Back aboard the Mariner, Sean and Elise continued to observe the swamp. Out of boredom, they had pulled out a portable television and decided to take turns watching a documentary. Given their current assignment, it was unsurprising the program was entitled Whale Killer."

The duo couldn't help but notice how out of date the episode of Walking With Beasts was.

"He they are, saying that Basilosaurus was forced into the shallows, when we know it preferred the shallows to the open ocean."

"Since marches on," noted Elise. "You think we'll go back to save her?"

"If we don't, I'll be surprised."

Overhead, gull and wader ancestors searched for food, some using the ship as a resting spot. A great number were also on the deck in cages, awaiting transport to the present. Those ones were understandably unhappy, and had only recently stopped trying to smash the cage walls. A bribe of food had made them more docile, but how long that lasted was up in the air.

The two had expected to see something at this point, but after the early manatees, no new animals had come their way. A few crocodiles that already lived at the park had been encountered and subsequently rescued, as had a champsosaur pack. That one had been a surprise, as champsosaurs had been assumed to have gone extinct by this time. The siblings had sent them through the portal, then continued on their way.

"So, you think we'll meet some Dorudon while we're here?"

"Maybe, Sis, maybe."

XXXXXXX

On a nearby bank, the reptile watched as the ship floated by, eyes staring on at the new object inquisitively. The carnivore observed the boat for some time before it vanished among the trees.

The predator was one of the last of the dinosaurs, ancient predators of a bygone age. It's kind had been recent additions to the Theropod family tree, only hitting their stride as the reign of the reptiles was coming to an end. Their group had been lucky, as members from both major families had survived the extinction event, and with most of their competition extinct, they had the chance to explode in numbers. Nature had not made it easy, though - mammals had also recovered from the extinction event, and were quick to start competing. Already, many valuable niches were being exploited by the furry creatures.

Still, the oceans remained unclaimed. But for how long?

Already, whales had begun to appear, as did other mammals that lived in the water for the entirety of their lives. Soon, the mammals would drive them out of their domain. At least, for the most part. With the ability to store their eggs inside their bodies, these predators would be able to last a while longer, hiding in the depths of the oceans for as long as they wished. It would take the arrival of giant predatory sharks to push them toward extinction, and a global cooling event to see the last of these great predators wiped from the ocean. Even then, their relatives would still live on.

A strange grunting noise alerted the horned carnivore to the presence of several hell pigs as well as two more of the bipeds that had been on the ship. Not wishing to be bothered, the reptile slinked off into the water, finlike wings already adjusting to guide it through the waves.

XXXXXXXX

"Are those entelodonts?" asked Tristan.

"Brachyhyops, if you want the specifics."

"Fair enough. See anything else?"

"...Something drinking from a nearby puddle, has a head like a chaolicothere, plus the calws, but walks on the soles of its feet, and with a long tail."

"...Agriochoerus?"

"Probably."

No further conversation was needed. A few minutes later, and the staff at the portal annex were busy accommodating the new arrivals.

XXXXXXXXX

Back at the park, Ted was busy looking over some photos. Against the odds, they'd managed to get a few ROVs in and out of the exhibit without being mauled, allowing them to get a few photos to help them figure out what just what had made them so agitated. They'd taken photos of all of the shrimps, as well as their burrows, to try and determine what set them off. Of course, that had not been easy, since all of the shrimps had tried to attack the ROV just for coming within twenty meters of them...

….All but one. The smallest of the shrimps had avoided the machines for the most part, only acting aggressive when they tried to get close to its burrow. The staff were particularly interested in why it behaved this way - what was the difference between this one and the others?

Hoping to find that out, he started comparing the photos. Most of them were unsurprising - angry arthropods trying to smash the camera. As for the burrows, they unsurprisingly contained the remains of the stomatopods' former meals, in varying states of decay and dismemberment. Just trying to get those photos had, unsurprisingly, driven the arthropods completely crazy, to the point of filling the area with sand and metal bits. So far, though, these photos didn't tell why this was happening.

Then Ted looked at the burrow of the smallest of the new arrivals. The carcasses were not surprising.

The hollowed out exoskeleton of another stomatopod was, though.

Where had that come from? All of the others were still alive.

Then an idea came to Ted. First, he compared the carcasses in the small one's burrow to the ones in the others. Just as he suspected, the small one's meals had been almost completely devoured. Next, he examined the placement of the carcass. The little one had strewn them near the front of tis burrow, and had actually moved some outside of the entrance, while the others kept theirs closer to the back. Finally, he compared the photos of the smallest stomatopod to the ones obtained when it first arrived at the park.

The shrimp had gotten noticeably bigger.

That cinched it for Ted.

The shrimp were getting ready to molt.

That would explain why they were so aggressive - they wanted to be left alone while they were vulnerable. It would also explain something else that had been bothering the team - for the last few days, the small one hadn't left its burrow. Why had eluded them, but now, he was pretty sure it had spent that time waiting for its new skin to harden. As for how they were going to take it, well, Ted knew the answer to that - they just needed to leave the shrimps be. Only once they had molted would their aggression cease.

Immediately, Ted sent a message to Bob - he wanted everyone to know what was happening.

XXXXXXXX

Back in the past, Tristan and Nigel had walked up to the area where, unknown to them, the dinosaur had been basking. Unsure when they would meet Elise and Sean again (though Nigel was preparing to call them over soon), the duo was busy scanning the waves, looking for an early whales they could find.

Aside from a few crocodilians, though, they saw nothing but birds.

Annoyed, but understanding, the pair prepared to head back inland and call Tristan's siblings.

Just as they were about to turn, though, a large, serpentine shape broke thorugh the surface. It's face was vaguely reptilian, but with smooth skin instead of scales. It also looked somewhat plump. As it disappeared back beneath the surface, a horizontally fluked tail breached out of the water, before descending back beneath the waves.

Teacher and student stared at one another, before quickly moving to follow the new arrival.

XXXXXXXXX

AN: Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!