Chapter sixty-three: Wild Adventures!
"So... what now?" Chester asked.
"Not sure. What do you think, Rex?" Ned asked.
"Well we could sneak up to the cliffs above the nesting grounds to observe the baby dinos hatching." Rex suggested slowly, as if thinking very carefully on it.
"Yes he is. Looks like our scavenger hunt loosened him up a bit," Snowflake agreed, before following the pups.
"Hm.." a few pups hummed with a shrug before following at different speeds.. Even though Chase and Rex were already flying down the zipline cables to their vehicles.
XXXX
Rex and Chase creeped to the ledge, one behind the other, leading the whole group to the edge where they could peer down. Inside the small dead-end canyon eggs in nests or beside mothers cracked, and from the gooey bursts, screeching baby dinos emerged.
"Awww, look at them.." Skye swooned softly.
"I'm surprised we can get this close," Snowflake commented.
"Okay, now I believe the dinosaurs are real!" Ned said, Snowflake's eyes widened coming to the same realization.
"Well they can't see us or smell us cause there's too many other stinky plants and the wind doesn't carry our scent down there too them. This way me and the Turbots can come up here to check in on things anytime, if we need to." Rex informed them.
"That.. makes sense. Ummm Rex? There aren't dinosaurs that eat.. visitors? Right?" Snowflake asked before looking around.
"Well we don't get a lot of visitors around here.. But when we do.. We try to educate them on how to stay safe out here.." Rex replied thoughtfully. "And most of the dinos are fine as long as you don't bother them or their babies. They're like big, scaly cows."
"Oh, well that's good to know!" Snowflake said gratefully.
"Big scaley cows? But dinosaurs roar, not moo! And there are no farmers near them," Ned pointed out. Snowflake face-pawed herself.
"They don't act like real cows, Ned," the female husky murmured.
"No, but they can be calm like them.." Rex corrected himself. "And that's most of the time.. The Dino Wilds provides all the food they need so they almost never come after anyone.."
"Good. I still can't believe this place exists! Wait, don't you have to take care of the plants too?" Snowflake wondered.
"Actually nature takes care of itself out here.." Rex replied. "Though we do check in once in a while to make sure things are growing.. And we have our own greenhouse where Dr. Turbot grows all of these plants so we can maintain a healthy environment here.. We also use it to grow the plants we use for medicine and other herbal treatments for when the dinos get sick or injured."
"Okay," Snowflake said, before continuing to watch the baby dinosaurs.
"I still can't believe we're seeing dinosaurs!" Ned said in awe.
XXXX
"So what'd you think, guys? Pretty cool, huh?" Chase asked, as they were coming down the ramp of the Dino Patroller, which they had parked on the lift to return it to the Lookout's underground hangar.
"I like Rex, but.. WHAT THE HECK JUST HAPPENED?!" Snowflake exclaimed, starting to freak out over the experience.
"Agreed! Dinosaurs are alive AND dead?! What world are we living in?! Is this even reality?! Or a parallel universe?! Aaaaahhhh!" Ned proclaimed as he looked around frantically.
"Guys, calm down. It's not that bad, once you get used to it.. Maybe take a break.. a breather to take it all in." Chase replied.
"Ha!" Marshall laughed out loud.
"What?" Chase wondered, noting the sarcastic tone of his friend's voice.
"Heh, you're one to talk about rest.. It's all you've been wanting to do lately.." the Dalmatian replied dryly. "You'd think we were keeping you awake all night." Chase just made an odd face, then turned away for a moment, putting his focus back on the husky pups.
"B-B-But how will we explain this back at home?" Snowflake wondered turning to her brother.
"Yeah, nobody will believe us! Does this mean everything we know is a lie?" Ned agreed, now feeling worried.
"Just say.. nature preserved itself.. And what you were taught was false information.. Not your fault,.. but someone else's." Chase suggested. "Or don't say anything if you don't wanna try and explain. I mean that seems like an oddly specific question for someone to ask you.. Wouldn't it?"
"Okay, that helps. Thanks Chase," Ned thanked, before taking deep breaths to try and calm down.
"Yes, thanks. Although.. pff! 'An oddly specific question for someone to ask'? You couldn't even answer why you were so bothered and insisted on returning to The Lookout during our free time. Or answer why you thought I wanted to hang out when I joked about us going on a date! And no, it wasn't a date," Snowflake remarked at the German Shepherd before correcting herself.
"I..didn't.. think.. it was.." Chase replied a bit apprehensively.
"Anyways. Anything else you pups want to show us? Hopefully without exploding our minds into questioning what planet we're on?" Snowflake continued turning her attention back to the other pups.
"Only one more specialty rescue vehicle left to show you.." Chase announced almost formally. "And my favorite one so far.. Other than the Mission PAW, we won't be able to show you this time. Maybe the next time we're called to Barkingburg, we can jet on over to grab you guys to come with us."
"Sounds like a plan! So what's the last specialty rescue vehicle?" Snowflake replied in a more calm tone.
But when Chase dropped to a slight crouch position the eager look he gave Marshall made the Dalmatian roll his eyes humorously.
"Ok, go on ahead.." he sighed, as Chase immediately left them.
"Where.. is he going?" Snowflake asked both confused and curiously.
"You'll see, dude." Zuma smiled, while all the pups gazed up at the Lookout tower. And as soon as they saw Chase coming down the slide, Ryder just happened to be there on the balcony looking down on them.
"Ryder?" Marshall hinted. And the boy smiled, then tapped something on his pup-pad. However when Chase landed, he sank downwards and disappeared; though not without giving them an excited grin as he was lowered down and away.
"Uhhh?..." the two husky pups said, confused as to what just happened.
"Chase? What are you doing? Why did you go below The Lookout?" Snowflake asked, still baffled.
"Don't worry, he'll be right back up," Rocky told her, smiling brightly.
Then suddenly.. The whole Lookout lifted on various hydraulic supports, and out came a big, shiny truck decked in police color and design, and they could immediately tell what it was and what it was for.
Snowflake and Ned looked at the big police truck in awe before walking around it to take in the size.
"HOW.. DID.. YOU..? WHERE DID.. HOW DID YOU KEEP THIS THING UNDER THE LOOKOUT?! IT'S HUGE!" Snowflake exclaimed, gobsmacked by the size of Chase's big police vehicle.
"Well, Ryder has it stored in pieces in the storage locker portion of the underground hangar with the rest of ours." Skye began.
"And when we need them, these cool robot arms piece it together around our Pupmobiles and then we come out with the wicked awesome vehicle that can carry the whole team!" Zuma gushed, giving an excited hop at the 'wicked' part.
"Other than Ryder, who still has his ATV." Skye added.
"And since we all have our own ultimate vehicle, each one of us gets a chance to take the lead.. with Ryder's guidance of course." Rubble agreed.
"That's cool! And you pups all ride in the big vehicles? Do you control it as one vehicle or no?" Snowflake asked, now curious about how the gigantic vehicle worked.
"Well the whole thing is in pieces, but once it's together it all operates as one single vehicle." Marshall explained.
Chase winced when pulling himself more upright from the driver seat.
"And it even comes equipped with everything we need to handle all kinds of rescues," he said. Hopping down though, he miscalculated the landing and tumbled. But using the momentum to roll back onto his paws, he shook it off stiffly and seemed to continue on as normal again.
"My vehicle has two police cycles that retract out of the sides of my truck.. and my cab lifts up for better visibility." Chase continued.
"And each one of us has our own tools that we can use to help Chase investigate unusual situations and figure out the reasons why they're happening." Skye finished.
"So it can be used as both a big vehicle and vehicles for each pup? Awesome! Why didn't you use these for some of your more intense rescues?" Snowflake said in amazement.
"We do.. but maybe not necessarily all of them." Chase replied.
"That's what we have all our various other gear for.." Rocky told her, appearing next to her with Zuma.
"Makes sense. Are all your big vehicles this huge?" Snowflake asked, wondering just how big the vehicles could get.
"Pretty much, yeah.." Chase shrugged. "And we all have different tools and gear that help us do the best job we can to help people."
"Thanks for showing us the big vehicle, plus everything else. But if I had to pick, I think the big vehicles are my favorite!" Snowflake thanked the pups.
"I say the big vehicles, moto vehicles or Mighty powers are my favorite," Ned commented happily.
"Yeah, me too.." Chase beamed at Ned, then hurried off for Ryder to boost him up into his vehicle, after a failed attempt to pull himself up. Then backing his vehicle under the Lookout he was lowered down again, and only re-emerged when the pup house was returned to normal.
"So now that Ned and I have seen almost all your rescue vehicles and gear, what do you pups want to do now?" Snowflake suggested with a smile.
"How about dinner and a show?" Ryder suggested, waving them inside at the door to the Lookout. "I hear there's a new episode of Apollo: Superdog on tonight.. followed by a marathon, we could watch till bedtime."
"Yes!"
"Cool!"
"Alright!" The pups all cheered, as they raced into the Lookout as a little furry mob.
XXXX
The sun shined with a slight warmth as Snowflake yawned and stretched a bit before getting out of her bean bag and going to the kitchen. Ned slept peacefully as his sister quietly walked by him.
The female husky looked at a nearby clock before rubbing her eyes with her paw.
"Nine o' clock in the morning? Sheesh! The activities yesterday must have tired us out. I wonder if anyone else is up?" Snowflake whispered before looking around.
Suddenly, yawns entered the silent Lookout and two pups stumbled in..
Snowflake jumped in surprise before hiding behind the bean bags. Arming herself, she watched and snuck up to where the yawns had come from...
"Gotcha!" Snowflake exclaimed softly before throwing a blue sheet onto the yawning intruders and jumping onto the now ghostly figures!
"Ahh! No! Snowflake! Ned! It's us! Your friends! Let us out!" The two pups cried, and she soon recognized them.
"Zuma? Rocky? Oh gosh! I'm sorry! What are you two doing?" Snowflake asked, getting off the sheet-covered pups and hugging the two blue ghosts instead.
"Oof!" Rocky grunted, as the sheet came off, then fell blindly to the floor, when Zuma suddenly came to help him up.
"What were you doing creeping around in here, dude?" Zuma wondered.
"I heard yawning, and didn't know if someone was sneaking in or not. So I trapped.. you guys by accident. I'm sorry," Snowflake explained.
"Why would someone give themself away by yawning, if they were trying to sneak in?" Rocky wondered, clearly confused.
"Dude that sounds like a Chase question, haha!" Zuma giggled.
"I don't know, maybe the yawn was an accident. But you can never be too careful! Anyways, go ahead and.. wait, is Ryder up or no? You two should check and see," Snowflake replied, before realizing breakfast might not be ready yet.
"Why us?" both pups wondered, looking at one another.
"You two are the only other pups awake besides me. Or one of you can check," Snowflake stated matter-of-factly.
Rocky and Zuma exchanged glances briefly, then shrugged and headed off.. one going up the elevator and one going outside.
"Wait, Zuma, you can stay with me. No need to go back outside. Unless you need to do something," Snowflake suggested.
"Um.. to see if anyone's awake yet?" The chocolate lab queried.
"They'll come inside once awake. Unless you want to check," Snowflake insisted.
"Might as well.. even if nobody is." Zuma shrugged.
Snowflake nodded before watching Zuma leave. Ned yawned and stretched, before going over to his sister, who was bringing the blue sheet back over to where she was relaxing.
"Good morning," Ned said calmly.
"Ah! Oh, Ned. It's only you. Don't startle me like that!" Snowflake said as her brother got covered in the blue sheet his sister had flung by accident.
"Sorry. Hehe. I see you are taking the classic precautions again," Ned said, still looking like a blue ghost husky.
"Only because YOU made it a tradition with our brother, Brian!" Snowflake retorted simply.
She then took the blue sheet off her brother, before the two waited near the sliding doors.
Hey guys, And another chapter knocked out! Just five more to go! How crazy is that?! Anyway, I will say this wasn't the most eventful chapter,.. However it's nice to see a little down time.. Though as always, the pleasure these pups take in having fun with each other is rather fun! Like Chase showing off his Ultimate rescue vehicle. And Rex rolling with the punches despite Snowflake and Ned's confusion of the Dino Wilds, lol..
Hope you had fun along this rollercoaster ride! And we hope to see you next time! Thx!