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Jurassic Park IV: Extinction Chapters 1 through 4
By Mr Goodbytes
Prologue: Death
What a beautiful day, thought Enrique Manuel. It was the kind of day he just loved awakening to. The sun was bright, the sky was the most beautiful shade of blue, and best of all there was a nice cooling breeze. What on Earth could go wrong on a day like this, he thought. Little did he realize that this would be the last day of his life.
Enrique was a quiet, simple farmer the age of 60. He and his wife Maria had spent most of their lives on his small farm near the West coast of Costa Rica. His days were spent milking goats and gathering chicken eggs. This particular day was spent like all the rest.
That night, while eating dinner, he was startled to hear his chickens clucking loudly. Thinking it may be a wolf or wildcat, he informed Maria that he was going to check. He loaded his rifle and started out the door.
Stepping out into the fading sunlight, he slowly approached the chicken coup.
Peering around the northeast corner, he spied what appeared to be a large bird, about the size of a large wolf. Startled by the size of this strange beast, he was more fascinated than afraid. He watched as the creature bent down and ripped the head off of a chicken. A second beast appeared from the inside of the coup. It bent over, picking up the doomed fowl in its deadly jaws. Tilting it’s head back, it swallowed the bird whole!!! Frightened now, Enrique made a fatal mistake. He ran¼
Twenty minutes later, Maria began to get worried. She knew her husband loved the outdoors, and that he was most likely dawdling. Maria waited five more minutes. She was now extremely worried. Enrique was not one to let his food get cold. Maria stepped outside. She could not see her husband anywhere. As she approached the chicken coup, Maria could already see her husband, half eaten, laying in a pool of blood. Maria looked up just in time to see the silhouette of a giant bird walking slowly into the forest.
Chapter 1: Part 1/ Costa Rica
The telephone rang incessantly in the Costa Rican Defense Minister’s ear. He looked over at his clock. It was 3:00 in the morning! “Hello?” It was his secretary. “Senior, your presence is requested at an important meeting. You are to be in the Southeastern meeting room at 5:00 AM sharp.” “What is this meeting about,” he asked. “They refused to give me any information, Senior Rodriguez. It is classified.” “Thank you,” He said. He hung up the phone and quickly got dressed…
“What you are about to hear cannot leave this room. At 7:59 PM last night, a woman named Maria Manuel found her husband dead on their small farm. The curious thing is, he was half eaten. His wife says that she observed a large, bird like creature leaving the scene.” Rodriguez listened intently to the man that was speaking. It was very strange that he did not know this man. He thought he knew every important figure in the Costa Rican government. At any rate, he had very little time for introductions. The meeting had started as soon as he had arrived. The man continued to speak… “We cannot afford this to get out to the general public. As you know, strange animals have been appearing here since the disaster at Jurassic Park twelve years ago. However, this is the first reported attack. This can mean only one thing, the dangerous dinosaurs have reached the mainland.” “So,” said Rodriguez, “What do you propose we do?”
Chapter 1: Part 2/ Africa
The Sun had just set over the savanna. A pair of glowing eyes is stalking a herd of zebra. A fierce roar is heard breaking the calm of the African night. The zebra stampede in all directions as the great beast that was stalking them rushes into the herd. The lioness breaks up the herd and isolates a single striped horse. Just as the zebra appears to be getting away, two more lions pounce on and kill it. The lions feed on their kill proudly, the male eating first. The crack of a rifle is heard as the male lion falls on his side dead. The rest of the pack scatters just as another shot kills the lead female. “Great shot, David!” David Snare lowered his rifle. “As Always, Mr. Skinner.” They laughed as they started toward the carcasses. They claimed their trophies and returned to their Jeep. They started the engine to leave when the satellite phone rang. “Hello? Yes, this is Mr. Snare. I see… Hell yes!!! I’ll be there in ten hours. Goodbye.” “Bill,” Snare said to Skinner, “How would you like to hunt something really big?” “How big,” asked Skinner. “That was our contact, he has an interesting job for us in Costa Rica,” said Snare. “What is so big in Costa Rica?” Snare smiled. “Haven’t you ever heard of Isla Sorna?”
Chapter 1: Part 3/ Hammond
“Come in. Come in Nick.” John Parker Hammond lay in the hospital bed. He is in bad condition, Nick Van Owen thought. Indeed, John Hammond was days from death. “I missed you Nick. You never visit anymore.” “I am a busy man, I have my wife to take care of,” Nick said. “Why have you sent for me John?” “As you can see,” Said Hammond, “I’m dieing Nick, as are my creations.” “Don’t be ridiculous John, everyone will remember you and the dinosaurs….” “No Nick, I mean they are literally dieing,” Hammond replied sadly, “They are diseased.” “By my calculations, they will be gone in a year!”
“We knew since the beginning, the animals were becoming ill at an alarming rate. At first we thought it was from contaminated needles used for insemination and later inoculation. Dr. Wu started the campaign to annihilate this disease. As it was later discovered, this disease was neither Viral or Bacterial.” “What was it,” Nick Inquired. “Are you familiar with Mad Cow Disease?” “Yes, it is a Disease of the brain caused by protein fragments called prions. Are you saying that the animals have a form of this infection?” “Unfortunately, yes.” Hammond paused momentarily. He started coughing violently. His breath stilled, and he finally relaxed enough to start speaking again. “We were feeding the carnivores sheep,” he said, “We had no idea it was infected.” “That is why we released the animals on Isla Sorna. We thought that if they were released into the wild to mature and breed on their own, that the disease would dissipate. We were badly mistaken. The carnivores spread DX, which is what it came to be called, to the herbivores. We finally just gave up on saving them. We figured that as long as we could replenish our supply of animals, we could keep the park running. Then shortly after the disaster at Jurassic Park, the hurricane wiped out the facilities. I ordered the release of the remaining dinosaurs and the evacuation of Site B.” “I have been calculating the average death rate and the birth rate of the animals. Ironically, the animals will not survive much longer than their creator.” Hammond closed his eyes and rested for a moment. “Why are you telling me this,” Nick asked. “Because,” Hammond replied, “ I want you to document them” “No John, no! Forget it. I was nearly killed the last time.” “This time will be different Nick. You will have complete control over all preparations…” “No John, I have my wife to think about…” “Please Nick, do it for a dieing friend. I want people to see the beauty in my creations. I want them to experience what Jurassic Park is all about.” “I’m sorry John, I really am…” “I am begging you Nick, you are my last hope,” Hammond said. He was nearly in tears. “I’ll think about it.” “Bless you Nick.”
Chapter 2: Part 1/ Home
Samantha Owen sat listening to her husband mumble to himself. This was not like him at all. She asked him what was wrong, and he explained as best he could. She realized now that he was asking her advice. “You know Nick, Mr. Hammond has done a lot for us. Remember, if it were not for him, you would be in prison for some of the stunts you pulled in your damn rallies. I don’t know how many times he has bailed you out. Besides, what could it possibly hurt for you to do this for him?” “But Sammy,” He started, “Remember what happened before…” “Nick, I remember your stories. If you ask me, it wasn’t nearly as bad as your trip to Afghanistan 3 years ago. I came closer to losing you then than I have heard about in your stories.” “That was different Sammy, I was covering the war, but Sorna I was at the bottom of the food chain…” “That didn’t stop you from going to photograph the Tigers in India last year.” “Besides, this time you can have anyone you want go along. No one else will be there to interfere. It’ll be just us,” She pressed. “What do you mean ‘us,’ you aren’t going” “Wanna bet?” She smiled that wonderful smile that she knew he couldn’t resist. “Okay, but I have a bad feeling about this Samantha.” “Oh Nick,” She said with that devilish smile, “What could go wrong?”
Chapter 2: Part 2/ Team
“Hey Nick! Long time no see!” Nick Van Owen smiled and shook the hand of his old friend. “Hello James.” They were standing in the brightly lit hall of the West Williamson Railroad station. Sgt. James Turner was always the adventurous type. He joined the Navy at the age of 17. He preformed above average, becoming a Navy S.E.A.L. at age 18. During his first mission in the Gulf War, he saved the lives of 20 men. An enemy missile was closing in fast on their transport. Somehow he spotted it and blew it out of the sky before anyone else realized what was happening. Turner met Nick back in 2002 during the war in Afghanistan. Out of military service, he was still driven by the thirst for adventure that had taken him into battle.
“Well Nick, you know I’m in. Also, I have secured the expedition a weapons expert…” “James, I told you it is just a documentary. There will be no lethal weapons on my expedition,” Nick said. “Relax, he is an expert on tranquilizers and other non leathals. Perhaps you have heard of him.” A tall, slim, and muscular man stepped up from behind Turner. “Allow me to introduce myself,” he said, “I am Dr. Edward Harrison.” Nick had indeed heard of him. Dr. Edward Vincent Harrison was a famous naturalist and somewhat of a chemist. He used his knowledge in chemistry, zoology, and biology to create JG9. JG9 was a tranquilizer that was amazingly safe. Three CC’s could bring down a fully-grown bull African elephant. The same dose could also tranquilize a large crocodile. Indeed, there is no way to get an overdose with this miracle drug. Edward Harrison was so brilliant, that he also added a chemical so that JG9 has no effect on humans. His company still keeps the ingredients secret to this day.
“Nice to meet you Dr. Harrison,” Nick said, shaking hands. “You do realize that this could possibly be dangerous.” “Yes Mr. Owen, I know all about Sorna’s history. I have always dreamed of going there,” he said. “I have developed a special tranquilizer rifle that can fire up to 400 CC’s of JG9.” “How did you get the thing past security,” Nick inquired. “It can be taken apart. Five parts, the whole gun weighs less than a pound. The needles were what I was worried about, some are over an inch long.” “Well,” Nick said, “Let’s hope you never get to use those.”
Chapter 2: Part 3/ The Raiders
Defense Minister Miguel Rodriguez waited impatiently for the Cessna to land. It circled overhead, for what to him seemed like an eternity, then came down with a nice smooth landing. Walking down the planes stairs was the massive figure of David Snare followed closely by the smaller, yet still quite large, Edward Skinner. “Hello Senior Snare, Senior Skinner. Welcome to Costa Rica. Please come with me to headquarters, we have much to discuss.”
“So you see, we have called you here because we need your help. We already have a team on the mainland searching for these beasts, but we want you to go in and destroy all of the dangerous animals left on the island.” Rodriguez had been explaining the situation for an hour. He could tell that these men, particularly Snare, had no real interest. They just wanted to kill. “How exactly are we supposed to know which ones are dangerous and which ones aren’t,” asked Skinner. “Well, our goal is to wipe out all the predators. The intelligence that we have gathered is there are eight species of carnivores on Sorna. We will provide you with a list of those species and inform you of approximately how many of each animal there are. Our estimates are that there are only 50 predatory animals left on the islands.” “This is going to be almost impossible to do with only two people…” started Snare. “Three people actually, and we do have a backup plan,” Rodriguez stated.
“What do you mean three people, and what backup plan? What, don’t you think we can handle a couple of lousy lizards! We are the best trackers in the world, and we work alone!” “Calm down Senior Snare,” said Rodriguez, “Let me explain. First of all, the backup plan is simply this, if for any reason you fail, we will bomb the island. We were going to do this to begin with, however the island is privately owned, and it is against international treaty law to attack with military force any privately owned property within international waters. However, we will do it if the safety of this country is in the balance.” “Secondly,” he continued, “the expert which we have hired was an employee of InGen on Isla Sorna for five years. He knows the island very well, and also can identify some of the dinosaurs. In fact, I believe you served with him in the army Senior Snare.” At that moment, a small, yet muscular man with short black hair walked into the room. “Allow me to introduce Senior Davis.” “Of all the low down dirty… Why the hell did they have to get Bret Davis,” said Snare, muttering to Skinner. “Hello boys! Ready to go kill some?” “I hate that man,” mumbled Snare under his breath. Then he forced a smile and shook hands.
Chapter 2: Part 4/ Mobile Field Systems.
“How are the vehicles coming along Jack,” Nick Van Owen asked as he and his two experts sauntered through the large, garage-like, doors of Mobile Field Systems of Palo Alto California. Looking up from his work, Jack Thorne replied, “Almost finished Mr. Owen, just waiting for the paint to dry.” Jack Thorne was a young man of twenty-two. Student and protégé of Edward Carr, he assumed control of Mobile Field Systems after the sudden death of Mr. Carr in 1997. Eddie always said that he was gifted. Thorne could repair or build anything electronic. As Eddie once said, “He is a wizard of modern mechanics.”
“They’re ready Mr. Owen.” “That’s great Jack, but please call me Nick from now on. ‘Mr.’ makes me feel old. We’ll be ready to leave as soon as Dr. Jackson and my wife show up.” “Oh, Mrs. Owen is already here, she is in the back.” “Thanks Jack, now all we have to do is wait for our paleontologist.” “Are you sure you don’t want to field test these vehicles,” asked Thorne. “Yes, I’m sure. You worry too much.” “Well, it still makes me uneasy. I’m starting to wish I had never agreed to go with you.” “While we are waiting, let’s take a peek at the vehicles.”
“First up is the 2004 Mercedes SUV. Features include automatic high impact windows with Titanium mesh, Kevlar hood and roof with a Titanium alloy layer beneath, an automatic electron defense cannon, and it has been altered to run with the latest in Fuel Cell technology.” “Second is this modified 2005 Ford Explorer. It has the same modifications as the Mercedes, except that it can be expanded outwards into a sleeping area for five. It’s a good thing that check was good that Mr. Hammond gave you, because this cost me a pretty penny.” “Incidentally, the fuel cells can last for three weeks of continual use. I have loaded a replacement in the trunk of each just in case.” “Well,” Nick said, “I don’t intend to be there more than a week, the sooner we get off that island the better.” At that moment, Robert Jackson, the famous Paleontologist walked through the front doors. “Hello Nick,” He started. “No time for introductions right now, we can do that on the plane. Go get my wife James, we have to get these cars loaded on the transport. Next stop, sunny Costa Rica.”
Chapter 2: Part 5/ Flight
After securing the vehicles in the cargo hold of the old Boeing transport, they all took their seats. A half-hour into the flight, Nick Van Owen started the conversation that Robert Jackson tried to start when he arrived. “Dr. Jackson, I believe we were in the middle of introductions when we were last together. To your right is Dr. Edward Harrison, our weapons and veterinary expert. To your left is Sgt. James Turner, he’s not an expert on anything exactly, but I trust him with my life. Across from you is Jack Thorne, expert mechanic. Finally, to my right is my lovely wife Samantha. I love her, but she is as stubborn as a mule.”
“Oh shut up Nick,” she said, “I’ll do what I please. What do you do Dr. Jackson?”
“I’m a Paleontologist, I study dinosaurs. I was in Colorado when Mr. Owen contacted me. I have a dig going there that is of great scientific importance. The only reason I agreed to leave it is because this may be the last chance anyone has to see these animals alive. Anyway, I have just discovered what appears to be the largest and most complete specimen of Ceratosaurus nasicornis ever found!” “What is Ceratosaurus,” asked Samantha. “Ceratosaurus is a medium theropod dinosaur from Tithonian age of the Jurassic period. The usual size is around five meters in length. The specimen I have at the dig site is approximately seven point three meters in length. As if this were not impressive enough, we have also discovered skin impressions. This in its self is not uncommon. However, This impression is so detailed that the peculiarity was revealed. This creature may have had a color changing ability. There is evidence of chromatophores so advanced that it could have had camouflage capabilities almost as advanced as Cephalopods.” “What are cromatophores,” asked Turner. “Cromatophores are cells that allow animals to change color by expanding and contracting thus squeezing pigment outward changing the animals color. Chameleons are the most famous animals with this ability, however they cannot change their color at will, their color changes with emotion. Cephalopods, on the other hand, can literally ‘think’ themselves another color. I suspect that Ceratosaurus were in the middle, they were able to change their color almost to the same extent as Squids, but it was automatic like Chameleons.” “What exactly does this mean,” asked Thorne. “It means,” said Jackson, “these animals may be the ultimate killing machines. We have to be extremely cautious, Dr. Grant has informed me that they are on Isla Sorna.” “Well,” said Nick, “I doubt anything will happen, but it’s nice to know we have an expert. Get settled everyone, we have about five more hours of flight time.”
Chapter 3: Part 1/ Predators Are Prey
The three mercenaries stepped off the boat as though they were simply on vacation. They had been briefed on their mission shortly before boarding. Rodriguez had made every detail perfectly clear to them. The trio had three weeks to do sufficient damage to the predatory population. Rodriguez stated that they must return to the ship at night, or contact the ship every twenty-four hours. If for any reason no contact was made after the twenty-four hour period was over, the Costa Rican military would gas and fire bomb the entire island. “Hand me that *list* again.” David Snare grunted at the names of the animals. “How the hell am I supposed to know what these things are. I can’t say the names, and the all look alike to me.” “That is why they hired me,” said Davis, “I was an animal handler on Sorna for five years. I know the location of the dinosaur nesting grounds.” “Hmph,” grunted Snare, “Just cause your pansy ass knows them doesn’t mean anything, suppose you got your guts ripped out… That wouldn’t do Skinner and me no good.” “I highly doubt that anything will happen,” said Davis “What if I were to blow your head off you little…” Skinner stepped in front of Snare. “David, calm down! As much as you hate him, you’re going to have to put up with him for the next three weeks.” “Just stay out of my way Bret, and don’t speak to me unless necessary. You understand!” Bret Davis nodded silently. Stepping in front of the group, Davis led the group toward their first predatory prey.
* The List as written on the original.
Species and approximate population.
#1. Tyrannosaurus Rex - 2
#2. Spinosaurus - 1 Photo not available
#3. Velociraptor - 19
#4. Dilophosaurus - 6
#5. Ceratosaurus - 4 Photo not available
#6. Coelophysis - 10
#7. Pteranodon - un-known
#8. Compsognathus - un-known
It should also be noted that the original list included photographs taken directly from the files of InGen. The animals with no photographs were classified “Top Secret” by InGen.
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Before stepping foot into the dense jungles of Isla Sorna, Bret Davis explained that there would be less tracking of the great behemoths than either poacher had expected. “You see,” He said, “Knowing that we were going to release them into the wild, we attached tracking devises on them. We had to, after all, locate and recapture them for transport to Jurassic Park on Isla Nublar. We constructed platforms at various locations through out the island from which we tranquilized them. Every nesting ground, game trail, and watering hole has one. I suggest that we take full advantage of them.” “Where’s the fun in that,” said Skinner. “Trust me Mr. Skinner, you don’t want to be on the ground with these creatures.” “We get the idea, now shut the hell up. I want to kill one of these ugly lizards!” Bret shrugged his shoulders and led the way into the jungle, G.P.S unit held tightly in his hand.
“There,” whispered Davis softly. Looking up, they spotted the first of the steel strutted platforms. The jungle had nearly overtaken it. Vines entangled it so heavily that the only way Bret saw it is because of the one single metallic bar which hung loose on the side. There was no ladder or rope left on the shelter, so they took turns climbing the thick entanglement of exotic jungle vines. Bret went last. When he reached the top, he could see the hunters staring out toward an open plain. Their mouths hung open in stunned silence. “They’re beautiful,” Skinner exclaimed. “Yes Bill, It’s almost a shame that we have to kill them.” “You don’t have to kill those,” said Davis, “They are all herbivores.” Indeed, the vast prairie that lay before them was a magnificent site to behold. Close to the hide were vast herds of the duck billed dinosaur variety. Large, bright green and red Parasaurolophus, and the beautiful Corythosaurus with its surprisingly smooth textured yellow and green skin. Thirty foot long Lambeosaurus with they’re long Giraffe like eyelashes and a bright blue crest, fed peacefully nearby. Off in the distance, they could see the long necks of Brachiosaurs grazing on the lush forest canopy. It’s a shame, thought Davis, that the world will never get the chance to appreciate these wonders of the ancient world. Waiting patiently in the metal tree stand, William skinner spotted what they had came for, a predatory dinosaur.
“Where is it,” whispered Davis. “He’s right to your left. You see, right by that small stand of trees.” “Yes, I see her now. Female Dilophosaurus, about twenty feet in length. Probably the alpha.” “How do you know it’s a female Mr. Davis,” asked Skinner. “Her head crest. You see, there’s the alpha male over to your right. Notice how her crest is much smaller, and a duller color? Birds are the same way, the males are almost always more brightly colored than the females.” “Shhhh!” Taking careful aim, Snare and Skinner opened fire. Snare’s first shot sliced through the neck of the lead female, killing her instantly. Skinner wounded the Alpha male, while Snare’s second shot shattered the crest of a brightly colored juvenile. “Great shots! You probably just destroyed an entire family group.” “What do you mean,” asked Skinner, “We only killed one…” “Yes,” said Davis, “but you killed the alpha female of the pack, and that wound on the alpha male may be the death of him also. Without their leaders, the pack will fall into disarray. Males will fight to the death for dominance, and the winner will kill all offspring that are not his. There are only about six adults on the island, so there is a pretty fair chance that you have just caused the extinction of one species.” “Now,” He said, “come on, there won’t be anymore animals around this stand for a while. Our best bet is to move to another.” One by one the exited their hide and began the journey to another stand. As David Snare stepped onto the soft earth, he couldn’t help but to feel as though he was being watched. The group of hunters vanished into the jungle just as four large horned carnivores seemed to materialize out of the thin air near the carcass of the Dilophosaurus. The largest of these monsters looked toward the path taken by the humans, and he growled.
Chapter 3: Part 2/ Back in the company of Death.
Nick Van Owen stepped off the transport into the pouring rain. So much for sunny Costa Rica, he thought to himself. Hammond had arranged for two wide body helicopters to transport them to the islands. It must have cost him a fortune to get the pilots to keep the destination of their flights silent. After a half an hour in customs, they were finally loading the vehicles and supplies onto the Chinook wide body helicopter. From behind, Nick heard a familiar voice. He turned and saw a man in his late fifties speaking in Spanish to a couple of local men. “Roland, Roland Tembo. Is that you?” The man turned slowly. He looked at Nick with a questioning gaze. Looking away, he suddenly realized who he was looking at. “Nick Van Owen, is that you?” Nick and Roland had hated each other when they first met in the infamous summer of 1997. Roland Tembo was a hunter and tracker hired by the InGen corporation in 1997 to lead the expedition to Isla Sorna. The results were catastrophic, the exact number of deaths on the ill-fated expedition is still not known. Five people were killed as the Tyrannosaurus, captured by Roland himself, rampaged through down town San Diego. Roland’s best friend, Ajay, was one of the many killed. Nick and Roland only became friends during the court hearings after the San Diego incident. He moved from his home in Kenya to Costa Rica in 1998, and loved the peace and quiet. Little did he realize that the beasts he despised were on the mainland also. Roland swore never to return to “The company of death.” However, when he was informed about the attacks, he decided that he would never let another tragedy happen to these people.
“There have only been two human fatalities so far,” Rolland said. “We believe there are only two dangerous species. Velociraptors are the main priority. There can’t be that many animals. We estimate four, and we have already destroyed three and a small nest.” “When was the first attack?” “About three days ago. It happened on a small farm just outside La ciudad perdida del muerto. A man was killed an partially eaten by the raptors.” Nick explained everything about his expedition. He inquired why Hammond had not informed him about the attacks. “Chances are, he didn’t know. The Costa Rican government has been pretty tight lipped about this. They hired me because of my experience, and because I was close.” “For once, I wish you luck Roland. By the way, what are the other animals?” “Pteranodons,” replied Tembo, “That is what we are searching for now. As soon as we get our supplies, we are going over that ridge.” He pointed to a cliff on the other side of a rocky outcropping. “Don’t you think your getting a little old to be climbing mountains and blowing things up?” Roland smiled. “I’m in my prime. Besides, I have a score to settle and money to make.”
After leaving the airport, Nick thought about all he had learned. If they are being so cautious about the attacks leaking to the public and even going through the trouble of disposing of the animals, he thought, then they wouldn’t have any qualms about destroying the island. Oh well, they were nearly there anyway. It was too late to worry about now. As the rain and fog finally cleared, the group could finally see the massive chain of islands known to the locals as Las Cinco Muertes. As they neared the largest island, Isla Sorna, Nick couldn’t help but think he had once again made a deadly mistake.
Chapter 3: Part 3/ Safe Landing and a Friendly Welcome.
Samantha Owen watched as the two wide body choppers rose into the sky above Isla Sorna. Knowing that the pilots would not return for a week, she started to feel the same sense of dread and isolation that her husband felt. Turning, she observed her husband and the four experts double checking the vehicles. “Everything seems to be in perfect working order Nick,” said Thorne. “Excellent, we had better get this expedition on it’s way. I’d like to get done this week so that we can leave. Remember, if we miss the helicopters, we’ll have to wait another week to go home.” Samantha marveled at how calm Nick appeared. She knew that he was far from calm though. I should never have talked him into this, she thought.
After driving about twenty minutes through the heavily wooded conifer forests of Isla Sorna, the group came to a large clearing with thick tropical jungle beyond. The group, however, did not see the dramatic change from conifer to jungle growth. What they were observing was something much more spectacular. Herds of great beasts filled the open plane. Great horned Triceratops grazed near a small stream. Three Brachiosaurs, with their long graceful necks, fed from the tall trees at the edge of the forest. The plated Stegosaurs and armored Ankylosaurs browsed on the large green ferns that covered the ground. “They are more beautiful than I could ever have imagined,” said Robert Jackson. Clearly, they all agreed. Nick pulled out his Nikon digital video recorder and began filming. As they watched, a herd of Parasaurolophus marched slowly out of the jungle. Their trumpeting calls mixed with grunts and bellows of the other dinosaurs reminded Samantha of music. The ground shook as the behemoths moved about. They must have observed and filmed the animals for a half an hour before the group decided to move on. As the vehicles lurched forward, the animals paid very little attention to them. They acted as though the cars were just other animals. Clearly these animals are so young that they don’t have any knowledge of what happened eight years ago, Nick thought to himself.
The group remained silent the rest of the morning. They made their way through the jungle using the paths made by the dinosaurs. All of the main roads were long over grown. The group made base camp near the communications compound from which Nick had made the rescue call so long ago. They made sure to park the cars in an inconspicuous location off of any possible game trails. Starting out on foot, the expedition headed west. Thorne stayed behind to monitor their progress on the vehicles’ global positioning system. Each person had their own weapon loaded with JG9. Any predator or angry herbivore would hopefully be tranquilized before they become a problem. Nick looked at the time, 2:00 PM. “Alright,” Nick said, “we cover as much ground as possible, and head back to camp at five PM” So far, so good, thought Nick. Nothing had happened yet, so there was no reason for him to be worried. Nick’s idea was to walk to the next clearing, and document the animals from a close but safe distance. The group had no idea what shocking scene lay before them.
Chapter 3: Part 4/ Horned Menace.
Walking toward the next clearing, James Turner halted the group. He pointed toward a stand of trees which had a metal bar protruding from the branches. “Is that a high hide?” “Looks like one Mr. Turner,” replied Harrison. “Climb up and check it out James,” Nick said. Turner grabbed the vines and started climbing. Below, the group of explorers watched as James stepped over the vine covered rail. There was silence for a moment, the Turner called down to Nick. “You better have a look at this Nick.”
“Damn it! Why does this always happen!” Nick was in a state of fury. “I knew something like this was going to happen!” “What’s the matter,” Samantha asked as she climbed over the rail. “Look!” Nick pointed towards the floor of the hide. There were three freshly fired ammunition shells strewn on the shelter floor. Samantha glanced over the rail toward the field below. “Nick, look!” There on the ground in front of them was the crumpled body of a dinosaur. It was somewhat obscured from view by the green bodies of Compsognathus. “Well, now we know what happened.” “We do?” “Yes,” said Nick, “It seems as though Roland isn’t the only one hunting dinosaurs.”
The three hunters made their way through the thick undergrowth. They were nearing the nesting ground of the Tyrannosaurus. They were roughly a quarter of mile away from their destination, when Davis pointed to the next hide. Climbing up, they heard the sounds of thunderous footsteps coming toward them. “That shouldn’t be the Rex already,” Bret said, “We aren’t even in his territory completely. He had to have been following us.” At that moment, their target burst through the foliage. However, he wasn’t following them. The Tyrannosaur emerged from the forest, and then retreated into his territory before the hunters could aim their weapons. They were absolutely astonished by the size and speed of the animal. “Something’s wrong.” “You don’t know that, he may have just been returning food to his hatchling,” Davis replied. “No, Skinner is right. You don’t have to track animals very long to know when an animal is spooked.” “Who does this territory belong to?” “No one,” said Davis, “This is hunting ground. No animal controlled it when I worked here.” “Well, it’s somebody’s territory now!” A blood curdling roar broke up the impending argument.
“I don’t see anything,” Skinner whispered. “Neither do I.” Watching toward the direction they came, Snare said, “I do. Look at those trees over there.” The group turned. They could see nothing at first. Then, after watching for a few minutes, they noticed the tree swayed even though there was no wind. “Ceratosaurus,” Bret Davis said in a monotone voice. “It’s a chameleon,” Snare said. The hunters took careful aim. Snare’s finger squeezed the trigger just as the hide was rammed from below. His shot missed the animals eye, and exploded the conical horn on the creatures snout. Roaring in pain, it joined the other Ceratosaur in combat against the hide.
The small metal shack reverberated with the shrieking call of the Ceratosaurs. Skinner pointed his rifle over the rail, and fired. He missed. The lead Ceratosaurus, the one with the shattered horn, screamed and bit the side of the shelter. He shook his head violently, throwing Snare over the rail. The other Ceratosaur closed in upon him. Opening it’s mouth to engulf this morsel, the dinosaur felt the bullet rip through its skull. The male with the broken horn roared with rage over his lost mate. He charged Snare just as Skinner’s second shot slammed into his tail. The Ceratosaurus retreated back into the jungle, roaring in pain. The Ceratosaur glanced back at the humans and his dead mate. He would get revenge. He can wait.
Chapter 4: Part 1/ Intelligent Beasts.
Nick had finally calmed. Samantha and Turner had, finally, convinced him that there was nothing they could do about the hunters presence. After all, they told him, the dinosaurs were going to become extinct again anyway. They might as well continue what they were being paid to do. Nick had decided to remain in the tree stand, filming the Compsognathus and any other animal that wondered onto the fern covered clearing. Indeed, the group had observed and documented several species in the past hour. The compies left when the large herbivores returned to the area. Clearly they were fearful of being trampled. Presently, a large herd of Triceratops grazed on the rough leafed ferns. Another large herd of Corythosaurus fed from the low-level branches of the forest trees.
Robert Jackson could not help but comment on the animals. He had spent all his life studying these stunning beasts. The others in the group were interested in his insights, but also quick to silence him when he got to excited.
“You see the Corythosaur’s crest? That crest is actually hollow. The animal uses its chambered crest to produce the many sounds you are hearing now. Also, do you feel that low end vibration?”
The group shook their heads. They did, undeniably, feel a vibration similar to that of BASS rhythm turned up full blast on a quality sound system.
“That,” he said, “is infra-sound, sound below the frequency heard by humans. Watch the animals closely. See what they do when there is a vibration? They stop in their tracks and wait for a reply. Low frequency sound travels long distances. It can help the animal attract a mate, or tell others of the same species about a rich feeding area. Elephants are known to posses the same ability.”
“That is remarkable,” Samantha commented.
“What is really remarkable,” Jackson replied, “is that those Triceratops appear to have the same ability. These dinosaurs are more intelligent than anyone has ever anticipated.”
The vibrations stopped suddenly. The Corythosaurus and Triceratops herds became extremely nervous. “Listen,” Turner said in a hushed voice. The humans heard a purring sound followed by an excited chirp. “Raptors,” nick said. At that moment, a fully feathered Velociraptor leapt out of the foliage. Screaming and cawing at the Corythosaurs, the animal circled the herd. Another raptor, older and with less plumage, streaked out of the forest. They singled out a juvenile hadrosaur. Leaping high in the air, the older raptor hit and disemboweled the animal. As they began feeding on the hadrosaur, the Triceratops herd calmed. They once again began grazing on the ferns, paying little attention to the predators. A lone, elderly, Triceratops wondered close to the shade of the forest edge. With the lightning speed of a cheetah, the other ten members of the raptor pack slaughtered the brute before the other animals realized there was danger.
“My God,” Said Edward Harrison, “They hunt like no other animal in the world! They just… Kill… They lulled those animals into a false state of security…”
“Then killed the first to get close enough,” said Nick, finishing Harrison’s statement. The explorers watched on as the hunters fed.
Chapter 4: Part 2/ Return to Base.
“What the…” Nick Van Owen stared at their camp in utter disbelief. Both cars were overturned, supplies were scattered over the ground, and one very large animal lay tranquilized just three meters away. “Thorne! Mr. Thorne!”
“Over here,” said Jack Thorne. He was hiding in the base of a hollow tree. Covered in mud and blood, he crawled out and looked at the great beast laying on its side. “We got to get out of here, there’s no way of knowing when that thing will wake up,” he said.
“Was that what killed Eddie?”
“No,” said Jackson, “That was a Spinosaurus. If memory serves me right, Mr. Carr was killed by a Tyrannosaurus.” The group had quickly turned the cars over to make a fast escape. Luckily, Nick had the foresight to have the vehicles built lightly. They had indeed survived the test. Thorne described to the group how the Spinosaurus attacked. He had been sitting in the Mercedes, monitoring the group’s path on the GPS. He heard a low growl, and saw a huge animal running full speed toward the car. Thorne had no time to react. “It happened so fast. I didn’t even have time to fire the electron cannon,” Thorne said. It flipped the vehicle, and started biting the chassis. The animal only succeeded in denting the frame, and breaking a tooth. Thorne grabbed his gun, and fired four darts of JG9. The beast collapsed after staggering for a few seconds. As it fell, its tail flipped the second vehicle. “As soon as he was down, I ran as fast as I could to the nearest hiding spot.”
“Well, I’m sorry for your ordeal, but I am glad to know that my Tranquilizer works,” said Harrison. The group drove on. They passed the clearing where they saw the raptors, and started along a game trail. Following the path, the cars eventually broke out of the jungle. The group was once again treated to the awe inspiring site of graceful herbivores. Once again, the group began filming the herds of Pachycephalosaurus, Ankylosaurus, and the other magnificent beasts.
The Spinosaurus awoke slowly. His snout was very sore. He somehow knew that the little creature he attacked was responsible. Rising up onto his powerful legs, the Spinosaur scraped the darts from his nose and side. Growling, he sniffed the air. There had been other little animals here. He sniffed the air until the sent was strong enough to follow. He wasn’t really hunting them, he was just curious about these strange creatures. Suddenly, he remembered encountering these animals before. The smelly little vermin had burned his thigh and stomach by catching the water on fire. The Spinosaur hesitated for a moment, but curiosity won over fear. Roaring loudly, he walked quickly into the jungle.
Chapter 4: Part 3/ Spitters.
“Where are we?” The hunters had been walking for an hour, heading toward the boat. It was getting late. They had not encountered any carnivores since the day before when the Ceratosaurs attacked. “We are on the south ridge, Dilophosaurus territory. Don’t worry though, after yesterday I doubt any of them will get close to us,” Davis said. They were only a quarter of a mile away from the ship. Another five minutes, and they would be safe behind the steel walls for the night. “I don’t like it here,” Skinner said, “it just feels strange. Almost as though we are being watched.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, these animals are far from smart. There is no way they would be following us,” Davis replied.
“No,” Snare said, “Skinner has sort of a sixth sense about animals. I think we should hurry and get to safety.” At that moment, their conversation was interrupted by a bone rattling roar. A juvenile Ceratosaur appeared in front of them. The group burst into a full speed sprint into the jungle. The Ceratosaurus followed close behind. Emerging from the forest, the humans stumbled into a large nesting area. The loud hooting call of the Dilophosaur sentry. The hunters stopped in their tracks. They were trapped.
The Dilophosaurs were shocked. None of them could have guessed that food would just stumble into their nesting area. Skinner screamed, and started shooting. Snare and Davis joined in. They had only killed two when the Ceratosaurus burst through the foliage. Skinner got one last shot off just as a little Dilophosaur with a broken crest reared back and spit in his face. Screaming with pain, he stumbled backwards right into the jaws of the Ceratosaur. The Dilophosaurs hooted and roared at this new menace. The Ceratosaurus dropped his meal before he could even kill it. The Dilophosaurs were spitting and jumping on him. Their saliva burned his eyes, and their claws sliced his flesh. The humans had fled back into the forest, running full speed. Roaring in pain, the Ceratosaurus fell on it’s side. The Dilophosaurs continued spitting, clawing, and biting until no life remained. They all hooted and began devouring the kill. All, that is, except for one juvenile. This little one began a feast of his own. He bent over the broken, but still living William Skinner. The little creature clamped his jaws onto the humans face and pulled a large chunk of flesh from the bone.
The hunters had fled from the chaos, but in the panic they had ran away from the barge. “You lied to us, didn’t you. You were no animal handler,” Snare shouted. “We trusted you, and now Skinner is dead.”
“I didn’t lie exactly, I was an animal handler, but for herbivores only. I heard so many stories from co-workers, that I thought I knew enough about the carnivores,” Davis said.
“I don’t want to hear another word out of you! You better watch your back, because if you don’t you’ll find a bullet in it,” Snare said.
“At least we still have the radio and G.P.S.”
“No we don’t,” Snare said, “Skinner had them.”
Walking in silence, the remaining hunters came across the abandoned camp of Nicks expedition. “So,” said David Snare, “We aren’t the only ones on this damn island.” There was silence as they searched the area for any form of radio or G.P.S., but there was only clothing and food. “Well, now we have a way home. If we aren’t too late that is,” Davis said.
“Come on,” Snare growled, “There are fresh tire tracks. It looks as if we have an expedition to overtake.”
Chapter 4: Part 4/ Confrontation.
The Spinosaurus roared. It had finally found the strange animals that had escaped him. He lunged at the nearest vehicle, biting into the metal, breaking off three of it’s teeth. It roared in pain, growled, and lunged again. Nick Van Owen pressed the bright red button mounted on the dashboard. The motor of the electron cannon whirred as the device fired several thousand volts of white hot electricity through the monster’s body. The animal was not effected in the way Nick had hoped. Instead of running, the beast became enraged. The Spinosaurus locked his jaws around the cannon, pulling it completely from the roof of the car! The Spinosaur grasped the automobile with its long arms, and lifted it into the air. The humans inside were tossed about as the animal shook the car ferociously.
The animal dropped the vehicle on its side, then smashed the side window with its long snout. The group could do nothing but scream as the great jaws came ever so close to ripping them out of the car. Harrison, Jackson, and Thorne exited the second vehicle. The three of them trained their gun’s sites on the leviathan in front of them. The three darts impacted at almost the exact same time, but the tranquilizer failed to take effect right away. The beast turned on the small group as the struggled to reload. The Spinosaurus leapt toward the helpless humans, his jaws inches from closing on Thorne, when a single explosion was heard from the forest. The Spinosaur staggered backwards, and fell onto the overturned car. Its right eye was gone, and its left eye was hanging from an otherwise empty socket.
“You people are lucky we found you when we did,” said Bret Davis to the group. Nick was not so sure. He had an uneasy feeling about this encounter.
“We knew you people were here,” Turner said, “but we thought it wise to evade you. No good ever comes from harming these animals.”
“Please,” said Snare, “don’t give me that crap about protecting the animals. They have killed several people on the mainland, and they have killed my only friend. The sooner they are eradicated the better.”
“What is it you want from us,” asked Nick.
“Simple, we have no way off of this island. We know you do.”
“There is no way. We have little room as it is…”
“Look,” said Snare, “We have four days to get off this island, after that the island will no longer harbor life. They are going to gas the island! Besides, you have no choice. We have the guns.” It was clear that the group had just been hijacked. Nick had little choice but to lay low, and pray for a miracle.
Chapter 5: Part 1/ Night Comming Soon!
2/21/2002 10:00:26 AM
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