Owen Grady was inside the Raptor Training Room.
The four little ones had already grown significantly larger than a Compsognathus, and they looked much sturdier. They were currently frolicking and nipping at each other within the enclosure. By now, they were well-acquainted with the "two-legged beast" who ca in every day to feed them; knowing he wasn't a threat made them increasingly bold.
Owen held a few nut-sized treats in his hand, with a full bag of them hanging from his belt.
"Charlie, Echo, Delta..."
He repeated the young raptors' nas rhythmically, tossing each a small snack. He looked, however, a bit preoccupied.
Charlie and Echo were locked in a wrestling match, and Delta had scrambled atop a large crate, chirping and squawking at the others. Blue remained where she was, eyes fixed on Owen, waiting for him to toss her food.
"Blue, this one's yours."
Owen tossed the final treat to her. Blue leaped lightly, caught it in her jaws, and swallowed it after a few quick chews.
What kind of woman brings a literal itinerary to a date?
That was Owen's primary source of confusion. He could understand having a plan—what to do first, where to eat—but setting strict ti limits on every activity as if they were on a guided tour was just... abstract.
It felt like being in the middle of an intense gaming session only to have your mother yell that dinner is ready. Yeah, exactly like that.
High on her perch, Delta was bellowing at Echo and Charlie below. The exchange translated roughly to:
Get up here!
You co down!
I don't want to!
Well, I want you down here!
Then, Delta lost her footing and tumbled off the crate. Fortunately, it wasn't a high drop; she didn't even sustain a scratch.
Owen looked over at the sound. "Oh, jeez. Did you guys get into the stimulants today? You're all way too hyper."
Delta scrambled back to her feet with a quick roll and imdiately went back to play-fighting with Echo. Seeing that the raptor was fine, Owen relaxed.
"Alright, alright, everyone back up."
He spoke while gesturing with his left hand. Blue, who never took her eyes off him, noticed the movent and turned to call out to her three sisters.
"Thanks, Blue."
Owen caught the gesture and a small smile played on his lips as he thanked her.
As if on cue, the other three raptors heard Blue's call and snapped their heads around. Delta hopped down from her favorite crate, Echo stopped trying to gnaw on a stray piece of wood, and Charlie snapped out of her daze. They lined up, two to the right and one to the left, standing flanking Blue as they all stared at Owen.
The sight actually gave Owen a start. His left hand instinctively rose, and he took a half-step back, his eyes wide with shock. He looked up at the security cara, his stunned expression captured perfectly in the lens.
"Did you get that?"
Outside the enclosure, Barry manipulated the cara to nod up and down in affirmation. He then walked over to the observation glass, staring at the incredible scene. They had all heard that Velociraptors were intelligent, but that was just hearsay and data logs. Seeing it with their own eyes was far more visceral than words on a page.
Ding-dong! x5
Barry's phone erupted with a series of notification chis. Shaking off his surprise, Barry pulled the device from his pocket, frowning at the influx of ssages. Who would be texting him this much? It's not like he had a girlfriend.
He quickly realized the ssages were from the official Jurassic World accounts across various social dia platforms. To promote the upcoming docuntary on the Prival Ecological Zone, the park had just dropped a global teaser trailer.
This ti, it was Barry's turn for his eyes to bulge. He turned his phone screen toward Owen in the training room and tapped twice on the glass.
The sound drew the attention of both Owen and the confused raptors. Seeing Owen look over, Barry pointed frantically at the screen while mouthing the words:
Did you do this?
He knew Owen had been swamped lately working on a new sector, but he hadn't known the specifics. Owen couldn't make out the words through the glass, but he saw the Jurassic World logo on the phone and gave a smiling nod.
When in doubt, smile and nod. If they look happy, you're on the sa page; if they look horrified, you guessed wrong.
Owen guessed right.
Barry grinned, genuinely happy for his friend. The official push for the Prival Ecological Zone was massive. If it succeeded, Owen would be hailed as a key contributor. And what does that an for the right-hand man? If the boss moves up, he pulls his team with him.
Barry eagerly tapped the video.
PRIVAL ECOLOGY
- A Jurassic World Production
Inside a museum setting, an elderly man with white hair stood with his back to the cara, leaning on an amber-topped cane as he gazed at a towering dinosaur skeleton.
He began to speak, his voice slow and resonant:
"Earth, this precious jewel, was once a kingdom that gave rise to countless giants."
The man turned around, revealing a kind, familiar face. It was John Hammond. Though he had long since passed, modern digital reconstruction made his presence seamless.
"The great dino-hunters once thundered across this ancient continent."
The scene shifted. Carnotaurus One lunged from the forest, pursuing a fleeing Parasaurolophus.
"Singing the immortal legends of life's history."
A herd of Sinoceratops ford a defensive circle, letting out low bellows to ward off a prowling Ceratosaurus.
"They, alongside giants as majestic as mountains, forged a miracle upon the path of evolution."
The cara gazed up from the grass as a Brachiosaurus lifted its head from a lake, standing tall enough to stare directly into the sky.
"When we look back on the golden age that belonged solely to them..."
A tiny Ankylosaurus hatchling broke through its shell, blinking up at its tank-like mother. Stegosaurus grazed alongside a family of Parasaurolophus, sharing the lush undergrowth.
"As the rulers of this vast land..."
An adult Giganotosaurus charged a Triceratops. The two behemoths collided with a dull, heavy thud. A Diplodocus lashed its tail against the ground, sending a spray of green vegetation into the air like a wave.
"They perford, in their own way, a masterpiece for those who followed..."
The sun began to set, setting the sky and the lake ablaze with fire.
"A hymn of life from the Kingdom of Dinosaurs."
Carlo appeared on screen, his back to the cara. He lay by the lake, his tail swishing lazily up and down as he watched the crimson afterglow fade from the sky. He let out a soft, lodic trill toward the heavens.
"With the progress of our research, their stories are no longer a secret to us."
The cara returned to Hammond. His gaze shifted from the skeleton back to the lens.
"The ancient sheet music has been placed upon the piano, waiting for us to play."
"So, what are we waiting for?"
The tone and visuals shifted instantly to a high-energy montage.
"The official docuntary premieres globally on July 10th. Purchase a Jurassic World VIP Pass to unlock exclusive, 24/7 ecological live-streams."
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Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over here ——— pa-tre-on.c-om/AlexandrusTL [remove the hyphen for normal access]
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