Three months after the Thief Incident…
A deer stood within the Giganotosaurus exhibit. Its body was swallowed by a massive shadow, its legs, all four of them, shaking uncontrollably.
There's no escaping... a monster like this... how could anyone escape...
"Eeng—"
Carlo nipped the white-tailed deer's neck gently. Before the creature could let out a full cry, his massive jaw strength clamped down, snapping its neck instantly.
Crunch... slrssh—
He bit into the belly, ripping out the internal organs in one jagged motion and swallowing.
"Ptui!"
The sensation of the slippery, squirming organs sliding down his throat was too much; Carlo spat them out imdiately.
Today was the first ti he had attempted to eat solid at. Standing at three ters tall, it was no longer appropriate for him to pester Caroline for milk. In truth, his mother had been the one to drive him away.
Don't you realize you're three ters tall?! What are you doing trying to nurse under a 4.1-ter-tall mother?!
But in Carlo's eyes, he was just a four-month-old baby. He felt he should have at least a few more months of nursing left!
Carlo poked at the organs he had spat out.
"The anatomy looks right... it's not like I ate the large intestine by mistake?" Carlo was puzzled, but he braced himself ntally. He pressed the side of his face to the ground, scooped the entrails back into his mouth, and...
Gulp.
He swallowed hard, a cold shiver running down his spine.
[Status Panel]
[Na: Carlo]
[Species: Giganotosaurus carolinii]
[Available Points: 58 (Grayed out)]
[Health: 26,802.1 / 80,960]
[Stamina: 750 / 750]
[Oxygen: 510 / 510]
[Food: 10,000 / 10,600]
[Weight: 0 / 898]
[lee Damage: 180%]
[Torpidity: 0 / 143,800.5]
With his food stat at 10,000, Carlo picked up the deer carcass. He didn't plan on eating any more; he'd leave the rest for Debby and Caroline.
His health had reached about a third of its maximum. Based on the information in his mind, he realized this bar would likely fill up completely only once he reached adulthood.
However, his physical size was already approaching that of his mother. Why was there still such a massive gap in health points? If he kept growing at this rate, things were going to get complicated.
Or rather, too good.
…
"Dr. Wu, is the growth rate of this Giganotosaurus perhaps... a bit too fast?"
Dr. Henry Wu took the tablet from his assistant, scrutinizing the data on the panel. He rubbed his chin, lost in thought.
"The growth rate... it is indeed rapid, but still within a 'normal' accelerated range for our assets. Is it a result of inherited growth hormones? But there shouldn't be a corresponding gene sequence in its fragnts..."
Dr. Wu set the tablet down, leaning his weight on the desk.
"No, perhaps its own genetic sequence inherently possesses this capability. Keep recording. We know precious little about the Giganotosaurus; we haven't even determined the maximum size for the species. This individual... it might just break the records."
A thin smile touched Wu's lips. This little guy, well, big guy, never ceased to provide surprises.
"Dr. Wu, the two Indominus rex hatchlings have been transported into their respective holding paddocks," another female assistant reported, checking her tablet.
Dr. Wu stiffened slightly. He turned to a researcher and commanded, "Project the real-ti surveillance of both Indominus specins onto the main screen. We must observe them around the clock."
This was to monitor for stress responses as the hybrids adjusted to their new environnt. Even without his orders, the staff knew the gravity of this task.
"And regarding the Prival Ecological Zone project...?" the assistant asked, fearing Wu might have forgotten.
"Leave that to the doctors. They will handle it."
During the planning phase, Henry Wu had only seen Dr. Grant once from a distance, as Grant was focused on the Giganotosaurus habitat. Dr. Ellie Sattler dealt primarily with one of Wu's female researchers who specialized in paleobotany.
As for Ian Malcolm, he was only there for his lectures and a vacation. Since their philosophies clashed so violently, they hadn't t at all.
Suddenly, Dr. Wu rembered sothing.
"Before the release, rember to give the female Giganotosaurus... erm, I've forgotten her na again. Regardless, give her the serum to neutralize the 'preventative asures' we implented previously."
…
Owen Grady was currently inside the Prival Ecological Zone assisting with scent-neutralization. He was responsible for the Ceratosaurus habitat. If everything went according to plan, the Ceratosaurus released here would choose to "set up camp" on-site.
The habits of these dinosaurs were sowhat similar to Velociraptors, though they lacked such a vast social circle, typically living in groups of only one to three. They maintained individual territories but socialized occasionally, standing together against intruders too large to handle alone.
Two Ceratosaurus were scheduled for release—one male, one female. Calculations suggested they would likely form a pair, so they had been allocated a substantial territory.
In a letter, Simon Masrani had promised Owen that if the Raptor training showed results, a dedicated Velociraptor paddock would be built. In reality, building such a paddock was inevitable; the "capitalist" was simply promising him sothing he was going to get anyway.
Consequently, Owen's life now consisted of bonding with Raptors in the morning, working on the Ecological Zone in the afternoon, and returning to the Raptors before clocking out.
However, it wasn't a total loss—he had successfully landed a dinner date with his superior, Claire Dearing.
…
"Scent-clearing in the Ceratosaurus zone is complete. Ready for asset release."
"Copy that."
A man in security attire replied into his radio, then reported to Dr. Grant, who was standing nearby. "Doctor, all designated release sites have been cleared."
The scent-clearing had been Grant's specific requirent. Ever since witnessing Carlo's terrifying tracking ability, he had placed extre emphasis on this factor. He nodded to the guard and then looked at Ellie.
"Ellie, how are things on your end?"
"The plants are fine," Ellie replied with a smile. "I think they're eager to welco their new neighbors."
She wasn't just being poetic; the relationship between plants and herbivores is often symbiotic. So plants require animals to disperse seeds; others rely on them to complete the cycle of life. Simply put: if a plant doesn't want to be eaten, it evolves to be unpalatable.
Grant nodded, then turned to Masrani's assistant, the project lead. "Everything is ready."
The assistant nodded. "Then let us invite our guests of honor to move in."
User Comments
0 comments from readers