way towards the area of the new rescues was a lone Baylene.
The two of them circled around her head, catching the sauropod by surprise.
"Hey Baylene!" Hazel greeted.
"Oh my!" she gasped. "You two certainly know how to jar an old woman. What seems to be the problem?"
Flia giggled. "No problem! We actually have a surprise for you."
The Cretaceous Brachiosaur cocked her head. "Whatever do you mean?"
"Come and see!" went the pterosaur.
Together, they guided her towards the area outside the main hub. The chaos with the new arrivals and the humans had calmed. Now, they were merely admiring the new surroundings, or just recovering from the escape. Once Baylene climbed a hill, she took on the new sight. Her eyes went wide with shock. The two younger females hovered next to her head, observing her reaction.
"Great Maker on high..." she then stammered. "Are they-? Why they are-?"
"Brachiosaurus," Hazel finished for her. "Like you. We helped them escape a forest fire. Want to meet them?"
Baylene didn't need to answer that. She charged down the hill, her excited stampede caused the earth to shake. The other humans nearby as well as the Dryosaurus were all shifting on their feet as they tried to maintain balance. This got the other sauropods' attention, especially when Baylene let out a joyful bellow.
The other Brachiosaurs bellowed in return. They all charged up to the elder female and surrounded her. Their giant footfalls caused the earth to shake even more. They were all glad to see another Brachiosaur like them. The group corralled around her, inspecting her and exchanging their greetings in their own way. This involved neck craning, soft nudges from their legs and even tail entwining.
Even from where they were hovering, the girls could see Baylene was crying tears of joy.
"Oh my goodness! I can't believe it!" Baylene sobbed happily. "You-you really are like me!"
Amongst the group, it was the largest of them that approached the elder. Much like the Valley Herd's sole sauropod, this newcomer had an air of nobility. Their leader was female and was only a few feet shorter than Baylene. The female alpha bowed her head in respect as a greeting, which Baylene happily returned.
"Well, those two strangers were not lying about living in a place outside our time, and being friends with someone like us," she spoke like a court lady. "My name is Valia. I am the leader of our herd. Or...what's left of it."
With the oncoming sorrow on them, Baylene reacted with sorrow in kind, which was then replaced by quick reassurance. "Oh you poor dears! I am Baylene. Don't you worry, the ones that live here will take good care of you. Breathe the fresh air all of you, you will be safe here."
"That's a relief. Looking around, it looks like there's enough food for everyone."
That was when the elder's attention went to the smallest in the group. The little Brachiosaurus was scores shorter than her. The little one had been pawing at the ground, having not experienced grass before since grass wasn't present in their time period. Her foot drags caused a dirt slide track. When she looked up and saw they were all looking at her, she yelped and hid behind Valia's back, only to peek slightly at the elder. Baylene let out a chuckle.
Valia craned her neck over to the youngling and sweetly spoke to her. "Cari, it's okay. You can come out."
Her attention went to Baylene and looked rather embarrassed. "This is my little sister. She's a little shy."
That was when the youngling slowly came out of her hiding spot. Her gaze switched from the ground to Baylene and back. The last one, she managed to make eye contact with her.
"I'm...Cari. Nice to meet you," she spoke softly.
"Nice to meet you too, little one," Baylene greeted in response. Her attention then turned to the rest of the herd. "Come now everyone, I'm sure you are all feeling dry after that bout with the fire. There is a refreshing lake nearby where we can refresh ourselves. If you will all follow me..."
The elder sauropod led the group towards the nearby lake, a grin plastered on her face. Hazel felt pleased with herself and everyone that helped. She knew Baylene was more than happy; she was elated. Now, she wasn't the only Brach anymore. She wasn't alone.
Their job now completed, the two of them made their way back to the main hub of the Park. From what she heard on the radio on the way, the Dryosaurus were being led to the infirmary for a quick checkup. Some of them had obtained a few injuries during their escape from the flames. They were all superficial though and would recover in a short amount of time.
When they arrived, Hazel asked about the whereabouts of Daniel and Aeros. They were led to the other side of the Park, near where the Allosaurus enclosure was. Seeing Daniel wiping his face with a clean towel (and Aeros getting a well deserved drink from a bowl nearby), Hazel approached the man and punched him on the shoulder. Her anger had returned.
The man yelped and grimaced. His hand held onto the part of his shoulder that now hurt. "Ow! What was that for!?"
"For worrying me, stupid!"
"Hey, I was only doing what you would do. I followed my gut and did what I thought was right. Everyone made it out alright and the mission was a success."
Hazel clenched her fists. "Except you made me worry about you!"
The man put his hands up in reassurance. "Well, sorry for doing that."
That was when Flia chuckled and leaned down to Hazel's side. "Oh good, now you're getting a taste of your own medicine."
Put off by the snarky comment, Hazel growled and then huffed. She folded her arms and looked away. There were times her friends were worried about her for doing something risky. Now it looked like fate was giving her some much-needed payback. She hated it, but she saw the point in it. The only consolation she got was Daniel was safe and it saved her from a more precarious situation.
Deep down, she was also glad he was okay. Her attraction to him was flaring up again.
Her cheeks red with embarrassment and irritation, she strained to properly congratulate him.
"Well I'm...glad you're...safe. Good job."
That was when Daniel did something that broke the guard she put up. He approached her and embraced. Hazel gawked. Her heart fluttered madly. His body was so warm, both from the heat of the day, the rescue, and the fact that he was a literal walking furnace. His skin was soft despite being muscular. He smelled like the sun, albeit it was mostly masked by smoke. However, she did pick up the scent of something spicy at the same time. Was that Old Spice?
As he hugged her, she saw Flia looking quite proud of the moment. As for Aeros, he was hiding a few snickers. She couldn't tell if he was amused by them hugging or if he was happy that Daniel made this move first. Either way, this didn't sit well with Flia as he was reacting poorly. She swiped her wing on his head, which led to him to wince as well as stop. While Hazel was too preoccupied with the fact that Daniel was hugging her, she was glad Flia got her back on that one.
When he pulled away from her, her insides subsided a little.
"Thank you," he told her. "I had a good teacher."
Hazel beamed. Though it was more on the fact that he was very close to her than on the compliment she got. The moment was interrupted when Daniel's stomach rumbled.
The rookie looked down at it and then back at her. His face was sheepish.
"Okay, enough of this. I'm ready for dinner."
Neither of them argued against that. Food was what they deserved after a successful rescue. The two humans packed food from the bistro for takeout so that they could dine with their friends over at Old Gotama's Grove. The hearty meal was an appropriate reward.
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After the meal, the four of them parted for the night. Having already showered and brushed his teeth, he dressed in a white T-shirt and green pajama shorts.
The dinner itself was just a friendly get-together, but during that time, he mused to himself that it seemed like a double date. They all shared laughs, especially on what Hazel heard about Zini and Aya. They basically got grounded by Yar and were confined to the Great Tree until they learned their lesson. The two lemurs could only go off on their own if Yar or Plio were there to keep an eye on them.
Needless to say, it was a good dinner. However, he had one last thing to do before he clocked in for the night. Now that he had ample media evidence (especially since he just broke into the Rey's workshop and retrieved the GoPro he used, which still had the footage of both rescues), he clipped a number of them and added them into a flash drive he had on hand. For the next hour or so, he worked to prepare the message. Now uploaded with the other media he collected, he was ready to send them to Director Rain.
He sat there, reviewing the email he created for any errors or additions that needed to be made.
"Director Rain,
I don't have much to say except I have managed to obtain enough evidence of the activity that happens in this place. What you are about to see will no doubt shock you.
Nigel and Jacob have done more than discuss the creation of a sanctuary for endangered species. This sanctuary is a haven for creatures from prehistory. Using technology unknown to the rest of the world, they have managed to invent the means to Time Travel. That's what happens here in the Park. People trained by Nigel and his team would go back in time to find and rescue prehistoric beasts 'to give them a second chance' as they say. The show that Nigel and his friends starred in, Prehistoric Park (I'm not sure if you've heard of that), it's all true.
Call me crazy if you want, but the attachments say everything.
The staff here at the Park use special pieces of technology called Time Poles to travel to different points in time. They all use procedures to map down time coordinates to not only log them, but also to prevent any chance of creating paradoxes. It would seem that while they understand Time Travel, they are still learning more about it to this day.
I actually participated in a rescue mission after I passed my training. Our target was a female Carnotaurus meant to be a mate to the male Carnotaurus in the Park. The mission was...illuminating. And that is an understatement. Getting the female was critical as Diablo, the male Carnotaurus, was in his own version of the Rut, which is what certain tusked and horned animals go through. Apparently, the condition makes the males go into a testosterone rage and they have a hard time discerning friend from foe during that period. The Park had an idea on how to contain him should the mission fail, but they didn't want him to suffer any more than he should. Currently, they are recuperating and are getting along rather well in the new situation.
The other thing I want to note is the people here have developed a way to communicate with these creatures. They use special Communicators that translates whatever the creatures are saying into English, which is the universally used language here. How the Communicators work is something I am finding a hard time understanding. If I manage to get the schematics, I will let you know.
The Residents of the Park here are more than just animals. They are sentient and the humans know it. They all live together, side by side, cut off from the world. Every day, both sides learn something new about each other. And Nigel and his friends have more rescues planned in the near future. Like people, the Residents are quite colorful. There are friendly ones and there are a few that are a nuisance. The concept of herbivore and carnivore as enemies is at most miniscule here. The people feed the carnivores as a way to make sure they did not go after anyone else as prey. In fact, they all live together, regardless of the natural boundaries they lived with for the majority of their lives. Most of them do not live in cages; they only go to their enclosures to sleep, with the exception of a number of them. There is even a section of the valley where they could all congregate and socialize. It is quite fascinating.
I learned much during my time here. Hazel taught me a lot. As she is in line to take over leadership over the Park, she is a key element in this investigation. Through appropriate discussion, we can learn more about this place than what they let on.
However, I am just a simple messenger for the SAGES. I'm not sure what you have in store in regards to this Park. I've done my part in delivering you the evidence you need to see. Prehistoric Park is a secret haven with classified means of helping it run. The upscale in funds in regards to the sales outside the Park all stem from the Residents; not only are they large, but they are many.
I await your further orders.
Regards,
Agent Rimbauer"
Daniel didn't see anything wrong with the message. It looked ready to be sent. He hovered his mouse icon over the send option.
That was when he stopped. The memories of the last few days flooded his mind. He remembered the thrill of the rescues, the fact that he flew on Aeros and they bonded in the process, the laughs they shared...and Hazel. He remembered how she operated, the way she was knowledgeable in prehistory, and how savvy she was in her dinosaur element, despite the danger she was in. The way she dressed also showed how stylish she was, especially with the feathers in her hair. It looked good on her.
He...wanted to get to know her better. Ever since he started working with her, he felt himself being drawn to her. He couldn't help it, and he was fine with that. However, if he sent this message now...
Daniel hovered over the discard option and trashed it. The message disappeared from his draft folder. This place showed him more than he expected. He couldn't tell the SAGES about this place, not yet. He wanted to learn more about it.
Closing his laptop, he settled himself in his bed. For most of the night, he lay there, his thoughts only on Hazel. He couldn't stop thinking about her. She was like a gnat that wouldn't leave a piece of food alone. It was frustrating, maddening, torturous...and he liked it. Everything about her, he liked. If he didn't do something about it, he knew he would regret it. Those thoughts won't leave him alone until he does something about it.
He knew what he needed to do. He needed her to know what was happening to him. From their short time together, he was getting the notion she may be feeling the same way. The two of them were failing to upkeep their professionalism. However, he hoped she would reciprocate it and not be out of general friendly respect. Despite what he went through before, Zini advised him to move forward from his past.
Now was as good a time as any. While he had something against the lemur for how he told him and his pieces of advice, he saw there was some logic to it. It couldn't hurt to try again.
His mind made up, he closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.
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The next day, a calm came over the park. Well, as calm as it could be with its new arrivals and the ones that came from the rescue before that. The sauropods and the Dryosaurus were slowly getting acclimated to the notion that they were no longer in their home time periods as well as living with carnivores. As expected, they were not very comfortable with the idea of living with creatures that could kill them at any moment. Nevertheless, they will get used to it in time.
The Velociraptors were the ones causing the spike in excitement. They already eased up in their behavior and were permitted to roam the premises, provided they had escorts with them to prevent them from going wild when seeing prey. In this case, they had a few tyrannosaurs on their case. While they were roaming around, they happened upon Rascal and his Troodon pack. The meeting...didn't go very well. As it turns out, the two packs quarreled over territory rights and who was the better of the two from the get-go. Rascal and Osiris started it off, their personalities clashing from the first moment. To both groups, it seemed like they were invading each other's territory. That did not bode well. A turf feud began.
It took the combined efforts of the tyrannosaurs and a few keepers that were nearby to break up the argument. If it escalated any further, the Park would have experienced a turf war, which would possibly lead to another crisis. While no blood was shed, they were still on each other's case. Bob had to work on a roaming schedule for the packs so they wouldn't meet up with each other the next time. He also needed to figure out the placement of the raptor enclosure. It needed to be as far away from the Troodons as possible.
Other than the feud and the new arrivals getting used to the Park, life goes on. More recruits were on the way to their final exam date. At the moment, Daisy, Ellis, and Nero himself, were overseeing their progress during one of Nero's scheduled bootcamps. Basically, with how well Nero did with training the Crew, his methods were approved for the Park as long as they were made to match the capacity for a human to handle. Basically, the new recruits were going through what the Crew went through, minus the whole issue with the climate barring their way.
Due to the number of recruits showing promise in their training at nearly the same time, the Crew thought it would be more efficient to group them up. Among those being tested were Anneli Olofsson, Ian Grady, Asami Ania, Amanda Raynor, and Marble Miroslav. Of all the training regimes Nero was putting them through, they were having the most difficulty with the rock relay. While they had ample stamina, the rocks were really putting them to the test.
Despite the harrowing first meeting that occurred, the two Carnotaurs are still on their honeymoon. Now that their sexual tension is being sated, they have regained their sense of reasoning and are thus not attacking anything uncontrollably. This is the first time either of them had a mate in a long time, and a complete first for Prehistoric Park of the possible chance of having a Carnotaurus family.
This is also the first time in a long time that Lilith has encountered a large Carnotaurus, especially a male. It certainly has been some time since one was able to subdue her. Upon encountering this red behemoth, Diablo, and him being able to best her, she was more than impressed. It means he is able to fight those that are as strong as him and it shows he can defend his family.
Among their kind, it's up to the couple if they want to stay together or go their separate ways. It all depends on a number of factors, from the environment, to the condition of the couple, to how they're feeling. In Lilith's case, her previous two mates were already deceased; one died from illness and the other met his end by one of the giant herbivores, like the ones with the long necks. She had heartache when she lost them, but she learned to move on. Now, she had a feeling this new mate of hers won't be leaving her side anytime soon, something she was more than welcome to.
While they are in the honeymoon phase, the Carnotaurs were given some much needed privacy from the park. All Residents were warned to keep away from the couple during this time. From what they gathered from them, specifically Lilith who managed to convey the warning, male Carnotaurs tend to be very territorial in this stage. Any Resident that did not heed the warning or any keeper that remained too long were chased out by the ornery male. There is a reason for this; male Carnotaurs need to chase away any rivals as well as defend their mate (and if any, their new family). The keepers still come to their enclosure, but only to deliver food or do some hasty cleaning. Of course, Diablo was in charge of determining their length of stay.
These keepers, humans as Diablo told her, were quite the conundrum. Lilith had never seen these creatures before. The first two being the male and female she encountered during her Heat phase. They're not dangerous from what she gathered, but they could be if pushed to that state. Diablo warned her about that, but she wanted to know more as he was rather vague about it. Still, she found them slightly amusing. In her eyes, they were more like exotic pets. Maybe once things calm down a bit, she can properly introduce herself. After all, she did allow those smaller carnivores to tail her before she came here.
Diablo's little section of the valley was pretty sizable, though it looked like it had seen better days. She was informed by her mate that he partially destroyed it due to his "ritual tension". Trees were uprooted or snapped in half here and there, bits of rocks were broken, and parts of their boundaries needed reinforcement. Lilith wondered why this place needed boundaries, but she assumed it was to keep the intruders out. Diablo also mentioned the humans would plant more trees once they're calmer.
Right now, Lilith is resting after another round of "bonding". A roar erupted from the other side of their abode, waking her from her slumber. A series of footsteps later and she found her mate approaching with what appeared to be a skinned carcass of some kind in his jaw. He gently dropped it before her and then went over to take his place by her side. The male affectionately nuzzled her on the cheek, which she gladly returned.
"Hm...this will take some getting used to," she rumbled in a sultry tone.
Diablo made a low growl. "Me giving you food?"
"Humph, no," Lilith eyed her new surroundings, from the mountains, to the grass, to the sky and air. "I mean, being in this new place. I've never seen the food before. This land and the time is unfamiliar to me. Some creatures here I recognize, but most of them I do not. And a number of them, especially those humans, seem to treat you with respect. Such a thing is unheard of in our kind."
"That's because this is a different time," he answered. "Things are different here. I will admit, it took me a while to get used to. But what you're experiencing is a complete opposite of what I went through. I wouldn't say all of them are treating us with respect. They're still giving us a wide berth, and not because of our 'bonding time'."
The green huntress eyed him curiously. "Oh? What do you mean?"
Diablo sputtered. He looked away, seeming as if he was bothered by something. He tried to get some words out with some effort, which slightly amused the female. "I uh...may have caused some chaos here in the past."
"Hahahaha! You may have? Such a troublemaker you are! What caused you to scare them so?"
The horned male frowned. His gaze met the ground as he took on a somber expression. "I'd rather not talk about it. Not quite yet."
Lilith became surprised at the sudden sorrow her mate showed. She wondered what had happened to cause him to go crazy in the past. Something bad must have happened that affected him greatly. However, she did not want to press him on the subject if it was too sensitive. It was best to allow him to come out on his own time.
"I see. Alright, you don't need to press further on it if you don't want to," she told him.
Diablo snorted and gazed back at her. "One day, I will tell you."
Satisfied that she got her point across, she decided to go on another topic that had been hanging on her head. In this case, the food item before her.
"So uh...this food," she gently nudged it with her snout. "What is it called?"
"The humans call it a 'cow'. It's some kind of a mammal from this time. Go ahead and take a bite."
Lilith stood up and went over to the red carcass. It looked like the inside was cleaned out and it was missing the hide as well as the other limbs, even the head. However, it was covered in blood, as shown by the blood trail left by her mate when he came to her. She licked it and found the carcass to be a little warm.
The female pressed a foot on it and dove in. She grasped one part of it and worked on a portion of the ribs. Surprisingly, the bit she chose came off easily. It was a good mouthful, not too big, not too small. Rearing her head, she bit down on the portion. Her jaw crunched the bones and her teeth made short work of the flesh. The blood, still warm, soaked the inside of her mouth. Streams of that blood dripped down, but she didn't mind. Their kind were messy eaters.
A few gulps later and her portion was already gone. She eyed her mate, knowing he was watching her the whole time.
"Well? What do you think?" he asked.
"Hm...tastes a bit like a spike-thumb but it does have a flavor to it. I can't seem to place it," she described her experience with the new food.
"That's what I think too. It does taste like Iguanodon, perhaps having the same texture too. As for the flavor, the humans said some kind of nonsense I couldn't understand so I just leave it alone."
"Nonsense?" she questioned.
"I don't know," he mused. "Something the prey eats? I'm not sure."
"Hm...well, it's still good. Care to join me?" Lilith invited her mate.
Diablo snorted. "I already had my share. The humans gave us two. I brought that here as I didn't want you to get up for it. But if you insist, I suppose I can indulge a little more."
The two carnivores gorged in on their 21st century treat. However, neither of them knew that their territory was being invaded. It was not a predator, but a human. Cameron Flash. He had snuck through the fence and into the enclosure, ignoring all warnings. His mission? Record the new couple during their honeymoon. He wanted to get some footage of them and send them to Nigel, hoping to get a bit of a raise. After all, they are a completely new species they've never encountered before.
Once he got close to them, he took cover in the nearby brush. It was a cluster of large ferns and a stout palm tree. Once he was situated, he brought out his camera and started to record. The two carnivores were making short work of their prey, but were mostly enjoying each other's company.
As soon as he zoomed in, however, Diablo reared his head up and sniffed the air. He suddenly turned in his direction. The predator scowled and bared his teeth.
"Oh shit," he whispered. "I think he sees me."
The bull Carnotaur roared, charging in a full sprint. Cameron high-tailed it out of there, the giant predator close on his heels.
"Okay okay sorry! I'll come back later!"
The chase went on until he passed through the fence. Diablo roared at the fleeing human before returning to where his mate was. "Stupid humans. Can't they give us some privacy?"
It was definitely going to be like this for a while.
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While the Carnotaur couple were settling into their new chapter in life, two of the Crew's numbers were over at the Marine section. Chris was overseeing the status of the marine-bound Residents in their new home. Sedna had recently given birth to 2 babies, both of them were girls. After she was rescued, the vets performed an ultrasound and discovered she had babies swimming inside her. Plesiosaurs, like other marine reptiles, were viviparous, meaning they give birth to live young. It was amusing because a few of the rookie keepers had already brought in a carrier ready to keep eggs in so the vets could properly analyze them, much to the vets' frustration. Chris had to correct them about it. Even he knew marine reptiles gave birth to live young.
With him was none other than Hazel. She came to this part of the Park because she wanted to assist with the tasks here. If she was going to be the Park's future leader, she needed to get acclimated to the new section. That and she needed someplace to think that wasn't close to where Daniel was.
After they finished helping around the area (it went by quickly that day so they decided to relax on the shore), they went about reminiscing how things have changed since they were teamed up. Prehistoric Park had become more than a sanctuary for prehistoric rescues. It became a secret world hidden from the outside. And with the Partner Program in full swing, it heralded a new age for humans and nature's living relics. This whole place felt like it was out of a storybook.
Before Hazel came along, nobody expected the creatures to be sentient and be able to communicate. Now they had the means to break that barrier. They learned so much from the Residents ever since they started living here. Everyone here made huge strides in understanding the prehistoric world in this hidden sanctuary. If they can get the show up and running, the whole world would begin to understand too while everyone would still believe it all to be fiction.
Chris was crouched on the shoreline, allowing the waves to wet his legs. The same went for Hazel, except she remained standing. The smell of the salty air and the soft breeze eased her inner stresses, although mildly. As they reminisced about times' past, Chris brought about a more pressing matter to the young adventurer.
"So how are things between you and Daniel?"
Taken aback by the sudden mention of Daniel, Hazel stammered.
"Wha-what!?" she facepalmed. "Oh come on, not this again."
"What? At least it's not to a large group. Besides, it's just the two of us. I'm not one to root anybody out of spite. I won't tell anyone."
Those words relaxed Hazel. Looking around, she could see he was right. The Marine Residents were deeper into the shallows, going towards the open ocean. There weren't any keepers walking on their side of the shore. None of their pterosaur friends were around either. Contemplating their circumstances, she didn't see anything that would spark any more embarrassment. Besides, while she and Chris had issues in the past, the two of them mellowed out. They learned to work with each other plus they practically live under the same roof. They're practically family.
Not to mention he was one of the few human guy friends she had that was close to her age. She supposed letting him in on it wouldn't be a problem...provided he upholds the secrecy.
She sighed and let her guard down. "Fine…Daniel is doing well…for a rookie. He just did those two rescues, if you haven't heard."
"I know that, but I mean just with the two of you. Are you…you know…going steady? Did you even ask you out?"
Again, she went rigid. She never liked it whenever she was asked questions regarding her romance. She always found them to be uncomfortable.
"I…no on either account. We never spoke about that."
Then, Chris asked the titular question. "Do you like him?"
Hazel really wanted to just run in the forest and hide. This was putting her out of her comfort zone. She rather hated this hot seat moment. It was like someone was reading her private diary (if she had one to begin with) and she was the diary! The last time she went through something like this was in high school! She thought she would have been over the uncomfortable feelings of it but apparently not!
The woman struggled to get her answer out. In doing so, she found herself blushing terribly. Taking a moment to calm down, she finally got her reply out, albeit in a sheepish manner.
"Um…well, he is kind of cute…"
This sparked Chris' curiosity. "So is that a yes or-"
Hazel clenched her fists, her anger rising once again. "What do you think it is!? Do I need to spell it out?"
The head keeper in-training yelped, his bum landing on the water that just rushed in. His bottom half was now drenched in seawater. He groaned at his new condition. The good news was he didn't have any of his electronics on him. They were resting in his bag, which was hanging on a nearby tree. He would have regretted it if he didn't secure them.
"Whoa! Geez lady, I just asked a simple question."
Seeing her mistake, Hazel looked away with insecurity. "Sorry…it's just…I'm not good with stuff like this. To be honest, I've been trying to hide it for a while."
The man, though drenched, decided to go into a seating position rather than crouch again. His legs had been bent for a while and stretching them now seemed beneficial. Had Hazel been inclined to, she would have sat down as well. But she'd rather not at the moment. Looking over, she saw him place his hands in the water and slowly wave them as he perused his thoughts.
"Yeah I can see that," he glanced at the woman who was coming out about her thoughts. "Let me guess, the last one traumatized you?"
Hazel sighed. "You can say that, yeah."
Chris frowned and then shrugged. "Well, don't let that bother you. This is different. Whoever hurt you before, they're gone now."
He then stood up so he could look her straight in the eye. The water splashed back onto the beach, his shorts and legs still drenched with the cool seawater. Hazel could see how resolute he was by his gesture. She learned to read her teammate; while he came across as reserved and aloof most of the time, he can open up when it came to his friends. He looked stoic yet showed enough compassion to not be stiff.
That stare he gave off hit Hazel effectively. Knowing he wouldn't quit on her, she let him in on more of her thoughts.
"Okay…I…kind of like him," she glanced at the ground, her feet playing with the water as a sign of guilt. "I've been thinking about it since we did Lilith's rescue. Actually, it was kind of before that but I brushed it off as best as I could. Employees can't exactly date each other."
"They can," he replied. "There's nothing wrong with it."
He was right. There wasn't anything wrong with employees dating. However, as a teenager, she often heard her grandparents mention that it wasn't a good idea to talk about relationships in the workplace. They told their grandchildren that while there wasn't an issue with being in a relationship while working, it wasn't professional for employees to say they were dating each other. Companies would view that as informal and biased restrictions would come up. That was what she always stuck with.
On top of that, they tried to enforce the "no dating before college" rule, though for Hazel, that didn't stick with her. She and her grandparents got into an argument about that. Though, she should have at least taken their words into consideration now that she thought about it. Her past relationships weren't that good anyway.
She let out a breath, her mind still on that opinion. "It's not professional."
Chris lightly chuckled, something that made the frustration in Hazel go up. However, she quelled it as she didn't want this conversation to go south. He was only trying to help.
"This is Prehistoric Park, not some high-end company or the FBI. It's not like a relationship will screw the park over. Your jobs aren't on the line. I mean, I know a few employees that are dating and there isn't some big issue going on with them. I don't remember Nigel or the others posting any rules banning the staff from dating."
Once again, he had a point. She did notice there were employees dating, though she always stuck with her opinion. After hearing Chris' opinion, she started to rethink what she was taught. This wasn't some snotty company. Prehistoric Park wasn't like that. Sure, they had standards and rules, but they weren't high-end. Perhaps she has been a little stiff on that.
"Alright, fine," she finally agreed, letting go of what she believed in for so long. "Still…I'm not really sure how to approach him."
"Do you think he likes you?" he inquired.
"That I'm not quite certain about. I mean, maybe? We did open up to each other. We are pretty good as a team. We've got similar tastes. He seems to admire me, especially during Lilith's rescue. He did say he liked how I did certain things."
Chris snapped his fingers and did a gun point at her in a chill manner. "Ah, that may be a sign. It looks like you two are still figuring things out and borderline really feeling it for each other."
Hazel took that as a promising sign. Thinking more on his behavior, she recalled more events that pointed towards the rookie showing interest in her. "Then during the Late Jurassic rescue recently, when we got everyone out of that forest fire, I got really worried about him, and pretty angry that he pulled that stunt to just dive into the fire to get a young Dryosaurus out."
The man laughed, not outwardly loud, but loud and prominent enough to prod her. "Sounds like someone I know."
Her eyes narrowed. She felt like shoving him in the water for that. "Hey that's not the point," she controlled herself and continued. "Anyway, after I berated him, he apologized for worrying me and he hugged me."
"There we go. That's a sign. I think he likes you."
Hazel felt her insides warm up. Her stomach fluttered once more. If she had wings, she would have flown from the spot. The idea that he likes her made her want to swoon. However, she wasn't like that. In addition, going by words and assumptions won't cut it for her. What Chris was saying was only a good guess. He's only going off what he was being told.
"The way I see it," he pondered with his hand holding his chin, "I think you two need to talk it out, but he needs to make the first move."
The Asian gasped. As much as that sounded logical, she was shocked that it was now at that point. Is Chris expecting her to pull Daniel aside? Wait, that wouldn't make sense as Chris did just say Daniel needs to make the first move. This was getting more stressful than she expected.
"What!? Are you crazy!?" she exploded in righteous surprise.
"Yeah!" He responded in kind. "Why not? You two seem to be getting close. Sooner or later, he'll pull you aside and want to talk to you about it. Generally, it's the guy that starts it off."
Hazel rubbed her temples with her fingers. A stress headache was beginning to show itself.
"This won't go well."
Chris rolled his eyes. "Only if you think that way. You don't know for sure. For now, keep getting to know him. Look, don't be afraid to open up or else you'll miss something amazing and regret taking that chance. Go hike somewhere, get dinner together, watch a movie or something. I don't know, do whatever you two would like to do together."
The woman went through the thought motions. She has been opening up to Daniel ever since he was assigned to her. However, she hasn't fully opened up to him on everything about her. She didn't want to say anything that would push him away. Besides, if they were…together…then she would feel better to open up more. This was all confusing for her. It had been ages since she was in a relationship. Hazel wasn't sure how to approach this. What if she messes it up on the first go? He may never want to speak to her again.
"What if we're both wrong?" she asked Chris. "What if he doesn't like me?"
He scrunched his lips and shrugged his shoulders. "If it doesn't work out, then that's the way it is. You two seem to be good people; talk things over and whatever way it goes, at least you both get your answer. Work things out so it'll still be on a good note. Sure it'll feel awkward for a while, but you'll get over it."
Hazel fell quiet. She hoped it wouldn't go that way. Her mind went through the outcomes on whether it goes well or not. She stopped quickly when she realized she didn't want to psyche herself too much. Hazel didn't know what would happen once it got there. Getting her hopes up only for it to not turn out the way she wants will hurt her. She'll fall hard. The best thing she can do is wait and see what happens, like what Chris said.
Turning towards the ocean, she saw the marine Residents circle around their vicinity again. The plesiosaurs swam in the surf alongside the Ophthalmosaurus. The fish-like creatures weaved through the waves and jumped in arcs. A few of them did spin jumps and somersaults in the middle of their tricks. Two of them were racing each other to see who would reach the nearby islands. It was amazing to look at, which provided a good distraction for Hazel if only for a moment.
"Hey," Chris got her attention again. He was showing more enthusiasm than before, only to try to cheer her up. "You've got nothing to lose. You got to live a little. After all, life would be boring without thrills. Just make sure to let him make the first move. It won't go well if you do it first. And don't think you're on a tight schedule. When it comes to romance, there's no time limit."
A thought crossed her mind. It was one that made her think about how Chris knew about this. Wanting to solve the mystery, she voiced her question.
Her eyes narrowed. "You seem to be very well-versed in this."
"Eh…I've had my fair share of screw-ups with love. I learned from them," he admitted.
Ah, that's what it was. He must have been in a few relationships himself and he was more understanding of them than she was.
Thinking more on it, she was glad she was talking to Chris for advice. Something like this required a woman's touch, most of the time at least. If the situation were different, she would have approached her mother about it. However, since Chris was the one that brought it up, it was quite opportune. Besides, if she needed insight on how a guy, a human guy, operated, she could talk to Chris. He seemed sensible. Sure, she could approach any other guy for advice, but for now, Chris seemed like the best one to go to.
Chris crouched back on the sand, his hands slowly swishing under the water surface again. His eyes were focused on the horizon. "Anyway, just see where things go and live in the moment."
Hazel nodded. This was her chance to try again. Daniel could be a good match for her. She can't go on thinking he likes her unless she gets a full answer. Sure, she won't get it immediately and she wants to wait until she's entirely certain, but he has a point. Sooner or later, she's going to have to come out and say it. Her mind made up, she decided to wait until he made his move. However, if it goes for too long, she would have no choice but to step in.
As she contemplated that plan, her trance was broken when she felt something cold drench part of her face. A bit of seawater had gone up her nose, stinging her sense and making her recoil in discomfort. Clutching her nose, she turned to where the water came from. Laughing on the shoreline was a mischievous Chris. He had splashed some water up her way while she was deep in thought.
"CHRIS!" she screamed at him.
"Live a little!" was all he said.
Hazel wanted to get some revenge on him. What started out as returning splashes at each other turned into an impromptu game of tag. Hazel had to secure her electronics in her pockets off to the side to avoid breaking them, both in sand and surf. They tackled each other on the sand, which then transitioned back towards the water. They laughed as they tried to get back at each other for their attacks.
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After getting his daily tasks done, Daniel borrowed one of the Park's jeeps to get to the Marine area of the Park. The whole time he had been here, he didn't quite have a chance to explore that area. He only heard that was where marine Residents would be residing, once the Park got to rescuing some. It was a considerable distance from the main area. That was also where he heard Hazel was. He asked someone about her whereabouts. In return, he asked what his business was. Daniel's response was he "got an idea" they could work on. He would have called her, but preferred to speak to her in person to get her reaction. Thankfully, that excuse was accepted.
The whole day, all he could think about was her. Try as he might to focus on work, he just couldn't stop thinking about her. Because of that, he made some embarrassing mistakes during the day, like switching the Ornithomimus feed with Espantos' steak slabs and tripping on his words when someone asked him a question. Then there was that one time when Bob approached him to ask him to do something and he called her "Hazel". That was very embarrassing for him. Bob took that well as he couldn't stop snickering throughout the day. Daniel, on the other hand, was preserved once he got the task done as he retreated as far away from him after that.
The drive to the Marine area was quite long. He had to drive near the borders of the Park to get to the route towards the coast. That gave him ample time to think about what to tell Hazel. Along the way, he couldn't help but admire the scenery. Like the Late Cretaceous, it seemed like he was in a jungle setting of sorts, complete with ferns. The only difference was there were patches of grass in certain areas. The river that led to the beach was his main guide since the path bordered right next to it.
Because this area was still part of Prehistoric Park, there were Residents that came here to feed or relax. Some of them were exploring the new setting. One sight he came across was a Gorgosaurus coming back from his exploration. In his jaws was a dead hyena. He towered over a group of employees who were no doubt giving him a talk about his hunting habits. Daniel had no idea what was going on, but he guessed this carnivore was on patrol and just so happened to find this hyena wandering a little too close to the Park. Either that, or he got a little too curious and wanted to see what they tasted like.
Daniel had to take care of driving around the Residents. Especially since some of them were crossing the path towards the coast. That one instance where he drove underneath the tails of a group of Iguanodons as they drank from the river was risky...considering his placement at the time.
Besides passing by the Residents, Daniel came across native wildlife on the way. He saw a leopard with two cubs pass his way, a small herd of impala coming to the river to drink, and even a couple of wild dogs resting under tree shades. He figured since the Park was bypassing its original boundaries, they will need to work by coexisting with the locals. Nothing the higher-ups couldn't handle as well as getting it by the Residents.
During the drive, Daniel happened across the Marine area facility. It was a good distance from the river. Since he was in the Park, he figured he could pass by and see what it was like. There were buildings here, much like the ones back at the Park. There were barracks for the employees to rest in, a bistro, storage warehouses, other facilities the employees needed, and even a recreation center for them. The few employees he saw that were on break were relaxing on outdoor recliners under the sun as if they were on vacation. He supposed a place like this would have that effect on people.
Finally he arrived at the beach. Coming out of the jeep, he walked the rest of the way. The dirt transitioned into white sand. Palms swayed in the wind. The smell of salty mist hit him hard. The sound of waves crashing echoed from beyond. He was in awe at the place; the fact that this beach was part of the Park was more of a privilege than business. It was beautiful, just like the beaches he saw in his family photos when they were in the Philippines. He wouldn't mind taking a day off to relax here.
That was when he heard laughing. Looking over to his right, he expected a couple of Residents or staff having fun on the surf. His content face turned into horror when he saw who was there. Daniel felt something stab him, as if a knife pierced his heart.
He saw Hazel there, playing with Chris. The two of them were laughing and chasing each other along the shore. He backed towards the tree line for cover, making sure none of them saw him. He saw Chris tackle Hazel and hold her down, his hands running along her sides, tickling her. The woman giggled and tried to get him off her, even demanding he does.
Any other person would see this as harmless horseplay. But to him, this was different. The laughing and the way they played with each other betrayed two individuals having a little too much fun...as if they were more than friends.
He felt something snap. It was too much for him. He turned and ran, not wanting to see any more. The sorrow that filled his heart was now filled with anger. He promptly left, leaving the two that were playing none the wiser.
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Daniel stormed into his room. Tense with eyes of red, he slammed the door behind him. Anger gutted him into several pieces. His heart was shattered. He should have known him and Hazel would never work. He was a mere rookie, and she was Park's future leader. She was out of his league.
Them being together was a dream.
A dream. That's what all this was. Daniel dreamt he could perhaps be a part of this fantastical world. He thought being here would cause no harm. He thought he could get something more from here.
No, it was only a dream, and he had woken up. Marching over to his desk, he pulled the chair back and sat himself down. He turned his laptop on and made his way to his Outlook. The message was still in the trash bin. He opened it and made the necessary edits.
He cried, hot tears streaming down his face. Using an arm, he wiped himself clean. Daniel let these distractions blind him long enough.
The secret agent clicked the send option. The message disappeared from his Outlook. For the rest of the night, all he cared about was leaving this place.