The Lost Ponies: Jurassic Park

Chapters

1 - Life At The Edge of Chaos
2- To Uncover The Truth
4 - Deciphering
5 - The Kidnapping / To Isla Sorna
6 - The Lost Ponies (First Encounter)
7 - Deeper Into The Jungle
8 - The Light and The Shade
9 - Plans Into Action
10 - Predators
11 - Raptor Attack (Part One)
12 - Raptor Attack (Part Two)
13 - The Edge of Chaos
14 - The Magic of Death
15 - The Elements of Chaos
16 - Tipping The Scales
17 - Tyrannosaurus Rex
Prologue - Dear Princess Celestia
3 - Secrets and Business
18 - Addressing The Ugly Truths

1 - Life At The Edge of Chaos

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2- To Uncover The Truth

Marty Gutierrez nodded slowly, one hand cradling his chin and the other supporting his elbow. “Yeah,” he said simply to the shorter Costa Rican man on his right. “No different to the others.”

The sun was still warm as it began to set, casting lengthy shadows on the beach. Gutierrez was all too aware that the sun set quickly here and he looked up, wincing as he scanned the skies. With a shake of his head he gave up trying to spot the damned helicopter, instead continuing to look at the large, unsightly corpse before him.

This was the fifth carcass of its type that washed up on the Costa Rican beaches and yet the horrid stench was never any easier to cope with. He’d passed gagging and now stood some ten feet from the decomposing form, holding his stomach for all it was worth. Nonetheless, each specimen was truly astonishing. He’d heard of them, alive, back in the early nineties after joining John Hammond’s genetics company and apparently they were like nothing else mankind had ever done. He thought it unfortunate that despite working for Hammond for over six years, he’d never seen a live one, instead having to clean up leaks and messes such as this.

Gutierrez pursed his lips. They made him redundant in late 1993. They made everyone redundant in 1993 and for plenty good enough reason – the project had collapsed. That made sense to him. What didn’t make sense to him was that between 1995 and the present summer of 1997, five corpses had washed ashore, carried by the waves. Strangely their frequency had increased: in all of 1995 only one was found and nobody thought anything of it. The end of the project was messy and many of the specimens were killed. Many of those directly involved had returned to the mainland sworn to secrecy, so those on the lower tier of the company – Gutierrez included – had theorised it was a matter of time before remains were washed towards Costa Rica.

The next showed up in mid 1996 which ruffled the feathers of those tasked with hiding it. It was a stretch that a specimen would wash ashore in 1995, two years after the incident. But for another to make its way landward three years after was more than simple coincidence in the eyes of many. A lot of ex-employees working for the Costa Rican authorities tried to seek answers, at which point the government quickly reminded them that there would be no answers – they were all still signed to secrecy, both to give and receive information.

Four months after that specimen the next arrived, washing ashore in December ’96. It was quickly followed by another, arriving three months on and then finally, after thirty days, came the most recent specimen; the one lying before Gutierrez. Miraculously, given the frequency and nature of the specimens, he had kept on top of it all. That was one of the many reasons as to why the authorities had allowed him to stay reasonably free from close surveillance, unlike most of Hammond’s ex-employees. Alongside his excellent track record whilst employed by the company, he kept his head down, didn’t snoop around, and did his job.
Despite this, word of these specimens – these ‘aberrant forms’ – had leaked a little but nobody in government appeared worried quite yet. Word spread to some close circles of leading biogenetic scientists and a small number of government officials not involved with the project. This the authorities could handle; for the most part the leakage was internal and not public. In some instances, the corpses were discovered by tourists but before there was any chance of them spreading what they’d seen, the authorities closed in quickly...

In recent times the authorities had reason to be at unease as worryingly true rumours began to circulate amongst academic circles. Many ex-employees of the company were quick to point the blame towards Ian Malcolm: they all knew he was there when the incident occurred, and he was sharp of tongue and quick of mind – logic and rationale said that he had to be the one spreading the rumours. What wasn’t known for certain however was that Malcolm had also signed a secrecy agreement and would be a fool to breach its terms, something that the authorities knew all too well.

Three months ago on the turn of the New Year, Gutierrez had been contacted by palaeobiologist Richard Levine. He’d heard of these aberrant forms and, when pushed for answers regarding how he knew, refused to elaborate stating simply that it was ‘word on the grapevine.’ He’d asked if he could be part of the cleanup process should another specimen appear which of course Gutierrez refused – it was his job to keep a facade up, to make the aberrant forms disappear from the public sphere.

When Levine had offered an eight-figure sum of money to be a part of the next cleanup the truth came out. The authorities were quick to demand Levine meet with Gutierrez and other officials from the cover-up operation. The meeting took place that same week. Again, the authorities had pushed Levine for answers, but he remained stout, saying only that he had ‘connections in the right circles’ and nothing more. He followed his statement up with two briefcases which themselves needed no explanation.
Though morally against bribery, Gutierrez was at the mercy of his seniors who did not hesitate in accepting the cash offer. Levine himself signed a secrecy document and was to expect a call should Gutierrez and his team be given another assignment. That assignment finally washed itself ashore eight hours ago and Gutierrez was quick to contact Levine. As day broke the beach was cordoned off, a round-the-clock guard patrolling the perimeter as science teams took what they needed.

Gutierrez himself arrived at the site about half an hour ago with his aide Diego. It was their job to stand a close guard alongside the corpse until Levine arrived by helicopter – he was due soon, set to arrive before the night closed in but as Gutierrez looked skyward once more he grimaced: the sun had sank ever lower and the hues of reds and oranges began to fade. Levine was running very late indeed. With a shake of his head he looked towards the specimen once more, examining the remains. He dared to go a little closer to it than usual, squinting closely at its features. Decomposition meant there were few preserved, well-defined parts of this creature, but there was plenty of skeletal structure and flesh remains to inspect. What remained of the hide looked thick and well-built. Ribs protruded from rotting flesh. Patches of skin adorned the dense muscle structure, its surface looking rough and well-built.

“Amigo,” Diego called as Gutierrez had subconsciously reached towards the specimen. “Don’t go any closer, it will make you unwell.”

It was only then that he actively realised just how close he’d come to the remains. Certainly closer than the Costa Rican authorities would permit and with a near-silent huff he stepped back. Though Diego served as his subordinate, he also acted as another more trusted set of eyes and ears for the government. It was true that Gutierrez was a trusted figure. But even so, the authorities needed someone they could trust fully – hence their decision to appoint ‘aides’ to all lead investigators after the arrival of the first specimen.

Gutierrez was not supposed to know of the true nature of the aides but in an almost ironic twist of fate he’d come to learn of their role. He, who was employed by a government agency to keep secrets, had in fact learned secrets from the very same agency. This fact in itself was yet another secret for Gutierrez to keep under wraps...

The whirr of a nearby helicopter quickly drew him out of his thoughts. It didn’t take long before it came into view and closed in, the pilot opting to make a low pass of the beach prior to landing. Gutierrez held onto his hat. He watched the helicopter slow on its second pass, its downdraft gaining in strength as it gently hovered in place, gracefully touching down after a short descent. Almost immediately a suited man hopped from the craft – no doubt an agency official, sent to begin the paperwork. Behind him, two more men disembarked. They were armed with flamethrowers: it was standard protocol that all specimens be destroyed. The risk of them being spotted during transfer away from the discovery site was too great. And finally, the last to alight, Richard Levine himself. Gutierrez watched as he wasted no time in barging past the agency men, his eyes trained on the specimen.
“I came as soon as I got your call two days ago...” Levine trailed off as he approached. “Wow...”

“Senor! No closer,” cried the agency drone. “It is dangerous.”

But Levine was oblivious to the pleas. His gaze was locked on the dead animal, a sparkle of awe in his eye. He stood dumbstruck and silent for what became an uncomfortable length of time but, before Gutierrez could speak, he exploded into action, caught up in his own words. “Far too big to be any familiar lizard,” Levine began, gesturing animatedly. “Far too big. No way is this any monitor lizard, even with the swelling that’s occurred. Oh, and look at these teeth. Neat rows of perfectly flat molars, much like a cow’s. Adapted for grazing on soft conifers. Do you see it, Marty?”

“Yeah,” Gutierrez responded, trying to avoid being drawn into another lecture from the man. He answered simply on autopilot.
Levine nodded his head as he stood back, taking the specimen in fully. “This is definitely a dinosaur,” he concluded. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. “A real dinosaur... Difficult to tell owing to the decomposition but it looks like a Hadrosaur... Oh wow. Hah! I was right, I knew it. Wait ‘til Doctor Malcolm sees this.” As he spoke, he slipped a camera from his jacket pocket but immediately the agency official was in front of him, hand over the camera.

“No photos, senor.”

“I’ll take photos if I like,” Levine bit back, wrenching his hand free from the agency man’s grip. He went to turn from the man in an attempt to get a picture but once more he was accosted, this time with Diego holding him tightly.

“Senor, stop struggling...”

“Get off me! You don’t understand, this is an important academic find—”

Another quick jolt and Levine pulled his arm free, but his swing kept going and he accidentally made contact with Diego who proceeded to flare up. Immediately the atmosphere thickened and all were drawn into Levine’s petty scrap – all, save for Gutierrez, who was quick to take action.

As the group of men were busy yelling at one another he removed a pen-knife from his pocket, moving alongside the specimen and hacking off a small portion of flesh. Immediately he wrapped it in some tissues and as discreetly as possible placed both the sample and the knife into his pocket.

Gutierrez looked up. Nobody had seen him.

Suddenly, and with a whoosh, the corpse went up in flames – clearly, the authorities present had deemed Levine needed quietening. Gutierrez jumped back as the heat intensified, the bulky mass beginning to hiss and crackle. Skin peeled away and fat reserves burst; the specimen began to lose shape and collapse inward on itself.

Levine flew into an exasperated rage. “What are you morons doing?! Don’t you understand anything?!...”

Gutierrez smiled to himself as he stepped back. True, he had just broken a lot of regulations set out by the Costa Rican government and the US government, but sometimes rules were there to be broken. It was very rarely that he followed such a mantra, but in this instance Gutierrez felt he could excuse himself: the project had collapsed around Hammond’s organisation because of their poor handling of the entire situation. That much was well-known amongst ex-employees. And now, it was the ex-employees who were clearing up the mess. Though he was against these specimens becoming public knowledge, Gutierrez felt strongly that the company’s creations – and to a wider extent, InGen themselves - should be known amongst select circles in the academic and scientific community. The greatest minds in this particular field might be able to explain why so many corpses kept washing up on the mainland shores, and why all this was happening four years after InGen’s demise. Quite simply, he felt there was more to it all than chance and when Levine had approached him he saw an opportunity: Levine had contacts, time, and money. From the moment they had met, Gutierrez knew he’d help the man in whatever way he could, even if it meant undermining his past and current employers. No doubt, a sample would be of great value.

He nodded to himself, staring into the flames. Levine would thank him later.

****

It was growing late in Santa Fe. The day had long since given way to night and Twilight found herself in her small apartment, attempting to unwind after yet another day of solid study and research. All she had succeeded in doing, however, was replaying Malcolm and Levine’s exchange from two weeks ago following the lecture. At this juncture, Twilight was unsure where Levine would hear such rumours from and why he was so convicted to the idea. Further to this she was a little untrusting of Malcolm himself; he had been quick – too quick – to brush Levine off. True, the men clearly held each other in contempt. But even this did not seem reason to denounce Levine’s claims so quickly and surely. It just didn’t seem right. And this, coupled with what her research from the past two weeks had brought to light, had made her think there might well be more to Levine’s claims than Malcolm would have her believe.

Twilight had since told all of this, and the rest of her findings and events, to Princess Celestia via a satellite video uplink on her laptop.

The Princess had listened earnestly as Twilight regaled everything she could remember, nodding and humming in agreement here and there. “So you yourself are beginning to believe Doctor Levine’s stories?” she said as her most faithful student finished speaking.

“I... Yes,” Twilight replied. She nodded slowly. “At first I thought it far too advanced for humankind to have achieved anything like this. Their technology is incredible – just look at what it’s allowing us to do right now! –but I didn’t think they could ever create living animals. That’s even too advanced for most levels of magic, so far as I can tell.” She watched Celestia nod in agreement. “But I was able to find a little information in various journals and books, and I’ve yet to see an outright denial of Levine’s stories in any sources. Not to mention the conversation between him and Doctor Malcolm at the lecture. There just seemed to be something more to it all, something else to discover... If it is true, this will be groundbreaking. It’d be incredible!” She felt a rush of excitement as she spoke. “If what I’m feeling is correct, humankind will have brought ancient flora and fauna back from extinction! Their command of science is magic all of itself.”

“Truly remarkable, indeed,” Princess Celestia noted. She smiled. “I can only assume you’ll want to stay on Earth for a little while longer should developments of any kind in this field occur.”

“Absolutely,” Twilight answered quickly, excitedly. “If it’s true, this will be a huge discovery for humankind and something that ponykind could learn from. We can study how they did it, the science behind it. We can learn about Earth’s ancient animals using the very animals themselves!”

“Very true.” Celestia nodded slowly. “There is much to learn.”

Expecting the princess to continue, Twilight allowed a pause. It was only when she did not that Twilight came to realise: she had heard the princess use that tone before. There was more that needed to be said.

“But...?”

“But this sounds like a particularly dangerous avenue of conducting research, especially if you were to come into contact with ancient animals. Neither we nor humanity knows how they will act, what they will do. This also sounds like a highly delicate matter for humanity. To get the answers you seek could involve stepping on somepony’s hooves, as it were. Of course, I want you to conduct whatever research interests you, and I want you to enjoy your time on Earth. But I also want you to be safe, Twilight.”

Slowly, Twilight nodded. She had naturally already weighed up the dangers of such a situation, leading to an aggressive panic attack just thinking about what could happen in a worst case scenario. Fortunately she was able to steer herself away from chaos and panic, chatting to her friends via video-conversation easing the stress. But it was still something that weighed heavily on her mind. It’d certainly be a groundbreaking discovery, but it could potentially be a dangerous one.

“If I didn’t think you could handle yourself, I would not have asked you and your friends to head to Earth at all and conduct the research that you are,” Princess Celestia continued with a reassuring smile. “Twilight, you have more than proved yourself as capable of tackling any situation with your quick mind and your confidence. You have fought some of the truest evil Equestria has ever seen, and you and your friends have pulled through each time. There is a reason you are an Element of Harmony.”
Twilight blushed, about to respond before being cut off.

“I do, however, have one concern – the lack of our magical manipulation on Earth.” There was a brief silence as the words sank in. “Your abilities as a spellcaster are unique, Twilight. You are able to manipulate Equestria’s magical field with complete ease. But Earth’s magical field compared to that of Equestria is nowhere near as strong,” the princess concluded. “Even I am unable to spellcast to the best of my ability on Earth. Not to talk down to you, but without magic as a ‘back-up plan’ in the event of a sticky situation – being under threat from a dinosaur, for instance – you will have to rely on your intellect, quick-thinking and leadership skills to avoid trouble.” Another heavy silence. “Please, just... be safe.”

Twilight was quite taken aback. She didn’t often see this more concerned, motherly side of the Princess. She watched wordlessly as Celestia’s horn glowed, and from somewhere beyond the laptop screen a little mug of tea floated into view. The Princess took a graceful sip, her lighter, happier quality returning.

“Not that I don’t have faith in you, of course. But I would like you to bear that in mind.”

“I...” Twilight drew a deep breath. “I will, Princess Celestia.”

“Good.” Celestia smiled, taking another drink. “Now if you’ll excuse me, my little pony, I must see to some official business. I will be in contact soon!”

“Goodbye... Thank you again for your advice.”

And with a smile from Celestia, the uplink disconnected. Twilight was left staring at a blank laptop screen as new thoughts buzzed in her head. For Princess Celestia, co-ruler of all Equestria, to stress the issue of safety to her in such a manner...
Her head began to spin and she felt uneasy. She’d been here before, countless times: this was the onset of a panic attack. Turning away from her laptop, she cantered over to the bed and lay down, her eyes closed.

One...

Two...

Three...

Four...

Twilight began to take steadying breaths as she focussed her mind on thoughts of her friends, of home. She knew she was a long way from home and although her closest friends were also currently on Earth, she was all too aware of the thousands of miles separating them. But as she steadied herself she allowed thoughts of their friendship to ease her worries.

It was working. She began to relax, regaining her composure. A smile was creeping its way onto Twilight’s face—

The laptop interrupted her peace as it blared out a jingle, the screen flashing. Another video-call. With a start she made her way back to the device. All previous concerns had since left her mind; she wasn’t expecting another caller tonight but upon seeing who was trying to contact her she was all too happy to answer.

“Twilight? You there?” Richard Levine was clearly incredibly excited.

“I’m here,” she replied calmly, levelling herself once more. “How are you, Doctor?”

“What?” was the response. “Look, the connection here is godawful. You’ll have to bear with me!” She watched the low-resolution video image of Levine hit his own camera, making the screen flicker. “Okay. Try again.”

“Doctor Levine, I’m here,” she repeated.

“Ah, okay. Got that. Hello. I’m in Costa Rica.”

Twilight knew exactly what that meant. Her relentless studying and research from the past two weeks had taught her much, despite raising numerous more questions. She’d chased up almost everything she could find on the company Levine had previously spoke of – International Genetics, or as they were commonly known, InGen – and its connection with islands and dinosaurs. What she had found were primarily official accounts that told of the company leasing a sole island named Isla Nublar back in the mid 1980s from the Costa Rican government. Within ten years of the lease the company had filed for bankruptcy. From her research she’d discovered that InGen’s shares and profits had decreased rapidly after 1993 to almost nothing, but there was no official statement as to why.

With no official record of events in 1993, Twilight could only go based on rumour and word-of-mouth. She’d trawled libraries and the internet extensively, looking to find anything she could on the matter but the only results she’d uncovered were poorly thought-out conspiracy theories. They ranged wildly from Isla Nublar being nothing more than a base for a new division of the company, right up to the island containing horrid monsters – extreme and grotesque in form, these beasts were the next step in biogenetics but far too dangerous to be created on the mainland.

In an almost unbelievable turn of events, the most likely theory about InGen’s collapse was what Levine had said. The idea of genetically engineering prehistoric animals seemed too far-fetched to be true in any other circumstance, but in this instance Twilight was forced to believe it more and more. It was the only theory she’d heard that seemed to have some consistency; Levine had said others in his academic circles spoke of it. Added to that was the fact that, apparently, five or so dinosaur remains had washed ashore in recent years.

And now, she found herself contacted by Levine directly, himself speaking from Costa Rica – the very location of the animal corpses. As her heart rate increased, Twilight drew a breath – she felt that she was about to be told something that would change the playing field.

“A carcass has washed up on a beach here. I can tell you straight away, and without any shadow of hesitation, that it is definitely a dinosaur. There are no photos. But we took a sample.” Levine glowed. “I was right. I was right! And Ian was wrong, of course. Twilight! We’re going to go and find dinosaurs!”

A small squeak of joy escaped from Twilight as her eyes lit up, before quickly reigning herself in. “Wow, Doctor Levine—”

“Richard.”

“Richard, that’s great news!” There was a pause, Twilight working out quite what to say next. “So... What happens now?”

“Okay, I’m heading back to Santa Fe later tonight. We’ll meet at the Institute Library around four-PM tomorrow, and then we can head to my flat. Should get there about five.” He took a moment to look over his shoulder. “I think I know where they are,” he said. He spoke in a near-whisper, now much closer to his own laptop’s screen. “I’ve pinpointed a chain of islands – Los Cincos Muertos, or the ‘Five Deaths’ – and one of them is looking to be our bag. I’ll explain more when I get back.”

“This is all so exciting!” Twilight exclaimed in response, a sudden thought hitting her from the side. “But – what about Dr Malcolm? He won’t—”

“Don’t worry about him,” Levine cut in. “I’ve sent him the sample we took. You see, I know how Ian works, how he thinks: firstly, he won’t believe me when I tell him it’s dinosaur flesh so he’ll send it off to a lab. Then, the lab rats will do all these tests and conclude they don’t know what it is, but they’ll likely tell him it’s like a lizard-bird hybrid. And then he’ll come and find me, and—“
Something seemed to grab his attention as he looked over his shoulder again. “I have to go,” he whispered. “I think I hear someone coming... I will see you tomorrow. And remember, not a word of this to anyone. Nobody.”

And that was that.

This new chain of developments left Twilight’s mind running overtime. It was all beginning to shape up. What had started as nothing more than Levine interrupting Malcolm’s lecture two weeks ago was quickly evolving into a scientific discovery on an unprecedented scale, something that Twilight found absolutely enthralling.

Despite all of this she still had her concerns, particularly after her conversation with Princess Celestia earlier. Seeing Levine tomorrow would certainly help, though – she intended to talk over every detail that she could possibly think of with him to avoid any unnecessary risks. And as soon as she knew everything, Twilight would contact the princess and inform her of the updated situation.

She let out a little sigh; the idea of running through things with Levine put her at ease. Feeling more relaxed she trotted into the small kitchen area, preparing a coffee.

As the kettle began to hiss, she sat down and mulled things over. Two weeks ago, she was attending a lecture on Earth’s prehistoric life. Now, simply being in the right place at the right time, she was being dragged into what could turn out to be a groundbreaking discovery for both human and ponykind. If the humans involved with Levine’s plans were lucky, Twilight thought herself even luckier.

Pouring her drink, she gave Levine’s call some more thought. A carcass had appeared on a beach in Costa Rica and he was adamant it belonged to a dinosaur. Despite not having seen it, she wanted to believe he was right and for the most part, she felt that she did. A small part of her still felt that she needed evidence – hopefully, the sample he took from the carcass would go some way to consolidating her belief.

Twilight chuckled to herself. She was an intellectual pony, keen to support claims with evidence and believe in logic. And yet here she was, on a planet so far from her own, listening to the sentient species claiming to have found dinosaurs. It all seemed too unreal, too ridiculous. But for whatever reason, she believed it. Twilight figured that if travelling untold distances from realm to realm and establishing ties with a species as equally intelligent as ponies was possible, then finding examples of living prehistoric creatures was not something to be dismissed.

She took a drink of her coffee. Anything was possible...

Twilight cast her thoughts to what Levine had said about where his Lost World could be found. Los Cincos Muertos – the Five Deaths. Initially she had thought Isla Nublar was the island they had been looking for, but her research had said nothing of the Five Deaths at all. Either Isla Nublar was one of these five islands, or InGen had in fact leased another island in total secrecy.
Downing her coffee, she was hit with a steely resolve: she would go, and she would research once more. Packing her laptop into her saddlebags she made her way out of the dormitory building and into the New Mexico evening, making the short walk to the Institute library. She was sure to find something on the Five Deaths in there.

She would uncover the truth, one way or another.

Author's Note

Hello! Back again with more character-based chapters. Sorry this took a while to upload; been pretty busy with other bits and pieces.

Slowly we work our way towards the dinosaurs. Things are beginning to progress and balls are beginning to roll - let's hope those of you following this story are still enjoying.

Cheers, 'til next time.

4 - Deciphering

“Here we are,” Levine said as he parked his car, stepping out into the warm afternoon sun. He’d made it back to the Institute at four o’ clock sharp, just as he’d told Twilight via satellite uplink yesterday, and met her there. She was keen to get straight to the point and discuss the matter at hand, but he had insisted they wait until they’d returned to the safety of his flat. “There could be someone listening,” he’d told her as they drove away from the Institute.

It didn’t take the two long to arrive at the flat complex. Levine parked his car in one of the spaces and promptly the duo made their way inside.

Neither noticed a station wagon slowly pulling up, stopping across the road.

“Just in here,” Levine said as he opened his flat door. “Please, after you. Make yourself at home!”

“Thanks,” Twilight replied as she made her way into the flat. Immediately she noticed how orderly and clean his flat was – everything was neatly arranged, nothing appeared out of place. As she sat down on one of the sofas, Twilight noticed a door off to her right and peered inside: she could just make out piles of literature stacked up inside. Even these were arranged neatly.

She chuckled to herself as Levine busied himself fixing some drinks. Neat, organised, and an academic. Perhaps she did share some things in common with the man...

“Here you go,” Levine said handing Twilight a cocktail of sorts. “Figured you might want some refreshments.”

“Thank you,” Twilight replied as she awkwardly grabbed the glass in her forehooves. Taking a small sip she again looked over towards the door. “If I may, Richard... What’s in there?”

“Many, many years’ worth of knowledge and hard work,” he said proudly. “Not just mine, but that of many others. There’s probably close to a thousand journals in there that I’ve collected. Some I’ve contributed to, others I’ve not. But as I’m sure you’re aware, one does not just ‘throw away’ academia.” He took a swig of his beer. “There is also some, shall we say... more relevant knowledge in there. You see Twilight, I’ve been a busy man since last year, chasing leads and scouring whatever works I could, all to find clues. Clues that point me towards InGen’s dirty little secret.”

“I’ve tried to find what I can, and there seems to be hardly anything pertaining to this rumour—”

“Correct, there’s not much to go on,” Levine said interrupting. “That isn’t to say that there isn’t anything.” He smiled wryly. “I’ve spoken to more people than I care to think about it and their stories are patchy at best. Doctor Malcolm rebuffed my claims the best, for sure. Doctor Grant just kept trying to get me to go away when I spoke to him, and there’s a few others who I’ve spoken with that have done a poor job of keeping the truth from me. But I know, Twilight. I believe. All the thinly-veiled denials, the research I’ve undertaken, the InGen laptop – I’ll go and get that in a moment – and, of course, the aberrant corpses... InGen is hiding something. And that something just so happens to be a scientific and paleontological breakthrough the likes of which have never, ever been seen before. I’m not sure why it’s all still under wraps, though... InGen is no more. They do not exist. Hmm... Anyway, I’m digressing. If you’ll wait here for a moment...” Levine stood, setting his beer down and heading into the study.

“Get those photos ready, Howard,” Dodgson said in the station wagon outside. “Looks like he’s about to tell all.”

“Photos are right here, Lewis.” King was sat in the back of the car, photos of the InGen and BioSyn printouts to hand.

“Good. We’ll likely need them for referencing... Won’t be long now.” With a wry smile he turned the volume up on the microphone monitor. “Listen very closely, gentlemen.”

Twilight looked idly around Levine’s flat as he busied himself, allowing her mind to wander. Naturally her friends and family wound up filling her thoughts; she’d not seen any of them in a long while, even though the other Elements were themselves all currently on Earth. She’d hardly seen her own family – the last time she was in Equestria she only went to see her parents once and missed a chance to catch up with Shining Armour. And though he lived with her, she badly missed Spike.

Twilight sighed wistfully.

Memories of the day she left Equestria came flooding back to her. It was an emotional day for everypony involved as it marked the start of a year-long sabbatical. Twilight and the other Elements would spend an entire solar cycle in the human realm, building connections, relations, and studying their ways. Truly it was an exciting opportunity, but it was still one tinged with sadness: she and her friends would be such a long, long way from home. She remembered that morning, when Spike had clung to her leg, begging her not to go.

“It’s no different to all the other times I’ve been gone, Spike,” she had uttered softly.

“I know, but this is different! This is the longest you’ll have been gone. How will I manage without you for a year?”

It was all in his tone. She felt herself breaking. She felt guilty. “Oh, Spike,” she cooed, scooping him into a hug. “You’ll be fine. The Princesses are more than happy to look after you!...” She trailed off. “Not that any of that makes leaving any easier.” She felt her eyes sting. “I have to go, Spike. These research missions to Earth are really important! Princess Celestia is relying on us.”

“I... I guess you’re right,” he whimpered softly in response. He returned the hug.

“I’ll come back and see you as often as I can. And I Pinkie Promise you that.” She smiled at him, planting a kiss on his snout.

“I’d better go—”

“Here we are,” Levine announced loudly, pushing aside the drinks on his coffee table and dropping two large folders onto it. This shook Twilight from her thoughts. She watched as Levine sat opposite her on the other sofa, a device in his lap. “What you see before you, Miss Sparkle, is everything I know about the biogenetics movement of the 1980s contained in these two folders. Namely, the two leading companies: InGen – International Genetics Technologies – and BioSyn, or Biological Synthetics Incorporated. And this,” he said as he patted up the device in his lap, “is an old InGen laptop computer I picked up in an auction I shouldn’t really have been at.” He beamed, an almost child-like arrogance coming off. “Now, let’s begin. InGen. I believe you are familiar with them?”

“I’ve read about them before,” Twilight confirmed. “And as you know, I’m also aware of the rumours surrounding them—”

“Good,” Levine cut her off. “Well, we don’t really need to go into any great detail with BioSyn so I’ll simply fill you in on the basics: They came into being in the early 1980s and met with limited success in their field, less so after InGen formed in 1983. After Lewis Dodgson was appointed Head of Research sometime in the mid eighties they resorted to industrial espionage and tried to compromise InGen’s technology for years.”

“Oh... Wow,” Twilight uttered. “I had no idea such a big corporation would resort to such... corrupt methods!”

“And now you do know.” Levine nodded. “There are a few important characters of BioSyn, namely Dodgson, but past him the other only notable names are the managing directors and one Dennis Nedry, who disappeared off of the map in August 1993.”

“What happened to him?”

“Officially, nobody knows.” Levine shrugged. “However, what is known is that he worked for – or, rather, was on the employee roster – of both BioSyn and InGen.”

“So he worked for both companies?”

“It would appear so. Knowing what we know about BioSyn’s modus operandi, it seems logical to conclude he was a BioSyn spy. That, or a saboteur.”

Twilight raised her eyebrows. If what Levine was saying was correct, the biogenetics companies had some dark secrets behind closed doors...

Levine continued. “Now, said ‘spy’ disappears in August 1993. InGen loses a lot of investors following Q3 of 1993 and files for bankruptcy in November that year – it’s all common knowledge, all here in this folder.” He opened the folder marked up as InGen, flicking to the financial documents. “Here, take a look if you like.”

Twilight took a brief look at the documents: they were very much as expected. Print-outs of InGen’s financial reports between 1990 and 1993, revealing nothing hugely remarkable aside the sudden drop in shares following August 1993...

“This is not what happens in ordinary circumstances,” Levine said as he pointed to the part of the report outlining InGen’s financial collapse. “A crash of this magnitude requires some extraordinary circumstances. Something happened, Twilight. Something big took place that ultimately doomed InGen. And I think I know what—”

“Isla Nublar,” Twilight interjected. She’d read that InGen leased the island from the Costa Rican government but past that, she didn’t know anything else about it. None of her research had revealed what happened on the island, but the past two weeks had given her a pretty solid idea. She had been waiting patiently for Levine to finish, but she couldn’t wait any longer. “These rumours – the ones you brought up at Doctor Malcolm’s lecture... InGen displaying dinosaurs on the island... It’s true, isn’t it?”

Levine smiled. “Yes,” he said. “Yes they are.”

“Oh – Oh, dear Celestia... This is incredible!”

“It’s unlike anything else I’ve ever heard before, for sure... Now, do you remember the conversation Ian and I had after his lecture? I claimed his injury was a result of the catastrophe that took place on the island?”

“I certainly do, yes—”

“Well, before I met with you today I received a call from him: he finally admitted I was right. Honestly, part of me thought I’d never see the day when the stubborn Ian Malcolm would finally bow down and admit he was wrong!... He received the sample from the carcass in Costa Rica, and as I suspected it was enough to draw the truth from him. Anyway, he went to Isla Nublar alongside Doctor Alan Grant, and plenty of others, to inspect the dinosaur reserve, itself said to be named ‘Jurassic Park’.” There was a pause as Twilight made a small noise of acknowledgement. “Now, getting back to the point: I have pinpointed a chain of five islands not too far from either Costa Rica or the alleged location of Isla Nublar, and one of these five should be ‘Site B’.”

Twilight watched Levine as he flicked through the InGen folder, eventually stopping as he reached a map. He gestured to her and she looked closer; the map displayed the west coast of Costa Rica. Immediately she noticed a chain of five islands, circled by a red marker pen.

“Los Cincos Muertos. The Five Deaths. From top to bottom we have Isla Matanceros, Isla Muerta, Isla Pena, Isla Sorna and Isla Tacaño,” Levine began. “Initially I had deduced Site B had to be one of these from vague connections: they are near to the alleged location of Nublar, thus their climate will be the same and actually transporting the dinosaurs from A to B would be easily enough done. Ah, I should say briefly that the exact location of Nublar is unknown, but I had suspicions it was off the Costa Rican coast. Ian confirmed this: when we spoke earlier, he said it was roughly one hundred and twenty miles from the mainland. Now, if we look at this map, the Five Deaths are two hundred miles from Costa Rica – thus, Nublar is about eighty miles from the Five Deaths. And it makes sense that Site B be within range of Nublar: various notes that I was able to extract from this InGen laptop make reference to shipping dinosaurs, both in terms of cost, time, and quantity, and it adds up. It looks like a lot of the actual shipping movements took around three hours, which would make sense given the distance between Nublar and Site B.” Levine allowed a moment, downing the rest of his beer.

“Now, returning to the sample we sent to Ian. It was, apparently, also microchipped. He told me that the chip was incredibly small and full of radio transceivers but importantly it had suffered from some sort of acidic erosion – as if it were exposed to an acidic atmosphere. A volcanic atmosphere.” He pointed to the map. “Notice that only two of these islands have dormant volcanoes on them: Isla Muerta, and Isla Sorna. One of these two is our bag.”

Twilight peered closer at the map. “But we still don’t know which island we’re after... Can I look at the laptop?”

Levine handed her the laptop. “I’ve searched it a thousand times. See if you can find anything.” And with that he stood, grabbing another beer from the refrigerator.

Twilight pressed the power button and the old device whirred into life. She was greeted with a message:

WELCOME TO INTERNATIONAL GENETICS TECHNOLOGIES

-PLEASE ENTER PASSWORD

“Richard, what’s the password for this?” she called.

“Hang on,” he replied in kind. Quickly he returned, taking the laptop from Twilight and entering a passcode. “Here,” he said handing it back. “You’re in.”

Twilight returned her focus to the screen. It simply read, WELCOME JOPHERY LAWES. ACCESS LEVEL: SITE A MAINFRAME, LEVEL 01. SITE B MAINFRAME, LEVEL 01. The information kept flashing. “There’s... nothing here,” she said. “Just information about ‘Jophery’, whoever he is.”

“Ah, but there is. Here, let me...” Levine once again grabbed the laptop, producing a sheet from his pocket. “When InGen went bankrupt they sold almost all of their technology on, hence how I came across it at auction. They had claimed to have removed everything from these old things but the very fact that it still recognises one of their workers implies information still remains. And it does.” He held up the scrap of paper. “I managed to work around the security systems on here with the help of a friend, and we wrote down each step. So...” he returned to typing, and soon looked up. “Okay, here you are. Private files.”

Twilight focussed back on the laptop. “Please don’t think I doubt your efforts, Richard – I’d just like to have a look for myself. You probably know just how handy it is to have somepony look over something you’ve already analysed; see if you’ve missed anything...”

“All too well,” he said with a chuckle. “That’s academia for you.”

With a smile and a nod, Twilight began looking through the numerous menus now available to her. There were plenty of folders and sub-folders – clearly, InGen hadn’t anticipated anyone finding these secret files, or perhaps they had simply forgotten to clear them. Regardless, here they were, and she intended to make the most of the information.

After a short period of time Twilight found that much of the laptop contents either made no sense whatsoever or simply wasn’t relevant to their search. Despite this, she pressed on, checking each folder in turn until eventually she accessed the folder titled ‘>SHIPPING HISTORY.’ She watched as reams of dates appeared before her. Immediately she noticed that there were very few in late 1992, most of the dates being between January and July 1993 – and of those dates in 1993, a few were of interest.

03.01.1993 – SPECIMEN 01138 – QUANTITY: 14

INGEN SHIP 04 ‘ELORA’, ETA 13:37

03.07.1993 – SPECIMEN 01573 – QUANTITY: 1

INGEN SHIP 02 ‘SARA II’, ETA 22:50

03.16.1993 – SPECIMEN 01295 – QUANTITY: 5

STEINER, DE. SHIP ‘KATHARINA IV’, ETA 05:39

“Hmm... It looks like this Mr Lawes had access to shipping dates and times,” Twilight said aloud. “Maybe he was a dock hand of sorts?”

“Yes, I had found that some time ago,” Levine answered.

“Did you notice that one of these ships isn’t an InGen one?” She pointed a hoof towards the screen’s printout. Levine furrowed his brow and quickly scuttled over.

“The ‘Katharina IV’... Steiner, De.? Sounds German to me—oh my God.” He stopped himself mid-thought, staring at Twilight. His face contorted into an enormous smile. “My dear I think you’ve done it!” He leapt up and charged towards the phone, frantically dialling away. “I have a friend who might just know enough to help us here.”

“German?... Oh, of course! Die Funf Todesarten! That book in the Institute library! Germany had links with the Five Deaths—”

“Give me a minute,” Levine said, interrupting Twilight yet again. “Hi, Marty? You there?... Yes of course it’s me. Tell me, The Five Deaths... Which ones were owned by that German Mining Company?... Steiner De., that’s the one, yes... Hurry up man, I’m on the verge of making a discovery here!... Site B, yes... Calm down man! I’ll get back to you if it all falls into place... Isla Sorna, okay... Are you sure?...Then check!... Okay... Yes... Look, I have to go but I’ll fill you in later... okay. Goodbye.” He put the phone down.

“It’s Isla Sorna,” he announced. “That’s Site B!” Levine laughed aloughed. “It’s got to be. It all makes sense.” He drew a breath. “And to think I’ve been trying to find out for a year or so...”

“I don’t know why neither of us picked up on this before,” Twilight chuckled. “Especially as the Germans’ history of mining these islands is well-documented. Yes, I found Die Funf Todesarten that night you called, and despite my limited understanding of German I was able to work out what was being said. There was a heavy emphasis on Isla Sorna, for sure, but this is still a rather tenuous link to base your entire expedition on—”

“Tenuous, yes, but with hindsight the puzzle completes itself.” He interrupted her once again and Twilight was beginning to see why others at the Institute took a dislike to him, despite his brilliant mind. “Isla Sorna was bought out by Steiner De. in the late 1960s, that’s common knowledge... apparently. I was unaware of this although I was also unaware that InGen were ever involved with German mining companies. My friend Marty Gutierrez, of whom I met in Costa Rica, knew of this connection; apparently InGen were leasing amber mining to them. To get the DNA they needed to make dinosaurs. Do you follow?”

Twilight nodded.

He remained stood by the telephone receiver. “Good. Well, Steiner, already in possession of Sorna, seemed to be one of these many companies that InGen worked with. They didn’t just lease work out to anybody. They went for smaller companies that they could trust and, if they couldn’t completely trust them, they would pay them until they could. Steiner, according to Gutierrez, was a small company back when they owned Sorna. Small, but wealthy.

“I imagine that once InGen was ready to produce dinosaurs en masse, they must have realised the need to acquire a big enough space to do so: Isla Nublar was too small. Hence, they purchased Sorna from Steiner but, trusting the company, continued working with them, by leasing shipments of dinosaurs to them.” Levine paused, taking a breath. “That’s how I make sense of it all. It’s not as concrete as I would have hoped, but it’s far more than I’ve had in the past year of looking.” He looked uncomfortable, impatient even. “I don’t think we’ll get any guarantees unless we go – as such, I’m willing to take my chances and mount an expedition to Isla Sorna and see what we find.”

Twilight was shocked at Levine’s brashness. True, she knew that he was one to get an idea and to commit fully to it; she had seen that displayed during Malcolm’s lecture. But here, the man had a loose link connecting InGen to an island and was willing to contribute the necessary time, money and effort into mounting an expedition there, without hard evidence of dinosaurs ever having been there. The man was a definite theorist, finding links and reason in whatever he saw. Even so, Twilight would never have thought he’d risk so much based on so little. One part of her was screaming out at his impatience.

Another part of her was smiling at him. For what he was, Richard Levine was a man with a great mind and the enthusiasm to match.

“Now, Twilight,” Levine began as he briefly disappeared into his study. “I want to show you one final thing.” He reappeared with a videotape, quickly inserting it into the television. “I got this through some friends of friends – some ex-employees at InGen. During the breakdown of the company, they must have grabbed this for themselves, and thankfully I have ended up with it.” He smiled. “This is why I’ve been so adamant about the Lost World.”

He started to play the video.

“Just watch,” he said in a hushed tone. “You’ll see.”

Twilight turned her attention to the television screen as a poor-quality video began to play. A sequence began of two men, none of whom she recognised, filmed themselves getting into a grey and red jeep, the vehicle humming into life and heading into a jungle. The next few minutes were entirely uneventful; a collection of jungle shots and the men making idle chat.

“Okay, here,” Levine blurted out. “From here.”

Zoning Levine out, Twilight focussed once again on the video which showed the jeep pulling off of the jungle track and onto a dirt road, an enormous electric fence running along its side. The vehicle stopped and one of the men grabbed the camera as they exited the vehicle.

‘This is Doctor Gerry Harding, chief veterinarian for InGen. Present at Isla Nublar, date July 5th 1993. Travelling with security chief Robert Muldoon to undertake a routine examination of the Tyrannosaurus enclosure.’

Twilight’s eyes widened as she worked her lower jaw once. “I...” She trailed off.

‘Let’s make this quck,’ said the man named Muldoon. ‘I get uneasy when we spend too long around here.’

With rapt attention Twilight watched as the two men took footage of the gargantuan electric fence and its various struts, the pair obviously following some sort of checklist. All seemed to be going to plan until Muldoon froze on-camera, gazing into the leafy enclosure.

‘I heard her,’ he said. ‘She’s not normally active during the morning.’

The video displayed the enclosure and zoomed in, moving from tree to tree. Twilight felt her own heart rate increase as she too scanned the treeline, eyes darting across the screen. She was suddenly drawn from her thoughts as Levine paused playback and stood.

“There,” he said as he pointed to an area on the screen. “Right there.”

Twilight peered. “I’m not sure what that’s supposed to be – Oh, oh my...” Suddenly she was able to see it. In amidst the undergrowth was a pair of small yellow eyes and a very large, dark shape. It was difficult to make out, but it was definitely there. She was stunned.

“Is – is that... a T-Rex?”

“I would believe so,” Levine said excitedly. “Yes, I think so. Here, watch.”

He began playback at a quarter speed as Twilight kept her eyes glued to the shape. Through the camera wobble she thought she could see the eyes blink slowly twice, before part of the dark shape turned. Its eyes were trained directly on the camera and she felt a chill run down her spine. It was looking directly at her...

At that point, the camera angle changed and the dinosaur was lost from view. Playback paused once again and immediately Twilight turned to Levine. “Play that bit again.”

Without hesitation Levine rewound and replayed the tape, Twilight moving closer to the screen. The second time around, she could make out the animal a little clearer. It was still very difficult to gauge anything about it – size, colour, shape – but she could roughly guess based on what she saw, and it looked enormous. Again, as playback continued the creature disappeared from view, and this time Levine stopped the video.

“There you have it,” she heard him say distantly. The image of what looked to be an adult Tyrannosaurus burned brightly in her mind. Her thoughts went back to the museum trips she and Fluttershy went on, gazing intensely at the Rex’s colossal skeleton.

“Quite eye-opening, no?” Twilight was pulled from her thoughts. “This was one of the first of InGen’s items I came across in 1994. I know everyone thinks I’m deluded by insisting that dinosaurs have been and are alive once again. But this,” he said with a wide gesture towards the television, “this proves me to be right. This is obviously something that has been under very tight wraps, but no longer.” He was clearly proud of his efforts; despite having been stunned to silence Twilight could pick up on that. “So, what do you think of all this?”

Twilight blinked repeatedly, searching to find the right words. “I – well...” She took a moment. “I wasn’t expecting the video. I was confident we’d work something out, but that was just... It makes it that much more real.”

“I totally agree,” Levine said as he sat down once more. “If you’re feeling up for continuing, I have something I’d like to ask you.”

“Oh – sure, of course.” Twilight focussed, clearing her mind. “Please carry on!”

“Okay. Once I’d shortlisted these five islands, I pushed plans for the expedition ahead by three weeks which, according to schedule, would have had it leave in fourteen days. However, with this new information I will push it ahead again; I want to leave in three days.” He paused, pursing his lips. “I’d still like you to join me. I believe your intellect will serve us well and I think you will learn a lot. Not to mention the groundbreaking nature of what we’d be conducting! Field research on living dinosauria. This is not something any academic can claim to have done, let alone any other person. Or indeed, any other pony.” He downed his second beer. “I ask that, despite the date being no more than three days away, you would consider joining us.”

Before the battle could even take place in her head, Twilight pushed aside thoughts of Celestia’s warning and the dangers that could very well lie ahead. She had already decided. She’d had a number of panic attacks surveying the situation, and had mulled it over more times than she cared to remember in the past two weeks, but Twilight found that she was always drawn back to the idea of agreeing to go. It was almost out of character for her; she was aware that she could potentially be risking life and limb and that she was so very far from her home realm. But at the end of it all, deep down Twilight knew she had to accept Levine’s proposal. This was not an offer that she would see again in her lifetime.

“I have considered it,” she began, a grin appearing. “And I’d love to join you and your team.”

“Wonderful,” he happily replied. “Wonderful! Fantastic. Okay, I have a few calls to make. Rather, I have a lot of calls to make. I think I’ll start by visiting Ian at the Institute, then call Doc Thorne from there... Oh, but I could just call Thorne from here... No, no, I will head back to the Institute. I don’t know if you were aware, but Ian’s girlfriend Sarah Harding is back from Africa, and her pony attaché is with her... oh, I can’t remember her name—“

“Fluttershy’s here?!” Twilight beamed. “We have to go! I’ve not seen any of my friends for months, this will be fantastic!”

Levine nodded. “Looks like it’ll be a good night for us both then! Now let’s not waste time.” He set the folders down, switching the InGen laptop off. “Let’s go.”

Outside of the block of flats, the station wagon hacked into life. “Did we all get that?” Dodgson asked, turning to face his colleagues.

“Yeah,” King replied, Baselton nodding in agreement. “Yeah, we got our island.”

“Excellent. Right, here’s what we’ll do next. Howard, are your contacts in Costa Rica still about? Get on the phone to them. Arrange for a ferry to take us to Isla Sorna tomorrow morning at 8AM. Gotta be big enough to take one jeep. We need to get there before Levine.”

“Makes sense. Will do,” King said producing his phone.

“Okay. A little later, we’ll swing back here and pick up our microphones. I kinda don’t want Levine to stumble across one of them before he leaves – the last thing we need is any alarm bells raised. In the meantime I’ll make the call and arrange for our flight down to Costa Rica – it’ll leave at midnight. Now, I’d like to amend tonight’s plans if I may: if we’re going to a dinosaur island tomorrow I want a last beer before we go. So, gentlemen, the drinks will be on me tonight.”
And with that, the old car slipped away into the evening.

Author's Note

Surprise! Uploading two chapters today. More to follow soon!

5 - The Kidnapping / To Isla Sorna

“Oh my darling, it’s been simply exquisite.” Fluttershy could picture the enormous grin Rarity would be wearing. “Paris is beautiful! You must come and visit me, we can go to the spas – I really have missed our spa trips – and I can show you the sights... Oh yes!” There was a pause; Fluttershy heard Rarity sigh. “So, when are you free to come by?”

“Oh, I can’t yet,” Fluttershy replied. “I’m only in America for a week or two. Sarah and I are heading back to Africa then.”

“Of course, I guess I was getting a little caught up in the moment, as it were... Well, whenever you’ve enough time, please do make the journey. It’d be lovely to see you again – come to think of it; it has been a while since the six of us met up. Have you heard from any of the others lately?”

“Apart from Twilight and Rainbow, no. The last I’ve heard, Rainbow was doing well getting her pilot’s license and Twilight was following up on some academic theories. I’m seeing Twilight tonight actually! I’m in a bar waiting for her to arrive. If you like I can ask her to call you?”

“Please do,” Rarity chimed. “It’d be great to hear from her again. Anyway I must go; I’m off for a few drinks with a charming young fashion designer. All the best to Twilight from me!”

The line went dead and Fluttershy put her phone away in her saddlebag, but not after giving the small device a strange look. She’d visited Earth a number of times before this trip and she’d grown more accustomed to human technology each and every time – that didn’t make it any less odd, though. She had grown up in a land of mailmares and magical parchment letters, not one of electricity and satellite communication. Still, Earth never failed to amaze her. In many ways the two worlds differed completely; Earth’s reliance on technology and oil stood in stark contrast to the slower pace of life in Equestria. Despite this, humans and ponies were slowly getting accustomed to one another. Slowly, but surely.

Fluttershy smiled to herself. This visit to Earth was definitely looking to be the longest time away from home; she’d already been away for close to six months and hadn’t yet visited Equestria in the meantime. In any other situation she’d have visited every weekend, to ensure Angel and all her other charges hadn’t lost their way without her but she was so wrapped up in her work on Earth that she hardly had the time. But she didn’t mind too much, particularly as she’d arranged for her parents – themselves keen animal enthusiasts – to take up her duties whilst away.

Before meeting Sarah Harding, Fluttershy didn’t know quite what to expect. She was aware of Harding’s prestigious position in animal behaviour research and indeed Harding’s reputation preceded her – but after working together for a week or two, Fluttershy knew she was lucky to be paired up with her. Harding was a woman with many of the qualities of her best friends; she was daring and confident like Rainbow Dash, articulate and well-versed like Twilight, straight-talking like Applejack. To top it all off, she loved animals. Fluttershy felt like her research mission to Earth was going brilliantly – and that she’d found a new friend in Harding.

And now she found herself sitting in a small bar in Santa Fe with a cocktail, waiting to meet with Twilight. She’d had worse plans for an evening.

From her table in the corner, Fluttershy had a commanding view of the bar. It was a small, fairly dark place, its main feature being the snooker table in the centre. There were a few stools at the bar, each of them occupied by various different people. The numerous tables here and there were fairly empty, save for the one she occupied, two in the far corner surrounded by a big group of friends playing some drinking game or another, and a smaller table not too far from hers playing host to three men talking in reasonably hushed tones, each of them enjoying a beer.

She heard the bell above the door jingle and looked up; Twilight had stepped in. Fluttershy watched as she took a moment to quickly look around, a smile overtaking her features as the two made eye contact.

Twilight trotted over as Fluttershy stood to greet her. “Hello,” was all she could say as two embraced. It was then, and only then, that Twilight came to realise just how long it had been since she’d connected with her nearest and dearest.

“It’s so good to see you,” Fluttershy responded as the pair sat down. “How have you been? Are you keeping well?”

“Very much so,” Twilight beamed. “And the research is going fantastically. We’ve made some major discoveries in the past few hours, the likes of which I wouldn’t have even been able to comprehend if you’d told them to me a few months ago!” Twilight let out a loose chuckle. “I, uhh... I’m not sure it’s the sorta thing we can talk about so openly here.”

“Oh, that’s fine, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” Fluttershy took a sip from her cocktail. “I’m just glad to hear it’s going well for you.”

“No, I’d quite like your opinion on it actually. I think you’d be able to offer some very good advice on the matter. But we can come back to it in a little while – tell me about Africa! – oh, let me get a drink first. What are you drinking?”

“Sarah introduced me to Mojitos when we were away. They’re really quite refreshing.”

“Then I’ll be back in just a moment,” Twilight said with a smile.

****

“Listen,” Malcolm seethed. “I have no desire whatsoever to join you on your ‘grand day out’ to Isla Sorna. None.”

“But what of your promise two weeks ago? You said you would be a part of the team, on the proviso that another aberrant form showed up. It did, and since then I’ve pinpointed Site B.” Levine spat back as he paced around Malcolm’s office. “You ought to keep your end of the bargain. Besides, this expedition could prove to be groundbreaking in almost all academic and non-academic fields—”

“No!” Malcolm had raised his voice; he was on the verge of cracking. “You don’t understand me. What you will find on that island is, in plain terms, monsters. They aren’t even dinosaurs in the truest form. They are recreations, clones, whatever. They are not real.”

There was a tense, brief silence as the two men stared one another down; Harding sat quietly in the corner. She remained silent, observing the dispute.

“Irrespective of the philosophy surrounding these creatures,” Levine started, “they could still prove invaluable in scientific and academic circles.”

“Richard, listen to me. I have seen these things first-hand and they are nothing like any depiction of them will ever make them out to be. Nothing. They are awe-inspiring, this much is true, but they are more dangerous than you could ever hope to imagine.” Malcolm steadied himself, fighting the light-headedness creeping up on him. “I was right about Hammond’s park. Chaos theory dictated it was doomed before it even began, and chaos theory was proven correct yet again. Your flight of fancy will be no different. I can’t do it. I can’t join your mission to Isla Sorna. And even if I could, I wouldn’t.”

“...Suit yourself,” Levine finished abruptly after an awkwardly long silence. “I cannot convert the blind. So be it. Well thank you for your time, Doctor Malcolm. I was almost certain—”

“Hey, Richard. I’ll come with you.”

Both men turned to look at Harding who had entered herself into the conversation.

“Are – are you mad?! Sarah, you can’t go!”

“For one, Ian, yes I can. And secondly, I can make my own decisions.” She smirked as she stood, making her way towards Malcolm. She grabbed his arm. “This sounds genuinely exciting. And you should know that I of all people know the dangers all too well – who was it who stayed with you when you were in the infirmary?”

Malcolm remained silent.

“I’ll be fine and I’ll be careful. I just spent a solid month in Africa studying one of the most dangerous carnivores in the world and I’m still here. So is Flutters, and she’d be the first to tell you we had some... close calls.”

“But none of that matters!” Malcolm exploded in a fit of newfound panic. “It doesn’t matter what you’ve been able to handle so far. There is nothing that can prepare you for what lives on that island. Nothing you or your pony friend will be able to do. I can’t allow you to go, Sarah... Not after knowing what they can, and will do. What they did do.”

Harding sighed softly, stroking his arm. “You know I love you very much. But you need to trust me on this one. Chaos theory or otherwise, believe in me.”

Malcolm released a sigh, slowly shaking his head and sinking into his chair. “There’s nothing I can do to convince you otherwise.” It wasn’t a question; he already knew she had made up her mind.

She planted a small kiss on his forehead. “Thank you for understanding – or, at least, trying to understand...” She smirked, turning to Levine. “So what’s the plan – when are we leaving?”

****

“...and then Sarah yelled ‘get to the jeep!’ and I’ve never run quite so quickly in my life and once we reached the jeep I couldn’t open the doors, so I stood there panicking until she reached it too and we jumped in and the driver was going at full pelt and—” Fluttershy paused, taking a deep breath – “...oh my. I think I’m beginning to understand what it’s like to be Pinkie Pie,” she giggled. Twilight smiled widely.

The cocktails had gone to the ponies’ heads somewhat. Normally ones to drink in moderation, the pair tonight rode their high spirits and enjoyed drink after drink in each other’s company. So far as they were concerned, they were having a great time.

“So why didn’t you just stare the rhinoceros into stopping? I know you could have done it... I mean, c’mon, Fluttershy. You – you’ve put a dragon in his place. And stared down a Cockatrice. And the Cutie Mark Crusaders. And nopony can just do that!” Twilight made wide gestures with her forehooves.

Fluttershy giggled. “No, I suppose not!” She paused to finish her cocktail. “It’s so great to catch up. I’ve missed spending time with you and the others. So much.”

An enormous smile adorned Twilight’s features. “And the very same to you, Fluttershy.” She allowed a moment. “Did you want another drink? I think I’m gonna get one.”

“Please,” Fluttershy called out as Twilight stood.

The bar had filled up somewhat since she’d arrived and now Twilight found herself having to work through throngs of people. Occasionally she’d pick up on various conversations, still slightly fascinated by it all: most of what she heard was just people chatting about their social lives, or moaning about their boss, or talking over the latest social trends. It surprised her every time she overheard human conversations – they were really very similar to that of her own kind. The similarities between the two species never ceased to amaze her.

As she approached the bar, she picked up on some men chatting, their conversation instantly grabbing her interest for all the wrong reasons.

Did they say...? No, can’t have been...

Keeping a low profile, she took a few steadying breaths and tuned in.

“...It’s fiiine. We’ll call Rod and see if he can get a boat for us. He knows people.”

“It’s not fiiine, Lewis. We should have had this sorted in advance.”

“Don’t fuck with me Howard! We didn’t know we’d be leaving tomorrow morning. We didn’t know when we’d be leaving. But now we do, and in order to beat the oh-so-esteemed Doctor Levine to Isla Sorna we need to leave tomorrow.”

“He’s not leaving for three days—”

“Like that matters! If we leave tomorrow we could be back home by the time he thinks about heading out!...”

Twilight felt her cheeks flush and her heart go into overdrive.

“...I want my dinosaurs, Howard. And I want them as easily as we can get them.”

Her eyes went wide and she nearly flew into a fit of panic, her chest tightening up. They knew. She had to leave here, she had to get in contact with Levine and let him know. She had to do something—

“What can I get for you ma’am?”

She blinked as she came out of her funk. She was at the bar, the barman looking at her. “Uhh – I – It’s okay actually,” she said quickly, her gaze darting around the bar.

“If you’re sure,” came the barman’s voice but Twilight wasn’t listening to him – she was desperately trying to find the men. Horseapples, she uttered under her breath, unable to tune in over the bar’s commotion. Immediately she turned back and pushed through the crowds and back to her table.

Fluttershy was wearing a smile as Twilight returned but it quickly turned into a frown. Something wasn’t right. She’d seen Twilight look like that before, and it was normally quite bad news.

“Is everything okay? You look—”

“There are people here who know,” Twilight interrupted. “They know about the island, and they shouldn’t know. Nopony should know.”

“The island? Twilight, I’m sorry but I’m not sure what you’re talking about—”

“Fluttershy, this is important!... O-okay. We need to get out of here so I can tell you what’s going on, and then we need to follow them, and find out what they know, and—”

Fluttershy had moved around the table, a forehoof stroking Twilight’s arm. “It’s okay,” she said softly. “We can go outside and find somewhere to sit down, and you can tell me everything. Calm down, dear.”

“...This is why I love all of you girls,” Twilight sighed. Even in the worst of situations, the six of them always did rally together and work as one. Quite deserving of the Elements of Harmony, Twilight thought to herself. “Okay, let’s head outside for a bit. I want to stay where we can see the entrance though, in case the three men leave.”

As inconspicuously as two tipsy ponies could leave a bar running at capacity, the pair slipped outside and sat themselves across the street. They hid slightly under the shadow of a tree, Twilight steadying herself.

“Are you sure you want to tell me? You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“...Yes,” was Twilight’s answer. She took a deep breath. “Okay. I was at a lecture two weeks ago and the speaker was Doctor Ian Malcolm. He was interrupted by this other man – Richard Levine – who said it was possible that a Lost World could exist here on Earth—”

“Twilight!” Fluttershy yelped, her eyes widening. “The L-Lost World? Dinosaurs?”

“...How do you know about the Lost World?”

“I was with Sarah and Ian earlier and Ian said that there was a place where dinosaurs still existed... And that he’d seen them... Oh!” Fluttershy hid behind her mane, a panic rising. She had seen how a man as strong as Ian Malcolm was reduced to a nervous wreck, just by the very memory of dinosaurs. And that in itself frightened her.

“I agreed to go with Levine, to find the dinosaurs,” Twilight blurted out.

“Twilight!! You-I-You can’t be serious?!”

“I agreed a long time ago, back when I first met them both at the lecture. Richard and I chatted a lot about it, and we worked out where the Lost World is. He’s got a whole expedition heading there, with armoured trucks, scientists and vets... It’ll be okay. We’ve faced worse back in Equestria and come through!”

Silence.

“...I hope you’re right, but – will it be okay?”

There was a long pause as Fluttershy’s question rang out in Twilight’s head.

She’s right... Even Princess Celestia asked I take care. And now I’m trusting a relative stranger with my life...

“Look,” Fluttershy whispered, a hoof pointed at the bar.

Across the street, three men were leaving.

“That’s them.” Twilight was wide-eyed. “I’m sure of it.”

“What do we do?”

“We have to follow them. We can’t let them just get away – we need to find out exactly what they’re up to... And once we know, I’ll call Richard.”

“...leave the car, we’ll get a ticket,” came a voice from across the street. “C’mon guys, it’s not a long walk anyway.”

Twilight turned to Fluttershy. “I am so sorry for getting you involved in this.”

“No,” came a firm response. “I want to help you, Twilight. That’s what friends do.” Fluttershy offered a warm smile, itself returned in kind.

“Thank you. That means a lot... Now let’s follow them. Come on,” Twilight said as she stood up, a newfound resolve setting in. She and Fluttershy trotted off in the direction of the three men.

****

“Three days? You leave in three days? Are you both out of your sane minds?!”

“Ian, please, stop shouting—”

“I am not shouting! You would – you would both know if I was shouting.” Malcolm gestured widely before letting out a deep sigh, his shoulders drooping. “Look, Sarah, I... I know you can look after yourself. I really do. But this is unlike anything you will ever do. You saw me in that hospital in Costa Rica... Well I suppose none of that matters now, as I know you’re already set on going. But – three days? Is that really enough time to prepare for this crazy expedition?”

“Oh I wouldn’t worry about that,” Levine answered with a nonchalant wave of the hand. “Preparations have been underway for months. I have commissioned a mobile laboratory and an SUV to be built and modified at a workshop in San Jose; an old colleague of mine and his team are working on them. They’re as dino-proof as you could hope for. Thick carbon fibre plating, all exterior surfaces electrified as a last-resort, various tranquiliser weapons, winches, a portable ‘high-hide’... The list goes on. Oh, not to mention satellite communication in both mobile and non-mobile form! The vehicles themselves are very nearly ready and the satellite phones are good to go. So tell me, Doctor Malcolm, are you still worried about our safety?”

“Yes,” he answered in an instant. “You might recall my authority with regards to chaos theory. Life is almost completely unpredictable: life finds a way. These – these ‘dinosaurs’, mingling in the modern world with human beings? A recipe for disaster. Genetic monsters in the complex system that is the modern world? It spells doom. You could have made the most water-tight plans and they will still fail. Look at Jurassic Park itself. Does the Isla Nublar incident not teach you anything?”

“Ah, but I have one secret weapon with me on this expedition.” Levine grinned. “She goes by the name of Twilight Sparkle.”

Harding started. “What?! You’re taking Twilight to the island? How is that wise?”

“Now, Sarah, it’s fine. We’ve chatted at great length about it all and she herself is keen to join me. I believe her great intellect will serve us well once we’re out there.”

“You – you do know who she is, don’t you?” Malcolm’s tone had dropped; he spoke derisively, slowly. “She is the personal protégé of Equestria’s own monarch and sun-Goddess, as well as a member of their ‘Elements of Harmony’...”

“Yes, I was aware of her status and importance in Equestrian society—”

“—And that if anything happened to her whilst on your adventure, you would be personally responsible. You and you alone. Just think about that for a moment.”

“...Well none of that matters. She opted to join me. I am not forcibly taking her.” Levine remained stout.

“Of course it matters, you fool! It—”

A ringing blared out putting an abrupt end to the heated argument. Levine reached into his pocket, pulling out his mobile. He checked the caller ID. “It’s... Twilight,” he said aloud before answering. He put the phone on loudspeaker. “Yes, Twilight? Hello?”

“Richard, there’s a big problem,” came Twilight’s panicked whisper. “Fluttershy and I went out for a drink, and I overheard three men – they know about Isla Sorna—”

“What?! How? Who are they?”

“Shh,” Twilight hissed. “We’ve followed them back to their apartment – we’re just outside the door – They’re planning to mount their own mission tomorrow at dawn...”

The line went silent.

“Twilight?”

“Hang on, I’m listening in...Apparently the helicopter pilot who flew you around in Costa Rica worked for these men as a spy... oh, Celestia... They rigged your apartment with microphones—”

“Who are they? You must find out! I’ll have them arrested for trespassing! Where are you!?”

“Richard, for Christ’s sake! Keep it down or you’ll rumble them,” Harding called to him.

“We’re pretty central in Santa Fe, not too far from Cathedral Park... Sounds like they’re leaving for the island tomorrow morning – Oh, wait – oh, no. No—”

“Twilight?!”

From the phone came the sound of a door opening and some muffled yells.

“Fluttershy run!—”

“Twilight! Twilight!”

The atmosphere in Malcolm’s office dropped in an instant. The tension was palpable. The trio listened in as they heard the sounds of an obvious engagement; there were cries from both parties, scuffling and movement. A voice yelled “grab them!” and the two ponies screamed.

Then there was a dull thud quickly followed by a man crying out before erupting into a coughing fit. Another voice cursed loudly, howling “bring them with us!” and in between the scuffling, the screams and the yells, Twilight could be heard shouting “just get to the island!” before a final yell.

With that, the line cut out.

Almost before anyone had time to process what they’d just heard Harding had leapt to her feet. “Okay. We have to leave, now. Richard, call your man making your trucks and tell him they need to go to the island straight away. We need to get down to Costa Rica. Come on!”

Hastily, Levine fumbled with his mobile, the colour having completely drained from his face. All the while, Malcolm took in the scene: Harding was gathering her things, Levine was panicking and repeating “oh God” to himself quietly.

Malcolm grinned, his features displaying a smug arrogance.

“Didn’t I tell you, Richard?”

“Shut up, Ian. Now come on, we need to go pack.”

“Oh no. No no no. Sarah, I’ve already made it quite clear that I shan’t be coming—”

“Yes. You are. Two very important representatives of Equestria are in danger and you’re going to sit in your office and do nothing? Ian, you’re better than this. I know you are – hell, you know you are. I get that you’ve dealt with dinosaurs before, but this is above that now. We need to rescue Twilight and Fluttershy. Now get up!”

After a brief pause, Malcolm begrudgingly stood. He remained silent as he walked purposefully toward Levine, stopping inches from his face. “If anything goes wrong – anything – I will make you regret ever getting involved. If anything happens to Miss Harding... Just make your damn phone call.” With a snort Malcolm shook his head, moving away from the flustered academic and towards his beau. “Sarah...” he cupped her cheek. “Whatever you do, promise me you’ll stay safe.”

“Of course,” she said with a confident smile. “I’ll look after myself, and I’ll keep an eye on you as well.” They shared a kiss. “Richard, any news?”

“Er – yeah, Thorne reckons the vehicles can be on Isla Sorna by 10am tomorrow if they go overnight. That’s the soonest he can get them there. Though, he strongly recommended we don’t do that as the oceans are rough...”

“To hell with that,” Harding barked. Levine was quite astounded by how quickly she switched from lover to leader. “We need those trucks there as soon as we can.”

“I –I said something similar,” he replied quickly.

“Good. Now, you know people. Make another call and get us on a plane to Costa Rica within the hour.”

Levine did not need telling twice.

Taking a moment to let the adrenaline level out, Harding turned back to Ian. “I’ll need you with me for this,” she said. “If it was just the expedition I wouldn’t have expected you to come, but now it’s much more than that... We’re on a rescue mission and we’ll need all the help we can get. I’ll need the help.”

“I understand. And I’ll – I’ll need you with me as well... I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this.” He was flustered.

“Okay,” Levine called out. “We’re on a private jet in ninety minutes.”

Harding nodded. “Good. We’ll meet at the airport in an hour – get packing. See you there, Richard.” She watched Levine make his way briskly from the office with a diligent nod. He closed the door.

“What a moron,” Malcolm spat, a poisonous combination of fear and rage oozing from within. “This is what happens when you drag very important ponies into your crackpot plans.”

“No time for insults, Ian. We’d better get our own gear together.”

The pair left the office and made their way to Malcolm’s flat, a short drive from the Institute. They wasted no time in packing and within half an hour they were on the road to the airport.

Twenty minutes’ driving time later and the couple arrived at Santa Fe Municipal Airport. It was a fairly small affair and, coupled with the fact that it was late evening, the pair were able to quickly meet with Levine and make their way through the terminal building. Levine seemed just as restless as earlier, though for a different reason – inevitably, Malcolm thought, due to the prospect of his expedition turning from fantasy into reality.

The trio reached the private aviation ramp, a steward leading them to their aircraft.

“One final check before we go,” Harding called to the two men. “Sure we have everything?”

Levine lit up. “I have all my information with me. Documents, maps, phone... I’m set.”

“Right,” she concluded. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

They made their way towards the private jet, Levine all the while trying to engage in conversation with Malcolm. He rebuffed Levine’s advances. For all Malcolm cared, Levine could go to hell right now – two Equestrians, themselves important figures in their society, had been kidnapped and were put in danger. In a roundabout way, Levine was to blame. It was all Malcolm could think as he boarded the plane. Not normally one to eschew logic in favour of hope, he found himself hoping they found the two ponies and quickly – otherwise, he’d have been dragged into Levine’s mess of a situation for nothing.

Not to mention the fact he’d be risking his life at the jaws of InGen’s abominations yet again.

****

The flight to San Jose had been completely uneventful. Chatter remained minimal. Wisely, Harding had managed to get some sleep whilst Malcolm sat in silence for the entire flight. He cursed himself for not having brought a book, or something, anything, to alleviate the boredom.

He could of course try and make conversation with Levine, but the man annoyed him far too much. Most attempts at casual chat ended up in argument of sorts, but Malcolm couldn’t avoid it. He found Levine to be far too stubborn to listen to any academic – come to think of it, rational – methods of thinking. Once Levine had an idea, he would fully commit to it, irrespective of whether he was correct or not.

Inviting Twilight Sparkle along to Isla Sorna, for instance.

Malcolm was taken aback by Levine’s brash stupidity. Everyone was aware of Twilight’s status. She was important to Equestria in every sense, and yet Levine still wanted her to join him on his barmy adventure. He couldn’t believe it. Why put such an important figure in such obvious danger?

Despite this, Malcolm had to tip his hat to Levine. He was an incredibly smart man, for all his shortcomings. There was a reason he was renowned as being a leading palaeobiologist – not to mention he’d been able to deduce the location of InGen’s Site B with hardly anything to go by.

Malcolm sighed. Such was his main issue with Levine: a man as intelligent as him could be incredibly short-sighted at the same time.

The remainder of the flight was quiet. Levine had caught up on some sleep and upon touchdown, the three of them quickly transferred to a remarkably small, empty train headed for Puntarenas. It was just after midnight as they boarded the train and all three of them were exhausted. Neither Malcolm nor Harding knew where Puntarenas was. Apparently, it wasn’t on any maps. There were no questions asked, however – Levine was following detailed instructions from his crew and he could trust their guidance. For better or worse, Malcolm and Harding had to trust the man and his team.

****

It was approaching two in the morning when the train finally pulled into a small, jungle-enclosed stop. Unlike his colleagues Levine had not slept on this journey, a concoction of humid air and boyish excitement keeping him awake. As the train whined to a halt, he stood. “We’re here,” he announced loudly. The others began to stir from their restless sleep as Levine continued. “My team will be at the dock,” he said as he stepped onto the platform.

Both Harding and Malcolm were quick to follow him and immediately they were struck by their surroundings. What had clearly once been a little town in development just sat there, in the middle of the jungle, completely abandoned. Nature had reclaimed the buildings and the infrastructure. The only sign of life were the floodlights leading from the station and down a hill, towards the sea. Truly, the entire settlement was bathed in an eerie atmosphere.

“This is certainly a quiet part of the world,” Malcolm observed. “Does – does anyone still live here at all?”

“No, nobody is here anymore. Used to be a well-populated fishing village, so far as I understand. But rumour goes that it came under the empire of InGen sometime in the 80s, with the intention of transforming it into the main ferry link to Jurassic Park. Apparently they relocated every citizen and began to completely redevelop – all of these buildings you see were InGen-built. When they went bust in ‘93, the place was left to rot... not a soul left today. Aside from us... And them, of course.” Levine gestured westwards, Harding and Malcolm turning to look. From their position atop the hill, the trail rolled down to the west, towards a surprisingly well-built harbour. It looked to be half-finished before nature had taken its hold.

Tethered in one of the three large ferry bays was Levine’s ferry.

“My crew will be waiting for us there,” Levine announced as he started towards the docks.

“So, tell me. Where exactly do you pick up on all these rumours? You sure seem to know a lot about InGen’s goings-on.”

“I know people, Ian.”

“Of course you do.”

“Come on now, this is no time for trite remarks. I’m a well-respected member of many academic circles—”

“You are no academic,” Malcolm snapped. The heat and exhaustion wore him down, and Levine had pushed him just too far. “Let me tell you what you are. You are an irritating, loathsome—”

“Stop. Enough,” Harding hissed, silencing the squabble. “I for one did not come all the way to Costa Rica and beyond to listen to you two take shots at each other. Okay?”

Nobody said anything, something which Harding found relieving. The constant bickering between the two men, if allowed to continue, would certainly drive her insane.

Soon enough the trio reached the docks. As they approached the main gate they attracted the attention of a well-built, stocky bearded man who made his way over. The closer he got, the more haggard he looked: he was clearly a working man in his early fifties, and it was evident he’d not slept in quite some time.

“Richard, good to see you,” the man said. “Even if it is two in the morning and I should be in bed.”

“Hey, Doc. All in working order?”

“Well, your constant shifting of deadlines didn’t help at all, but we’re good to go. We worked liked dogs but we did it!” He let out a yawn. “Mobile lab will keep you safe, high-hide should keep you even safer. Now, Eddie would rather we field-test it all but if we gotta go then we gotta go. I reckon it’ll perform like a dream anyhow.”

“Exactly. I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Levine said offering a smile. “Oh, let me introduce you to Doctor Ian Malcolm and his young lady, Doctor Sarah Harding. Ian, Sarah: this is ‘Doc’ Jack Thorne, my leading engineer.”

“Good to meet you both,” Doc Thorne said. They shook hands.

“And you,” Harding responded.

“So, Thorne. This mobile lab of yours – from where I’m stood I can see it, and it doesn’t look particularly well protected. How thick exactly is the armour plating on that thing?” Malcolm watched Thorne frown as he voiced his concern.

“Uh... probably not as thick as you’d like it, based on that reaction,” he replied curtly as they made their way towards the ferry. “But it doesn’t need to be. It’s predominantly carbon fibre with a multitude of other strong materials thrown in. We developed the composite ourselves. Lightweight and sturdy,” he prided. “It can withstand very impressive forces.”

“Great, all great, but... It doesn’t look dinosaur-proof. This is no trivial matter.”

“It’s as dino-proof as it could be without being grossly overweight. Our specs were that it needed to be super-tough, strong enough to withstand massive forces, but lightweight enough so the damn thing drives. After all, Doctor Malcolm, it’s an RV. It needs to be mobile.” Thorne spoke matter-of-factly. He was evidently a man who spoke his mind.

“But we’ve not tested any of it yet,” came another voice as they boarded the ferry – a new figure had entered the conversation. This man was the complete opposite of Thorne. He was younger, his voice carrying knowledge but insecurity. His eyes darted to and fro, surveying the vehicles.

“Eddie, please... Have faith in the facts—”

“There is nothing like empirical evidence, Jack. I’d feel better if we’d actually tried it.”

“Who- who’s this guy? And why is he making me very uncomfortable about all this?”

“Doctor Malcolm, this is Eddie Carr. Best damn technician I’ve ever worked with, even if he needs to have a little faith in his own creations,” Thorne said.

By now everyone was aboard and checking out the hardware on-deck. Alongside the mobile lab there was an SUV; both vehicles were powered one hundred percent electrically to “reduce noise in the field” as Carr put it whilst giving everyone a brief tour. There were numerous weapons much to the disdain of Harding and Levine, though many of them were tranquiliser rifles.

Behind his frustrated, ill-tempered front, Malcolm was actually impressed. He’d not believed that Levine would think to cover as many bases as he had with the hardware, but it seemed like it was all there. Thorne was a man who clearly knew what he was doing and Levine was wise to employ his services. More to the point – despite apprehension from Eddie Carr – he was beginning to feel like he was in good company.

He still didn’t feel safe. No amount of preparation could make him feel safe. Malcolm was a realist, a man of facts and science. And the facts told him simply this: none of the team before him had ever seen a living dinosaur. They just didn’t have any idea what to expect. They had nothing to gauge their preparations against, and their level of ‘safe’ differed quite a lot from his level of ‘safe’.

Chaos theory did not paint an optimistic picture for this expedition. But it was too late now – he was aboard the ferry and the mission was due to leave any moment now. Against his own will he had committed to this expedition and he would have to see it through. He would have to forego theory and science: there was a job to do, and he had to do it.

At least he had Harding with him this time. In her he found solace and courage –he’d certainly need courage once they arrived at their destination.

“Okay, we’re setting sail,” Levine announced after a brief chat with the skipper. “There’s a cabin up front where we can get some sleep and sit down, so... Make yourselves comfortable, I suppose.”

The ferry let out a blast on its horn and with that, it pulled out into the sea. There was no turning back now.

6 - The Lost Ponies (First Encounter)

...

From somewhere beyond the infinite emptiness Twilight could feel a gentle rocking sensation. There was nothing, no sounds, shapes, visions – just darkness and the soft, soothing back-and-forth motion. Yes. It was... nice. She thought. There was something else about it all. Something that made her feel... odd. She couldn’t help but feel that something was off – something didn’t seem right. At all. And she knew it. She gradually became aware that the gentle rocking was growing in intensity. Something wasn’t right. On top of this she was quickly becoming aware of a constraining, unpleasant feeling around her forehooves.

Quickly the odd feeling evolved into a deep anxiety and it consumed her. She tried to focus on other calmer things but found no luck. The gentle rocking had grown too intense. Anxiety turned into a fear, a fear turning into an fiery panic as she saw three men attacking her and Fluttershy—

She opened her eyes with a start and nearly cried out.

She and Fluttershy were both tied up by their forehooves against a guard rail in what looked to be a lower cabin of a ship. It was a small, dimly-lit room which was seemingly used for storage; there were small crates everywhere around them. As everything came into focus, Twilight fought off her pounding headache and present nausea, looking to her left. There lay Fluttershy. She herself appeared to still be out cold, but breathing... At least the two were together.

It took Twilight a while to fully come around, but eventually she was able piece together exactly what had happened. The memory came flooding back as soon as it clicked. She was out drinking with Fluttershy when she’d overheard the three men discussing going to Site B. To Isla Sorna. In a moment of desperate panic the two ponies had followed the men, but been given away when on the telephone to Levine. A fight ensured, but the humans had won out: They had been drugged, and they had been kidnapped.

Deep breaths...

Twilight began to breathe rhythmically, focussing on its pattern. One, two...

...

When she was satisfied that she’d calmed down enough, she opened her eyes. She sat there, numb to the entire situation. The gravity of it all hadn’t yet hit, and she knew that all too well. Twilight feared the inevitable breakdown that would occur when it finally did arrive...

From her left came a soft whimper. It was enough to attract Twilight’s attention; she went to turn, Fluttershy letting out a gasp as she did.

“Twilight? W-where are we?”

“Oh, Fluttershy...”

“Twilight?”

The pair looked at one another, fear etched across their features.

“We’re... We’re on a boat. Headed for... Isla Sorna...”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened. She went to say something, anything, cry, scream... She opened her mouth only to close it again. There were no words for the situation the pair were in. Blinking once, twice, she hung her head in silence.

“Fluttershy, I am so, so sorry... This isn’t how it was supposed to be.”

“I’m scared,” came her hollow reply. The emptiness in her voice was enough to knock Twilight out. She felt defeated; her eyes began to sting. Silently, she moved closer, nuzzling her friend’s neck.

“We’ll be okay,” she whispered. “We’ll figure something out.”

Even if she didn’t fully believe herself, she had to be strong for her friends. For Fluttershy.

For everyone she knew and loved back home.

****

“Land ahoy!” came a cry from on deck. It was followed by the sound of numerous footsteps moving to and fro as crewmembers readied for arrival.

Twilight and Fluttershy had remained in silence; there were no words that needed to be said. Instead they lay there in quiet contemplation of what had occurred and what was about to occur. It was finally happening. Twilight was about to see, first-hand, the dark secret that the governments of Earth had been keeping under wraps for over a decade. She was to witness InGen’s scientific breakthroughs in the wild, left to their own devices. She thought it’d make for a marvellous, breath-taking moment when she would first lay eyes on the animals but she now feared it’d be a harrowing if not dangerous moment: neither Twilight nor Fluttershy knew what Dodgson had planned when he would encounter the creatures. Kill them? Capture them or their young? Take eggs?

Without any prior warning they were dragged from their thoughts as the main cabin door swung widely open, the friends wincing as sunlight poured in. Once their vision returned fully they beheld a man who stepped into the cabin, removing his shades and a bush hat. Though not particularly tall or well-built he carried with him a sense of authority and self-importance: instantly they recognised him as Lewis Dodgson – ringleader of the trio that had been spying on Levine, and the man who had captured them back in Santa Fe.

“Let me ask you a question,” Dodgson said coldly as he entered. “Why the fuck were you two spying on me last night? Did Levine set you up to it?”

Twilight felt a stinging rage boiling within as the man spoke, something she sought to control through sharp professionalism. Exploding at him would do no good. “We are here on Earth as official Equestrian representatives,” she began, holding her most official tone and presence that she could muster. “You must be aware that by kidnapping us, you could easily jeopardise relations between—”

“Jesus, spare me the bullshit,” Dodgson barked loudly. Twilight was taken aback by his complete disregard for her. She hadn’t expected to be brushed off quite so simply.

“Look,” Dodgson continued, “I know you’ve been working with Levine to find Isla Sorna and when I found you both outside of my apartment, well... I saw a chance to take action. To do something about the situation. You see, I’m a man of opportunity. I spied an opportunity back in August 1993. I’m also a man to make his plans fool-proof – particularly after Nedry proved to be a useless piece of shit.” He gnashed his teeth. “When I saw you both there outside of my flat, I knew you’d be coming with me and not Levine. Firstly, as I could make sure you didn’t go reporting us to the authorities. To be honest I would have preferred it if you’d not told Levine that we were keeping tabs on him... Ah well. He knows now.

“I’m going to visit every nesting site on this island, and take two eggs from each. In the meantime, there will be adult dinosaurs we need to work around. We have of course already thought of this – one of my team has brought along a sonic weapon which should confuse the bigger ones. However, I imagine live bait would act as ample distraction for some of the larger theropods.” He grinned and left a pause, allowing his words to sink in.

“Lewis, we need you up on deck. We’re docking in five,” came a voice from beyond the doorway. He muttered a response before turning back to the pony duo.

“I’ll be back for you two shortly. Sit tight now.”

He closed the door. The cabin was bathed in darkness.

Neither pony spoke in the wake of what they’d just been told. There was, once again, nothing to say. Both had been more shaken by Dodgson than they’d expected to be; Twilight had thought she’d be able to work around him – truthfully, a part of her had thought he’d be a little less imposing than he was. But his short presence had shown them both that he was a cunning, quick-minded man who didn’t waste his time or his words. He had sown the seeds of worry in each of them; any shreds of confidence they had before were reduced to a hollow, numb fear.

In their silence they could hear calling and shouting from above and could feel the boat rock to and fro. After a short moment there was a jolt, and then the boat moved no longer. The strained cough of its engine stopped. The crew yelled at each other and amidst the chaotic footsteps and hollers a jeep engine came to life, meaning only one thing: they had finally reached Isla Sorna, though far from the way Twilight had anticipated arriving.

It was some time before the cabin door swung open once more. Dodgson stepped inside, followed by a crew of four – one of whom had a sizeable rifle readied, trained in the direction of Twilight and Fluttershy.

“This is Roland Tembo,” Dodgson said, putting a hand on the rifleman’s shoulder. “He’ll be looking after you during our little adventure. And by that I mean that if either of you even thinks about making a break for it, he will shoot you.”

Twilight said nothing, quelling a strong nausea that had suddenly overcome her. Through her buzzing head she glanced over to Fluttershy whose eyes remained wide, frightened. Her face had drained of colour and her mouth hung agape.

“Now I’m going to let you two free, and once you’ve been unshackled I’d like you to follow me.” Dodgson motioned to some crew members who loosened the ties. Under Tembo’s imposing gaze, they shakily helped one another to their hooves.

“You okay?”

“I feel sick...”

“We’ll take it steady, Fluttershy. Just... stay close.”

Tembo motioned with his rifle; the pair moved slowly across the room and followed Dodgson above deck. As the pair emerged from the cabin Twilight paused, allowing herself a moment to look around. The boat itself was a small, grimy affair with half a dozen men working aboard. She looked past the vessel and at the island itself, a seemingly ordinary tropical beach in view despite the extraordinary nature of the place. The scene was picture-perfect aside from the growing weather front moving their way and a lone jeep which had made tracks on the sand and was now parked up. Two men were leafing through documents on its bonnet, and Twilight and Fluttershy recognised them as the other two of their kidnappers.

As she took a closer look, Twilight noticed the bigger man – King, if she recalled rightly – occasionally coughed hard, grabbing his midsection. Right where I kicked him yesterday...

The mares trotted out onto the beach and were ordered to stop. As two of the men hopped back into the boat Twilight could hear Dodgson – himself still aboard – arguing with what must have been the captain. Tempers flared and voices rose; at that point one of the ponies’ guards ordered them to get into the jeep. Focussing on anything else but the escalating argument on-deck they made their way up the beach, moving across the sand and arriving at the jeep. They hopped into the back as Dodgson’s insults echoed across the beach. Twilight was sure she’d never heard anyone yell “fuck you” quite so loudly...

“I don’t like this one bit,” Fluttershy whispered as the others – including the gunman, Tembo – jumped into the jeep.

“Me neither... But we’ll think of something...”

“That’s not what I meant.” Fluttershy spoke quietly, quickly. She didn’t make eye contact – instead, her gaze was distant, searching. “I’m sure we’ll think of something, but, umm... This just doesn’t feel safe.”

“Fluttershy... Of course this isn’t safe. We’re being held captive—”

“No. I...”She leaned in closer. “I feel like we’re being watched.”

Twilight’s breath hitched. There was something about the way she’d said it that made the acute fear inside that much more intense. What if they were being watched?

The mares jumped as the passenger door slammed. “Fucking hell,” Dodgson moaned, making himself comfortable. “Bastards want to leave tonight but that isn’t enough time. I told them eight-am tomorrow morning and they’ve only now just agreed... Anyway, Howard, got Levine’s notes?”

“All here” he said, holding up a file. “Printouts of our photos we took. Should tell us a bit about this place.”

“Right. So where do we go?”

“Uhh...” King flicked through the notes. “Well... Just follow the track for now, I’ll tell you when I find something useful.”

“Fine, fine. Before we go, let’s make sure we’ve all got the same time – could be useful later on.” He glanced at his watch. “I make it seven-oh-three, let’s go for that.” He allowed a moment as he crew adjusted their own timepieces.

“Okay George, drive on,” Dodgson called to Baselton before turning to his captives. “I’d hold on if I were you,” he smiled to Twilight and Fluttershy who honoured him with no response as the jeep pulled away from the beach and into the jungle.

It had been some five minutes since the jeep departed from Dodgson’s boat. The crew – themselves all Costa Rican natives – had packed up what equipment they could and were preparing to anchor offshore, to allow some distance between themselves and the island. They knew the myths and legends surrounding Los Cincos Muertos. They had heard the tales from their sailor friends, who reported soul-shaking screams and roars echoing from the island chain.

They had no intention of docking on the island. They would anchor in the shallows, away from the island itself but near enough to pick up Dodgson the following morning.

As they busied themselves, not one of them noticed movement in the dense undergrowth. They failed to hear the grunting and snuffling that accompanied the movement, neither did they spot the bulky form that could briefly be seen brushing against the foliage, in meaningful pursuit of the jeep.

Not a single crewman spotted the animal. They continued preparing the boat.

****

The weather was closing in aboard Levine’s ferry. They had been sailing since three in the morning and as they approached eight, a weather front had grown in strength. The seas were rough and it quickly started to rain.

Malcolm and Harding were together inside the main cabin. Whilst she opted to lie down he sat, gazing idly out of the far window. Her head was in his lap, her hand holding his own.

“Doing okay Ian?”

Clearing his throat, Malcolm spoke. “Okay? Sure, at the – at the moment... I can’t say how I’ll feel when we reach the island, though. I don’t know how I’ll react.” His usual confidence of character had ebbed away since boarding the ferry. He was worried, and Harding could sense it all too well.

“Hey, at least we’re inside.” She smirked at him.

A grin formed as he looked away from her, continuing to cast his gaze outside. The rain had intensified; it was now lashing down quite heavily but despite this Thorne and Carr were rushing around on-deck. “Look at that,” Malcolm said with a nod to the window. “Lunacy.” The couple inside watched the two men outside move from the mobile lab to the jeep like hawks, checking and double-checking each vehicle. They were frenzied; Carr in particular looked panicked.

Harding shook her head. “How many more checks do they want to do? In weather like that?”

“The more they do, the happier I’ll be,” Malcolm replied. His gaze went from the busy activity on deck to the horizon, itself limited by fog and clouds. The more he looked into the murky abyss, the more apprehensive he became – somewhere in the fog lay Isla Sorna and the remnants of John Hammond’s great vision. Somewhere, out there, two important Equestrians were being held as captors. But perhaps most importantly, as Malcolm saw it, somewhere out there were prehistoric animals that should never have been allowed another chance to exist.

****

Since leaving the beach, Dodgson’s expedition had covered what felt like good ground. Baselton had been following a narrow dirt track through the jungle, the foliage remaining close-up against the jeep. Going was slow to begin with, the vehicle forcing its way through overgrown shrubbery but it hadn’t taken long for the track to widen out. The dense jungle pulled back allowing a wider, smoother surface and here the team were able to travel at greater speeds – something that made every soul in the jeep feel a little safer. None of them wanted to move slowly or remain stationary for too long: it spelt danger.

“Fork in the road,” came Baselton’s voice. The jeep came to a stop.

Immediately apprehension took hold over the entire team, each feeling uncomfortable. The four men in the jeep quickly began to discuss which route to take, anxiety prevalent in their voices. They spoke in short bursts; quickly, nervously.

For the first time since being marched to the jeep, Twilight and Fluttershy raised their heads. The pair had been curled in the back of the truck since leaving the beach – much though they had each wanted to look around and take in their surroundings, they were both aware of how dangerous that would be. The open-topped jeep offered little to no protection from anything that might attempt an attack and neither of the two friends wanted to make themselves too obviously apparent.

Despite this, the stillness of the jeep and the rising tension had made looking a necessity – nopony seemed to be on the lookout and at least this way they’d be able to see danger coming, should it show up.

“You okay, Fluttershy?”

“I... think so,” she replied. They were both taking deep, unsteady breaths, speaking in hushed tones. Neither pony looked at one another as they spoke, their gaze darting around.

“I don’t like staying still,” Twilight whispered. “That – and this whole place – it’s making me uncomfortable...”

Finally the two friends made eye contact as Fluttershy turned. She was sure she looked far from confident but she offered the warmest smile she could. “We’ll be okay, as long as we’re together in this.”

Twilight could only smile back. She knew Fluttershy was right, even given the unique situation they found themselves in.

The discussion in the front of the jeep had quietened; now only Dodgson and Baselton spoke, themselves quietly mulling things over. Their low hisses combined with the relaxing purr of the jeep’s engine and the calls of distant animals created a bizarrely soothing ambience. Fluttershy and Twilight remained silent, looking around at the jungle.

Slowly, and without warning, the muzzle of a rifle appeared between the pair, their breath hitching in their throats. Wide-eyed, they turned desperately to one another. The adrenaline began to pump. The presence of the rifle meant only one thing.

“Stay still, and stay quiet,” Tembo whispered. “We are being hunted.”

Twilight’s chest tightened; her breaths were shallow. Her eyes darted across the track behind them. She couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. She looked back towards Fluttershy, herself stock-still and very pale.

“We’ll be okay,” she mouthed to Fluttershy, doing her best to hold herself together.

She heard Tembo pull the rifle-bolt back and a chill ran down her spine.

She turned back to the trail, but still there was nothing—

“Over there,” Fluttershy mouthed. She gestured with her eyes.

And then Twilight saw it.

Thirty feet behind the jeep, hidden in the dense foliage, was a large dark shape. She only recognised it as being alive when she saw movement – the shape shuffled slightly, as if spreading its weight on its legs. Twilight strained to make out any features until finally she saw it swing its head idly from side to side, two notable bony ridges rising above its eyes. She watched the beast as it then trained its snout right at the jeep, staring straight at her.

Twilight didn’t know quite how she felt. Awestruck, definitely. Awestruck, and terrified.

Suddenly, and quite literally, the creature vanished.

Silence.

“...Riiight. What just happened?” Dodgson whispered briskly. He and his team had also been watching the animal.

“Lewis, keep quiet... it’ll still be around...”

“Roland, what is it? What did you see?”

“I’ve got a good idea what it is and if you don’t shut up you’ll only piss it off.”

All eyes darted to and fro, attempting to relocate the animal.

“George,” Dodgson hissed after a moment of looking. “Drive.”

“Do not move this car,” Tembo retorted. “We won’t get away fast enough.”

“Bullshit. If we put the hammer down—”

“Shut up, and look over there.” Tembo motioned with the rifle muzzle and once again everyone turned to look – including the two ponies.

“Oh, shit...”

There in the undergrowth, no less than fifteen feet from the jeep, stood the large dark shape. It was frighteningly close – not one of the six in the vehicle had anticipated it getting so close as silently as it had, but there it was, standing motionless.

Logic and reason had long since been scared out of Dodgson and his expedition. None of them made any efforts to move, run, drive away... Nothing. They could only stare at the ten foot tall animal which did little more than look right back.

Then the animal grunted, bobbing its head. Twilight caught glimpses of its shape; she noted the miniscule arms and thought she could make out part of a tail extending behind the creature but the immediately obvious features was its snout – short, stubby, filled with countless sharp teeth...

With a sudden snort the dinosaur seemed to shimmer, parts of it cutting in and out of sight. As the team struggled to see it properly, it vanished once more.

They could hear it, though. Its heavy padded footsteps, the foliage brushing against it... It was out there, somewhere, and they all knew it.

Dodgson was frantically scanning the treeline, his panicked gaze never leaving the foliage. “Go, George,” he whispered finally. “Just do it.”

“Don’t drive,” Tembo countered.

“Roland I hired you as a marksman, not the expedition leader,” Dodgson seethed, his gaze darting between the gunman and the trees. He hissed, barely holding onto his panicked temper. “If I say we go, then we go—”

From the trees there came a throaty, crackling bellow and splintering brush. All six spun round immediately but it was too late; before anyone could react there was an impact and a crash. The jeep was flipped onto its side, passengers and equipment and shards of metalwork spilling out. In the daze, the team did not hear the second roar and were not prepared for the next aggressive crash, tipping the jeep completely over.

Twilight and Fluttershy had been thrown violently from the back, themselves landing some distance from the toppled truck. In the madness they quickly helped one another to their hooves and galloped to the treeline, taking shelter behind a fallen tree. Immediately, Fluttershy flicked her mane in front of her face, babbling incoherently and instinctively Twilight wrapped her forehooves around her panicked friend. The pair held their eyes tightly shut and dared not look, not once. They could only listen to the desperate cries from their captors amidst the roaring growls from the massive animal as it took heavy, padded footsteps.

And then, a harsh crack echoed out, followed by a deep gurgle. Then, a thud as something heavy hit the ground.

“Good shooting, Roland,” came Dodgson’s voice from the roadway. “He won’t bother us again.”

His words were left to echo as Twilight felt Fluttershy tense. She released her forehooves. “Fluttershy...?”

Fluttershy got to her hooves and looked towards the jeep. Straight away, the sight before her took her breath away, weighing heavily on her chest. The fact that she and Twilight were stuck on an uncharted island, hostages of a failed businessman meant nothing to her as she stared. Nothing meant anything to her – nothing except the sight of four proud men, themselves standing before a freshly downed animal, bathing in a small pool of its own blood.

Her gaze flicked from the gruesome head of the theropod – blown apart and disfigured by the rifle shot – to Dodgson, standing before the kill, smiling. The whole thing made her feel physically sick.

“Oh my...” Twilight trailed off as she stood next to Fluttershy, taking in the sight. Four men, a destroyed jeep, wreckage strewn everywhere, and a dead Carnotaurus.

Fluttershy felt her eyes sting as she remained silent. She blinked hard, fighting back the tears.

They killed it.

“Fluttershy... It’s okay...”

But Twilight’s words were lost on deaf ears as grief turned into an all-consuming rage.

Again came the horrid tone of Dodgson’s voice. “Come on, let’s walk from here. Anything else get too close and we can just shoot it.”

Something splintered inside of Fluttershy. She exploded.

“How – How- How dare you?!” she roared, hovering towards the four men who were snapped into place by the sudden outburst. “You killed this poor animal and you don’t care at all? You could have tranquilised it at the very least but instead you kill it!? That is disgusting! How dare you—”

Another sharp crack rang out, and Fluttershy fell limply to the ground with a whelp. A dart protruded from her neck.

“Fluttershy!!”

“That shut her up,” Dodgson smirked. “Good move Roland. I’d hate to see what we’d attract by being too loud...”

Twilight had rushed over to her unconscious friend, wrapping her hooves around her and pulling the dart out. “No no no. Fluttershy, wake up. Please wake up now, come on!”

“She’ll come round eventually,” Dodgson said simply with a wave of his hand. There was no apparent emotion in his voice. “That’s enough tranquiliser to bring a dino down, so she’ll have a good sleep. Now come on, gather what supplies we can and we’d better go—”

Some distance behind them, the jungle broke with a crash and a guttural hissing. In an instant and without really knowing what was going on, the four men were sprinting back down the track, leaving the jeep’s wreckage and crucial supplies behind.

Twilight, who had stayed at Fluttershy’s side, looked up in horror. Her blood ran cold.

Another Carnotaurus had emerged. It was much bigger than she thought it would have been. Its dark shape cast a terrifying dominant pose as it held firm, looking directly at her. Twilight felt its gaze weighing heavily upon her. She watched it standing deadly still, staring, waiting.

With a hiss it lowered its head, working its jaws once. Twilight felt her blood run cold.

And then, without warning, it began to move forward.

She screamed, beginning to furiously heave at Fluttershy but she couldn’t move her quick enough. Her hooves fumbled; she cursed in a desperate panic. The Carnotaur was closing in – it wasn’t moving quickly but it was gaining ground – and she couldn’t see a way out.

I have to do something, now...

Closing her eyes tightly she gripped Fluttershy, and focussed hard.

She felt the onset of a headache, but she felt it working: her horn began to faintly glow.

The dinosaur bellowed again and lowered its head. It was now gaining speed.

Come on...

With one final effort Twilight screeched as her head pounded once, twice—

FWOOSH

...

The mares re-appeared in the thick brush, some distance from the track. It had worked. The spell had worked.

Twilight panted heavily, her head throbbing. But she pushed through the pain and looked towards the track, straining - she could just see the Carnotaur come to a halt on the track. It looked around for a moment before spying its downed kin, emitting a mellow grunt. Through blurry vision she watched it nuzzle its dead partner before rising to its full height, trumpeting, and vanishing from view.

She blinked as stars came into view. Everything distorted quickly. Her head span. Then she keeled over, and was violently sick.

As she finished spewing he could faintly hear the voices of Dodgson and his crew. They were somewhere in the brush themselves, muttering about the attack. She remained silent, listening, until she could hear them moving away – she thought she heard the rifleman calling for them to move on and ‘forget the ponies’.

When she could hear the men no longer, she let out a sigh. Her eyes flicked down to the unconscious form of Fluttershy, filling her with a hollow sadness.

The sight of one of her best friends lying motionless was enough to finally break her. She had tried to remain strong through it all but now, only now, did things catch up with her. What should have been a groundbreaking expedition went disastrously wrong in a matter of hours – she’d been kidnapped and very nearly killed. She somehow cast a teleportation spell when no Unicorn should have been able to. She was stranded on an island populated with prehistoric creatures, so very far from home and her friends, with no way out. And arguably worst of all, she’d dragged Fluttershy into this horrible nightmare.

Twilight collapsed. She could take no more. She curled up against Fluttershy, and she wept.

7 - Deeper Into The Jungle

Levine and Harding were sat in the cabin as the ferry pushed on through the rough weather. For the most part they sat in silence: neither found much to say to one another. Levine was cradling a half-empty wine glass as he stared out of the window into the morning gloom.

He took a sip, closing his eyes. A glass of wine always did help to steady his thoughts and he certainly needed that. Conditions outside had improved marginally but remained grey and rainy, far from the idyllic weather forecast three days from now. The day when they were scheduled to be undertaking this expedition. They were meant to be travelling to Isla Sorna to study live dinosauria – to undertake pioneering research.

But of course, as Levine saw it, there were serious complications. Another party was hot on the case of Site B, themselves leeching information from Levine’s own investigations. They had spied on him. They had broken numerous laws just to get what they needed. And now, they had kidnapped Twilight and her friend. Nobody could have predicted that the two ponies would have been captured. That was certainly out of Levine’s own hands, let alone anyone else’s. And yet he felt that Malcolm pinned the blame entirely on him – still, Ian Malcolm was a stubborn, pessimistic individual who needed black and white in his life. He needed only science and reason. If something happened, he needed to understand why, what caused it, and whose fault it was.

Levine sighed. That man could do with opening his mind...

“Hey. What you thinking?” Harding had dragged Levine from his thoughts.

“Uh... Not much, in honesty.” He let the false remark hang, just long enough for him to come clean. “Sarah...” He took another drink. “All this – er, the developments of the past few days, shall we say – is this really my fault? Is Ian right?”

Harding pursed her lips, drawing a breath. “I don’t think it’s quite that simple,” she began. “You see, Ian is a very... particular... kinda man. He has set ways of thinking. Hell, sometimes I think that if left alone, he’d approach everything through chaos theory!” She chuckled. “Don’t get me wrong, he’s not one-dimensional, far from it. But he is a world-class academic, so it’s only natural he think like that. It’s not really a good way to tackle everyday life. Sometimes, stuff happens, and rather than work out all the theory behind it, you deal with it. It doesn’t need to be clinical, or scientific, just... That’s how it is. When Flutters and Twilight wound up in trouble, that wasn’t ‘chaos theory’ or anyone’s fault, as such, that’s just how it’s all developed.”

Levine nodded, taking a drink. “That’s how I see it.”

“I think Ian blames you because of how important these two ponies are. And to be honest, you could have gotten involved with less important Equestrians. But – much though I hate to say this – Twilight and Fluttershy put themselves in danger by choosing to follow the men back to their apartment. They didn’t have to do that, but they chose to. Much in the same way that Twilight chose to go with you, and Flutters would have gone too, if she’d known Twilight was there.”

“Right.”

Harding noted how much more humble and grounded Levine seemed. The journey had mellowed him out, his academic pomp having seemed to disappear.

“Regardless of whoever’s right, wrong, whatever. We need to make sure those two are okay and I think that’s something we all need to remember.” Harding poured herself a water. “I know you and Ian don’t always see eye-to-eye, but you can’t let your disagreements get in the way when we’re risking our lives to rescue those two.”

Levine nodded. “That’s very true. I, er... I can’t help but feel responsible somewhat, regardless. I need to make sure they’re okay.”

“It’s the right thing to do,” she agreed. “But we’ll be okay, so long as we work as one. Find them, get them away from those whackos that took them, get them back safely.”

“Avoid dinosaurs.”

“Yeah.”

The cabin fell into an awkward silence. The concept of live dinosaurs was beginning to set in.

“So,” Levine said finally, attempting to steer the conversation. “Who kidnapped them? Do we have any idea?”

“Not entirely sure but Ian said the main culprit is one Lewis Dodgson, whoever he might be. You know him?”

“I do,” Levine said, his mood picking up. “Dodgson, Director of Research at BioSyn. He tried to steal as much of InGen’s intellectual property, so he’d be a likely candidate, for certain.” His demeanour changed. “We need to stop him as we rescue the young mares. I don’t know what he might have planned but he’ll more than likely be a threat to the animals.”

“For sure,” Harding said nodding. “We can do that.”

At that point the cabin door creaked open and a soaking Thorne stepped inside. He fought the driving wind and forced the door shut. “Looks like we’re nearly there,” he said removing his coat, hanging it up. “Been told you guys need to get your stuff together.” He huffed. “Christ it’s damp out there. Still pretty shit. And Eddie still insists we do equipment checks...”

“Terrible conditions for what we’re about to do,” Levine muttered.

“Say that again,” Thorne agreed.

“Mmm – Say what again?” The murmur from the far side of the cabin drew everyone’s attention. It was Malcolm; he had fallen asleep some time ago, Harding having just woken him up. “Say that – we’re...” He let out a yawn. “We’re all going to be eaten?”

“Enough of that,” Harding tutted as she handed him a glass of water. As she did so the cabin door opened once again, Carr stepping in.

“The crew are preparing to dock,” he said. “I thought I’d wait in here.”

“Makes a change. I thought you’d be lying underneath the RV checking the armour was intact.”

“You can’t be too sure, Jack...”

From out of the windows, a steep cliff face came into view. Everyone peered outside. The cliffs rose sharply and looked to be fifty feet high, a thick jungle visible at the top. At their base, jagged rocks rose from the surf as waves crashed against them. The ferry, unsettlingly, looked to be heading straight for the cliffs.

“The, uh... The captain knows what he’s doing, right?”

“I should think so Ian,” Levine answered.

The group watched as the ferry began to fight a particularly rough patch of sea as they neared the cliff face. It was being buffeted to and fro and from upstairs on the bridge they heard the crew yelling. Then the ferry began to shudder; they felt the engines revving up. There were more cries from the bridge as the craft began to rotate and from outside, the group watched as a particularly large rock passed closely by.

Levine paled.

The great engines increased power and the ferry lurched forward, riding the crest of a wave. They passed by more jagged rocks and then, seemingly from nowhere, the cliffs closed in on either side. There was a matter of feet to spare. The bridge had gone silent.

Then the cliffs receded, and the seas calmed; the ferry had made its way into a sheltered cove. Everyone in the cabin let out a collective sigh of relief that they hadn’t realised they were holding.

“That was tight,” Thorne whistled. “There can’t have been much room for manoeuvre there.”

“Indeed,” Levine said. He downed his wine. As he set his glass down, a crewmember appeared from upstairs.

“We are docking here,” he said as everyone turned to him. “There is a small beach, and it is safer here.”

Carr looked outside, then back to the man. “There’s no dock here. There has to be a port on this island somewhere – can’t we dock there?”

“No, senor,” the crewman said. “It is too dangerous in these conditions. We must dock now.”

Carr looked over at Thorne. “Well?” he said. “What now? Unloading’s gonna be hard...”

Thorne shrugged. “Well, yeah. But better we unload here rather than risk going to the port and smash into a cliff. We gotta do what we gotta do, Eddie.”

Carr remained silent.

“We will anchor the ship now,” the crewman continued. “Please, get ready to unload.”

Levine nodded, standing. “Let’s do it.”

* * * *

Twilight found herself too exhausted to move for quite some time. Physically she was weak; the stress of the recent events combined with the energy exerted teleporting had sapped her strength. Emotionally, she was drained. Nestled against Fluttershy she had cried, and when there were no more tears she laid there, numb. When the weather had worsened she made no efforts to find shelter and the pair lay out in the rain, their manes and coats soaking through.

Princess Celestia was right to worry, she had thought. She was right to warn me. Of course, she never doubted her mentor but she’d honestly felt that she could handle this. Twilight had approached the concept of Levine’s expedition with confidence but now that was in tatters. Her kidnapping had shaken her, and hanging over her conscience was a horrible guilt: Fluttershy had been dragged into this mess as well. And that, above all else, hurt her the most.

In time she was able to get to her hooves. Allowing a moment she stood still, listening to her body: her head was still throbbing, her legs ached, and her stomach hurt. She ignored the pain with a grimace. Twilight noted that the duo were still closer to the exposed dirt track than she wanted them to be, opting to head deeper into the jungle. With difficulty, she was able to slip Fluttershy onto her back, hissing as the added weight only worsened her soreness, and slowly pushed onwards into the trees. After what felt like an eternity – in actuality only a few hundred yards – she came across a small slope. At the bottom was a stream with some low-lying shrubbery enveloping it: finally she could grab a drink and find some shelter beneath the larger foliage.

Twilight shifted Fluttershy about on her back, ensuring she was as secure as she could possibly be, and carefully made her way down the hillside. The ground was treacherous from all the rain and she was careful not to slip on her way down. Once at the bottom, she carefully lay Fluttershy under a thick shrub to rest and scanned the horizon for any potential danger – after today’s attack, she was taking no chances. She couldn’t see any signs of activity, though, and she relaxed slightly as she moved towards the stream and took on water. The stream was refreshing and Twilight realised at that point just how thirsty she had become. She stood for a moment, savouring the cooling drink, but it was then that something across the stream caught her eye.

Twilight immediately felt very alert, holding quite still as she peered closer. It didn’t take long to work out what she was looking at – in the soft bank opposite her were three-toed footprints. The closer she looked, the more she could see. There were ten, twenty... They looked to be about twenty centimetres long, and fresh.

Twilight quickly put a stop to a panic she felt brewing within her. She had a fairly good idea of what left those footprints and she certainly didn’t want to be here much longer, in case they came back. With haste she swung her head around the undergrowth looking for any more signs of activity, but thankfully she couldn’t make anything out.

At that point, she picked up on a soft, quiet noise. It was barely audible through the sounds of the jungle but when she first heard it she tensed, holding her breath.

She quickly came to realise, though, that the noise was one she was thankful to hear.

“...Twilight?” Fluttershy had said groggily. She was waking up.

In an instant Twilight was next to her, her forehooves supporting her head. “Relax,” she said softly. “Don’t try and stand up just yet, save your energy.”

Clearly still dazed, Fluttershy went to sit but fell back with a yelp, Twilight cradling her. “It’s okay, just take it slow for a moment.”

“My – my wing.” The words escaped her in a breath, her voice weak. “It hurts...”

Twilight did her best not to sound panicked or flustered as she spoke. “Can you move it at all?” She pursed her features as she watched Fluttershy open the injured wing up as best she could, hissing through an obvious pain.

“It’ll be okay, I think,” came her soft reply. Fluttershy took a deep breath, expelling an equally deep sigh. “I – I don’t think it’s broken, but it feels bruised.”

“Do you want to rest here for a moment?”

There was a pause as Fluttershy took steadying breaths, slowly coming round. The tranquiliser was wearing off.

“Where are we? What... happened? I – oh...” Fluttershy trailed off, leaving a large pause. “I remember they... killed that poor dinosaur...”

Twilight sighed heavily. She could empathise completely.

“They didn’t need to kill it,” Fluttershy croaked. “They could have just avoided it. They even had tranquilisers...”

“I think we’ve learnt something through all this,” Twilight said with a scowl. “Some humans are horrible.” She shocked herself as she spoke – her statement was much more venomous than she’d anticipated it being.

“Those men certainly are. I... I know some dinosaurs are scary, but they’re still animals!” Fluttershy was working herself up. “Some ponies find bears scary, but I know they’re not. I’m sure some of the dinosaurs here are lovely, and the ones that aren’t, well...” She trailed off, taking some steadying breaths. “I still feel a little fuzzy. Are we... safe here?”

“I think so, for a minute. I don’t want to stay here too long though...”

A pause.

“How did we get here?”

“When they tranquilised you, we were attacked again—”

“Oh, my. By another...?” She trailed off.

Twilight nodded. “They must have been hunting together.”

“Oh, Celestia...” Fluttershy said breathlessly. “Are you okay? Did you get hurt?”

“No... It broke cover and charged towards us, and the men fled. I tried to move you but it was coming too quickly...” Twilight began to well up. “I grabbed you and we teleported away. We appeared up there, and after a little time I brought you down here...”

“Twilight...”

“It was horrible,” she said, her voice cracking. “It wouldn’t be so bad if I was by myself but I’ve gotten you involved in all of this, and it’s all gone horribly wrong, and I just wish—”

Fluttershy had risen to her hooves, working through the pain her wing was giving her, and scooped Twilight up in a hug. “It’s okay,” she cooed softly. “We’ll be okay. We’ll work something out.”

“T-Thank you,” Twilight whispered. “I’m so sorry about this...”

“Don’t be. We’re here now and we’ll be okay, as long as we stick together.”

“Y-Yes, you’re right... You’re right. This whole thing has shaken me up more than I thought it had.” Twilight looked up at her friend. “I really don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t here right now.” She smiled, and the pair shared a hug.

“How did you teleport us?” Fluttershy asked as they pulled apart. “I thought Princess Celestia said Unicorns can’t control magic on Earth.”

“Yeah, that’s what she said. Apparently we can’t, but I did, somehow. I’ve never had to focus so hard in my life...”

“That’s brilliant. Once we get home, you’ll have to tell the Princess!” Fluttershy beamed. “How are you feeling?”

“My stomach is certainly more settled,” she grimaced, thinking back to earlier. “How are you?”

“A little woozy and tired, but... okay. I think the tranquiliser’s wearing off. Let me just have a drink from the stream and then I think we should go.”

Fluttershy took on water, and the pair readied themselves. Both of them knew animals tended to stay fairly close to water sources and the jungle had thinned somewhat around the stream – big enough for larger carnivores to pass through. It wasn’t smart to stay in one place for too long.

“So, um, now where do we go?”

“I’m not sure. I remember Richard saying he thought there was a compound somewhere in the island’s north... We should probably go there. We might be able to contact somepony! Though, finding our way there could be tricky. I don’t have a compass, and there’s no chance of us using the sun to work out where we are with these rains...”

“There looks like there’s another trail over there, across the stream.” Fluttershy gestured with her hoof.

The pair made their way towards the trail. It was wide, vegetation and shrubbery crushed. On closer inspection, bark on many of the trees had been roughly stripped off at around seven feet from the ground. It was all rather obvious that something used this trail, and used it quite regularly – a fact that Twilight was quick to pick up on.

“What do you think? Should we follow it?”

“Um...” Fluttershy hesitated. “I think the road would get us to this compound quicker but there’s no way we can just walk along it. It’s much too exposed.”

“That’s our decision made for us then,” Twilight concluded. She turned to Fluttershy. “You ready for this?”

“I... Yes, I think so. Let’s do it,” she said.

With little hesitation the two friends began to trot along the trail, unsure of where exactly they were headed. They both knew they had to head north, and they both knew they had to keep moving: Isla Sorna had already proven to them just how dangerous it could be.

* * * *

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Thorne said as he slammed the door on the mobile lab. “That was more effort than it should have been... Still, I guess we’re off of that damn boat now.” He made his way towards the cockpit of the RV, occupying the driver’s seat. Malcolm was sat in the passenger seat, admiring the impressive dashboard before him.

“Looks a little – a little overcomplicated,” he said emptily. “You know what all of this does?”

“Don’t you worry about that for now Ian,” Thorne replied. “Just don’t touch anything unless I ask you to – oh, as you’re here pick up that radio and see if Eddie’s on the line. He should be on this frequency.”

Malcolm grabbed the radio set. “Eddie, you there? Doc’s wondering if you can hear us.”

“Yeah, I got you,” came Eddie’s voice through the crackly receiver. “Ask him how all the systems are in the lab.”

“I heard him,” Thorne said. “You can tell him that Richard’s checking everything over with Sarah... Y’know what, pass me the radio.” Malcolm handed him the radio. “Eddie, it’s me. Gonna be a long list... Okay. Richard and Sarah are checking the lab equipment. The rest of the systems look to be okay, or so the dashboard tells me... Smoke defence systems primed, electrical emergency deterrent seems to be working... I’ll keep that one off for now... The accordion connector between this RV and the trailer looks to be holding up well. Good job on that one. Computer system online, GPS online... How’s the jeep?”

“Yeah, okay,” came Carr’s reply. “I’m just hoping the vehicles don’t short in this rain, but I think it’ll be an easy fix if they do. There’s a whole emergency repair toolkit in the RV’s trailer should we need it.”

“Brilliant. Okay, hold tight here for a minute, I need to chat to Richard before we think about making tracks.”

“Gotcha.” The radio crackled.

“And there you have it,” Thorne said as he replaced the radio. “Eddie Carr, the world’s most nervous technician, in need of yet another status update on his trucks.”

“I can’t blame him right now,” Malcolm muttered. “But – hey – this thing sounds pretty well-defended. I gotta say, when Richard first mentioned a custom-built RV I wasn’t convinced, but... well. Wow. What do all those systems actually do?”

“Glad you’re impressed, Ian. In short, they keep us alive – or that’s the intention, anyway. Our first line of defence is a perimeter system that needs manually setting up once we park. It’s a motion sensor system; it’ll alert us if there’s any movement nearby. Second, that smoke system I mentioned? Can be manually or automatically triggered. On all sides of the RV are these little chutes, and it emits a non-lethal gas concoction. It’ll make you cough, but it won’t kill you. They use it in Africa to deter animals that might stray too close – it’ll almost definitely deter a dinosaur. And the last major defence line is the ten thousand volts running across every exterior surface of this thing. Needless to say, that’s switched off for the time being.” Thorne gestured to the dashboard. “Those three buttons there – the ones that go green to red, left to right. Those activate each tier of defence. So your green button activates the motion sensors, the amber one will fire the smoke system, and the red one activates the electricity.”

“Woah,” Harding said from behind – at some point she’d tuned in to Thorne’s description. “We’re set then!”

“Well, I’m not sure about ‘set’ but we’re certainly more defended than I first thought we would be,” Malcolm interjected. Though still far from feeling safe, he felt much more comfortable inside the RV.

Thorne smirked. “I’d say armed to the teeth. Bear in mind we’ve got tranquiliser guns, shotguns, sniper rifles, pistols, flare guns, even an RPG—”

“I’d rather we stray from the lethal weaponry,” Levine interrupted. “We are here to study, not to hunt.”

“Primarily we’re here to rescue some kidnapped mares, are we not?” Thorne turned to Levine. “Okay Richard, we’d better get this show on the road. This RV has an inbuilt computer system that matches a lot of military technology and a goddamn reliable GPS system. You know if this island has its own systems up and running?”

“Hmm, give me a minute...” Levine grabbed his files, flicking through the InGen notes. “I, er, suppose there ought to be some sort of mainframe here on this—Ah, of course!” In his excitement he grabbed the InGen laptop and logged in. “Yes. This laptop belonged to an InGen employee by the name of Jophery, who had ‘level 01’ access to the ‘Site A’ and ‘Site B’ mainframes. Now, we know that Sorna itself is Site B, so...” Levine turned to the computer interface, itself nestled behind the driver seat.

“So...what?”

“Well, some time ago a computer-literate friend of mine helped me to bypass many of the systems on this laptop and I was able to gather a lot of information. Now, I have a feeling that the same processes we used would work on Sorna’s mainframe, and we might find something of use there. The only issue here is that I don’t know how to get this computer to find said mainframe and connect to it—”

“No problem,” Thorne said as he picked up the radio. “Eddie, get your ass back in the RV for a minute. We need you to work some technical wonders here.”

“Right,” he replied as the radio crackled. Within seconds he was inside, and after a short while, he and Levine had tapped into the system.

“You’re in,” he said. “I’m gonna head back to the jeep, give me the heads-up when we’re ready to go.”

“Will do,” Thorne said as Carr stepped out of the RV. He turned back to Levine. “Right. So where are we going?”

“I don’t know,” he replied blankly. “I thought we were looking for Twilight and Fluttershy.”

“Well, yeah. But how do we find them? Come on, there’s gotta be something in that damn system that’ll help us out here.”

“I’m really not sure right now, Jack,” Levine bit back, annoyed. “Okay. Look, there’s a compound on the northeast of the island, not too far from the volcano. Looks to be InGen’s main site on the island here. Let’s head there, we might get some more clues about this place.”

“Sounds like a solid enough plan to me.” Thorne tapped a screen on the dashboard; it displayed the GPS readout. “There’s a road not too far from here that’ll take us directly there, but it looks like we’ll need to cut through some thick jungle beforehand... That’s a job for the jeep – it’s got an interchangeable winch and saw system that can be attached on its front.” He turned to the team. “One of you okay to ride with Eddie? He’ll need a hand if he’s gonna pull that off.”

“I’m staying in here,” Malcolm answered briskly. “There’s no way I’m riding in that thing.”

“I guess I could do it—”

“I’ll go,” Harding interrupted, cutting Levine off. “It’ll be nice.”

“Nice? Sarah, honey, are you mad—”

“Don’t start all this again. We got this out of our system back at the Institute.” Harding leaned over, planting a kiss on Malcolm’s cheek. “I’ll be fine.” And with that, she exited the RV and joined Carr in the jeep.

“Are we all ready?” Thorne asked the two academics.

“Ready,” Levine answered.

“I guess,” Malcolm replied.

“Okay.” Thorne picked up the radio. “Eddie, let’s make tracks.”

“Sure thing,” he replied, as the convoy moved away from the cove and into the jungle. The rescue mission had begun.

8 - The Light and The Shade

After some time, the stormfront passed over the island, leaving much clearer skies and a hot sun in its wake. The sun beat down and as Twilight and Fluttershy made their way through the jungle, it began to steam before their very eyes. The rainwater that had begun to evaporate created a beautiful spectacle as the two mares continued on.

They hadn’t talked much as they made their way along the trail, trying to keep as quiet as possible. As the rains had passed, the island had come to life: the mares could now properly hear the sounds of distant dinosaurs gracefully calling to one another. They could hear crickets in the trees and on the ground, the occasional hooting from birds high above in the canopy. The threat of attack was ever-present, but the two had certainly relaxed a lot since their arrival some hours earlier.

“This is fantastic,” Fluttershy finally said, breaking the recent spell of silence between them. “This would be a wonderful place to visit under different circumstances.”

“Safer circumstances, yeah.” Twilight nodded. “I just wish we’d be able to conduct some field research without being hunted...”

“We might meet a friendlier species,” Fluttershy replied quickly. “I’m going to keep confident for now.”

The pair trotted on through the jungle. The trail had remained quite wide since entering it, though the further along they had come, the more signs of recently activity there were. Fluttershy had noticed that more bark from the trees had been stripped, and many of the low-lying ferns and shrubs had been destroyed. She’d seen this before: during her expedition to the African savannah with Harding she’d used signs like these to track herds of zebra and other such animals. It was indicative of herbivores which put her mind to ease hugely – she guessed they were following a herd’s old track rather than a carnivore’s hunting trail.

“Fluttershy, you see that?”

She came to a stop and turned to Twilight. “See what?” Immediately she tensed up but didn’t panic – Twilight hadn’t sounded frightened herself...

“Over there, just behind those vines... I think it’s... some sort of hut?”

Fluttershy followed Twilight’s gaze. It was quite difficult to see but sure enough, some thirty feet from the trail was a very well-hidden outhouse.

The duo picked their way through the thick brush and approached the old shack. It was a small brick shed with a flimsy-looking corrugated iron roof. The windows were clouded with dirt and the door, though chained shut, was hanging off of all but one hinge.

“Wow,” Fluttershy said. “I don’t think this has been used in years...”

“We have to get inside,” came a determined call from Twilight. “There could be something useful in here!”

Fluttershy went around to the side as Twilight examined the door. Vines and shrubs had claimed the side wall, covering most of its face. The exposed surface was itself caked in dirt but beneath the grime there was faint lettering. Using her wings, she dusted what she could off of the wall before pulling some of the vines back.

“Come look at this, Twilight,” she called and within seconds both of them were looking at the wall.

“’Northeast quarter, hut zero-five’... we must be going in the right direction if we’re in the islands northeast quarter!”

“Oh, there’s a bit more behind here...” Fluttershy pulled back more foliage.

‘Ten kilometres to InGen Compound’

“We’re headed in the right direction,” Twilight said. “We’re getting there!” Her spirits lifted – finally they were seeing progress. “Now let’s see if we can get in here.”

The pair made their way back to the door and Twilight went right up to it. “I wonder...” she began, raising a hoof and pressing on the chain. It didn’t take much; she pressed a little harder and the rusty chain gave way and snapped. As a result, the door groaned and began to fall off of its final hinge. Twilight quickly jumped backwards as the door collapsed in a cloud of dust with a dull thud. It crumbled as it hit the ground – it was rotten to the core.

“Well, we’re in...”

The dust settled and tentatively, the pair stepped inside.

“Oh, my... This place is a mess!”

The doorway spilled light into the small hut and the first thing the mares noticed was the absolute dereliction. The floor was covered in loose tools, fungi, shrubs and rubble. All of the shelving was coated in dust or abandoned hardware; there were empty bottles, food packets and cans. At the far end there was a small bunk, itself ruined; the mattress was unusable and the sheets stained.

“This is...quaint,” Fluttershy said slowly as Twilight began clearing the shelves. “This must have been a warden’s outhouse. Perhaps they used to send wardens out to check on the dinosaurs?”

“Yeah, maybe,” Twilight replied somewhat absently. She was clearly absorbed in her task. “But why would there be a hut here? There’s got to be a radio, or a computer, or something of use in here, especially if it is a warden’s hut...”

Fluttershy rolled her eyes and left Twilight to it – she was talking more to herself. She made her way carefully to the old bed when something caught her eye. On a small cabinet alongside the bed sat a small, worn notebook and beneath it – importantly – a map. She picked them both up and sat down on the bed, careful not to collapse it any more than it was. Setting the map down, she opened the notebook.

Just as she’d expected, a lot of the pages were unreadable. The ink had run, or the pages were too torn and stained. But she flicked through, occasionally coming across passages that could be read...

August 19th, 1993

Word came through last night that Jurassic Park suffered a major breakdown... Dinosaurs got out, people were killed. Apparently that included Hammond. They bombed the island. Not really sure where that leaves the rest of us workers here on Site B. There’s a meeting tomorrow in the village which we all need to attend... Will know more then.

“Keep going,” Twilight said. At some point she’d sat down next to Fluttershy and was reading over her shoulder.

August 20th, 1993

The meeting was shambolic. The boss said we’re to stay here on the island until further notice. They’ve got all contact to the outside world on complete lockdown. Why? Because nobody knows what to do yet. There are all these dinosaurs just roaming around. They were meant to go to Jurassic Park. Now the boss here’s been told to wait until he hears anything from InGen’s top brass, but from what I can gather there’s a clusterfuck up there. Now Hammond’s dead, nobody knows who’s in charge. I heard Hammond’s nephew Ludlow was number one choice for successor...

August 24th, 1993

Another meeting today. Boss says Ludlow has taken place as CEO. Never met the guy but he’s got a world of shit to deal with: all of InGen’s investors have pulled out. Every last one. Weirdly, Ludlow insisted we stay on the island and keep all systems running. Dunno what they’ve got planned up there.

Fluttershy turned the page to find a completely unreadable passage. She kept flicking through but page after page was useless. Eventually, she came across more notes, and the duo read on.

October 15th, 1993

Storm season has set in, we’ve been stuck on the island. Dinosaurs are healthy. All systems still running. Got some major meeting tomorrow, a big update on the situation. At least they’re trying to communicate with us.

October 16th, 1993

Ludlow visited the island with some government officials. Christ... We were all forced to sign a secrecy act. Nobody is to know anything about what we’ve done... what we’re doing. Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna are to become secrets.

Then Ludlow says we are to stay on the island. Still. All shipping routes are closing down and there will be helicopter visits to provide supplies for the workers...

More useless pages.

“This is unsettling,” Twilight uttered.

November 27th, 1993

That’s it. InGen is bankrupt. The company has no more money and is selling all of its assets, or so we are told. Meanwhile, here on Isla Sorna, we have been ordered to keep all machinery and systems running at one hundred percent. Apparently none of this is being sold off, despite being InGen property... Really confused. No idea what Ludlow’s said to the government, or what strings he’s had to pull. But we’re still on this island. We’re forced to stay. I feel awful for those with families. Apparently their families were informed they’d been killed out here. There was a riot some weeks ago and a few guys were shot. By our superiors. Ludlow’s orders, apparently. This has to remain secret at all costs or so we’re told. And, apparently, because we were the ones still on the island at the time, we’re part of that secret.

“That’s... Oh, my...” Fluttershy trailed off as she flicked on through.

December 25th, 1993

Merry fucking Christmas. I’ve decided to live in this hut, can’t stand the village anymore... Too much like a prison. A few others did the same. There’s not many of us that fled, a lot of the employees stayed in the village. Fuckers. Think they’re hoping they’ll still get off this island. Yeah, good luck with that.

Will need to go back to the village eventually for supplies. Anyone try and get me back to the village will get shot. I’ll shoot them, and feed their corpses to the dinosaurs.

Still all systems here on Sorna are running.

“This is the last entry, here,” she said quietly.

January 12th, 1994

It’s time. Those of us who got away from the village met up last night. We’re gonna do it. We’re gonna sabotage the geothermal power station and hit ‘em where it hurts. Ludlow can ram that one right up his ass.

Not got many shotgun shells left. Had to use a few when they sent a few guards the other day. I left their bodies in the jungle not far from here, I guess the compy’s ate ‘em.

We’re meeting here at midnight. This is it.

Fluttershy closed the diary and dropped it on the bed.

“That was horrible,” she said numbly. “I can’t believe it. I just – I...”

“That explains some of why this place is so shrouded in secrecy...”

“But – why would that Ludlow man keep all of the workers on the island? Like prisoners? Like... Dodgson... kept us...”

The mood chilled at the thought of him.

“I have a bad feeling about that,” Twilight said. “Ludlow must have wanted something from this island, to keep it still running... Right?”

“Oh – well – that could make sense...”

“We need to get to the compound, see if there are any more clues there. Hopefully then we can contact Richard, or somepony else... Anypony...”

“Definitely.” Fluttershy picked up the map, pulling it open. “This’ll help us for sure.”

“Yeah! So... We’re here – looks like this hut is marked up – and there’s the compound. It looks like this trail leads right up to it!”

“We’d better go, I really don’t want to stay here anymore,” Fluttershy said, getting to her hooves. “Is there a satchel we can use in here? We could grab some supplies, if there’s anything useful or not caked in dirt...”

“Er...” Twilight stood, scanning the hut. “Oh! Yeah, there’s this old rucksack here.” She picked it up and flung it on the bed. “I’m not sure how we’ll wear it, though...”

“Oh, that’s not a problem.” Fluttershy picked up a pair of shears, going to work on the backpack. Soon she lifted the sack, now with the straps hanging loose. “You okay to wear it?”

“Yeah,” Twilight answered slowly. She watched as Fluttershy placed it on her back and brought the straps round underneath her. One slip-knot later, and Fluttershy stood up.

“A makeshift saddle-bag,” she said with glee. “I picked up a lot of knot-tying through looking after all the woodland creatures.” She smiled.

“I like it! Very Daring Do. Rainbow Dash would be proud! Now, what to put in it...”

“The map and notebook,” Fluttershy began. “Oh, how about we take two of these empty bottles? We can wash them in the next stream we find and then fill them up. That’ll be good – we don’t want to dehydrate out here. And we should take some of these tools. Oh! And these torches here.”

“Sure,” Twilight replied. Soon enough, the sack was loaded with supplies and the pair stepped back outside.

“Ready, Twilight?”

“Ready,” she replied.

Loaded with supplies the pair felt a little better about their situation, though Twilight’s mind was awash with thoughts of that notebook as they followed the game trail. It raised a number of questions and began to paint a much, much darker picture about InGen and Isla Sorna than she had first anticipated.

* * * *

Periodically, Twilight had taken the map from the rucksack and checked it as the pair followed the trail. They had been walking for about twenty minutes and in that time she’d looked at it five times. After twenty five minutes they stopped again as she inspected the map, opening it upon a felled tree.

“Looks like we’re making ground,” she said aloud, her eyes glued to the map. “I think we’ll need to cut through the jungle soon though... The trail swings round to the left here and we want to go straight ahead. Does that sound okay?”

No response.

“...Fluttershy?”

Twilight looked up; Fluttershy was nowhere to be seen.

Her chest tightened and her eyes widened. “Oh, no...” She quickly stashed the map and cantered around the corner in the trail.

“Fluttersh—”

Twilight came to an abrupt stop and gasped. Fluttershy was in the centre of the trail, slightly hunched. And in front of her, roughly the same size as a pony, stood an infant Triceratops.

“It’s okay,” Fluttershy said quietly, keeping the animals’ gaze. “He’s quite friendly! Aren’t you, you little adorable thing...” She stroked the baby’s head and it trumpeted happily.

Twilight was taken aback. Sure, she knew Fluttershy had a keen ability with animals. Everypony knew that. But these weren’t animals in the truest sense – they were clones. She’d not really known if Fluttershy would be able to communicate effectively with cloned prehistoric animals but clearly that wasn’t an issue.

Her heart warmed and a smile grew. “That’s the cutest thing I’ve seen in a long time,” Twilight beamed.

“Come on over, I think he’d be quite happy to say hello.”

Twilight did just that. She took slow, careful steps towards the baby. She didn’t want to frighten it. As she got within three feet of it, it began to honk and squeak.

“It’s okay little one,” Fluttershy cooed. “Twilight’s our friend. She won’t hurt you.” She continued to stroke the baby and she felt it relax.

“Can – can I touch it?”

“Just go slowly, but I think he’ll let you play.” Fluttershy rubbed the baby’s chin. “Look! Twilight’s come to say hello.”

By now Twilight was stood alongside Fluttershy, face-to-face with an animal that hadn’t existed in sixty five million years. Truly, the number was mind-boggling; the history of Equestria was told in thousands of years, but not millions. When she thought of the princesses’ defeat of Discord and subsequent reign, her mind spun. But this little animal that stood in front of her roamed Earth millions of years ago... It was almost too much.

She reached out, her hoof trembling, and then she made contact with the top of the baby’s head. She began to stroke it and it gurgled in delight.

“Wow,” she said breathlessly. “This is incredible beyond belief.”

“Isn’t he the cutest little thing?”

Twilight felt her mane stand on end. She was touching a living dinosaur! Princess Celestia would love to hear about this.

“Where are your parents, little one?” Fluttershy asked softly as she scratched the baby’s chin. It nuzzled into her hoof before throwing its head back and letting out a surprisingly loud call. Immediately Twilight tensed up, not expecting the little dinosaur to be quite so loud, but Fluttershy was unfazed. “Don’t worry,” she said. “Just keep stroking him, he likes it.”

“O-okay,” she replied. She stroked its head, running her hoof over its tiny, stumpy horns. They’d not yet developed but they just added to the baby’s cuteness. Twilight couldn’t help but giggle.

At that moment, the baby Triceratops turned around and honked. It began to trot away as the pair heard foliage brushing and crashing.

Twilight spoke in hushed measures, her panic rising. “Fluttershy, I think we should go now.”

Immediately the foliage from around the trail gave way as, before them and the infant animal, came a herd of adult Triceratops.

“They’re... big,” came Fluttershy’s reply. “Let’s just give them some room.”

The pair pulled back as the Triceratops herd lumbered closer. They stood at the tree line as the baby reconnected with the lead adult. They watched the herd. The lead animal – the matriarch, as Fluttershy pointed out – was bigger than the others following it, and quite badly scarred on her face. One of her horns was missing its tip, and her enormous frill was scratched. Despite her size, she was as delicate as both Fluttershy and Twilight had been moments earlier with the baby, nuzzling it and letting out a soft, rumbling call.

“Oh, they’re just like elephants,” Fluttershy whispered. “This is amazing...”

They continued to watch as the herd stopped, spilling out slightly into the jungle where there was room. Many of the Triceratops were feeding, others socialised and rested. The pair could see a small number of infants in the centre of the group though these were all larger than the baby they’d just found. The little animal continued to socialise with the matriarch.

Then it turned, and trotted towards the pair, honking at them. The little infant came right up to the pair, and nervously Twilight reached out to stroke him.

As she raised her hoof, the matriarch bellowed causing Twilight and Fluttershy to jump, which in turn upset the little Triceratops. It honked, itself fazed by the noise and commotion.

“It’s okay sweetie,” Fluttershy called softly. “It’s all okay.”

The little infant honked and made its way back to the centre of the herd as the matriarch slowly moved towards the pair, making her presence very well-known. The great animal stopped about fifteen feet away from the mares and bellowed again.

“She thinks we’re a threat,” Twilight whispered nervously. “We really should go.”

“S-She’s doing what any good mother would do,” Fluttershy replied. “If it’s okay, stay still for a moment. I need to talk to her.”

“Fluttershy!—” Twilight cut herself off. She knows what she’s doing. “Just be careful.”

The matriarch continued to bellow. She swung her head from side to side and flushed her frill, creating a vibrant display of colour. Clearly this was designed to intimidate any threats and it was working. Both ponies were frightened by the matriarch’s strong display.

Fluttershy drew a deep breath before slowly making her way back out onto the trail. At this, the matriarch Triceratops began to growl, lowering her head. Fluttershy stopped just in front of the tree line, mustering up the courage to speak.

“We found the little infant on his own,” she began softly, loud enough to be heard but quiet enough so as not to upset the animal. “We’re not here to hurt you, we promise.”

The matriarch let out a short call. She stopped swinging her head around, instead now looking at Fluttershy. Her frill remained flushed.

“I can understand why you might think we’re a threat, but we’re friends,” Fluttershy continued with a warm smile. “If you like, we’ll give you and your herd plenty of room to pass on by,” she said as she backed off slightly, gesturing down the trail.

The matriarch grunted, raising her head slightly. Her frill drained of its vivid display. She let out a few short grunts before calling loudly.

Fluttershy rejoined Twilight who had gone silent. “They’re going to pass by,” she whispered. “Let’s just give them plenty of room.”

With that, the herd mobilised once more. They began to plod along the trail. As the matriarch passed the pair, she seemed to bow her head with a grunt before leading her herd onwards, an act which both mares subconsciously returned. They stood absolutely still as the rest of the Triceratops passed by. There were only about eight animals; the herd was quite small. The matriarch led, followed by two other larger animals. Behind them, the infants. As they passed by, the baby honked and looked over towards them and they waved back, saying “goodbye!” softly. Bringing up the rear of the herd were two adult animals.

They watched the herd make its way down the trail, waiting until they could no longer see them before stepping out from the trees.

“That was magical,” Twilight said. “I’m almost left speechless!”

“It was really something.” Fluttershy had the biggest grin on her face. “How adorable was the little baby!”

“I can’t believe how well they interacted with you! The matriarch understood you so well.”

“I can hardly believe it myself,” Fluttershy agreed. “Sometimes it takes me a while to understand new species but as soon as I said hello to the little one I knew I could speak to them. Then when the herd came over... The matriarch was so big. I didn’t think she’d attack us but she was certainly very threatened by us.”

“I felt quite threatened by her,” Twilight admitted.

“She was just looking after her young. She was frightening to start with, but I knew that once I explained everything to her, we’d be okay. But – oh my – did you see her frill? She was beautiful!”

“I’m a little star-struck right now! Wow... When they’re not trying to attack you, these dinosaurs are incredible. Once we get back to Equestria, we’ll definitely need to tell Princess Celestia about this place. That is, if—” Twilight paused. “Who knows what Ludlow, or Dodgson for that matter, had planned with the dinosaurs here. I just hope that by the time all this is over, this place is left alone and they can roam free.”

“I’d like that,” Fluttershy agreed. “Hopefully all the dinosaurs will be okay...”

“Hopefully so. Now, let’s keep going shall we? The sooner we get to the InGen compound, the better.”

“Right behind you, Twilight. Lead the way!”

With one final quick check of the map, the two ponies began their trek once more. Feeling energised and motivated by their recent encounter, they moved quickly and confidently – they were making good ground towards the compound, ever closer to making contact with the outside world. With that very much in mind, they pressed on.

* * * *

Grigorii had made himself quite comfortable in the penthouse provided by Ludlow for his stay. Costa Rica was a gorgeous country and the main balcony looked out across the dense jungles, barely a sign of human interference in sight. It reminded him of Equestria’s more tropical climes, the more remote, relaxing corners of their homeworld. Content, he put away another whiskey. Human liquor is of a good standard indeed...

His mind wandered once again to his satellite-uplink conversation with the Tsar. It had been long and intense but genuinely thrilling. Grigorii felt positively alive relaying the details of Ludlow’s business and proposition to Gavrel; of the towering presence and electric impact of these ancient Earth-monsters. The Tsar seemed very receptive to his input. He had commented that Grigorii relayed his sighting enthusiastically – and that “if this is the reaction of one Griffon, we can only imagine the nationwide response.”

They had talked further about the finer details, exploring the logistical issues of construction and nurturing the various species; Grigorii passing to his king Ludlow’s assurances that this would be of little problem. At each turn of discussion the Tsar was enthuastic and forthcoming, despite still not having seen a living dinosaur with his own eyes. The Duke raised this point and with immediacy a discourse began to arrange a viewing. Ludlow was contacted and a three-way satellite conference began. After quite some time an agreement was reached that would satisfy all parties. Ludlow would finally meet Gavrel in person and lock down a deal. And the Griffons got their request fulfilled: To see the largest and most vicious species that InGen was producing, in the flesh.

Yes, Grigorii thought to himself. This will be the most excellent few days ahead. With that, he fixed himself another shot of whiskey and, toasting Tsar Gavrel of All Griffonkind in his head, he sank the drink.

Author's Note

Hello all! Still churning out the chapters. I've now completed editing of everything I had previously written; the latest few chapters I found especially difficult to edit and re-write for some reason. But that's done now, and I'm happy that everything seems to hang together well so far. So yeah, hoping I'll be able to get a good chunk of new stuff written soon. I'm currently about 4 chapters ahead of what's currently published and from here on in it's a pretty wild ride. :P Got a little bit of pacing to do - all the characters go through some pretty intense stuff in the next few instalments - so I'm trying to explore their relationships a bit more during the 'quieter' periods of this tale. That remains to be seen - yet more intense moments are due to occur. Who knew a super-remote island some 200 miles off the coast of Costa Rica could see so much thrilling action? ;)

Thanks to those who've stuck with this and thanks to those who've newly found this. Looooong time in the works, but we'll get there and one day this will be completed. Cheers again, all. :)

9 - Plans Into Action

Since leaving the beach, the expedition team had cut their way through about half a mile of thick jungle before reaching an old jeep track. Carr’s SUV had ploughed through the dense foliage with the aid of a series of cutters on its front and chainsaws had too been employed by the team. It had been a struggle; occasionally the RV beached itself on fallen trees and needed the assistance of the SUV to get through, but soon enough the convoy reached the jeep trail.

“Well, here we are,” Thorne said through the intercom to Carr in the SUV. “You should have the GPS imagery appearing on your screen about now.” He tapped a few buttons on the dashboard.

“Got it,” came Harding’s voice through the radio set.

“Good. Now as you can see, this trail leads all the way up to the compound so for the meantime, just follow it up and we’ll be right behind you. Before you do, though, hold on: we’re seeing if we can get any information about the dinosaurs from the mainframe. Y’know, nesting sites, territories, whatever...”

“Okay, yeah we’ll wait here for a moment.”

Thorne turned back to Levine and Malcolm, who had both crowded around the onboard computer. “Any luck boys?”

“Just one moment,” Levine responded. “We might be on to something.” He continued to navigate the system, doing his best to ignore Malcolm over his shoulder, constantly suggesting he “click that” or “go there”.

“Hmm... Ah, this looks promising – Ian, the sample I sent you. It was microchipped, was it not?”

“Well, yeah it was. A radio chip of sorts.”

“Quite. So... Look here. There’s an option to ‘activate UHF radio transceivers’. I assume they must have these scattered across the island to, well, communicate with the animals’ radio tags.”

“So what are you waiting for?” Thorne asked, frustrated. “Just turn the damn thing on, stop talking about it.”

“Don’t rush me, Jack,” Levine snapped. “Okay. Here we go.”

Immediately, the GPS readout began to populate with green and red dots. They increased each second until the entire GPS map was covered in vast blotches of green and scattered red dots. The readout seemed to update itself every few seconds, many of the dots moving around.

“Look at that,” Thorne said. “That’s some clever shit, right there.”

“You seeing this?” Harding asked through the radio. “I guess now we’ll know exactly where the dinos are.”

Malcolm sat down in the passenger seat of the RV. “Should help to keep us out of trouble.”

“Yeah,” Thorne agreed as he picked up the radio. “Right, Sarah, tell Eddie to follow the track – let’s do it.”

“Gotcha,” Harding replied.

As Thorne finished with the radio, Malcolm reached over. “Hey, pass me that radio.” Raising his eyebrows, Thorne did as the man asked. “Sarah, uh, it’s me. Make sure Eddie hears this too. If it looks like the convoy is headed for any red patches – any red patches – I want you to stop the jeep and get back to the RV as quickly as you two can. Okay?”

“Sure,” Harding replied after a pause. “But we should be fine.”

With that, the SUV pulled away and Thorne drove the RV closely behind – the convoy was on the move.

“Hoping you’ll be okay and actually being okay are two different things,” Malcolm muttered as he set the radio receiver down.

“Good call on warning them, actually. This RV is pretty dino-proof but that SUV doesn’t offer much protection. And I don’t know about you but I’d like to see us all come back alive.”

“Indeed,” Malcolm said curtly. Feeling a little light-headed, he went back to the kitchen and grabbed a drink of water, promptly returning to the passenger’s seat. “You know,” he began as he sat down, changing the subject. “I find it very strange that all of the systems here on Site B are still running. I mean, it’s – it’s been some years since InGen went bankrupt. You’d think they’d have switched the mainframe here off. But we’ve just been able to connect to the computer network and activate the dinosaur tracking system. Doesn’t that seem a little strange?”

“Well yeah, but who are we to complain? If it helps us stay out of danger, find these ponies, and do our research then I don’t mind,” Thorne said. “It doesn’t bother me.”

“No no, it doesn’t bother me as such either. It’s just – there has to be something more here, do you not think?”

From behind them, Levine laughed. “Ian, for the first time in three weeks I might actually agree with you.”

“Makes a change,” Malcolm mumbled. “But – er – yes, it is odd. Didn’t you get that old InGen laptop in an auction?”

“I did,” Levine said. “InGen were selling off their stock.”

“Precisely. Then why didn’t they sell any of this radio tacking equipment? Why is it all still here? And furthermore, why is it still on?”

“There may be more to this place than any of us first imagined... InGen can’t be behind it. But then, who is?”

“Perhaps check the system,” Malcolm said. “Maybe there’ll be some records of what happened.”

“I doubt that, but I’ll look.”

“Well, you never know—”

“Gentlemen, if you’d please shut up for a minute,” Thorne interjected, “and direct your attention forwards...” He trailed off, gesturing outside. It was then that the two academics noted that the convoy had stopped.

They peered out the windscreen and were greeted with a shocking sight.

“My God...”

“I’m assuming you’re seeing this,” Carr said through the radio.

“Yeah...” Thorne answered. With that he rose, made his way to the trailer and grabbed a shotgun. “Come on guys,” he said to Malcolm and Levine. “We need to check this out.”

“And go – go outside?”

“Yes, Ian. Go outside. If you don’t feel safe there’s a goddamn armoury in the trailer. Now come on.” Thorne stepped outside, promptly followed by Malcolm and Levine.

The first thing they came across was the wreckage of a Jeep Wrangler. It was on its roof, its right-hand side caved in. Surrounding it were the remnants of food supplies, scattered tranquiliser darts, torches, a few documents and other weaponry and supplies. However, as they moved round behind the wreckage was a sight that shook them all – a downed Carnotaurus. Its neck looked to have snapped and there was a bullet wound in its head.

“It’s been shot,” Harding said numbly. She had been crouching over the corpse, inspecting the wound. “Somebody’s shot it.”

Levine was silent as he moved around the corpse. This was not how he envisaged seeing a dinosaur for the first time. He anticipated arriving on Isla Sorna and coming across a great herd of sauropods, moving gracefully across open plains, or some Hadrosaurs making their way along an old trail. Perhaps even seeing a pair of large theropods from a distance, tending to their young infant. But not like this. Not finding a dead Carnotaur, killed at the hands of a human.

He knelt down and ran his hand over its hide. It was rough and the surface pock-marked. What struck him, however, was how relatively warm the corpse still was. Having expected it to be stone-cold, the temperature came as a shock.

“This happened recently,” he said. “Very recently. This animal is still warm.” He stood, making his way over to the jeep. Malcolm was inspecting it. “Any idea what happened here? Who this was?”

“I suspect this was the jeep of one Lewis Dodgson,” Malcolm replied. “Here,” he continued as he handed Levine a sheet of paper from the ground, “you might find this interesting.”

Levine inspected the paper. Immediately it was apparent what it was. “Shit! This is Dodgson’s jeep all right. You know what this is? The significance of it?”

“Looks like some details about InGen, nothing special,” Malcolm replied. The others had since joined them.

“Well, yes, that much is true. But these aren’t any old notes on InGen. These are my notes on InGen.” Levine was flustered; he was flapping the page around. “This must have been when Twilight said they broke into my flat! Those absolute... pricks—”

Thorne grabbed him. “Richard. Now is not a good time for a meltdown.Come on, man! Yeah, they broke in and copied all your notes and that’s a crying shame but if the jeep is here, so are they. And that means the ponies are here somewhere.”

“...R-Right, of course.” Levine composed himself. “So, what now? We can’t just wander around until we find them. There has to be a more logical way...”

“I’d like to take a look around before we do anything else,” Harding said, grabbing a rifle from the back of Carr’s SUV. “I guess it makes sense that we keep going up to the compound – I dunno, they might have cameras or something – but I’d feel better knowing we’ve had a look here. There might be some clues that they’ve been here...”

Thorne nodded. “That... makes sense. Okay, well let’s split into pairs and just take a quick look around—”

“Jack,” Carr interrupted. “Perhaps you and I should stay with the trucks. Y’know, just in case.”

Malcolm pointed at Carr. “I like – I like his thinking. We should do that.”

“Yeah, I guess we can’t be too careful.” Thorne handed his shotgun to Levine. “Here you are. You, Ian and Sarah go and look around a little – any problems, just come straight back. Oh, hang on-” he quickly went back into the RV, coming back with a handheld radio and handing it to Malcolm “-keep talking on this.”

“Right,” Malcolm replied.

“Guys, there’s a clearing in the jungle down there,” Harding noted, pointing off to the right of the track. “Could be an idea to check down there.”

“Sure,” Levine said. “Lead the way.”

The trio made their way into the jungle as Carr turned to Thorne. “How’s the mobile lab driving?”

“Yeah, fine. Don’t worry about it, it’s performing. SUV okay?”

“Better than okay! As you know I was worried the electric motor might short in the rain – particularly so during the first stint in the jungle – but it’s pulled through, no problem. Yeah, I’m happy.”

“Glad to hear it, Ed—”

“Doc, you there?”

Thorne fumbled for the radio. “Ian, I’m picking you up.”

“Okay, so: there are some footprints down here – no, not footprints, ‘hoof-prints’ I suppose. Oh, Sarah’s just found some yellow feathers under some shrubs. Twilight’s friend is a yellow Pegasus. Yeah, it looks like they’ve been here.”

“Right. Can you follow the tracks, see where they went?”

“Uh... Yes, yeah we can. They lead through the clearing, and up to a jungle trail... At a guess, I’d say the trail runs roughly parallel to the road.”

“Excellent news. Finally, progress! Okay, give me a call if you find anything more.”

“Will do.” The radio crackled.

“So, these ponies... They’re quite important, I understand?”

“Yeah,” Thorne said. “One of them is the protégé of Equestria’s princess, and they’re both part of a team over there... Oh, what was it Richard called them... Symbols of Glory, or something? Anyway yeah, they’re super important. So the sooner we find ‘em, the better.”

The radio crackled again.

“Doc,” came a hushed whisper from Malcolm. “Get back in the trucks, start their engines, and get ready to drive. There’s, uh, there’s a problem.”

Thorne spoke into the radio. “Will do. Get back safely.” He quickly turned to Carr. “You heard, Eddie.” With that he ran back towards the RV, making sure to leave the door open, jumped into the driver’s seat, put it in gear, and waited.

For what felt like the longest time, nothing happened. Then there was a crack – he recognised the sound of Harding’s tranquiliser rifle – and a roar.

The trio emerged from the jungle and sprinted towards the trucks as, behind them, a Carnotaurus lumbered up the hill and broke the tree line.

“Oh, shit...”

Malcolm and Levine jumped into the RV, slamming the door; Harding had leapt into Carr’s SUV. “Go,” Malcolm said. “Go now.”

Thorne floored it. The RV skidded and lurched before pulling forward. Malcolm had wasted no time in activating the smoke deterrent and as the RV accelerated it trailed a thick smoke cloud.

Suddenly, the trailer swung to the left with a crash, and the whole unit began to slide.

“Fuck!”

“Come on Doc, hold it!”

Thorne steered into the slide to correct and the RV began to fishtail. He fought the motion, eventually regaining control.

Levine had run into the back trailer. “Keep going,” he screeched. “It’s following us!”

“Any faster and we’ll barrel off the track and into the jungle,” Thorne shouted back. “This is as fast as we can go along here!”

“It’s keeping up with us.” Levine was watching it from the back window. The Carnotaur was beginning to close the gap. The smokescreen hadn’t affected it whatsoever. It lowered its head and charged.

Then the RV began to round a corner and the trailer swung slightly; Levine held on. His gaze was planted on the dinosaur behind them which had finally begun to slow down. As they accelerated away, he watched it come to a stop before collapsing – the tranquiliser had taken hold.

“We’re good,” he called to Thorne, sighing. “You can stop, it’s asleep.”

“Thank God.” He slowed the RV to a stop before jumping up and making his way to the back. “Jesus Christ...”

Thorne was taken aback at the mess the rear trailer was in. The armour plating on the RV, though not hugely thick, was incredibly strong. But as he entered the trailer, it became apparent that it wasn’t strong enough. The Carnotaurus had dented the entire right-hand side of the trailer and although it hadn’t broken through, it damaged a lot of the equipment inside. A number of weapons and a good deal of lab equipment had smashed.

“We need to clean this up before we go anywhere,” Thorne said. “Shit. Shit shit shit.” He stormed up to the cab and grabbed the radio, calling Carr back. Meanwhile, Malcolm had joined Levine in the trailer.

“And there you go,” he said, leaning on a work-surface to steady himself. “What you have just witnessed, Doctor Levine, is the brutality of a pissed-off carnivore, with a penchant to charge at things.” Malcolm wiped his brow. “I thought the Doc promised us this RV would hold.” Visibly shaking, Malcolm poured himself a glass of water and made his way back to the cab as Levine began to clear up the shattered glass and spoiled equipment in silence.

“This is bad. This is very, very bad,” Carr said as he stepped inside, followed closely by Harding. “Oh, I knew something would go wrong, but not quite like this—”

Thorne seethed. “Enough of your pessimism Eddie, okay?!You don’t need to worry about everything all the time.”

“Well clearly, Jack, I do. I mean, are you blind? The trailer is heavily damaged—”

“Jesus man! This shit happens. And it’s not because you did a crap job, or because you weren’t worrying enough about it. It just happens! Fuck!” Thorne took some deep breaths. “Look. We’ll drive up to the compound, park up, get the defences going and fix this. Looks like the tools are all still okay.”

Harding was quick to jump in. “And what of Flutters? And Twilight?”

“Sarah, we aren’t doing shit until this gets repaired. You saw that. That was one animal. One. If we keep searching with a wrecked trailer, we could—”

“Don’t say it, Jack,” Malcolm called from the cab. “God damn, you and Eddie, just fix this thing.”

“Fine,” Carr said. “Well then, let’s get to this compound.” He exited the RV.

With a sigh, Thorne sat down in the driver’s seat. “If you say anything akin to ‘I told you so’ or some other lofty comment, I will punch you, so save it.”

“I’ll stay quiet then,” Malcolm said as the convoy moved off once more.

Breaking the tension, Thorne spoke. “So how did you guys manage to attract that things attention?”

“That’s, uh, a very good question. You see, shortly after I contacted you about the hoof-prints, we took another look around and the animal quite literally materialised in front of us. It just... appeared. We were looking along that jungle trail and it appeared in front of the tree line, at which point it gave chase.” Malcolm felt a chill run down his spine, taking a drink.

“Hammond was so sure of his genetics team when we went to Jurassic Park. I remember the leading geneticist – Doctor Wu – insisting that all their animals were female, because they ‘denied them the necessary chromosome to develop into males’, or words to that effect. He was wrong. The animals mutated. Apparently Alan Grant found some raptor eggs on Isla Nublar. As I told Hammond four years ago, life finds a way. Life – lifeforms adapt and evolve in order to make themselves the most successful you can.”

“...Not sure what point you’re trying to make,” Thorne grumbled.

“I’m just saying that these ‘dinosaurs’ are a real danger – and not just because they want to kill us,” Malcolm began. “Look, dinosaurs became extinct because they couldn’t adapt successfully enough to their outside surroundings. They were at the edge of chaos, and they were tipped off of it because their world changed. Apply that to humanity. We are at the edge of chaos, and the re-introduction of dinosaurs – rather, dinosaur-like monsters – is a change to our world. This can only be a bad thing.”

“God damn it, man, will you stop with the chaos theory—”

“But it’s true, and I think you all know it,” Malcolm continued briskly. “I mean, look at that Carnotaur. It’s already adapted. The animal was invisible. It’s developed this ability to, say, give them an upper hand when hunting. I don’t know how – I’d assume it’d be to do with InGen’s gene-splicing. Chameleon DNA, perhaps?... Anyway. I digress. My – ah – my point is that they’re large carnivores, apex predators in their own right, but they’ve needed to adapt. Now, I’m no ecosystems expert, but to me, that suggests that there is an even larger, more efficient apex predator on this island. In their own time and their territory – the Cretaceous era – they were the apex predator. In this time, in this territory – the modern world – they are not, and they need this bizarre ability of theirs to survive. And that is a warning, Jack. If a Carnotaur can damage the RV that much, a bigger carnivore could do untold damage.”

“I thought I told you not to get on your high horse,” Thorne spat, visibly annoyed. “And how do you know there are any bigger carnivores here? We’ve only seen one species so far. None of us have ever been here before.”

“Clearly you – you forget that I have been to Isla Nublar, and clearly you forget that I was attacked by the resident Tyrannosaurus. And I can definitely tell you now that a fully-grown Tyrannosaur will dwarf an adult Carnotaurus in both size and strength.”

Thorne said nothing; he focussed on the road.

Accepting his silence as a victory, Malcolm reclined in his chair, taking another drink. “It’s easy for me to worry, Jack. I’m, uh... I’m sorry if I aggravate you. But I am an academic – my life’s work revolves around thinking about things. I hope you appreciate my point.”

“It’s okay,” Thorne replied. “Let’s just... Let’s all calm down a bit, try and work together a bit more. We’re here to do a job, after all. I don’t think we stand a chance of rescuing the two ponies if we can’t even work together.”

“Sure,” Malcolm said. “That makes sense.”

“Covering ground fast,” came Carr’s voice from the radio. “We’re about ten clicks out. The sooner we get there, the better.”

At that point, Levine returned from the trailer, sitting down at the computer console. “I’ve cleared up as best I could back there, but it looks like it’ll need a lot of work. Fortunately, most of the important, expensive equipment was undamaged, but there’s a few unusable pots and pans.”

“Hmm, no biggie then,” Thorne said with a shrug. “Richard, I was just saying to Ian that we need to remember to work together. Yes, that was a lucky escape and it’s easy for emotions to run high, but we can’t let that get in the way. Not now.”

“Certainly,” Levine agreed. He checked the GPS readout. “Looks like we’re nearing the compound, and there aren’t any theropods nearby.”

“Thank God,” Thorne sighed. “I’ll feel much better once we’re there, the trailer’s had some work, and I’ve had some food.”

* * * *

Howard King sat on a felled tree near a stream, flicking through a folder of notes. Satisfied that they were mostly intact, he put them in his rucksack and removed a water canteen, taking a quick drink.

“So?” Dodgson asked him, returning from filling his own canteen.

“Yeah, there’s a few pages missing, but the important ones are all in here.”

“Good. You doing okay?”

“Feeling better now, yeah...”

“George, you okay?”

“Glad we’re not back on the trail. I’m still a little amazed we all made it out of there okay.” Baselton was looking around the small jungle clearing.

“I’m not complaining about that,” Dodgson agreed. “Okay, guys, look. I think it’s fair to say this mission hasn’t gone smoothly so far, but there’s no reason we can’t keep going. We’ve got all our documents, we’ve got some supplies, we’ve got rucksacks... We can still get some eggs, and then we can find our way to the coast and get out of here. You game?”

“It’s not like we can really do much else right now,” King said. “We might as well.”

“Fine by me,” Baselton nodded.

At that point, Tembo rejoined the trio, his own canteen filled. “Did I hear that the plan is to continue on foot?”

“Yeah,” Dodgson said. “How do you feel about that?”

“I have limited ammunition,” he replied reluctantly. “To add to that, the sonic equipment we intended on using to distract the bigger predators got wrecked along with the jeep... I’m not saying we shouldn’t press on, but if we do, we should exercise extreme caution.”

“Hey, uh – what of the ponies?” King stood.

“Not much we can do about them now,” Dodgson said with a shrug. “If we’re lucky, they’ll get eaten. If we’re not, who knows what they’ll do. And at some point, Levine and company might show up with his group. Let’s just keep our heads down, do what we need to do, and get out.”

Tembo straightened his hat. “Right. Let’s carry on then, shall we? I’ll take point – keep behind me, and keep quiet.”

The foursome readied themselves as Tembo led them into the jungle. They might have lost a good deal of their equipment, but their determination remained – particularly Dodgson’s. He was here to do a job that had been many years in the making and had failed once already when left to Dennis Nedry. Now, it was his turn, and he’d be damned if anything was going to stop him from doing it.

* * * *

With a great air of urgency Peter Ludlow marched through the heavily dishevelled office complex. His mind was whirring at a million miles per hour; as such he did not allow himself a moment to return the meek ‘good afternoons’ sent his way by the skeleton staff around him, neither did he really drink in the cramped office with its stacks of paperwork and computer systems enveloping the numerous offices and corridors. Yes, today Ludlow was much too busy to take a real look around the pop-up InGen offices, tucked away in San Jose keeping under the radar of the world’s governments. He had far more important matters to tend to – which, as he rounded the corner and confidently swung the door to his meeting room open, became all the more real for him.

“Duke Grigorii, Tsar Gavrel – Your Highness. Good morning to you both.” He bowed slightly, outstretching a hand.

Tsar Gavrel stood as Grigorii huffed. “Mr Ludlow,” began the Ruler of All Griffons. “We appreciate you making the time for us this morning.” Glaring at Grigorii, he returned the handshake.

“The pleasure truly is all mine, gentlemen.” Ludlow sat, producing a briefcase. “I feel that we ought to get straight to business; we’ve talked at great length about many aspects of the proposal before now but I feel that today we might lock down some sort of deal.”

The Tsar nodded once, sagely. “This sounds in line with my thoughts, Mr Ludlow.”

“Hmm. Excellent.” He quickly examined a few of the documents in the briefcase, mumbling to himself before producing two in particular. “Have a read of these two dossiers when you find the time,” he began. “This one here is a fully-fledged work scheme, outlining what needs to be done, by whom, when, and for how much. Importantly, it also lists work already finished – as I understand it, the portal in your homeworld has been completed?”

“You are correct,” Grigorii blurted shortly. “I personally oversaw its construction myself. It is complete.”

“Good,” Ludlow continued slowly, somewhat put-off by the incredibly short fuse of the Tsar’s right hand man. “Well, to return to the point, this sits in line with our view of things and means that the portal link could be established at any moment now. As I said to you both some time ago, our portal has been constructed for a few weeks and we’ve now linked it to the geothermal power plant. All we need are co-ordinates, and in theory we could be ready to move species over, well... tomorrow?” Ludlow handed the files over to Tsar Gavrel, himself flicking aggressively through the pages. “But, of course, that’s simple theory-crafting. Like I say, read over the dossier soon. Species movement is covered. Also, I shall need you both to sign at the end of the document—”

“You have my word that we shall,” Gavrel interrupted, handing the lengthy document forcefully to his subordinate. “Until then, I want what I came here to see.”

“And you shall,” he replied, handing the second document over to the Tsar. “You’ll find that this document outlines our latest, highly clandestine operation. Read this before we arrive at Isla Sorna, for this is the project file for what is absolutely, unquestionably our ‘largest and most vicious’ species.” He furrowed his brow. “I should remind you both that you have signed a Non-Disclosure Act—”

“And I should remind you that we are a species of our word,” the Tsar offered. “Mr Ludlow, tell me what species this is.”

“Ah. That, I cannot do. You see, it is InGen policy to keep all chatter of this new creation off-shore. To be frank, I’ve told you both too much as it is. All I can say, is this: the document will tell you all you need to know, and that you certainly will not be disappointed.”

Gavrel set the folder down. “Until I see it, you will not get any signatures.”

“I thought you’d say that.” He paused, as if debating with himself. “To that end, I shall call for our helicopter to be ready now.” He stood, gathering his documents. “We could arrive on the InGen yacht within two hours. Unless, of course, you both wanted to stick to our original schedule and depart in four hours’ time?”

“Now suits,” the Tsar replied. “Now suits very much.”

With a smile, Ludlow went about his business. “Excellent,” he said as he leant out of the door. “Call the pilot and tell him we’ll be there in twenty minutes. In the meantime, get the car ready, please.” His attention turning back to Griffons, he spoke. “Tsar Gavrel, Duke Grigorii. If you would like to gather your things, there should be a vehicle outside for us. With any luck, a bottle of whisky will be waiting for you both there. If you would follow me,” and he exited the room.

Grigorii turned to his King. “I hate him,” he whispered.

“He is callous and paper-thin, but he is to be our ally. Be warmer to him for the time being, and remember what he is offering us.” Gavrel gave the top secret dossier to him as he stood. “Remember what you saw on the island’s shoreline, and remember how the monster made you feel.”

Grigorii sat, quite taken aback by the Tsar’s astuteness. He was, of course, correct; the afternoon spent looking at the giant carnivore on the coastline of Isla Sorna had excited him to no end. Feeling that electric anticipation once more, he glanced at the document in his claws and did not hesitate to open them. He was breaking convention, but he didn’t care. He didn’t ever care, and he knew that was why Tsar Gavrel had appointed him Duke. He did what he liked, when he liked, as he liked; it just so happened that his ideology was in-line with his King.

He cast his eye across the first page, quickly scanning for any names or clues. He had no time and could hear Ludlow calling for him from further down the hall, so quickly he closed the file, tucking it away under his wing and making his way out of the complex and into the black limousine outside.

Ludlow showed him in and then boarded himself, and with that the car pulled away. Grigorii found himself being offered a whisky shot from Ludlow which he took with a meek thanks and immediately downed, casting his gaze outside at the endless city streets whizzing by. He could faintly make out the chat between the Tsar and the InGen man, but he wasn’t really listening. He was deep within his own mind, two of the bullet points from the document staying with him. Have I seen these species names somewhere before?

The car pressed on, and for the whole journey from InGen office to the heliport, he repeated the words to himself over and over again in the faint hope of jogging a memory, or working out any more details of these creatures.

S. maroccanus; 1996.

S. aegypticus; 1912.

Author's Note

Happy New Year, y'all. A new chapter! More plots are unveiled, dark secrets come to the surface, and dinosaurs attack. Onwards into the deep jungles of Isla Sorna!

Thanks to everyone who's sticking this one out! Still working on new chapters and I'm currently working on a very intense action sequence which is very fun to write indeed. All this to come; until then, thank you!

10 - Predators

The sun had begun to sink below the tree line as Fluttershy and Twilight continued on through the jungle. The sky was a vibrant palette of pinks and reds, and shafts of brilliant orange light cut through the thick canopy. Visibility was quickly diminishing beneath the trees and the pair paid more attention to where they were headed. In the fading light, danger became much harder to spot.

They had been ascending a very gentle slope for what must have been the past hour and this, combined with the tropical heat and stress of the situation, added to the pair’s fatigue. Impatience was taking hold; both of them had gone past the stage of optimism and just wanted to reach the compound. They were done with trekking through the endless jungle.

Their hopes ramped up once more as they crested the hill. Even though the view from the top was poor – a mist hung over the jungle and in the dying light it was difficult to pick out anything other than trees – they finally felt like they were making some sort of progress. One thing that did stand out, however, was a mountain much larger than any of the others in the area, one that the pair could now see in full view. It was instantly recognisable as a volcano. Just seeing the mountain lifted their spirits; they both knew that somewhere at its foot lay the InGen compound.

Keen to press on, they picked their way down the slope.

About half way down the steep hillside, something at the bottom caught Twilight’s eye. She was amazed she was able to see it through the dense foliage but whatever it was seemed so... out of place.

“Fluttershy, you see that? Down at the bottom there.”

She strained to see in the dusk light. “I think I see something, though I can’t make out what it is from up here. What is it?”

“I – I think it’s a fence.” She paused, her features straining. “Yeah. It is! Fluttershy, we’re nearly there! Come on, let’s keep going, see if we can find a way around it.”

It didn’t take long for the duo to scramble down to the foot of the hill and sure enough, as the jungle thinned out, they were presented with a fence. It was immediately apparent just how big the fence was; as Twilight and Fluttershy looked up at it, they were dwarfed. Twilight estimated it stood at twenty feet, some five times their own height. Also of note was just how strangely intact the fence appeared. It looked as if it was well-maintained for a structure that was at least seven years old, four of those apparently abandoned and left to nature.

Twilight approached the fence, keenly aware of its integrity. “The map says the compound is just beyond here,” she began slowly. “We need to find a way through – I guess we could climb, but it just looks too... new. It could still be on.”

“Um, Twilight... I think it is still on.” Fluttershy was staring towards the top of the structure.

Twilight followed her friend’s gaze and there, atop the fence, was a lit beacon. It pulsed gently, illuminating a small area around it in the fading light of day. Twilight cast her gaze along the top of the fence and sure enough there were two, three, four beacons, each slowly pulsing. She noted a few along the perimeter’s length that seemed to be faulty and not illuminate quite as well, but those in the immediate area certainly indicated to the two friends that this fence was indeed activated. They continued to watch the beacons momentarily until something else caught Fluttershy’s eye: hanging off of the metal girders some distance away was a sign. Without noticing they trotted over to it, able to get a better look.

DANGER: 10,000 VOLTS.

“Oh my,” Fluttershy uttered. “That certainly sounds dangerous...”

“There has to be a way in, somewhere. Come on, let’s follow it round! Hopefully we can get inside before it gets dark.”

They wasted no time; Twilight and Fluttershy began to trot alongside the lengthy iron structure. For the longest time there was no change in the situation as they made their way around. Most of its length was in good condition and there were no apparent breaks. Importantly, all of the beacons still flashed.

After some ten minutes of solid trotting, the pair finally came across something which stood out. Initially they struggled to see quite what had happened to the fence section they were approaching but the closer they got, the more apparent it became. Unease overtook them both, quickly transforming into a mortified sickness as they came up alongside the fencing.

“Oh...”

A large animal had clearly smashed into this length of fencing. Smeared across the highly damaged structure was a horrible, nauseating combination of dried blood and decomposing flesh, chunks of the creature packed tightly inbetween the iron girders. There was no obvious shape to any of the remains, much of the corpse now completely unrecognisable – be that due to decomposition, scavenging, or simply the sheer force of impact, did not bear thinking about.

Amidst the disgusting chaos was the very thing Twilight and Fluttershy had been looking for. There was a break in the fence. The concrete base had shattered in multiple places but the biggest fracture was a breach some two feet across – a breach big enough for a pony or two to squeeze through.

Horrified, Fluttershy hid behind her mane.

“Oh, Celestia!” Twilight was lost for words as she stared at the scene before her. She slowly approached the gnarled scene and the first thing that hit her was the awful, awful smell. The animal must have died some time ago as the stench was nigh on unbearable, not to mention the swarming flies around the remains. Doing her best to calm her churning stomach, she looked at the hole in the concrete base and quickly resigned herself to the facts. Sighing, she turned around. “I hate to say it, but this could be the only way in for miles. We’re going to have to pass through that breach, however horrible it is.”

Flicking her mane from her face, Fluttershy stared wide-eyed at Twilight, then up at the fence, then quickly back to her friend. “But – but that poor creature—” She paused, cutting herself off.

It’ll be okay, Twilight is here... I can do this...

She took a few deep breaths and shook her head. “Oh, it’s awful.”

“I know, I really do, but I don’t think we really have any other option... I suppose you could fly over? How’s your wing feeling?”

“No,” Fluttershy answered quickly. “We’re tackling this together, and – and if it’s not something you can do, then I shan’t either. We do it together.” She managed a meek smile. “Besides, it’s still a little sore. I’d rather not risk any more damage.”

With that, she turned towards the breach, closed her eyes, said something under her breath, and galloped through as quickly as she could.

Twilight stared at Fluttershy through the fence. “W-Wow, Fluttershy!... That was brave.”

“Can we move on? I don’t feel too good here.”

“Sure.” Mustering courage of her own, Twilight held her breath and slipped through the hole. She joined Fluttershy and sighed. “That’s it, we’re through. You okay?”

“I’ll be alright,” she replied breathlessly. “Just a little unsettled.”

“Yeah...” Twilight cast her eye towards the damaged fence one last time, grimacing. “Let’s keep going. I’m happy to take it easy for a bit though...”

The pair continued on, Fluttershy quickly regaining her composure. It was unlike her to act suddenly, particularly faced with such a horrid, disgusting challenge but she was all too aware that their situation was one that demanded swift actions. If she and Twilight hadn’t slipped through that breach, they might have been trotting for hours – in the dark – in a jungle filled with dinosaurs. She shivered at the thought as they pressed on, her thoughts wandering back to the fence breach itself. She wasn’t exactly sure what had happened to the animal that had died – in some ways, of that she was glad – but it was nonetheless a distressing situation. The poor animal must have suffered hugely and that alone was enough to sadden her. Obviously there was nothing she could have done for it, but just knowing something died in such a horrid manner was more than enough to upset her, to shake her to the core.

Added to that was the reason why the animal had charged into the fence and been killed. She dreaded to think what had caused it.

What had been hunting it...

“There,” Twilight said, pointing ahead. “We’ve made it!”

Fluttershy looked ahead. It was now completely dark and the dense jungle had starved the two mares of any light at all but the InGen labs were easy to see: the foliage and trees had thinned somewhat to reveal a forecourt, bathed in the moonlight. Past the forecourt the two could make out a flight of short stairs, leading to the complex entrance. Above the doorway, a great sign stood: ‘InGen Site B Command Complex’. Though they still had a short distance to go, finally reaching the compound lifted both their spirits – for the first time since arriving on Isla Sorna, they each had something to genuinely smile about. They were making progress towards their own safety; progress towards calling for help.

“That’s a welcome sight,” Fluttershy said with a tired smile. “Hopefully soon we’ll be able to make contact with somepony.”

“With any luck, yeah.” Twilight returned the smile, though equally as tiredly: just seeing their goal was enough to make her realise just how fatigued she was. “Let’s just get inside and see what we can do.”

Hurriedly the duo crossed the forecourt and arrived at the complex, ascending the short flight of stairs and stepping inside. They made sure to close the doors behind them as they entered; although they couldn’t hear any animals nearby they were taking no chances. Fluttershy stayed put by the doors, scanning the forecourt as Twilight produced two torches from the rucksack, passing one to Fluttershy. “You see anything out there?”

“No,” she replied, taking the torch. “I think we’re okay.”

With that, the two activated their torches, scanning the main entrance of the complex. Immediately they noticed that it was rundown and long-since abandoned. There was no sign of recent activity here. The hall was large but cluttered; vines had burst in through windows on the far side, slowly taking over the walls and the floors were littered with files, hardware and other discarded items once belonging to InGen.

“This is weird,” Twilight began uneasily. “That perimeter fence looked well-looked after, but this place has just been left to rot? It doesn’t make any sense...” She continued to mumble to herself as she scanned the area, failing to find anything of note.

“Here,” Fluttershy said as she shone her torch behind what must have been the reception desk, dragging Twilight from her thoughts. “This looks like it’s a facility map.”

Twilight hopped over the desk, taking a closer look at the map. “I wonder if – ah, yeah, hold on – there we go!” she exclaimed as she pulled the map from the wall, careful not to rip it. “I think it’s easy to say this’ll come in useful.” She folded it up and placed it inside her rucksack, taking a quick look around the desk. Initially, nothing stood out but as she continued her search, one panel caught her eye. It was full of switches, buttons, and dials. “Fluttershy, shine your torch down here. We may be able to get the power on in here.”

“Oh – um – we might, but this whole place looks quite derelict...”

“Yeah, but if the fence was activated, then maybe...” Twilight trailed off.

As the light hit the desk it became apparent that this one panel acted as a master controller for a number of features in the facility. There were door locks, light switches and lift power switches – a whole plethora of functions to control. In the centre of the panel was a large lever, marked ‘Master Power Control’.

She placed a hoof on the lever, hoping and willing it to work. “Here we go,” she said, and tentatively pulled the lever down. With a heavy clunk it locked into place – and nothing happened.

“Hmm...” Twilight tried again, moving the lever in the other direction.

Nothing.

Beginning to worry, Twilight tried moving it one last time. She pulled it down.

Still nothing.

“I was hoping we could get the lights on, but it’s no matter,” Fluttershy began optimistically. “We still have our torches!”

“You’re right, but I’m worried that if the power’s out here, it’ll be out in the radio room – if there is a radio room at all!” Twilight drew a deep breath, feeling defeated. She thought she heard Fluttershy say something like “of course there’ll be a radio tower” as she reached around on autopilot and picked the map out of her rucksack. Spreading it out on the floor, the two ponies gathered round.

Immediately apparent was the vastness of the facility. “This is, er, quite a big complex,” Twilight uttered as she took in the map’s scale. She’d found the area marked as ‘reception’ – the area the two were currently in – and compared to the rest of the buildings illustrated before them, it was tiny. As she surveyed the map further, it became clear that the compound was both cavernous and complicated. Countless narrow passageways criss-crossed one another, connecting massive areas throughout.

“There’s a number of buildings here – oh, look!” Fluttershy pointed towards a small area next to one of three enormous buildings. “This is marked as the ‘reserve power transformer’. So even if the main power is off, I think we could check the reserve power.”

“I – yeah, that’s a plan.” Twilight traced a path with her hoof. “It looks like we’re in for a long walk though. We need to leave the reception, find a way up to this bridge here and then we’ll enter this area – ‘Laboratory 01’. I guess we just make our way through there and then we reach the reserve power station.”

Fluttershy circled an area on the map. “Oh, here’s the communications tower. It looks like it’s on the other side of the complex.”

“So whatever happens, we’ve got a fairly long night ahead of us,” Twilight concluded with a heavy sigh. “As if this wouldn’t be easy enough after the day we’ve had...”

“Come on now, Twilight,” came Fluttershy’s surprisingly optimistic reply. “If we can make it through a day like... today... then we can easily get across this facility. No matter how big it is.” She offered a smile.

“I know, and I know you’re right. I guess I’m just getting really quite tired of this all.”

There was a pause; Twilight stared emptily at the map. All she could think of as she took her moment was sleep – the day had finally caught up with her. She didn’t feel a hot anger for Dodgson, neither did she feel the keen prick of fear when confronted with the animals that inhabited the island. There was only fatigue... and the hoof that Fluttershy had placed upon her shoulders.

“We’ve never given up before,” Fluttershy said warmly with a surprising amount of determination, “and this should be no different. We just need to keep moving.”

Twilight did not react straight away, but she knew Fluttershy was right. They’d had equally as challenging problems in Equestria to deal with and the six friends had pulled through with each other’s help – though they were in a completely different realm, the strength of their friendship remained the same.

With that she got to her hooves. “You’re right, again,” Twilight chuckled. “I’m sorry Fluttershy. I guess this is all getting to me more than I thought it would.”

“It’s okay. It’ll be okay if we stick together. We can do it.”

Powering through their fatigue, the pair packed the map away and readied themselves. With their route in mind they made their way out of the reception, aiming to navigate the labyrinthine complex and find the reserve power room.

As they passed through the first set of doors, neither of the two ponies heard the animals calling to one another outside of the complex buildings, neither did they pick up on the slender forms sprinting to and fro across the forecourt.

Outside in the darkness, the deft creatures were gathering, following a foreign scent. Their movements were sharp and focussed, moving as one. Had Fluttershy seen them, she would have instantly recognised it as hunting behaviour.

* * * *

Dodgson and his team had covered a lot of ground over the evening, moving swiftly and efficiently through the jungle. Tembo’s previous experience as a big game hunter paid off on more than one occasion: recognising signs of recent animal activity, he was able to steer the group clear of potential danger. As night fell they had stopped, adding to Dodgson’s frustrations. They had not come across a single nest all day since the attack and as such still had no eggs whatsoever. And now, Tembo was insisting they rest as travelling at night would be too dangerous.

“And where do you suppose we sleep?” Dodgson asked angrily. “We don’t have any tents, any equipment, nothing!”

“I should think that’s the least of our worries, being as though we are marooned on a dinosaur island, Lewis,” Tembo replied. “You can sleep where you like. I intend to climb this tree and rest up there, away from danger.” With that, Tembo slung his rifle over his shoulder, straightened his hat and began to climb.

“Who put you in charge?!” Dodgson called after his hired gun, who in return paid him no notice at all. With a sigh, he watched Tembo ascend. “For a miserable bastard, he knows what he’s doing.” He looked up at the tree, finally deciding to climb it himself. They’d already lost the two ponies earlier – best not to lose each other given the circumstances. “Gentlemen,” he said to King and Baselton, “I suggest we do the same. Now go get some sleep.”

He moved slowly but soon enough reached some wide branches. They were definitely thick enough to support his weight and high enough to avoid the business end of any large carnivores. Deciding this was enough he removed his rucksack and tied it to a nearby branch, sighing as he removed his hat and rested it over his face. This mission should have been quiet and slick, and so far it had proved to be neither. Just this alone was enough to annoy him. They had done so well in conducting their espionage – Levine obviously had no idea he was being observed right until those ponies had warned him. And now, some twenty four hours after they left Santa Fe, his expedition had lost a great deal of equipment, had no eggs to show for its efforts, and they’d even lost their Equestrian hostages.

“Fuck it,” Dodgson cursed quietly to himself. Still, he thought as he heard King and Baselton climbing up the tree, at least we’re all still here. True, the current situation was far from ideal but they were still able to continue. Crucially, everyone was alive and well. They still had some equipment with them, King still had his folder of notes – mostly intact – and Tembo still had his rifle and some ammo. Despite everything, they could still steal some eggs and hope to high heaven that come first light tomorrow they were able to escape the island.

“Hey, Roland,” he called.

“What?” Tembo hissed back. “You’ll need to keep it down.”

“Come wake me in two hours or so. We’ve still not yet got any eggs and our boat leaves tomorrow at eight AM.”

“Fine, you’re the leader after all,” came the reply after a pause. “You’ll be risking your life by working at night, I hope you realise.”

Dodgson didn’t reply. He’d hired Tembo to keep them safe and so far he’d done a stellar job, but this was still his mission. Dodgson called the shots; Tembo would do as he asked. With that in mind he did his best to catch some sleep.

...

“Lewis...”

“Lewis, wake up...”

Dodgson awoke with a start. “Whu-what’s going on?”

“Shush,” Tembo hissed. “It’s only been an hour but I needed to wake you.”

“Why?”

“We’re not safe here.”

“We’re fifteen feet up in a tree. How are we not safe?”

“Because, Lewis, we are fifteen feet up in a tree next to that.” He gestured with his head.

Dodgson looked down. It was difficult to see anything in the night but he could make out the trees thinning slightly and what looked like a large, circular depression in the ground.

“I can’t see,” he said.

“Then look through this,” Tembo replied, handing him his rifle. “Do not pull the trigger, just look through the sight. The scope is night-vision equipped.”

Taking the rifle, he raised it to his eye and held it steady.

“Oh, shit.”

“You see them then?”

“Yeah...”

The wide depression in the earth was some forty feet across and ten feet deep. The trees thinned out as they reached the edge of the bowl, the basin itself completely free of all foliage.

In its centre stood a four foot high mound, around which three juvenile dinosaurs were playing.

“Mother will be around here somewhere,” Tembo whispered. “It may look like the parents have abandoned this nest, but I highly doubt that. Somewhere nearby will be an adult. I had a look earlier but couldn’t see any other dinosaurs.”

Dodgson handed back the rifle. “I am assuming you’re unfamiliar with that species,” he said.

“Unfortunately, I actually do have an idea what these little chaps might grow up to be...”

“I need some eggs from that nest, Roland.”

Tembo double-took. “Are – are you mad? And what, do you propose we just walk in, grab some, and leave?” He shook his head. “Good luck with that.”

“Honestly, I’m not sure what we can do yet. But I can’t – I won’t – come all this way not to get a Tyrannosaur egg.”

Dodgson’s remark hung heavily in the atmosphere.

“There is no way we can get any eggs without creating a distraction,” Tembo said, raising his rifle and taking another look. “The infants will treat us as either a plaything or a walking meal, and the adults will tear us to shreds if we get within ten feet of the nest. We’ll need to outsmart both parent and child if you want your eggs. On the plus side though,” he continued, “the young Rexes are still small enough for us to be able to deal with quickly. The adults, though... They are likely to cause an issue.”

“Maybe they’re out hunting.”

“I doubt very much that both adults would leave the nest at the same time.”

The pair sat in silence, listening to the quiet barking of the juvenile Tyrannosaurs down below.

“How many tranquiliser darts do you have left?”

“...Seven. Seven tranquiliser darts and two clips of ten rounds each.” Tembo paused. “Why, what exactly are you planning?”

“You can see all the infants from here, yes?”

“Yes.”

“We put them to sleep. One dart each, leaves you with four. That’s four darts to deal with mother if we piss her off.”

Tembo drew a breath, raising his eyebrows. “Risky... But not impossible,” he said. “I suppose this is the only chance we might have tonight.”

“Precisely my thinking, Roland. This is it, you see. This is an opportunity, and we can’t afford not to take it. Finally, we might actually make some progress!... Oh – please tell me your rifle is suppressed.”

“She is,” he said, patting the silencer. “They won’t hear a thing.” He raised the rifle once more, slipping a dart into the chamber. Slowly – silently – he cocked the weapon.

“Are you sure you want me to do this?”

“Definitely,” Dodgson replied confidently. “Now, when you’re ready – shoot some turkeys.”

Tembo remained silent as he lined up his first shot. He began to control his breathing, steadying the weapon.

He pulled the trigger.

Some distance below, a juvenile Tyrannosaurus yapped once. Then, silence.

“One down.”

“Work quickly. I don’t want them to get too panicked—”

“I know what I’m doing.” He loaded another dart and within seconds fired off his second shot. He paused for a second to confirm he was on target and as the second juvenile collapsed, he loaded his third dart.

“Here we go,” he uttered. “Last shot.” He raised his rifle and sighted the third chick, which had frustratingly begun to run around much more than before.

“Christ, the little bugger’s excited,” Tembo said. “This might take a few attempts.” Without hesitation, he fired his shot and it flew true, striking the chick first time. Within seconds it was out cold. He looked up and wiped his brow, loading another dart into the chamber. “Three chicks down. Your move, Lewis.”

Dodgson leaned over to his rucksack, untying it from the branch and slinging it over one shoulder. “Still no sign of the parents,” he began. “I’m... I’m actually kinda tempted to make a run for it now.”

“If you have a death wish, then be my guest.”

“Look at it this way. All the babies are out cold. If I’m quick enough, I grab some eggs and haul ass back into the tree line – an adult might be too big to get in between the trees. I’d be safe.”

“I imagine nothing will get between a furious parent and her stolen brood...”

“Just scope the area out again. See if you can spot anything big and full of teeth.”

Shaking his head, Tembo raised his rifle once more and scanned the jungle around the nest. He was quick but thorough, double-checking to make sure he’d not missed anything.

“No sign of an adult,” he reported back. “I suggest that if you want to go for your suicide run, you go now.”

“Keep me covered, man,” Dodgson said as he descended the tree. Loading a dart into the chamber, Tembo cocked his rifle.

Dodgson reached the ground in no time at all and made his way to the edge of the tree line. He stopped, stood stock-still, and listened. He couldn’t hear anything that suggested there was a large carnivore nearby – no grunting, roaring, footsteps...

“Fuck,” he cursed under his breath as his heart rate began to skyrocket.

He took a number of deep breaths, and then he ran.

Covering the distance to the nest in no time he jumped, sliding down the bowl’s edge. He hit the bottom and stumbled, regaining his composure. It was dark, and he couldn’t see particularly well but the nest was easy to spot the closer he got.

Without really paying attention Dodgson thrust his hand into the great mound, feeling for eggs. Nothing. Feeling pressured he became more frenzied but he could find no eggs whatsoever.

It was then that a ridiculous idea hit him but in his adrenaline-fuelled state it seemed like the only alternative.

He reached down and felt the ground – within seconds his hand brushed over the tail of one of the infants.

He picked it up, and ran.

Twenty five feet up in the jungle canopy, Tembo watched the whole scene unfold.

“Christ...”

Quickly, he reached into his jacket, pulling out a discreet radio. “He’s got a Rex baby,” he whispered into it.

“Ensure he keeps it,” a voice replied. “You know what to do when the time is right.”

“Will you be sending your team in?”

“We will.”

“Understood.” Tembo slipped the radio set in his jacket as Dodgson called from below.

“Wakey wakey gentlemen, we need to go, now.”

Tembo called over to King and Baselton. “Come on, wake up. Hurry.” He leant over and shook the two men and as they woke, he quickly headed down the tree, hearing the others close behind.

As the three joined Dodgson on the ground, King and Baselton finally saw what had caused their quick departure.

“You – you didn’t...”

“No time, just go,” Dodgson replied, clutching the small infant. He started to run, the other three trailing.

“Lewis! I mean – why would you grab a baby?”

“Look, there were no eggs,” he panted. “I had to do something. No point leaving with nothing.”

“You’ve lost it,” King said. “I can’t believe you—”

The argument was very suddenly cut off as somewhere from behind came a monstrous prehistoric roar, the likes of which none of the four men were expecting. They were each stunned momentarily, but it was the sound of splintering trees and heavy, heavy footsteps that spurred them into action.

“Mother wants her child back,” Tembo called as the four men ran onwards.

A Tyrannosaur was giving chase.

“Shit shit shit! Come on!”

The four ran as quickly as they could, leaping over fallen trees. The foliage was thick but they did not slow.

“Fucking trees,” Dodgson yelled. “Why aren’t they stopping it?”

“I told you,” Tembo cried in reply. “She’s not going to stop until there is blood.” He followed behind Dodgson’s crew as he swung his rifle from his back. He checked the breach – yes, he did load a dart in earlier.

“Hurry!”

From behind, another roar – the adult Tyrannosaurus was gaining ground, and fast.

“Come on, run!”

Tembo knew they’d never outrun the giant behind them. Something had to be done. In a flash, he’d weighed up the situation and decided what action to take.

It wouldn’t be pleasant, but it was for the best.

More trees crashed as the sounds of the monster grew ever closer.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered to himself. Tembo raised the butt of his rifle and, without a second thought, struck Baselton square in the back. He went down, hard.

Neither King nor Dodgson noticed Tembo’s attack.

As the three men continued to run, they heard a scream from behind and the giant carnivore bellow. Then came another scream, itself cut off with a gurgled yelp as the hellish sounds of a Tyrannosaurus Rex killing its prey echoed through the jungle. No longer did Baselton scream; instead there were only trumpets and growls as the massive animal tore him to shreds.

They could not see it, but they could hear it all too clearly.

King turned his head, stumbling as he froze. “George... George! Shit!” He started back, towards the mortifying sounds in the dark, but Tembo had grabbed him.

“No. Keep running or you’ll be dead too.”

King held for a moment, staring back into the black. Then he turned away, and ran.

The three men did not stop for some time. They powered on, putting as much distance between the dinosaur and themselves as they could.

“There,” Tembo panted after they’d covered some ground. “There’s a shed.”

Dodgson and King could just make out the structure in the dark. They barrelled towards it. King flung his full weight against the door; it easily caved in. The trio barged inside and took immediate shelter.

“Stay here,” Tembo whispered to them. “I’ll be back shortly.” He cocked his rifle, and slipped back outside into the darkness.

Dodgson looked over. “You okay, Howard?”

“N-No. No. No I’m fucking not okay.” He fought for air. “George—”

“I know,” Dodgson cut in. “I know.”

“Christ Lewis, we nearly died. I thought we were getting eggs!”

“We were,” he said, his voice hollow. “I saw an opportunity, and I took it, and now here we are. This’ll make us rich men,” he said as he patted the sleeping baby. “But we paid a grave price for it.”

King didn’t honour Dodgson with a reply. The pair sat in silence, catching their breath.

Then, in the distance, they heard the Tyrannosaurus grunt. Immediately the pair tensed as they felt its roar. Then a crack echoed out and the dinosaur yelped, its footsteps becoming more shuffled. It roared again, leaving Dodgson and King on-edge. They listened in as the creature continued to bark and howl. There were a few more irregular footsteps, and the sound of a tree crashing to the ground. More trees splintered and cracked until finally the Tyrannosaur moaned and then there was a resonant thud.

Then, silence.

Shortly thereafter, from the darkness of the night, Tembo reappeared.

“She’s asleep.”

“Good,” Dodgson panted. “Good.”

“We can’t stay here for long – I’m concerned that all that noise might attract other animals. We should catch our breath, and then press on. The further we get from the Rex nest, the safer we’ll be.”

“Hardly much point in keeping on going,” King seethed. “As long as we have that baby with us we’ll probably all just die anyway.”

“Woah, Howard. Keep it together. We’ll make it—”

“Keep it together?! Really?” King stood. “How can you possibly expect me to keep a handle on everything when George died? And we didn’t even go back to help him! And for what? A baby dinosaur?! We—”

Without warning, Tembo leapt forward, grabbing the scruff of King’s shirt. “Quiet, now,” he hissed. “We will definitely die if you keep ranting.” He released King, and sighed. “Look. I’m sorry that your colleague met his end, but we have to keep going. We can still make it off of this island.” He crouched in the doorway, looking out into the night. “When you’re ready to move, we’ll go.”

Dodgson looked down at the infant Tyrannosaur. It was out cold but he was all too aware that it wouldn’t be forever. “How long have we got ‘til this guy starts to wake up?”

“Maybe an hour,” Tembo replied. “When he starts coming round, we’ll let him wake up fully. Then I’ll put him to sleep again.”

“Fine, but be careful you don’t kill the damn thing.”

“Don’t worry, he’ll live... It might be an idea to restrict his muzzle nonetheless. When he wakes up, he’ll probably try and give us a nasty nip.”

Dodgson placed the sleeping baby on the floor, standing up and looking around. “Far too dark in here,” he cursed.

“Use your belt,” Tembo said.

Too exhausted to think of an alternative or bite back, he removed his belt as he knelt. He lifted the tiny dinosaur’s head and wrapped it around its muzzle, pulling it tight enough to keep the jaws shut. “Feels like it’ll hold,” he said. “Hopefully when it gets lighter we can find something else to use.” Satisfied, he sat down once more.

In the silence, Dodgson shook his head. For the first time since arriving on Isla Sorna, he felt both physically and mentally weak. This in itself shocked him; he was strong of character. That’s how he was able to work his way up to the top of BioSyn. He knew he was a charismatic, driven individual, and very rarely did he exhaust himself to the point where he felt empty. Now, he felt hollow, spent. In some ways, this expedition was becoming too much; it was a wonder that he still had any semblance of a hold over it.

He needed sleep. The hour’s rest earlier had made him realise just how fatigued he was and that was more apparent than ever as he slumped against the wall of the shed, cradling the tiny Tyrannosaurus chick.

“We should go,” King said after some time. “I don’t want to sit around anymore.”

Tembo nodded, loading his weapon. “Right. Let’s go. Keep close.” He left the hut.

King stood and made his way towards the door when Dodgson stopped him. “Look, Howard,” he began. “This... This hasn’t gone to plan. I’ll admit that. But we can still pull through.”

“Sure,” King replied emptily.

“Honestly, Howard. For... For what it’s worth – and right now I understand that’s probably not much – I’m sorry.”

“... I appreciate the humility,” King replied. “But no words can make this better.”

“Yeah,” Dodgson said. “Yeah.” He stood. “Come on, we’d better follow Roland.”

11 - Raptor Attack (Part One)

“’Close to the compound’,” Thorne said sardonically as the RV pulled up just outside the InGen facility. He stared at Levine. “Learn to interpret a map.”

“It looked close on the GPS. It could have been anyone’s guess.”

“Ah, whatever.” Thorne picked up the radio. “Well, here we are Eddie – want to swing that gate open? We can park up outside the complex.”

“Sure thing,” Carr replied. From aboard the RV, Thorne watched as he and Harding hopped out of their jeep – remaining vigilant in the dark – and opening the heavy gates.

“Before we drive in,” Carr called over the radio, “just want to double-check that you’re not getting any carnivore readings through round here.”

Thorne peered at the GPS readout. There were a few red dots near the complex, but judging by their locations they were all outside of the perimeter fence. To add to that, many of them seemed to be remaining stationary.

“Checks out to me. Let’s park up.”

The convoy trundled through the gates, following the narrow track down the hillside and into the compound forecourt. Thorne swung to the left, parking the RV alongside the perimeter fence as Carr parked the jeep just in front of the RV.

“Finally,” Thorne uttered as he killed the engine. He stood.”Okay! Ian, Richard, get the hell out of my lab and go find those ponies.”

“But – we don’t know where they are—”

“You guys are academics, right? Use your brains. You’re at the islands command centre. You’ll work something out.” Thorne ushered the pair out of the RV before quickly returning with two flashlight-lit rifles. “These might come in handy. You never know.”

“Oh no. No no no,” Levine squawked loudly. He thrust the weapons back towards Thorne. “We won’t be using these.”

“Like hell we won’t,” uttered Malcolm as he grabbed one all too quickly. “I do not condone weapon use, but I know these monsters—”

“—So you keep saying—”

“—And as such I know that I will need this.” For a brief moment he held Levine’s panicked gaze, ending the stalemate with a huff and a turn.

Before Levine had chance to retort, Harding had joined them, Carr in tow. “So,” she said, clutching a radio set. “We gonna check this place out or what?”

“It looks like the Doc has given us no choice.” Malcolm gestured to Thorne. “He’s gonna be busy polishing out that dent back there.”

“Okay. Eddie?”

“Sorry Sarah. I’ll need to lend Jack a hand – we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.”

“Sure thing. Oh, keep your radio set to hand okay? Just in case.”

“No problem. Good luck.”

“Good luck with fixing the lab!” And with that, Harding, Malcolm and Levine headed for the compound entrance as Thorne and Carr set up the RV’s defence systems and got to work.

Carefully, the trio entered the facility and were immediately hit with the darkness. “Of course,” Malcolm sighed. “Of course the lights would be out in here. Dark outside, dark inside. On an island populated by ancient apex predators.”

“But the power has to be on,” Levine said quickly, sharply. “If we can access the mainframe – and scan the radio chips in the dinosaurs here –that means the computer and radio systems are on: that in itself must mean there’s power. Main, aux, that’s academic. Not to mention the perimeter fence around this place. Did you see the beacons were lit? I’d guess that means power, too.”

“Hopefully.” Malcolm grunted, having heard enough. “Sarah, any sign of...well...anything?”

“Aside this ‘Master Power Control’ lever? Not a lot.” She smirked, pulling the lever.

Nothing happened.

“I get the impression that wasn’t supposed to happen.”

Harding flipped it again. The lights remained off.

“I stand by what I said,” Levine added quickly, his voice cracking. “The power has to be on.”

“So that’s it,” Malcolm concluded with a wave of his hand. “No lights. No lights, and no idea of where to go.”

“Actually, we do have lights,” Harding countered as she approached him. Holding onto the rifle’s muzzle, she flipped a switch – and a flashlight activated.

“Oh. Uh, yes, of course.” Malcolm was uneasy. “Well this makes me feel a little better, I think.”

Levine said nothing as he fumbled with his own flashlight.

Leaving the two academics to become acquainted with the weaponry Harding set to work, searching the entrance hall further. It was difficult to see; the only lights coming from Malcolm and Levine who themselves seemed not to have moved very far, tentatively swinging their torches around the area. With a sigh, she turned to them. “I know neither of you are gun guys, and I know we’re all on-edge right now. But are we gonna make an effort to look for Flutters and Twilight?”

Before anyone could speak Levine began to break. “Cast your mind back to earlier today,” he hissed, his own temper boiling over. “You may remember we were attacked by a living Carnotaurus. An actual, real-life, terrifying prehistoric carnivore. Did that not frighten you at all? And now here we are in a disused facility with no lights, no idea what’s really going on here, in a confined space, still at threat!”

“Wow.” Malcolm elicited a chuckle. “The erudite, stout Richard Levine, finally showing some real fire.”

“Surely I can’t be the only one fearing for my life right now?!”

“Richard, calm down.” Harding put a hand on his shoulder. “I think we’re all scared. This place is amazing, that much is true. But it’s also true that we could all quite easily be killed here. We need to keep our wits about us – and we need to keep calm.”

“I – This – Uhh...” Levine faltered, releasing his tension. “I’m sorry. It’s just – all this...”

“Believe me, I know,” Malcolm offered. His ire for Levine was waning. “Of all people I understand your fears. We’re on the same side of the fence as the attractions at the zoo, and they’re all terrifying. We’ve already been attacked and we’ve only encountered one of InGen’s creations.”

“One particularly enraged creation,” Levine uttered.

“Quite. But Richard – listen to me – Sarah is right. We, ah, need to keep our cool if we want to find our two Equestrians, let alone survive. It will save us. Panicking helps nobody. Not to mention that there was no sign of any dinosaurs in and around the complex. Remember the GPS readout? Keep your head; we’ll be okay.”

Levine steadied his breathing, leaning on the reception counter. “Y-Yes. Yes, you’re both right. I’m sorry about all that, I’m not really sure what came over me there.”

“They call it ‘human emotion’,” Harding said with a reassuring smile. “Now, let’s think about making some progress shall we?”

“I’m all for it,” Malcolm began, “but where to go? It’s not as if we know where to head. Let alone the fact we’ve no idea what’s here, or indeed what we’re looking for.”

“We’ll come across something, and – well, hopefully – we’ll know it when we see it. Perhaps a camera room, or a communications centre... I’m not sure.” Levine shrugged, quickly finding his feet and regaining his confidence. “In the meantime – look here, on this wall – there’s a number of laboratories. I’d be quite interested to see exactly how InGen ran their ship here.”

“Let’s do it,” Harding said, heading towards a set of glass double-doors. “It’s not like we have anywhere else to go.” She pushed them open and the trio headed through towards ‘Laboratory 01’.

They entered a long, dark corridor and begun to move along it. It looked very much as they’d expected: a modern facility abandoned and left to the wild. Sprouting from the cracked floor tiles were weeds of all sorts, the walls were stained and worn, and the ceiling tiles peeling from the roof. The place had truly been reclaimed by nature – Malcolm acknowledged a passing thought about the metaphorical nature of this with regards to chaos theory – and almost all signs of human activity had been forgotten. Despite this, the hallways and corridors were well-signposted, and the three were able to navigate the facility with relative success. Spot a sign, brush the vines and dirt away, follow the signs pointing towards the laboratories. It was an effective system and had led the trio close to the facility’s core, but they were presently stopped by something quickly unsettling and entirely unexpected.

Lying widthways across the reasonably narrow corridor was a corpse. Most of the meat had been stripped from it as its ribcage protruded upwards from the ground.

“Looks like trouble,” Malcolm uttered ominously as they approached it.

“W-well it’s good to see the carnivores are hunting well,” Levine added, tripping over his words. He inspected it closer. “Look behind it. Blood.”

“Of course there’d be blood,” Harding replied plainly. “It’s a corpse.”

“No, look.” He pointed over and beyond the carcass. “Lots of blood. Notice how, well, how... fresh the blood trail is.”

He wasn’t wrong. Harding and Malcolm could see it now as the rifle flashlights illuminated the area: there was a prominent blood trail leading shortly down the corridor before stopping. At that point, the wall of the corridor had been burrowed into, a small pile of rubble formed at its mouth.

“This is a fresh kill,” Levine whispered. “A fresh kill that’s been brought here.”

Malcolm remained silent, gripping his rifle tight.

Harding inspected the carcass before them. “What species is this?”

“It, uh... Looks like a young Triceratops,” Levine answered, shaking his anxiety as his academic side shone through. “A famed late cretaceous herbivore as I’m sure you’re both aware. But its only natural predators tended to be Tyrannosaurs, so... I’m a little unsure as to what brought it here. Clearly, no Tyrannosaurus would fit inside this complex.”

“Clearly, you’ve forgotten that this is not a natural place,” Malcolm said with a huff. “None of InGen’s creations are natural. Anything could have killed it and dragged it here.”

“Thank you, Doctor Malcolm,” Levine hissed. “Now, uh, Ian, Sarah, shall we continue? Much though I am beginning to feel very out of my depth, we need to press on.”

“It’s all we can do,” Harding noted.

With heightened apprehension, the trio pressed on, avoiding the gore before them.

* * * *

Fluttershy stifled a yawn as she produced the map. Their passage through the facility had been much more arduous than both she and Twilight had reckoned; as if the complex wasn’t labyrinthine enough already, blocked passageways and overgrown vegetation presented their match. Still, they had pressed on and made good progress nonetheless. It also went against them both that fatigue was setting in. Fluttershy could feel her eyes straining in the dim light of the torch, and her mind was exhausted. But she couldn’t relax yet, she was all too aware that something was still going on here. She and Twilight had seen blood stains, bone scraps, and some well-worn tracks throughout the facility – and all of these signs pointed toward animal activity. No, she couldn’t let her guard down. Not yet...

“We want to go straight across the next intersection,” Twilight said quietly, giving Fluttershy a start and dragging her from her thoughts. “Then we’ll be into the lab.”

“Oh – yes – that’s good.” I need to stay alert...

“Yeah, that is good. The sooner we get to the comms centre and out of this place, the better...” Twilight let out a hollow, empty laugh.

“I think so,” Fluttershy agreed as a chill ran the length of her spine.

The pair rounded the corner slowly, the intersection before them. Beyond it, a flight of stairs that led to the lab and – if the maps were to be believed – the communications tower and backup power generators. They were nearly there, and they both knew this. But they also both felt it. Wordlessly Fluttershy looked across to Twilight; their eyes met and she could see the fatigue written in her features. Twilight looked so exhausted. With a gentle nuzzle Fluttershy leant in, offering strength and warmth – she felt the days’ events all too acutely too, and knew that it’d take a final burst of commitment and energy to be able to get to the relative safety of the comms tower. She saw Twilight smiling tiredly back at her. This was signal enough that she’d helped in at least some way. Returning with a grin of her own, Fluttershy went to move.

She stopped herself before striding too far or too loudly. Something isn’t right. She could feel the tension building and Twilight standing all too closely behind, as if to seek comfort. Holding herself stock-still she waited for a sign, any sign, and it was then that she could hear the awful grunts and throaty gurgles.

Immediately she spun and put a hoof over Twilight’s mouth, herself about to ask why they’d stopped.

“Listen,” she mouthed.

The two ponies fell silent and in the stillness of the facility they made out more sounds. Low, baritone hisses and grunts echoed through the hallways. They were short, angular in sound; they were guttural and they were in the corridor with them.

Twilight’s eyes widened; her heart rate rocketed.

Something else is here.

The vocalisations were coming from either side of the crossways, to the left and right. Straight ahead lay the lab. Either side, the last thing either of them needed: something very much alive, and something that did not sound friendly.

“What do we do?” Twilight mouthed. “Run for it?”

“Can you teleport us?”

Twilight grimaced. “I can’t risk it not working...”

They fell silent once more. The animals didn’t sound as if they’d heard Fluttershy and Twilight approaching; neither did it appear that they had picked up on their scent. Odd, but somewhat reassuring. With that, they backtracked slightly and hid around the corner from which they had just come.

Once away from immediate danger, Fluttershy began to panic, finally unravelling. Her strength had carried the pair this far but she could do it no more. It all became too much. The abduction, the Carnotaurus attack, the fact they were lost on an island nopony had rightly ever heard of, and now this: stuck in a dilapidated, secret facility with some foul monsters. Eyes widened, she began to hyperventilate, barely containing herself. “Twilight, w–what do we do? We need to do this but there are those... things... there... Can we just turn around, find a different way maybe?!”

“It’s okay, come on.” Twilight wrapped her forehooves around Fluttershy. “It’s okay, we’ll—”

Twilight was cut off by a very loud bark. The pair froze, their manes prickling on end as they heard the sound of footsteps padding slowly along the corridor, from left to right. Though the crossways in the corridor was still some twenty feet ahead, the growling and hissing from the creature ahead sounded as if it was right next to them. It was so loud.

“Oh Celestia help us,” Fluttershy whispered as Twilight pulled the pair tight against the wall. She had a horrible, deep-set feeling she knew exactly what creature was filling the halls with blood-curdling barks, and it was all too much.

In a moment of maddening curiosity, Twilight peered ever so slowly around the corner – just enough to see what was there. Using the shadows to her advantage she kept her head in the darkness and she was able to get a good look.

She instantly wished she hadn’t. Before her, its eyes trained along the hallway at something she couldn’t see, stood a creature she instantly recognised. A six-foot tall slender, horrible beast...

Twilight quickly withdrew her head and stared straight ahead at the wall, her eyes wide and glassy. Her breaths came short, shallow.

“Twilight? What is it?”

She began to shake. “A Velociraptor,” she whispered breathlessly.

With a squeak Fluttershy shrank against the wall. “I knew it, oh Celestia I knew it...” She clamped her eyes firmly behind her mane, doing everything in her power to disappear into nothingness.

The sounds of the raptor padding slowly, purposefully, into the corridor echoed all too loudly, and the pair felt their blood run cold. Then, another loud bark. They winced. It was so close.

Twilight gripped Fluttershy tightly. It must know we’re here...

And then, unexpectedly, came another screech from the crossways. Another raptor had made its presence known. To Twilight, it sounded like this one had come from the right-hand corridor.

Straight away the communication between the two animals didn’t convince Twilight and Fluttershy that they were about to become prey items. The two listened intently, remaining on-edge; the dinosaurs were snapping and hissing in curt, sharp bursts, as if trying to quickly outdo one another. Intermittently, a protracted hiss would full the corridors, the sound of sharp talons clicking upon the cold, tiled floor echoing prominently. No, this was not hunting behaviour: Fluttershy had picked up on this immediately and Twilight hadn’t taken long to fathom this herself. This was something else, something utterly confusing.

“Can you understand them?” Twilight asked as she saw Fluttershy turn her head towards the corridor, her ears upright.

“No,” she breathed. “But it sounds like...an argument...”

And indeed it did; Twilight once again summoned the courage amidst the disabling fear and morbid curiosity to peer around the corner. Where there had stood one raptor, now two animals stood, each sizing the other up. The barking and hissing continued; the animals locking gaze and padding from side to side, swinging their slender jaws about the place quickly and accurately. She watched as the two raptors mirrored each other’s movements. They turned as one, their gaze now along the corridor she was hiding in instead of across and that was enough to spook her – should either animal falter for even a second, she might finally be seen. Immediately she pulled her head back out of view.

“They’re arguing, alright...”

There was a terrible scream and a crash, causing Twilight and Fluttershy to yelp and wince. The corridor had exploded into a frenzied cacophony and an acute panic flared once more. And yet, neither knew quite what to do: the duelling animals blocked the way, and still presented far too much of a danger to their own wellbeing –

And it was at that moment the two animals slammed into the wall at the end of the corridor that the mares were hiding at: one raptor – a white-hot, wide yellow eye focussed sharply in front of it – had leapt atop the other and used own its mass to ram it. The disabling fear that overtook the mares allowed them the briefest moment to drink in the sight. The Velociraptor atop the other had locked its own jaws around the other’s neck with a horrifying gurgle but the downed animal clearly wasn’t about to give up yet; with a flick of its tail and a twist of its own bulk it had pulled the aggressor to the floor, beginning its own counterattack.

Something in Twilight’s head clicked and immediately she found herself jumping to her hooves, grabbing Fluttershy and yelling something about “now being the chance to go.” She didn’t really hear the words that came from her own lips, neither did she hear if Fluttershy had made any response. No, she could only hear the incredible thump of her own heart and the poisonous barking and screeching from the two large raptors locked in combat no less than six feet from her as she brushed past them, in a blind panic.

Twilight did not look back and powered past the corridor intersection, sparing only the briefest glance either side: some ways down each corridor was a group of three to four more raptors, busying themselves with some nondescript corpses. She didn’t notice if any of them had seen her and Fluttershy power past, and she did not stop to make sure either. She placed her focus on only one thing: powering up the stairs before her, hurrying through the heavy double-doors at their top, spinning around, and locking them shut once they were through.

Only then did she pause, and only then did they breathe. Heavy, ragged gasps were drawn as both ponies gathered themselves. Twilight’s adrenaline slowly wore off and she found herself breathing more steadily, beginning to assess the situation. “We – We made it,” she uttered quietly, aware that they were not entirely free from danger, but the heavy doors behind them seemed to offer enough protection. With this in mind, Twilight drank in the identical doors before them, hoping that these too would offer a brief respite should danger lie beyond.

“They didn’t smell us because they were feeding,” Fluttershy said meekly, finally breaking her own silence. She was wide-eyed, shell-shocked. “If they were hungry they’d have ripped us to shreds, and we’d have been powerless to stop it.”

Twilight said nothing, offering only a gentle reassuring hoof.

“They were feeding, and their eyes were so wild... And they fought with the intent to kill...” Fluttershy sniffed, fighting her stinging eyes. She looked up at Twilight, her features broken. “We were so lucky.”

Silently the pair embraced, holding each other in reassurance.

“We will get through this,” Twilight offered quietly. In between the gentle sobs, she felt Fluttershy’s head nod in the nape of her neck. They remained this way for some time, doing what they could to block out the occasional screeching from behind them. Eventually she disengaged her hug, steadying her breathing and regaining control of her own head as she saw Fluttershy wiping her eyes. She let out a ragged sigh. It was hard, so hard. But she knew they were close to their objective, and the hopeful relative safety that it would offer...

“The laboratory’s beyond these doors,” Fluttershy said quietly. “I’m scared.”

“So am I,” came her reply, itself just as quiet and cracked as Fluttershy’s. “But we need to do this.”

“I know.”

For a moment neither said anything, doing what they could to muster any shreds of courage left.

“O – okay. Fluttershy, you ready?”

“I think so.”

“Okay.” Twilight pressed gently against one of the doors, and – thankfully – it cracked open without making too much noise. Silently she and Fluttershy slipped through into the darkness, letting the door close quietly behind them, and immediately Twilight lay down, pulling Fluttershy with her.

“I see it too,” Fluttershy whispered to her. “Oh Celestia I see it too.”

They had entered the lab on an upper level, onto a gantry walkway that skirted the entire shop floor. It was dark but the rooflights allowed the moonlight to flood in; it allowed the pair to take in exactly what they had blundered into.

The vast laboratory was somewhere between a forensics lab and production line, biological apparatus paired up alongside industrial-looking vats and packaging lines. There were some enormous machines – Twilight surmised they’d be incubators of some sort – sprouting like columns at regular intervals across the shop floor. It would have been a spectacle in its day, a real cornerstone achievement of modern science and human accomplishment, but now it was derelict and haunting. Nature in all forms had reclaimed the hall. Vines and weeds covered most of the floorspace, the rest covered in dirt and dust and debris. Glass panels had shattered, rust had eaten away at the machinery. A thick layer of grime had settled upon everything, and the shafts of moonlight pouring in illuminated just how dense with spores the air was. But most haunting – most terrifying of all – were the multiple clutches of eggs in amongst the scientific apparatus, the worn pathways through the debris, and the thirty five or so predators wandering around in and checking the broods. Her heart sank, a powerful lump formed in her throat, and she felt sick and horrified.

The entire facility had been overrun by Velociraptors; the clues were always there. The corpses, the blood trails, the bone fragments, everything. And now, this: she and Fluttershy had escaped the two duelling animals, and those feeding on the large corpses, but had fled straight into the main nesting site.

“Fluttershy...”

“Twilight...”

Neither spoke nor moved for some time. What they had perceived to be a paralysing fear when fronted with the two fighting raptors paled in comparison to that which they now felt: both of their minds whirred much too quickly and adrenaline pumped much too powerfully for any cognitive or logical thought to cross their minds. Indeed, Twilight could focus on only one thing – she knew all too well just how incredibly sensitive these animals were to movement, sounds, and smells. If they moved, they’d be seen; they’d be attacked. If they stayed still, the raptors would eventually pick up on their scent; they’d be attacked. If they made too much noise, the raptors would hone in on them; they’d be attacked. It was too much, and she dared not move.

“We do need to move,” came the smallest voice from Fluttershy, as if she was reading Twilight’s mind. “We need to do something. If we stay here they’ll find us.” The fear in her voice was so easily apparent.

“You’re right.”

“We stay low, and we go slowly,” and with that Fluttershy began to crawl. Twilight quickly followed suit, amazed at the sudden confidence on display; a marked difference from the broken mare not five minutes earlier at the top of the stairs. That alone was inspiring enough to spur action, but not enough to stem the terror...

As quietly as possible Twilight crawled painfully slowly forward. Standing and trotting would be too obvious – her bigger profile and the click of her hooves on the metal gantry would spell doom. So crawling it was. Two hooves forward, then slide up to meet them, and repeat.

Breathe, Twilight.

She kept her gaze upward, and she kept her gaze forward. She focussed in on her movements and her breathing, listening to the sound of her own cyclic breath. In and out, in and out. It was quiet, but it was enough to drag her ear away from the hissing and the barking of the killing machines teeming beneath.

Or so she thought. The more she tried to block it out, the louder it became. One screech came from directly below her and she froze. It was so loud. Clamping her eyes shut, she listened to the grunting from the beast beneath; she could make out its footfalls. It was moving away. With a deep sigh she opened her eyes and prepared to move when she saw Fluttershy, equally as spooked and equally as still in front of her. She was looking back.

They’ve smelt us, she mouthed back to Twilight. They know we’re here somewhere.

Twilight’s pulse began to race. She did not doubt Fluttershy’s instinct and she insisted they continue. Their pace had quickened, and after a short while Twilight had made the mistake of looking back down. She nearly let out a scream, curbing herself just in time. The sight of twenty horrid glowing eyes met her own. A good number of the pack had come over to investigate. None had yet jumped onto the gantry – she rather hoped they couldn’t make the jump but a part of her knew that it had to be something they could do – but a few of them had their heads raised in her very direction. Some had leapt on top of desks, the smaller ones treading around beneath them. They were terrifyingly close now. She could hear their grunting and chatter clear as day. Just as clear was the saliva dangling from the bigger creatures’ maws. They can smell us, all right...

Fluttershy had stopped and Twilight crawled alongside. “They’re playing with us,” Fluttershy whispered ever-so-quietly. Despite sounding so nonchalant, Twilight knew that poor Fluttershy was shutting down, and the fear was finally winning out.

“We should run, then,” Twilight offered back. “Before any of them jump up here. We could make it—”

Crack. Crack.

The briefest of pauses followed the echoing sounds before the pair were taken aback by the entire pack whipping itself into a chaotic frenzy. They watched, part terrified, part dumbstruck, as almost all of the raptors began to holler and screech, excitedly darting to and fro across the cavernous nest area. A good number of the creatures had already made their exit via tunnels and worn-out holes in the walls, some having leapt dramatically through windows. It seemed chaotic but there was a definite order and method to the entire movement, various groups of animals moving as one. And that fact alone – that the raptors seemed to co-ordinate their movements and actions so tightly – was horrifying enough in its own right.

Crack.

“Gunshots,” Fluttershy suddenly said with a start. “That’s a gunshot. Twilight! Somepony else is here!”

Crack.

“Come on,” Twilight replied, helping Fluttershy up as she broke into a gallop. “Come on!”

The mares ran the distance to the communications tower door, hearing a piercing cry from behind and feeling the gantry shake with a heavy thud. Finally they had company; their sudden burst had given them away to the remaining raptors but there was no time to stop now. They didn’t look behind but as they hurtled towards the door they could feel the raptor pick up speed behind them, much too quickly for their liking. Thankfully they were too close to the gantry exit at this point and almost effortlessly barrelled through the steel door, slamming it shut and bracing it behind them. Moments later they felt a crash as their pursuant hit the door, and all too well could they hear its determined scrabbling and screaming on the other side. Hearts pounding, they leant in further, their collective weight and strength barely holding the raptor back.

Suddenly and with a very determined screech the raptor attacked with enough vigour to force the door ajar, pushing its entire head through. Fluttershy screamed and Twilight immediately slid away from the opening. It barked much too loudly and worked its jaws once, twice; its movements were hawkish and sharp. With renewed strength the two ponies forced themselves against the door and they could just hold the animal back, but it fought too, pushing a forelimb through and scrabbling awkwardly.

“Come – on – just – ”

“Leave. Us. ALONE!” Fluttershy roared, stunning Twilight – herself ensuring her own weight stayed very much against the door – and seeming to momentarily catch the raptor off-guard. Something inside her had finally broken, and she exploded. In an instant she had charged and slammed her weight into the door with an unexpected force – such force – that the raptor boaked, its neck and forelimb now trapped in the half-closed door. Untethered, Fluttershy slid up towards the trapped dinosaur, swinging a furious hoof at its snout. “GO. AWAY.” She connected, and with a final and very shrill howl the animal pulled its head back through the door, freeing itself and giving up the chase. In one swift movement Fluttershy slammed the door as quickly as the raptor had retreated from it, working the locks before finally allowing herself a moment to cool down. She turned away from Twilight and the chaos behind her, taking a few tentative steps into the hallway before she slumped down, visibly deflated and emotionally shattered.

Twilight was stunned. She trotted over. “I – you – ”

“Twilight.” She did not raise her eyes to connect. Instead she remained starting coldly at the floor, her voice hot and sharp. “Do not ever let me attack another animal ever again.”

“But – we – the Velociraptor—”

“I don’t care!” Only then did Fluttershy look up at Twilight, her eyes searching and desperate. “I don’t care. It’s still an animal and it’s only doing what comes naturally. I – Oh, Celestia...” She sighed so very deeply, sniffling. “This is out-of-character and I’m not okay with that.” Her shoulders slumped and she shook her head. She’d dealt with outbursts before, both at ponies and animals. This was nothing new to her. But to physically attack a wild animal was so against her core values and ethics that, as far as she’d believed for her entire life, she would never even dream of doing such a thing. But here, emotionally spent, physically and mentally exhausted, in a completely different realm to her homeworld, and under immense pressure – she had finally broken, and in her own head she had crossed a fundamental line that she could never cross again. Ever.

It wasn’t often that Fluttershy felt the cold, hollow emptiness that came with a great wrongdoing, but now she felt it heavier than ever.

Twilight pursed her lips, slowly inching forward. “This place... It seems to do strange things to us...” She reached out to reassure Fluttershy, but she was quite angrily rebuffed. Acknowledging this, Twilight kept her distance. “You did what you had to,” she offered quietly. “As much as the Velociraptor was just doing ‘the natural thing’, if you hadn’t have done that, we may not be here at all.”

Fluttershy sniffed again, nodding curtly. She remained hidden behind her mane, staring at the floor.

“I am here for you,” she offered again. “You know that.”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah.” Twilight allowed a moment. “Well... We need to find out who’s here, at the very least.” Gently she steered the topic away from Fluttershy’s attack. “It could be Sarah. Or... It, uh... could be Dodgson.”

“I’m not going back. Not at all,” came Fluttershy’s firm response. “I can’t go through that again.”

Deeming it best not to speak, Twilight gently stroked Fluttershy’s mane in support, this time feeling her friend warming to the support. Of course, she was right. They couldn’t do that again. Already they’d brushed with death by dinosaur twice today; this itself was an exhausting thought. Indeed, on top of this they shouldn’t even have had to avoid predatory jaws whatsoever, observing these animals form a safe and secure distance. But that was simply a ‘what-if’. Twilight was all too aware of the reality of their situation and it nearly overwhelmed her – not for the first time since arriving on Isla Sorna – but she fought back her reactionary emotions, allowing herself a moment before speaking. “We’ve got this far,” she finally managed. “Let’s head up to the comms tower and see what we can do.”

Even she wasn’t convinced by her own words. They sounded hollow, and they felt hollow. But somepony else was around, distracting the raptor swarm, and – even if the main power seemed to be out in the facility – with any luck there’d be some sort of reserve power that could allow for radio communication with somepony.

Anypony.

Author's Note

Here we are! Into the eye of the storm, as it were. This is part one of a longer section; initially I'd planned to keep it as one chapter but due to editing / re-writing it became much too long for one chapter, I think. This also used to be one of my least favourite chapters, but now I think it's among one of my favourites - I'm really happy with character development and how they all deal with the very present, very real threat of InGen's nastiest little buggers.

Stay tuned for more! Hopefully get Part Two up fairly quickly, too - but I make no promises. Thanks to all for keeping up and catch you soon!

12 - Raptor Attack (Part Two)

Uneasily Malcolm lowered his rifle, mopping his brow. “I, uhh...” He allowed a moment, staring madly at the downed animal before him. Suddenly he snapped out of his funk, the words coming all too quickly. “I do not like weapons. But I do not like raptors even more. So be it. We’ll have to defend ourselves if we’re to find the Equestrians.” His movements were skittish; his eyes darting to and fro, coming to settle on Levine. “You – you know, Alan Grant and I had a very long, very in-depth discussion about the nature of Velociraptors, and, well—”

“They are pack animals,” Levine interrupted emptily. “They work in packs. Move, nest – hunt.”

“Precisely. Exactly this. Where – where there is one, there is many. And there will be a lot—”

“Could you not?” Harding had grabbed Malcolm’s upper arm firmly, her features softening as she realised she had his attention. “We’re all scared, Ian. But we are together, and we can defend ourselves. Just... Keep your wits about you, and remember we have each other’s backs here.” She offered a small smile. “Now, come on. Let’s keep moving.” She turned, leading Malcolm and Levine further into the complex.

The trio moved forward slowly but determinedly. Harding led, Malcolm remained at the rear, obsessively double-checking behind the group. Levine was in between the two and he moved awkwardly. His eyes were pulled wide and the thud of his own heart was pulsing much too powerfully for his liking. He was tense. The facility felt much more claustrophobic than it had previously and he couldn’t help but feeling like a thousand, beady, predatory eyes were watching him. He bristled; a chill ran the length of his spine. Levine did not like being inside these cramped corridors, not one bit. At any point those slender beasts could appear again. And just being near them was bad enough. But being hunted by them?

Levine felt the chill again.

“I’ve been thinking,” came Harding’s voice from at the front of the group. “Why didn’t the raptors get picked up by the radio tracker onboard the RV? I don’t think the system would have failed, not for a minute.”

“I – I’m not sure, actually.” Levine spoke quickly and more breathlessly than he’d have liked, but the human interaction went some way to grounding him. “I wonder if, maybe, they’re not tagged...”

“I should hope that is not the case,” came Malcolm’s biting response. “The implication of untagged monsters roaming wildly here is almost overwhelming at this point but, ah, still very real.” He paused. “A dinosaur without a radio tag worries me for multiple reasons.”

Harding let out a hollow chuckle. “Chaos theory again?”

“Well, yeah. Life finds a way. Dinosaurs without tracking chips are dinosaurs that have broken free of an established system.”

“They’re breeding,” Levine uttered quietly. “They don’t have radio tags because they were born and not created.”

“I really, really rather hope not. But I, ah, have a horrible feeling you might be right.”

Harding turned back. “What exactly does that mean?” Malcolm looked forward and he saw something he’d not seen in her features in the longest time: genuine unease. He sighed, moving past Levine and grabbing her hand.

“Honey—”

“Just tell it straight, Ian.”

He chewed the inside of his mouth before speaking. “I think it means that InGen’s abandoning of this place is proving to be a big mistake. A potentially out-of-control Velociraptor population? Doesn’t bode well for this island’s ecosystem. Or – or humanity, on the whole—”

Malcolm was cut short by a long, drawn-out hiss and the padding of multiple feet. He fumbled with his rifle, aiming it forward and illuminating the otherwise dark passageway just in time to see two more of the horrible creatures skulk around the corner. They did not move quickly but every movement they did make was precise. Malcolm stared lamely at the two animals. Their size, their sounds, their sight: they sent him into a momentary paralysis, finding himself lost in a maelstrom of all-too vivid memories of 1993. Only when one of the creatures barked so loudly did he return to reality, his grip on the rifle so very tight. He felt the cold sweat running down his neck, he felt the buzz of fear and adrenaline. Malcolm continued to watch the creatures which stood still, staring right back at the three of them. The raptors were weighing up the situation; he knew this behaviour from his experiences on Isla Nublar. Maybe they were baiting Malcolm and the others whilst more raptors attacked from behind? Without hesitation he checked behind him and was relieved to see an empty, long corridor. He turned to face the two dinosaurs once more.

“Hold fast,” Harding whispered. “And be ready to use those rifles.”

One of the raptors took a tentative step forward. The trio subconsciously stepped backward. Panic began to rise; the other raptor had followed its kin forward. In the stillness of the facility, the trio could hear the animals chattering their teeth together and the click of those awful sickle-claws on the cold floor. Levine drew a deep, steadying breath as another animal closed in; he watched a bead of saliva drip slowly from its jaws.

“Why have they not attacked?” Levine hissed.

“They’re working us out,” Harding hissed in kind. “We’re probably the first humans they’ve ever seen—”

Harding found herself cut off by the lead raptor barking, all too loudly. She yelped as Levine covered his ears, wincing – these were instinctive responses to a prehistoric cry that humanity should never have rightly heard. In the moment Levine had dropped his rifle, and the second animal noticed this. Excitedly, it began to holler and rumble, stamping its feet. But still they did not attack.

To Malcolm this made no sense until a horrible feeling overcame him. He gripped his rifle tightly and slowly – very slowly – he turned around again. And then he saw it, and his heart pounded ever harder.

Far down the corridor was a single raptor, lurking ever so slowly forward.

“Do not turn around,” Malcolm whispered. “But we are being hunted from behind as well as from the front.” He allowed a pause, listening to the raptors behind him and keeping his eyes trained on the one much further down the corridor. “On three, we attack. One—”

With a sudden and blood-curdling scream came the attack. The second raptor – the more impatient creature of the original pair – had launched forward. Harding was quick to grab Levine’s dropped rifle; immediately and whilst still on one knee she downed the impatient creature. Running on a horror-fuelled adrenaline she went to dispatch the second beast but it was already down; Malcolm had already spun around and seen to it. Turning herself, Harding watched as Malcolm quickly dealt with the animal that had charged from behind. And as quickly as it had begun, it had ended.

Malcolm dropped his weapon and leant heavily against the wall, sliding down to a sitting position. He wiped his face, taking multiple steadying breaths. “This is too much,” he said uneasily. “This is absolutely horrid. Absolutely.”

Harding was still clutching Levine’s discarded weapon; she remained low to the ground, also breathing rhythmically and purposefully. After a brief moment – as soon as the nauseating adrenaline wave had passed – she looked up at Levine as she stood. He was ghost-white and stock-still, absolutely catatonic. “Richard...” She uttered his name softly but he jolted with a start. “Richard,” she said again. “Do you want me to keep this rifle?”

“I... think so.” He spoke shallowly.

“So – so be it,” Malcolm said from behind them as he stood slowly, hissing as he did so. “So be it. That’s four less Velociraptors for us to deal with. But – ah – I think we’ve probably alerted the pack to our presence here.” He grimaced as he moved forward, staring intensely at the two dead animals nearest to them. “Such evolutionary successes. Truly incredible animals. And for – for some reason, they keep coming after me.” Malcolm looked at Levine. “A part of me wants nothing more than to punch you into next week,” he said grimly. “But another part of me knows that if we are to survive this, we must work together. To that end” – Malcolm placed a hand on Levine’s shoulder – “I want you to know that I will have your back. Let us just continue to focus on finding the Equestrians, and working together to survive.” He drew a breath through his nose, holding his eyes closed. And with that, Malcolm released Levine’s shoulder and wordlessly moved past the downed raptors with Harding.

Levine stood for a moment, simply watching Malcolm and Harding disappear further into the facility. Then, as suddenly as the raptors had launched their attack, he began to break down. “I can’t do it,” he called to the pair as he rounded the corner, seeing them some distance down the next corridor. “I can’t do it! I can’t kill them. I refuse to kill these animals. They’re only doing what they would, naturally, in the wild, and they are rewarded with a bullet to the head. No. That is not the reason I came to Isla Sorna.”

“Do you – do you even listen?!” Malcolm had stopped and turned, losing his own cool. His frustration echoed down the corridor. “Now is not the time for philosophy and academic theory! No, now is the time to survive, Richard. And – and until you realise that, you’re a good candidate for a raptor meal. Once we’re safe, then I will tell you everything wrong with your expedition—”

Malcolm found himself cut off mid-sentence not for the first time since pushing into the facility; this time it was not due to dinosaur attack. No, this time he was stunned into silence by something much less aggressive.

With a hum and a click the lights had switched themselves on. Most were flickering, a few were completely dead, but some lit the area well.

“...We know the power is on to some degree,” Levine began slowly. “But we tried the main light switch in the lobby. And I certainly haven’t seen any light switches as of late. Would the power be surging? Or do you two find this just as strange as I do?”

“Really weird. But can we keep moving? I don’t like staying still for too long in here.” Harding gestured with her head, following the passageway. “At least we can see what’s coming a little better now.” She laughed emptily.

The trio pressed on; Malcolm inwardly chuckled at just how long and featureless the corridor was. The place would have been a stereotypical clinical scientific facility had nature not reclaimed it for its own purposes. Indeed, the vines and roots and wormed their way out of a vent grill some fifty feet ahead of them, creating a dramatic but foreboding display of nature’s dominance across the floor and wall.

Foreboding indeed, Malcolm thought to himself as he watched a juvenile Velociraptor pull itself out of the vent. He had stopped next to the others, rifles raised and ready, but this little animal scared him much less than the adults. Clearly this one was very young and still learning many of the techniques that would make it one of nature’s most terrifying killing machines. He watched as it tumbled from the vent grill, stopping in the corridor and staring back at him, squawking and hacking excitedly. It took a single step forward before suddenly, and with no warning at all, a loud crack came from Harding’s rifle: she had seen to the little animal before Malcolm or Levine had chance to react.

“I doubt that it was alone,” she said quietly. “I’ve seen it in so many other pack animals. The juveniles learn to hunt alongside the older ones... I don’t know for sure about these raptors but they’re clearly smart enough to exhibit this sort of behaviour. Let’s not take any more risks than we need to.”

“Quite wise, I think,” Levine replied. His voice cracked slightly; it was apparent that he was still running on a dangerous concoction of fear and adrenaline. Nodding to the others they continued down the corridor, approaching the now downed juvenile when a hiss began to echo. Immediately the three tensed once again, rifles raised to either end of the long passageway.

“What’s that?” Levine was panicked. “More Velociraptors?”

“I’m not sure,” Malcolm replied with a wheeze. “It sounds a little... off.”

Then there was a crackle, followed by a small electrical cable shorting on the ceiling. Sparks showered for a moment; the trio jolted.

Then, there was a voice.

“H-Hello? Doctor Levine?”

“Twilight Sparkle?!”

Harding instinctively looked down at the radio handset. Twilight was not speaking to them through it.

“Can you hear us okay?”

“Y-Yes... What’s going on?! Where are you? Are you safe?” Levine was looking around wildly.

“Twilight, is Fluttershy with you?” Harding asked aloud. “Are you okay?”

“We’re okay,” came Twilight’s reply, her usual tones masked by radio static. “We’re both here. Are you okay?”

“Oh, we’re magnificent,” Malcolm hissed sardonically, receiving a slap on the arm from Harding. “Sorry. It’s, ah, been a long day, and we are currently being hunted on the Velociraptor’s own turf.”

“Yeah...” Twilight trailed off, the radio static filling the void. “I can see them on the systems here. But you’re okay; the next group is some distance away from you... Hold on... head towards those doors there, at the end of the corridor.”

“How are we talking to you right now?” Levine continued to look madly around, his vision settling on a small black dome on the ceiling. “Am I looking at you? Is that some sort of radio-camera equipment?”

“It must be,” Twilight said. “We’re in the communications and command tower, and when we heard gunshots we tried a lot of the systems in here. I guess we got lucky, for the first time today...” There was a hollow laugh from beyond the radio. “Just hold on a moment,” and the intercom crackled.

Then, behind the three, a blast door began to close. Though itself rusted and slow, it closed successfully much to the relief of Levine and company.

The intercom crackled once more. “We’ve got control of a few of the compound’s functions, but not many. There’s meant to be a lot of cameras, but half of them don’t work, and I can control the blast doors and sprinkler system, but... that’s about it.”

Malcolm began to laugh. “Well! Who – who’d have thought it. We came to this hell-hole to rescue you, but in fact it seems that you’re rescuing us.” He shook his head, still amazed at the absurdity of the situation. “If I – I may be genuine for a moment: I’m glad you’re safe. I hope you’re far from these awful raptors.”

“I can’t wait to see you two,” Harding added. “I hope you’ve been okay.”

“It’s been... eventful,” Twilight offered with a sigh. Just saying it aloud reconfirmed just how tired she was. “We’ll catch up properly soon but you’ve got a little ways to go yet. There’s a pair of raptors closing in – they’re just beyond the double-doors in front of you – and then past that you’re into the nest. We’re through it, on the other side.”

“Into the nest?!” Levine was flapping.

The intercom crackled; faintly they could hear Twilight say “don’t look, Fluttershy” just as a pair of raptors burst through the doors.

Crack. Crack.

“...Okay,” came Twilight’s voice once the dinosaurs had been dealt with. “When you head through these doors you’ll only find about five raptors left in the nesting site, so you should be okay. Plus, you come out on a raised walkway so you’ll have a height advantage. Get to the door on the opposite gantry, and we’ll be waiting.”

The intercom cut out.

“Well that settles it, then,” Malcolm said as he clasped his hands together. “We just need to pass through the main nesting site of an enormous Velociraptor pack, and we’ll be safe.” He cursed under his breath. “I will run as quickly as I can but be warned, since my previous dinosaur attack I am not quite as physically well as I was. If I get attacked by yet another dinosaur today I will be very, very angry.” Turning, he strode towards the double-doors, Harding and Levine in tow.

The three passed into the main laboratory and allowed themselves a brief moment to take in the sight before them. Levine was mumbling to himself, mumbling something about the impressive nature of the raptors to completely colonise the clearly once-impressive laboratory system; Harding was equally as stunned. Malcolm, however, was awestruck for different reasons: the sight before him was a visual example of his entire academic career and ideology. Life at the Edge of Chaos. Life finds a way. This was it; Chaos Theory in action.

Levine was the first to speak aloud. “Let’s just get this done, please,” he said. “I’d love to observe this place, too, but we need to survive. As you both quite rightly keep saying.” He gestured with his eyes to the laboratory floor; sure enough a small gang of raptors had wandered over and were gazing up at them, chattering excitedly. Levine took a step forward; the raptors moved with him. He stepped back; they followed suit.

“As much as I’d love to suggest we just shoot them, I think we’d alert the rest of the pack to our exact position by doing so,” Malcolm said grimly. “So I suggest that we just keep moving. If they do jump up here, we can sprint it. I think I’d rather have a sore leg from running rather than a sickle-claw wound."

“Yeah. Let’s do it.” Harding grabbed Malcolm’s hand, and the pair looked straight ahead, plodding purposefully along the gantryway. Levine was in tow, glancing down at the raptors every so often.

It didn’t take long for the curious animals to test their limits. Levine yelped as one jumped frighteningly close to the gantry, snapping its wide jaws. The trio had picked up their pace; the gantry now felt much longer than it appeared. They continued on, the sounds of the rabid gurgling and ever-louder barking from below them increasing in intensity until suddenly – just as they rounded the corner on the walkway – the gantry shook with a thud. From behind them came a blood-curdling shriek and they turned; a raptor charged them from behind.

“Run!”

The three erupted into a sprint. Harding was helping Malcolm through his painful limp-run; they had moved surprisingly quickly and had already arrived at the far side double-doors. Levine had fallen behind and was beginning to panic. “A little help!” he cried wildly. He did not look back but saw Malcolm and Harding training their weapons his way. Levine could hardly think straight but he thought he heard one of them tell him to drop to the floor which he presently did: he allowed them to take their shots at his pursuer but their repeated fire told him that the creature was still behind him. In an instant Levine had rolled onto his back and then he saw it there, standing tall before him: the horrible beast, its yellow eyes locked onto his own. It kept moving forward towards him and he furiously began to scrabble backwards, away from the raptor and towards Malcolm and Harding. “Come on,” he hissed in a blind panic, again thinking he heard some far-away voice yell something about reloading. The raptor let out a demented howl; Levine panicked and all cognitive thought escaped him. He acted solely on instinct and began to kick wildly in its direction which did nothing to stop its menacing attack. One kick proved to be too many: as he swiped in anger so too did the raptor, thrusting its head forward and grabbing his leg in its jaws. The pain was searing-hot and he screeched; he could feel the muscular clamp of the animal growing ever stronger. This is it, he thought as he screamed again until suddenly Harding had appeared, kicking the raptor in the head. Levine watched as it released its grip on him, very dazed; the animal barked and flexed its foreclaws menacingly. It towered over the pair, foaming at the mouth as it hissed. It had drawn blood, and it would not stop until it tasted blood – and then, with a sudden and gruesome spray of brain matter its head was flung backwards. Its lifeless form toppled over the gantry and immediately the remaining raptors were surrounding it, howling and barking wildly.

Harding helped Levine to his feet and they hobbled forward. “Thank you,” she uttered to Malcolm, her voice quivering somewhat.

“Come on,” he replied simply. “Let’s get to the mares.”

With that, they moved quickly. As Harding helped Levine along, Malcolm took one final look behind them. The raptors were not chasing them – but he was greeted with a vision equally distressing.

They were tearing their dead kin apart.

He turned, and he ran. Catching the pair up at the doors they slipped through, and straight away he collapsed against them, bolting them shut. With an enormous sigh, he slumped against the heavy doors and discarded his rifle. “Did – did you all see that? They... were eating it...” He ran a hand through his hair, steadying himself. A powerful wave of nausea had overcome him, and he felt tired.

“It doesn’t matter, we’re past it,” Harding replied sharply in an attempt to steer conversation away from the carnivores behind them. “Look. Comms tower is just through this way and Richard’s gonna need a hand.” She was kneeling, inspecting his leg.

“Sure.” Malcolm stood, steadying himself. He took a quick look around. The three had entered a small landing. Behind them, the accursed raptor hive. In front lay a large staircase heading down, no signage whatsoever to signal where it led to. To their right lay countless wrecked lockers, each caked in dust and full of useless materials. Levine was sat against these lockers, wincing as Harding saw to his wound. But to their left was a small portal leading to a very tight concentric staircase, heading only upwards: this was the way to the communications tower. Atop these stairs were Twilight and Fluttershy. They were close, and with a newfound resolve Malcolm picked up his rifle and began to move. He approached Levine. “How bad is your leg?”

“It hurts,” Levine managed. He sounded weak and he looked drained. His leg exhibited multiple tiny puncture wounds and was already badly bruised. “It hurts really bad.”

“It looks bad,” Malcolm offered grimly. “Do you think the bone has broken?”

“I don’t think so,” Harding replied. “It doesn’t feel quite like that to you, does it Richard?”

“No.”

“Good.” Harding continued to try and mop up the blood. “It doesn’t look like any of your arteries were hit, either... Just some pretty horrible puncture wounds and a bit of superficial crush damage. But he didn’t have you in his jaws long enough to do any real damage.” She smiled. “You got lucky, Mr Levine.”

“You could have killed it sooner,” he said quietly, wincing as he spoke.

“You’re welcome, Doctor,” Malcolm spat. “You realise we did as much as we could as quickly as we could. And I – I won’t say it out loud – I think we’ve all heard me make this point plenty enough recently – but you know why you were attacked.”

“I get it. Chaos Theory. Life doing its part.” Levine shot Malcolm a venomous glance.

Nodding slowly, Malcolm looked to Harding. She nodded at him, and wordlessly the two of them helped Levine to his feet. “Hang in there, not far to go now.” Malcolm supported Levine’s weight, easing his leg.

“You need a hand?”

“No, I think I’ve got him okay.” Malcolm looked to Levine. “Ready?” But he got no response; Levine was staring past Harding and at something behind them. Had it not been for a tired smile written across his features, Malcolm would have initially thought there was another raptor stalking them all.

“Forget me for a moment,” Levine said, his weak voice giving away an overwhelming relief. “Turn around.”

Malcolm steadied Levine as he and Harding turned, following his smile, and were greeted with a most welcome sight. At the base of the staircase, looking much worse for wear and impossibly tired but beaming their own great smiles, stood Twilight and Fluttershy. They had done it.

Twilight went to speak. “Hello—”

Wordlessly Harding had leapt forward, pulling the two mares into a hug. “Thank God you’re both okay,” she said breathlessly as they embraced.

“We are so glad to see you all,” Twilight whispered as she closed her eyes and returned the gesture. She felt the sting of tears and her throat choke up – finally, a friendly face had arrived.

“Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, good to see you both.” Malcolm began as the mares untangled themselves from Harding’s tight embrace. He gently sat Levine back down, moving forward and shaking the ponies’ hooves with a warm smile. “So, I – I hate to break the emotional moment here, but our good friend Doctor Levine is quite badly injured – not to mention there are still raptors behind us. We, ah, ought to keep moving. Can we get out around here?”

“Oh – um – yeah, this way.” Fluttershy wiped the tears from her own eyes. “There was a fire escape at the bottom of these stairs...” She trailed off as she caught sight of Levine’s leg. “Oh my, are you okay Doctor Levine?”

“Richard will do,” he said with a wince and wave of his hand. “I’ll be okay. Nice to finally meet you, Fluttershy.”

“Oh – yes – and you – but we need to have a look at your leg, it looks so sore...”

He grimaced. “It certainly is...”

“I’ve just called Eddie round,” Harding said aloud. “He’ll meet us at the fire-escape. Flutters, we’ve got a mobile field lab and a lot of first aid equipment in there. We’ll see to Richard’s leg once we’re safe.”

“That sounds good to me.”

Harding smiled. “Okay. Richard, you need another hand getting down these stairs?”

“I’m sure Ian can manage.”

“Yeah, I got him.” Malcolm helped Levine up once more.

Slowly and carefully, the five made their way down the wide staircase. Fluttershy was engrossed in Levine’s injury – her skills as an animal carer, it seemed, applied to humans as well, and instinct had kicked in.

“I’ll be able to make things a little easier for you, Richard. But we need to get to the trucks quickly because it looks like you’ve lost a lot of blood and I’m worried about the bruising. Oh – I’m sorry – I’ll wait until we’re back at the trucks.” She trotted alongside Levine as they descended the stairs.

“I have total faith in your ability,” Malcolm offered as they spilled out of the fire escape. Almost immediately the SUV pulled up and Carr leapt out, quickly helping to get Levine inside. A quick exchange of greetings occurred as the others embarked and after a short drive – an annoyingly short drive, as Malcolm saw it – they were back round at the front of the facility, pulling up alongside the RV. This was enough to sour his mood, and his previous relief had been completely replaced by a short-fused irritability. “So... We didn’t actually need to go all the way through the complex. Of course.” He shook his head. “We could have just walked around!”

“Yeah, but we didn’t know that at the time did we? Anyway, Ian, it doesn’t matter. If we didn’t go inside, we’d not have found Flutters and Twilight.”

“That I cannot argue with,” Malcolm said sharply as all souls disembarked the SUV. He helped Levine out of the jeep, Harding and Fluttershy quickly whisking him away into the RV to see to his leg. Twilight had followed them in, and Carr stood with Malcolm. For a moment, nobody spoke, until Malcolm continued on his angry tirade. “You know, Eddie, if we’d have known about that – that fire escape we could have avoided an entire raptor nest—”

“I’m sorry,” came Thorne’s voice from round the back of the RV. “Did you say... ‘raptor nest’?”

“Yes I did,” he said as Thorne came over. “See that compound? Teeming with Velociraptors.”

“But – the GPS—”

“My thoughts exactly.” He stared coldly at Thorne, feeling an all-too familiar hot rage rising within him. “There is a Velociraptor nest in there, and not one of those damned things came up on our little readout. As a result, it nearly cost Richard his leg, and these two mares their lives. And – and you know what I think?” Malcolm threw his rifle at Thorne. “I think I’m done with Velociraptors, and I think we should go pitch the tent somewhere else tonight.”

“Woah, cool it Ian! I get that you’re pissed and frightened and whatever but there is still work to be done on the trucks. We can’t leave yet.”

“I am not staying here knowing we have a pack of those things crawling around in there—”

Thorne held up his hand, barely keeping his cool. “No. Enough. We can’t fall apart now. Just because we needed to ‘work together to get the mares’ does not mean that now that’s done we can tear each other’s throats apart. Anyway, I’ll be setting up the defences tonight. We’ll be fine. Just – I dunno – go hang out with Sarah and let me do my work. If you’re really concerned, then stay inside the RV.”

“You – I – Forget it.” Malcolm stormed inside the RV.

Thorne turned to Carr. “I thought I could hear some dinosaurs close by, too.” He shuddered. “Let’s get these defences up ASAP.”

As Malcolm boarded the trucks he slammed the door, causing Twilight to jolt awake. Not quite asleep but not quite awake, she stirred and watched Malcolm with curiosity whilst he fumed about the place, pouring a coffee before heading into the passenger seat and sitting down, staring at nothing in particular. He was obviously angry and needed his space – approaching him for a conversation would be a bad move. She gave him a wide berth and lay still.

Her tired gaze found its way along the length of the trucks, through the accordion connector and into the damaged mobile lab. It was messy, but apparently the crew had been working on it since their arrival, and by all accounts was more or less back to functioning order. There, among a good number of smashed vials and spilled utensils, Fluttershy worked with Harding to ease Levine’s pain and she felt a smile form: despite everything, Fluttershy had simply thrown her own worries to the wind, seeing to the needs of others. It was truly selfless, and truly beautiful in its own right.

She rolled onto her back and closed her eyes. For the first time since arriving on Isla Sorna – even the first time since leaving the bar in a tipsy panic, back in Santa Fe – Twilight found she had a reason to feel settled. She didn’t have to keep one eye over her shoulder, on the lookout for predators. She and Fluttershy were in good company. They were, to a greater extent than before, safe.
Slowly, as the chatter of the crew faded into the background, she drifted off into a sleep she so desperately needed.

13 - The Edge of Chaos

Normally, Twilight was an early riser, often waking up with the sun and promptly busying herself with whatever task she’d set herself. There were some instances when she found she awoke some time after the sun had risen – today was very much one of those days. Her eyes slowly pulled open and for the briefest second her head spun and she couldn’t work out where she was. Quickly though, it all became apparent: she was in the RV, no longer held captive by Dodgson or running from wild dinosaurs. She allowed a moment, amazed that her sleep had been so restful and refreshing after the past day’s events. How her mental well-being wasn’t completely shot to pieces baffled her, but she did not complain. With a yawn she rose, only just then noticing Fluttershy - herself still fast asleep, tucked against Twilight’s own back. At some point in the night she must have crawled into the bunk with her. An odd sensation wrote across her face and Twilight realised that for the first time in a substantial time, she was smiling. And it felt great.

With a rub of her eyes she looked around. The mobile lab was devoid of all other souls, she and Fluttershy being the only ones inside. The RV itself was neat and organised, the various tools and equipment being stowed and stored neatly and sensibly. A few of the work surfaces had documents, books and torches upon them – Twilight made a mental note to find some time to read the academic material onboard – but everything else appeared to be locked away. She could just about hear some voices from outside nearby and nopony sounded worried or on-edge; this, alongside the ever-distant echo of dinosaur calls persuaded her there was no reason to stay in the RV.

Twilight glanced back at Fluttershy. She debated whether to wake her, but opted against it – clearly yesterday’s events had taken it out of her, too. She was out cold, breathing rhythmically and gently. She looked too peaceful to disturb. That, and she must have stayed up for quite some time with Harding seeing to Levine’s injury—

“Feeling refreshed?”

Twilight started. “Wuh? – Oh, Sarah. Good morning! I, uh, didn’t see you come in. But yes, thank you. I feel so much better...” She trailed off. “It’s good to see you.”

“Hardly surprising! You two looked like you needed a good rest.” Harding moved closer, occupying one of the empty seats near the bunks. She picked at a sandwich in her hand. “I’ve not been inside long – just came in to get some food. There’s plenty to keep us busy outside. If you’re feeling up to joining us, please do! Everyone’ll be happy to see you two, and the view is really quite something. But – yeah, we thought about waking you up earlier but you both looked so peaceful. Now you’re up, if you wanna shower and freshen up it’s all yours. We all washed around eight.”

“Eight? So what time is it now?”

“Half twelve.”

“Half twelve?”

From behind Twilight there was a jolt; her outburst had awoken Fluttershy abruptly who sat, wide-eyed and panicked before fathoming out where she was and what was going on.

“Afternoon sleepyhead,” Harding said with a laugh as Fluttershy began to relax. “Twilight was just letting half of the island know what time it was – and, apparently, acting as your alarm clock.” She stood with a wink, finishing her sandwich and hanging in the open doorway of the RV. “When you’re ready, come meet us outside. You’ll like it,” she finished with a wink as she left the lab.

“I wish they had woken us. Now that we’re finally here with the expedition, and we can try and relax a little, and...”Twilight trailed off, taking a deep breath. “How are you feeling?”

“...Rested,” came Fluttershy’s response after a brief pause. “I feel like I’ve been walking and running for weeks, though. I’m still really stiff, and I—” Fluttershy stopped herself suddenly. “We saw some horrible things yesterday.”

Twilight nodded once, her eyes closed. Gently she then rested a hoof over Fluttershy’s shoulders. “We did.” She sighed. “But we pulled through, and we did what we had to.”

“Y – you’re right. I know you’re right.” Fluttershy allowed a small smile to shine through. “I’m just feeling... I don’t know. I’m feeling the weight of it all a little.”

“I know.” Twilight allowed a pause. “But today is a new day.”

“Yeah... Yeah.” Fluttershy sat up a little more. “You’re right. And you and I are in good company now. And we can safely observe some dinosaurs, and have a bit of fun.” She seemed to brighten up a little, much to Twilight’s delight. “Let’s start again today.”

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Twilight replied, scooping Fluttershy into a hug.

“I’m glad you’re okay, too.”

The mares held each other for some time, sharing the warmth and the magic of friendship that they so naturally mastered. It had been quite some time since either had felt this level of love and so they allowed themselves this one, quiet, natural moment before beginning their second day on Isla Sorna. As they untangled Fluttershy stretched widely, smiling once more as she watched Twilight slip into the shower cubicle.

And with that, she was alone again, and she sighed heavily. She hadn’t lied to Twilight; she did feel like having fun and starting anew today. But she was so tired, so mentally drained. There was nothing Fluttershy wanted more than to curl up with Angel Bunny on her sofa back home, plenty of hot tea on tap and a big pile of books to read through. And as much as she felt better and safer being with Sarah and Ian and the others, she just needed space. Her own space, and her own company, away from the high-brow academia that the humans loved to debate and away from the politics surrounding this secretive island.

Fluttershy huffed. She was going round in circles, and she was frustrating herself. She couldn’t keep doing this. Never mind what she wanted; she had to make the most of the here and now. And that she would do. Pushing anxiety to one side and doing what she could to level herself, she hopped down from the bunk and grabbed herself some water before glancing along the length of the RV. Only then did she notice that they were no longer in the InGen compound’s forecourt, having half-forgotten that they had moved very quickly away from the site after being rescued. She sighed again, but this time with more than a little hint of relief. We’re away from the horrible raptors here. Momentarily she made her way to the door and swung it open, admiring the gorgeous lush trees and ground-hugging ferns which sprawled in every direction. As she stepped outside she was immediately hit by the humidity of the air and the leafy green smell of dense foliage and tall, wild grasses. Bliss. Truly this place felt prehistoric in setting alone. The jungle before her and the rolling plains behind reminded her of the reconstructions she’d seen in many of Doctor Malcolm’s academic works on the Mesozoic, only now she wasn’t just looking at these reconstructions, she was in them. The sights, the smells, the sounds – aside the hiss of Twilight’s shower—

Fluttershy started, pricking her ears up. The sounds...

...of dinosaurs gently calling...

Invigorated, she trotted briskly around the RV and was met with the most beautiful sight. The rolling meadow stretched wide, spanning from her position atop the gentle hill to another jungle some kilometres away. And there, at the foot of the hill around a sizeable lake, roamed a considerable herd of herbivores. A throb of adrenaline coursed as she gazed at the animals. They were stunning. Wow, Fluttershy uttered. They moved so gracefully. She drank the scene in, eyes darting from species to species, identifying them as she went. Apatosaurus. Corythosaurus. Dryosaurus. Ankylosaurus. Stegosaurus. She watched mother hadrosaurs tend to their young. She watched the enormous sauropods plod slowly about, the smaller herbivores careful to avoid these gentle giants. She watched a pair of Pachycephalosaurs go head-to-head, bashing their thick skulls against one another. And she heard the animals call and cry and chat. Celestia did she hear them. As clear as day their calls echoed across the plain and the beautiful song filled her senses. Fluttershy closed her eyes, listening to the chatter and trumpets that this collection of species gave off. This dreamy chorus completed the picture; she once again opened her eyes and beamed. This was it. This was the Lost World that everypony had dreamed of seeing, and in that moment she felt truly blessed to be experiencing such a naturally stunning phenomena. She was living the experience – living very much in the moment – and all negative thoughts and doubts were forgotten. She was among nature. She thrived, finding her headspace, and with one final, incredibly contented sigh, she felt her body physically relax. That was it. She finally felt at ease.

“Ah, Fluttershy, just who I wanted to see.”

The voice dragged her from the moment with a start; she spun. “Oh – Mr Levine—”

“Richard.”

“...Richard. Aren’t they just fantastic?” Fluttershy gestured widely, turning to once again face the sight before them.

“Absolutely. This is the spectacle we came to see.” He too turned, the pair sharing a moment to drink in the scene. “I was hoping you’d like this.”

“Of course. This is very humbling.” In another moment of silence, Fluttershy allowed the dinosaurs to fill her senses, momentarily forgetting that she was not alone. She blinked, breaking the almost mythical spell of the animals before her. “Oh! Um – excuse me for being so rude. “How’s your leg feeling today?”

“Don’t worry about that, it’ll be fine,” he said with a wave of his hand, his own gaze locked firmly on the herbivores. “Doctor Harding was telling me this morning about your unique affinity for animals. Why don’t you join us? We’re just a little ways from the RV, observing the herd. We’d love for your input.”

“Of course,” she beamed. “I’d love to.” With that she excused herself, quickly trotting back into the RV and calling to Twilight – We’ll be down the hill a little! – before meeting Levine once more and heading slowly towards the amazing creatures.

* * * *

The midday sun was beating down hard as Dodgson and his team picked their way through the thinning jungle. There had been little talking between the three men since dawn, when, upon reaching the coast, they had been unable to find their way back to the beach they’d arranged their pickup from – subsequently, as far as they were concerned, they were marooned. Morale remained low having not recovered since the incident the night before, and the only chatter between the trio came when the baby animal cradled in Dodgson’s arms would stir.

Said baby animal had proved to be an enormous handful. Periodically, and usually after what felt like a very short span of time, he would feel a muscle tense on a leg jolt, before it began to squeak and groan. Tembo’s voice echoed loudly in his head; “I’ve only got so much anaesthesia at my disposal.” He cursed silently as they pressed on, the trees slowly being replaced with waist-high ferns and shrubs.

Still, Dodgson mused, it’s not been all bad. The trio had come across a small Hadrosaur nesting site in the early morning light. It was an opportunity that they did not pass up on, leaving with a plentiful bounty of eggs. As soon as they had approached the nest, the adults flew into a crazed panic and stampeded, abandoning their broods. Tembo had told them it was likely due to the smell of the baby Rex that they were carrying with them: the duck-billed giants mistook this scent to mean the adults were nearby and hunting.

Since then, however, their day had ground to a halt. They had marched on through the foliage, searching for a water source. “Where there’s a river, there’s a boathouse,” Dodgson had said and with little else to go by the three men searched on.

King had briefly thought of suggesting they look for a communications facility to try and contact someone further afield, but he let the idea pass. The death of Baselton had shaken him far more than he cared to admit and despite everything felt little motivation to press on. He had thought it strange that Tembo didn’t suggest looking for a radio...

It was hot, and the jungle canopy had thinned offering little protection from the sun. Finding a patch of good shade they stopped, taking on what little water they had left in heir packs.

“Just going to use the gentleman’s room,” Tembo said standing. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

“Sure,” Dodgson replied nonchalantly.

Tembo left the pair behind and headed into the trees, making sure to put some distance between them. Situating himself behind a particularly wide tree, he paused briefly to ensure he couldn’t be heard. Satisfied, he then produced his radio.

“We’re approaching the Southern Plain,” he whispered. “How far off are you?”

“We can have the helicopters there within five minutes,” came the reply. “You’re sure we’ll see you?”

“If you miss a red signal flare I will seriously doubt your pilot’s ability,” he replied. “You’ll see us.”

“Good. Still got the baby Rex? Any other animals?”

“Yes, it’s still with us. We’re also in possession of a few Hadrosaur eggs.”

“And what of Dodgson?”

“He will be dealt with. I’ll radio when we’re ready.”

“Right. See you then.”

He replaced the discreet radio and promptly returned to the pair.

“I’ll be glad to find some water,” Dodgson said aloud as he came over. “My canteen’s just run out.”

“Let’s hope we find a river soon,” Tembo replied. “How’s the little one?”

“Still asleep.” Dodgson paused, resting a hand on its chest. “Still breathing. All good.”

“Yes, quite. Well, we ought to press on. I imagine the parents will still be tracking us and I don’t want to deal with two angry Rexes.”

“Yeah. Come on Howard, let’s go.”

Wordlessly King stood and the trio pushed on once more. The trees thinned considerably; the high ferns themselves becoming tall grasses. Within ten minutes of walking the three had emerged onto a vast, open plain. They had heard the ever-distinct sounds of dinosaur calls whilst still deep in the jungle but now that they were in the open they had found the source: a huge herd of varying species.

“Incredible,” Dodgson uttered. He and King took a moment, observing the animals. This was easily the largest number of dinosaurs either of the two BioSyn men had seen so far. “Hammond you bastard... this is something else.”Dodgson spoke with a reverent jealousy.

“Look at ‘em all,” King said quietly. “InGen really pulled out all the stops, huh...”

“Crucially,” Tembo began, drawing the others from their wonder, “all of these animals won’t just have gathered up there for a reason. I imagine we’ll find a watering hole – which, all being well, will mean there’s a river.”

“Finally,” Dodgson said loudly. His previous boyish awe had all but gone, his thoughts being drawn to the idea of a boathouse and potential escape. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go. They’ll scatter when they smell us coming.”

“They should, but remember: keep your eyes peeled on our flanks. If you’re lucky, you’ll see the adult Rexes before they launch their attack, and we might have some slim chance of escaping with our lives.” Tembo spoke grimly as he allowed Dodgson to lead the way.

With that the trio stepped out into the plains, heading straight towards the animals. They trekked with purpose; not quite a walk but not quite a run. The plains were massive and there was much ground to cover – if nothing else, all three men wanted to be as far from the direction of the Tyrannosaur nest as possible – and the herd presented yet another opportunity. They pressed on and the closer to the dinosaurs they were, the more apparent it became that there was a water source:the animals were indeed grouped around a watering hole. Fortunately for the trio a few small tributaries snaked away from the lake and into the nearby foliage. One was considerably larger than the others and Dodgson nodded to himself – with any luck they’d find a boathouse or old InGen complex not far from its banks. It wasn’t much to go on, but he had made his peace some hours ago with taking whatever he’d get at this point with regards to escape plans. “Okay! Water,” he said aloud. “We get any eggs we can here, and then we follow that river. And we should find what we need.”

“Sure,” Tembo uttered as he checked the breech of his rifle. Good, one tranquiliser loaded. Double-checking his remaining ammunition – only a few darts left, but importantly the flare gun was still present and loaded – he nodded once to himself, and set to work.

Fwoosh.

Dodgson was caught off guard by the noise from behind and ducked immediately, spinning round. “Jesus,” he cried, clinging on to the baby animal tight. “What...?” Feverishly he looked around, anticipating danger. It was only then that he looked at his two accomplices, seeing no air of terror about them, and only then that Dodgson looked up to see the red flare streaking its way up into the sky. Fear became confusion; this soon boiled over into a panicked rage as he saw Tembo discarding the expended flare gun, swinging his tranquiliser rifle around, and training it squarely at his own chest. Dodgson glowered. “You’d better tell me – right now – exactly what the fuck you are doing aiming a rifle at me.” Subconsciously he hugged the baby animal in his arms ever tighter, pulling it closer to his chest.

“Only my job,” Tembo offered simply. Focussing his arm at Dodgson’s exposed forearm, he pulled the trigger.

The shock and force of the impacting dart knocked Dodgson off of his feet. He cradled the sleeping baby to protect it as he hit the ground, a sting beginning to burn in his lower arm. Setting the baby down he yanked the dart from his flesh with a hiss, staying low and shooting Tembo a venomous glare. “You’re dead,” he croaked as he began to feel his strength leave him. The edges of his vision to blurred and he swayed, but Dodgson had just enough time to call Tembo a double-agent fucker before he hit the ground.

With a nod, Tembo lowered his rifle. Letting Dodgson babble incoherently he turned to King. “He’ll be out completely in about ten seconds,” he said. “Enough anaesthesia in there to put a man to sleep for a good long while.”

“You’re – not going to shoot me?”

Tembo paused. “No, I don’t think so. Howard, I don’t think you’ve got the balls to try and overpower me. Not to mention that I think you wanted something like this to happen.”

“I – he – ” King faltered, finally heaving a sigh and feeling his shoulders droop. “You’re right about that.” He’d always found Dodgson an irritating ass – if not a brilliant mind – but after everything he’d seen on this god damned island, King was really all too happy to see an end to Dodgson and his failed plan. “Barely a shred of remorse for George...”

“I never liked him, and for what it’s worth you have my sympathies about Mr Baselton,” Tembo said simply, scanning the horizon quickly before crouching down next to the unconscious beings. “Sit down, Howard,” he began as he produced his radio from within his jacket. Another quick scan of the horizon, he spoke: “We’re ready for you. At the flare site.”

“Received,” came a reply.

Satisfied, Tembo pocketed the small transmitter once more. He turned to King. “Ah, good. Our pickup should be here very soon.”

* * * *

Twilight lowered her binoculars, visibly glowing with delight. “This is incredible,” she uttered. “Look at this! They’re stunning.” Setting the binoculars down she let out the first contented sigh she’d felt since arriving on Isla Sorna, and scribbled some field notes regarding the nature of the enormous herd before her.

“Much prettier when they’re not trying to kill you,” Malcolm offered dryly, smirking to himself as he received glares from all round.

“I can’t argue with how true that is,” Twilight finally said, a smirk working its way across her own features. She felt that she could share laughs once again. The emotional trauma of yesterday had absolutely left its toll and she was still exhausted, but to be in friendly, safe company with field equipment and security to hand made all the difference. Twilight began to feel better. She hadn’t completely erased all memory of the vicious raptors and the ever-present threat of hunting carnivores, but everypony here was prepared for that eventuality, and in that respect she felt she was in good company.

“Beautiful, right?” Levine hummed. His gaze was firmly on the dinosaurs, eyes glued to his binoculars. Like everyone else, he too had been silent for so long – simply observing. “Watch as the species interact. Do you see how the sauropods feed from the tree-tops at the plains’ edge? Watch the lush foliage fall to the ground; you’ll see the Dryosaurs dart in opportunistically and feed on the scraps.”

The seven of them settled comfortably into watching the dinosaurs for a good hour, absorbing themselves in this serene moment after the maddening chaos of yesterday. Levine took photographs and field notes, Fluttershy narrating their every action to Twilight and the others in her youth-like excitement.

Even the ever-critical Malcolm was silent for the entire duration they observed the dinosaurs. He and Harding had set up deck chairs and enjoyed the peace. He placed his hands behind his head as he drank in the sight before him. He’d never admit it aloud – certainly not to Levine – but he found a particular tranquillity in the scene before him, something which eased his mind. Of course, as a human being he should never have had the chance to see live dinosaurs, let alone find a beautiful peace in simply watching them – such was the dictation of Chaos Theory. But humanity was an unreliable, hypocritical species. Plus, now would not be the time to bring up this hypocrisy. As far as Malcolm was concerned, this was a much-needed moment of respite for all parties, and why should he be the one to ruin that? Particularly for the Equestrians. He had noted their concerning drop in demeanour last night. They both seemed flatter and less full-of-life than when he had met them prior; this was of course due to the trauma of multiple dinosaur attacks. He glanced over at them, watching them chat excitedly, and found himself slowly nodding. This was their moment as much as it was his, and he would let them have it—

“Don’t stare, it’s rude,” came Harding’s voice from his side, and he jumped with a start. He had once again allowed his mind to run away with itself.

“Oh, I see how it is,” he began slowly. “The Equestrians are allowed to enjoy this moment, but I’m not. I – I should be gawking about theories and predators and—”

“Shush,” she cut in with a smile. “I’m glad you’re happy for them. Go enjoy this moment, too.”

Malcolm shook his head with a chuckle, his attention turning back to the herd before them when he noticed something off in the distance, far from the dinosaurs. He strained; it was difficult to see due to the powerful afternoon light but as it streaked further into the sky and passed by a cloud it became apparent that Malcolm was looking at a flare. “Sarah, you – you see that? That there?” He pointed, getting Harding’s attention.

“See what?— Oh...”

Malcolm had since stood, marching over to Levine. “Hey, pass me those binoculars,” he said to Levine as he waved his hand impatiently, snatching them from him. Twilight and Fluttershy – with whom Levine had been engaged in chatter with – were now staring at him, too.

“Get your own,” Levine bit back. “Can’t you see I’m busy conducting field research – hey! Are you even listening to me?”

Malcolm looked through the binoculars, adjusting their focus as he went. “That’s not good, at all,” he said gravely as he lowered the eyepieces. By now everyone else had seen the flare, he was sure of it. “Twilight, Fluttershy – did, ah, did Dodgson carry any flares with, do you know?”

The pair looked at each other for a moment, searching their memories. “Sorry, Ian,” Twilight said finally. “I can’t remember anything about flares.”

“Hmm.” Malcolm stared off, away at the flare. “We should do something, nonetheless. Who else is it likely to be?”

“Damn right we should do something,” came Thorne’s loud voice for the first time that afternoon. “And the thing we should do is get outta here. Everyone, pack your things and get into tree cover. We ought to stay hidden for a while, and Lord knows we’re exposed as all hell atop this hill.” He spoke tensely, sharply. “We should keep hidden, and stay away from whoever it is that’s messing around over there. We don’t need to put ourselves in danger any more than we already are—”

“If I may, Mr Thorne.” Twilight jumped in, her own speech curt and tense. “I think you’re right, and we should get the trucks hidden, but we should also have a look at what’s going on down there. We can do that without being seen!” She allowed a pause, surprising herself somewhat with just how short her tether had become. Thorne’s apathy had annoyed her, and she was going to make that known. “We could just do nothing, but inaction here seems even more dangerous. Especially if that is Dodgson... Who knows what he’s got planned! Who knows... Okay. We know that he’s on this island somewhere and he’s a danger to the dinosaurs and to us. And this island is big, but not that big.” She looked away from Thorne, glancing at the others. “I think we should at least try and get a headstart on Dodgson so that we keep ourselves as safe as possible, and that way we can do our best to protect the dinosaurs from him, too.”

“...Yes, fine,” Thorne mumbled, finding himself loath to go toe-to-toe with Twilight Sparkle. As far as he was concerned, they were here to keep away from angry dinosaurs, observe them as safely as possible, and not to meddle in the affairs of crooks. In Thorne’s mind, they had already been far too hands-on with the animals here. He would have none of it – the so-called ‘experts’ could be the ones to antagonise carnivores and distract herbivores. His job was to safeguard the team and keep a distance from the dinosaurs, and running headfirst into potential danger against Dodgson and some bent scientists-cum-criminals was not high up on his to-do list. He was never one to back down when his logic was called into question, oh no. And yet, Twilight Sparkle the Equestrian had just completely disarmed him. Must be their magic, he surmised, as he joined the others, now in a frenzy to gather their things.

“Looks like we might be able to see from further around the treeline,” Harding said aloud. “Should get us a clear view to the far-side of the plains.”

“Can we walk it?” Thorne asked.

“I certainly can’t,” came Levine’s voice. “Not after last night. And I’d like to know what’s occurring here.”

“Me either,” Malcolm said. “My leg isn’t much good for too much walking these days. That – ah – that said, I feel that I’d rather stay in the trailers.”

“Sure thing,” Thorne replied. “Take the jeep then, whoever ends up going—” Thorne found himself interrupted by the SUVs engine already coming to life. He looked up; Harding, Carr, and both ponies were aboard, now helping Levine aboard too. With a shake of his head, Thorne attempted some weak opposition to so many souls going but decided against it quite quickly. “Eddie,” he said meekly. “You’ve got a radio set in that jeep, remember to use it.”

“Sure thing Jack.” He grabbed it, holding it up as some sort of reassurance. “We’ll see you soon, you’ll hear from us ever sooner.”

Thorne watched the SUV disappearing into the undergrowth. When he could see it no more, he turned to Malcolm. “They’re playing with fire.”

“I know.”

“And those ponies are gonna put everyone in danger.”

“I know that, too.”

“And you’re not stopping them why?!”

“It’s not my place to control anyone, or any Equestrian either.” Malcolm ran a hand through his hair, a sigh escaping him. “Or Sarah. They – she is absolutely her own master. And Miss Sparkle and Miss Fluttershy are just the same. Those of us with sense only get through to them sometimes.”

“Jesus,” Thorne uttered as the pair – now aboard the RV – began moving it to a clearer spot on the jungle. “I dunno, Ian. I just don’t agree with what we’re doing here anymore. We were supposed to observe, then we were supposed to rescue two ponies, and now... We’re busting crooks? Does this not bother you?”

“No, no, it does. It’s just that – ah – if there is one thing I have learnt from Sarah, it’s that cold logic only gets you so far, and powerful human compassion – I digress, but I wonder whether human compassion would the correct term given our current guests – but compassion gets you just as far. And as – as much as I hate to admit it, Twilight Sparkle was right. If that is Lewis Dodgson, we need to do something about him. And if it’s anyone else, well... At least we’ll have a, ah, better idea about goings-on here.”

“Why?”

“Why? Because nobody should be here. Technically speaking that includes us, but outside of our expedition, nobody else outside of the InGen top brass should know about this place’s existence. Take a look around you, Jack. The place is a microcosm of dinosaur life as a whole. Somehow, the systems and nature here have become stable. Enter humanity to the fold. We show up with our, our, guns and trucks and discerning consciences. Suddenly, the scales of life are tipped and – and if we’re not careful, they’ll tip in favour of these dinosaurs. And criminals like Dodgson will not do us any favours at all – hey! Are you listening to a word I’m telling you?”

“What? Oh, no. Well, sort of. I tuned out when you started talking ‘life’ and ‘chaos’. We’ve all heard it a million times, Ian. Spare us the theories. Plus, look! Whilst you were gassing, I’ve parked the lab in the jungle. We’re safer now. So – just – relax for a second.” Thorne stood. “You want a water?”

“Sure,” Malcolm replied tersely. A brilliant engineer though he was, Thorne was proving to be unbelievably ignorant. Sighing, Malcolm gazed out the window: the RV had indeed been parked in the jungle, at the mouth of a trail of sorts. Big enough to get the trucks in but covered and small enough to mostly conceal them from view. They had descended the hill and were nearer the herd now but had kept their distance, Thorne having explained the need to ‘remain observers and neutral’ again after returning with their waters.

The pair sat in silence for what seemed like the longest time, wordlessly scanning the skies and plains before them for a sign of anything, until suddenly Thorne stood, heading towards the radio receiver. “I’m not waiting any more,” he announced loudly. He snatched the transmitter. “Eddie. Eddie? What’s going on?”

“Doc, shush,” came a crackled reply. It was Harding. “Okay. We can see the other side of the plain from here. It’s a long way from us at the moment. But we can see where the flare came from.”

“And? Anything?”

“Yeah. There are three guys down there. Twilight And Fluttershy tell me that they are called Roland Tembo, Howard King and Lewis Dodgson.”

“The bastard!”

“Shush,” she said forcefully. “So there’s a complication.”

“Go on...”

“Dodgson is unconscious, the other two not taking much notice of him. In his arms he’s cradling a baby dinosaur, also unconscious. Richard and the ponies aren’t quite sure what species but it’s definitely a carnivore. They surmise it’d grow up to be a big one.”

“Riiiiight...”

“That’s it. It’s weird and – hey, you hear that?”

Thorne focussed, holding the radio away from his ear. Freeze-framing for a brief moment he then sprung into action, barrelling out of the RV’s main door with Malcolm in tow. Sure enough, he could hear it: from the distance came the familiar whirr of a helicopter. “Shit.” He span back into the trucks and in one graceful movement had sat down at the radio booth: “Sarah. What’s going on?”

“A helicopter is here. Says on the side: InGen.”

Malcolm – who had been listening in – stiffened in his seat. “Oh, no...”

“Ian is not impressed at all, and I’m just confused.” Thorne now spoke slowly. “Keep us in the loop, Sarah.”

“Sure thing.” A passage of silence came and went before the radio crackled once again. “Chopper’s down. A man in a suit has hopped out, he’s balding. Spectacled. Oh – okay – another suit has jumped out and he’s picking up the dino. Tembo and King are onboard. They’re – woah – they’re leaving Dodgson for dead.” A brief pause. “Okay the helicopter’s airborne. We’ll head back once it’s gone.” The radio crackled and the only sound to be heard was the distant helicopter, the whirr growing ever-louder until suddenly it passed overhead – almost directly overhead – of Thorne and Malcolm’s position. They remained still as it came and went, thankful when it continued past them and disappeared into the distance.

Finally Malcolm spoke, his speech agitated and shallow. “In November 1993, InGen officially filed for bankruptcy. That is common, public knowledge. What – what is making little sense to me at this current moment, is why an apparently defunct company is still carrying out operations here.” His gaze was intense; he stared off into the distance as he spoke.

“It’d explain how we’re able to still exploit their systems,” came Thorne’s reply after a short moment. He felt Malcolm emanating tension, doing his best to defuse the heightened atmosphere. “We can still scan for dinos, right? And the whole ‘debate about the power being on’ thing you guys had back at the command centre? It would all add up if it turns out InGen never really went bankrupt or are still secretly operating—”

Malcolm broke. “Jack! I – How are you so collected right now?” His eyes were wide; he spoke sharply. Then he blinked once, twice, taking a deep breath through his nose. “I’m – I’m sorry. It’s just – I just...” He shook his head slowly, holding Thorne’s gaze. “This is really bad, Doc. Really bad. Hammond’s vision was a monstrous theme park. InGen facilitated this dream, and we all know how that ended. And now we’re in a situation whereby their dinosaur sanctuary is probably still operating under their control, and for what purpose? Are they planning their own park somewhere? I’ll be sure they – they won’t be rearing these animals simply to let them exist here alone. Oh no. You may remember I told you about the sample that Richard sent me?”

“I remember, yeah.”

“The data-tag, the radio chip. It does indeed all add up, as you say. InGen are up to something with these creatures. And I don’t know what – oh, no no no...” Malcolm had trailed off, his concerned features now looking past Thorne and out of the RV. Transfixed he stood, moving to the door, mumbling something to himself as he exited. “Sarah, no. He is not coming with us.”

Thorne lazily turned his head to see the SUV had returned. Harding, Carr, Twilight, Fluttershy and Levine were all accounted for. And between them, they carried the limp form of Dodgson from the jeep and onboard the RV amidst much squabbling and argument. Immediately Thorne became frustrated, and it was his turn to snap. “Enough!” he yelled, immediately quashing all bickering and commanding the attention of all other souls. “Okay. I see you are all getting nowhere in whatever you’re arguing about, so you’re all gonna listen to me. One. This might technically be your expedition, Richard, but these are very much my trucks. What is he” – Thorne pointed squarely at Dodgson, now placed on one of the beds – “doing in my wagon? And two, why are we apparently involving ourselves with criminals and thugs when we should be here passively observing dinosaurs?!”

“We couldn’t just leave him Doctor Thorne!” Fluttershy spoke up unexpectedly; she was determined but nervous. Thorne had always frightened her somewhat with his larger-than-life personality and his incredibly loud mouth, but she spoke with conviction against him. “If we left him to fend for himself we’re no better than the people who left him before us, and we’d be no better than Mr Dodgson himself...” She shot a glare at his comatose form.

“He may also be able to answer a few questions we may have,” Twilight added. “By which, I mean: We’ll make him talk and maybe learn a bit more.”

Levine spoke up. “Jack – as unpleasant as it is that he’s here – I’d like the opportunity to punch him at least once whilst he’s conscious, so he’ll know about it.”

Thorne said nothing; he simply shook his head and raised a palm. He knew he was in the minority and arguing his case here would be totally worthless being as though the situation had already been decided. The ponies couldn’t bring themselves to leave a crook to face the consequences of his own actions, and, as per usual, everyone agreed with them. So be it, Thorne thought as he reached for his water, watching the others fuss over Dodgson before turning away, staring idly into the jungle. They’ll come to regret bringing him here.

Author's Note

Hi all! Apologies for the few months between updates. Still working away! It could potentially be a little while before the next update - life is very busy these days - but we shall see. Anyway, enjoy this chapter - certainly an eventful one!

14 - The Magic of Death

“Hmm,” Levine said with a grimace. “Looks like a weather front, for sure.” He was looking up at the evening skies, the sun long since lost behind a very grey, very aggressive-looking weather system that had worked its way onto the shores of Isla Sorna. “Perhaps it’d be prudent to head back to the RV sooner rather than later.” He huffed to himself when he failed to hear a chorus of agreement, instead settling back down on the plains, once again allowing his focus to wander back to the herd. It’s been a productive day if nothing else he mused to himself, nodding once in support of his own thoughts. He and the team had been sketching the animals, taking what photographs they could, compiling field notes on behaviour; generally they had kept very busy with the dinosaurs before them. For the most part Levine found himself contented that the dinosaurs and not the mystery surrounding Lewis Dodgson had been the focus of the day’s efforts. However, as the weather closed in he wondered if heading back to the lab and talking about Dodgson with the ponies could be a sensible move.

With a great huff and strain Levine stood, easing the weight off of his injured leg. “I think we should head back to the RV,” he said again – only this time slightly louder. This time he did not wait for any agreement; slowly he began the walk back to the trucks, hobbling awkwardly as he went. He thought he heard Malcolm call that he and Harding would stay outside, rejoining the others later...

“Would you like a hand, Richard?” A voice came from just behind and Levine jumped. He spun round and let out a sigh when he saw both Twilight and Fluttershy – he surmised they must have seen his struggle and came to offer what support they could.

“No, no, thank you,” he said with a wave of his hand as he pressed on, the ponies in tow. “I appreciate the thought, at least.” Levine allowed a moment’s silence before turning back to them once more. “So... I want to properly thank you both for being here. Even if the circumstances weren’t quite as we had planned them.” He let out a hollow chuckle, but was glad to see both the mares smiling back at him. “Your day yesterday sounded horrible, and I’m glad to see you both well and in good spirits. And safe. Fluttershy, I want to thank you especially for seeing to my injury last night. And Twilight, your profound knowledge and general observations have been most welcome. I genuinely appreciate you both being here and I want you to know that – despite holding myself personally responsible for yesterday’s events – I’m doing what I can to put that behind me, and instead focus on the good times we’ve had today, working together on our groundbreaking expedition.”

“You’re welcome, Richard. And thank you,” Twilight hummed. “Had you all not pursued Dodgson, Celestia only knows what might have come to pass—”

“We don’t hold you responsible,” Fluttershy blurted. “I’ll admit that I didn’t know we were getting involved in something quite so – um – complex! But I think that Twilight and I have seen similar situations in Equestria, and we’ve come out okay. Because we’ve worked together. And I think that’s what we’ve been doing here since reuniting with you. Wouldn’t you agree, Twilight?”

“Yeah,” she offered with a smile. “I think some of us miiight have had our disagreements... not naming names, Doctor Malcolm” – Twilight winked – “but yes, it’s clear that we’re in good company here, Richard.”

Levine erupted into powerful laughter, ceasing his slow but determined trudge. “Oh, all too real!” he said between the mirth. “Even Equestrians find Doctor Malcolm awkward and difficult. He’d love that, you know. He loves playing the enigmatic academic, difficult to please and difficult to work with. And to know that the Equestrian Elements find him obtuse and awkward? He’d wear that accolade all too proudly.” He let out a chuckle. “But, well, yes. Despite all of that, he’s a good fellow. Anyway, again: I’m glad you two are okay. Should you need anything tonight” – he huffed as the approached the RV, swinging the door open and hauling himself awkwardly inside – “please do ask. And I’d love to talk dinosaur behaviours and characteristics with you a little later, once we’re fully settled for the night. Your take on things would fascinate me.”

“Ah, the prestigious Doctor Levine.” Thorne’s voice boomed from the rearward trailer, his imposing figure quickly appearing. “The prick we found earlier is coming to. Wanna give him that punch in the face now?”

Immediately the RV burst into activity: all souls made their way through to the trailer where Dodgson was sat up, wrists and ankles tied tightly. Twilight took in the sight of the dishevelled man before her. He looked rough and he looked traumatised, and she found a part of her feeling sorry for him. Another equally big part of her was glad to see him in this situation – now he might perhaps understand how she and Fluttershy felt when they found themselves captive under him.

She watched as his eyes rolled around lamely, blinking wildly in an effort to focus – and then suddenly his gaze found hers and his eyes widened as he visibly paled.

“Mr Dodgson,” Twilight said stiffly. She allowed a pause, weighing up whether a full-force rant would be necessary or even effective; to that end she bit her tongue. She opted instead to save her breath and see what he had to say for himself. She snorted audibly, turning away from the man in disgust.

“This island and everything to do with it is hell,” a weak voice croaked – Dodgson had come round just enough to communicate. All eyes turned to him and in his drugged haze he could just feel the beginnings of fear bubbling over.

Immediately Levine had leapt forward. One of his hands grasped firmly at Dodgson’s collar, the other was held in a tight fist, waving threateningly in front of Dodgson’s face. “I know you broke into my fucking home,” he hissed. His rage was evident, surprising the others aboard. He had been so calm just minutes earlier; this mood swing was surprising and powerful. “You conducted industrial espionage, kidnapped two incredibly important Equestrians and set sail for a restricted island? Jesus,” he huffed, loosening his grip on Dodgson’s scruff and shifting his weight from leg to leg. “When we return to the United States I am getting you locked up for ever.”

“You say a word to the authorities, and I tell them where you found me.” Dodgson hacked. “Remember. You’re on this island too, and none of us should be here. You’re just as guilty as I am.”

Levine twitched, his fist clenching ever tighter before disarming himself. “You’re an asshole,” he seethed. “Anyway, we didn’t kidnap Twilight and Fluttershy.”

“They conducted ‘industrial espionage’ on my private conversation, as you put it.” He shot Levine a dirty glare, before turning his attention to the ponies. His features were sharper now; he was waking up. “Not one person or pony here has a clean slate, and you all need to be reminded of that. Especially you two. This whole deal had nothing to do with you, and yet here you are. Some unresolved business between InGen and Biosyn was working itself out, and now thanks to dickhead over here” – Dodgson nodded towards Levine – “you alien horses from another realm have become embroiled in all this. So, like I said before. All three respective parties are on a restricted island. All three parties are involving themselves in things behind and beyond the law, and all three of us have done immoral things leading up to and since arriving here.” Dodgson paused, his eyes searching around him and his manner darkening. “So, number one: don’t lecture us on your important position at home or the ‘magic of friendship’. Don’t take the moral high ground, because you’re no better than anyone else here. Number two: don’t threaten me with legal action if we get out of this hellhole; the only reason I’m here is because you” – he gestured again to Levine – “you can’t keep your secret and illegal plans secret at all. And finally... What are you actually hoping to achieve here?”

Silence reigned, Dodgson’s remarks hanging all too loudly in the RV until finally, quietly but determinedly, Fluttershy spoke up. “You’re a vile man,” she said. “Can’t you just see the good in others?”

The now alert Dodgson guffawed loudly. “No such thing,” he said simply. “People who do good things use it as a tool to make themselves feel better about themselves. It’s a distraction from their own shitty life. Take our friend Levine here. From what I can see, he wants to go public with field notes of apparent ‘dinosaurs’ and further cement himself as Number One palaeontologist. Such a noble cause, sir. And why are you doing this? To outdo everyone else trying hard in the field? Is it because your peers find you an irritating asshole? Or is it to prove your lecturers at Harvard wrong who said you’d amount to nothing?”

The door to the RV slammed and the group jumped; Levine had stormed away. In the dying light those in the trucks could just make him out, shuffling awkwardly back towards Malcolm, Harding and Carr who remained observing the herd.

“Looks like you touched a nerve,” Thorne began calmly as he filled his flask, settling down heavily next to Dodgson. With a sigh he ran a hand through his wild beard, sharing a tired look with the ponies before turning his attention back to the BioSyn man. “You are scum,” he said simply, knowing full well that his intimidating appearance was working in his favour. “Stealing dino eggs, baby animals, and threatening to use these two as live bait – yes, they told us all about you and your team.” Thorne chuckled to himself gruffly, taking a long swig from his hipflask. “If Richard and Ian didn’t want to speak to you further, I’d have thrown you out of this trailer a long time ago.” Thorne rose to his full height, staring pitifully at Dodgson. “While I’m in charge, you’re as good as raptor food.” Finishing his drink, he headed to the bunks and lay down.

Twilight had remained silent throughout the entire exchange, opting to observe and not to intervene. She found herself agreeing with Dodgson – in a sense – with regards to a single point: the entire situation surrounding the dinosaurs and Isla Sorna was indeed a matter between InGen and BioSyn, and not really anything to do with Equestria. She and Fluttershy had found themselves implicated in a matter that began as something so distant and unconnected from ponykind, and yet, here they were, ‘behind and beyond the law’ as Dodgson had put it. She couldn’t shake that, too – her very being here was illegal. Admittedly she and Fluttershy had come here against their wishes, but Twilight had still opted to join Levine on an expedition – she’d have arrived here eventually. But then, she had chose to come here in the interest of scientific gain, something of which she knew couldn’t always be restrained by laws.

Twilight huffed loudly, trotting away from Dodgson and towards some vacant seating. She could sense Fluttershy following her but she was too wrapped up in her own head to engage with the outside world.

Rain began to fall outside, its gentle thrum going some way to soothing her unease. Dodgson is so horribly negative, Twilight thought to herself. The magic of friendship is definitely lost on him. And this thought alone made her feel low; as awful as a person as he might be, she had been convinced that she’d be able to show everypony the real strength of friendship and positivity. But Dodgson was clearly a lost cause.

She sighed loudly again, her eyes wandering to the world outside of the trailer. It was dark now; the rain had cut off any last glow of the sun and the heavy clouds hung low.

Even Levine has been abrasive and negative, Twilight mused. Right from the start. She knew that he had good in him; this whole mission was absolutely good-willed, of this Twilight was sure. Even if a part of him is doing it to prove something to the world. But his way of going about things was obtuse and backward, and she could see that he clashed so regularly with the often ill-tempered Malcolm – himself a bizarre, somewhat negative person – and Thorne, who had no patience and apparently little regard for few other people...

Twilight suddenly found herself out of her head and back to reality. Her loud thoughts had been replaced by silence from within, the only sounds to be heard being the hammering of rain and the occasional dinosaur call. She had experienced this before: a very deep, very intense line of thought suddenly crashing to a halt, only amplifying the deafening sound of silence. It was then that she felt cold. This was a symptom of her descending into anxious, over-thinking territory, something that she had fought all her life to conquer, and – with the loving support of her friends – had made huge strides in overcoming. But there was just... something... about the island, and the people that she was sharing the experience with, that didn’t put her totally at ease. Even with Fluttershy at her side.

Instinctively Twilight stood, gently and quietly stepping outside into the night, being sure to close the door behind her. She closed her eyes and felt the rain soak through her mane and coat – it had a certain relaxing nature to it. With a long, deep breath through her nostrils came the stabilising peace she was seeking. Aaaah. For a moment she couldn’t feel the strange, negative energy swirling within the RV and infecting her soul; neither could she feel the weight of the situation. No, here, standing in the rain at the jungle’s edge, Twilight found peace.

Whilst deep in the calming recesses of her mind she could just about hear the RV door squeak open, its sound hardly audible above the white-noise of the falling rain. Twilight needn’t open her eyes to know Fluttershy had joined her – she could feel her there, she knew her presence.

“You okay?” came her quiet voice.

Slowly Twilight opened her eyes. “This is getting to me again,” she said simply. “I’m alright, sorta, but there’s no... I dunno—”

“No magic here?” Fluttershy had cut in, her own eyes now wide. She flicked her wet mane from her face.

“...Yeah,” Twilight replied. “The energy in the RV is so choking. And even when everypony is being kind and genuine, well... I dunno. I feel like they’re being kind because it serves them. Like Richard earlier. Thankful we’re here, but because he’ll have been the first person to conduct research of this kind and the first to do it alongside the prestigious Elements of Harmony.” Twilight allowed a moment. “I don’t know. I don’t know if this negative energy is getting to me. I don’t know if there’s something about magical manipulation on Earth which is affecting my ability to clearly see the magic of friendship, or at least harness it...” She shook her head. “I think I’m just tired.”

Fluttershy smiled weakly, a small nod given in agreement. “I don’t know, either. But I think that another good night’s rest will do us the world of good. How about we start again tomorrow?”

“Okay.”

The pair shared a hug, allowing the sounds of the rain and the nearby herd to fill their sense before heading back into the trucks. Ignoring Dodgson completely the pair found Thorne, who was quick to support the idea of sleep. “I’ll stay up til the others return,” he said before wishing the ponies good-night, and with that, Twilight and Fluttershy found themselves some blankets and a spare few bunks.

* * * *

By the time the helicopter had arrived at the bait site, Tembo was most anxious to depart. It had been a long afternoon; since being picked up by Ludlow and his escort they had flown out to Ludlow’s yacht, upon which various medical checks of the baby Rex had taken place. In the downtime there was little for Tembo to do and he grew bored – he didn’t much fancy chatting to King, who was extremely quiet and reserved. Ludlow was busy entertaining his potential investors – of whom Tembo had not yet had the pleasure of meeting; they would arrive with Ludlow at the bait site in due course – and so he had slept the time away. However, it was a short sleep, and before Tembo knew it he was once again back on the island, working with his team to set up the high-hide for Ludlow and laying the trap for the alleged ‘super-predator’.

As he departed the helicopter into the damp, humid night he sighed. Things were still being kept a secret from him and although Ludlow had looked after him – and paid him very well – he was keen to know more, to have answers. Although he was plenty aware that he’d soon have them, Tembo found himself impatient. It would have made his job easier if he’d known what this apparent ‘super-predator’ was, but Ludlow had rebuffed him each time he pressed for answers. It was a ‘top-secret InGen project’ of which could ‘never be accidentally revealed on the mainland’, so he was told. But laying this trap, using the baby Rex as bait, seemed totally backward to him. Why a genetically enhanced monster would seek out a Tyrannosaurus – chick or otherwise – he did not know. And he also did not know who these new investors were, or why they were so interested in seeing the most aggressive of all InGen’s animals.

Nonetheless, he lay the bait, and his team erected the high-hide. Once the work was complete Tembo took shelter in the high-hide, ready to await Ludlow’s arrival but he did not have to wait long: from the gloom a helicopter emerged, fighting the worsening conditions as it heavily set down in the marshy clearing below. Tembo watched as Ludlow ducked out, raising an arm to defend himself from the elements. Then emerged King. But then, following the two men, came two large, four-legged bird-people, a sight he had not seen before: Griffons. His gazed was fixed on these bizarre, intimidating creatures as they followed Ludlow towards the high-hide and made their way up.

“Ah, Roland.” Ludlow cleaned his glasses as he spoke, settling into the raised shelter. “I’d like to introduce you to Tsar Gavrel of All Griffon Realms and his honoured entourage, Duke Grigorii Glebovich.” He turned to the Griffons. “This is Roland Tembo, experienced hunter, wildlife tracker, and trusted colleague of mine.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Hunter,” Gavrel offered coolly, extending a claw. Tembo gingerly grabbed and shook it. “The Duke and I are most excited to witness these ancient beasts.”

“Good to meet you both,” Tembo said simply, stunned by the presence these creatures carried with them. Royalty or not, he hadn’t expected a Griffon to have such gravitas and found himself actually quite cautious around them. “You certainly shan’t be disappointed by the adult Tyrannosaurs.”

“I wasn’t,” Grigorii cut in. “Upon first meeting Mr Ludlow we witnessed a great beast on the shores of this isle. I believe it was a Tyrannosaur.”

“Indeed,” Ludlow added. “And I highly suspect we shall see both the island’s Tyrannosaurs tonight... Amongst other things.” He smiled knowingly.

“I look forward to that, too.” Tembo shot Ludlow a glance. “I was wondering if you were ever going to disclose what species your new monster is.”

Grigorii looked to Tembo, a pointed claw aiming his way. “The Hunter does not know?”

Ludlow smiled. “He does not. Nobody does, except for me, and my genetic engineers. But soon, all five of us will know.”

“...Five?”

Ludlow faltered, unsure of the Duke’s comment. But he looked around, and realised that the entourage was one soul down. “My, my. Mr King has left us.”

“Where has the meek one gone?” Gavrel looked concerned.

“Who knows,” Tembo said. “But he won’t have gotten very far, I shouldn’t think.” He paused, taking another long, hard look into the gloomy jungles below. “This island becomes a death trap at night. All manner of carnivores come out to play, and they are all extremely efficient predators.”

Ludlow nodded once, sagely. “Roland is right. We won’t worry about Howard King for now. No, I believe we have more – shall we say – pressing issues, at hand...” He trailed off, gesturing to the clearing below.

As the Griffons examined the clearing beneath, Tembo leaned in closely, placing a firm hand upon Ludlow’s shoulder. “I hope you know what you’re doing, making investments with these Griffons.” He whispered quietly, but with grave concern.

“Leave the business to me, Roland.” Ludlow seemed unfazed by Tembo’s warning. “I know what I am doing and how to go about this.” With a wry smile he removed Tembo’s hand. “Now, good sirs... We wait.”

* * * *

A strange and sudden sensation filled Fluttershy’s senses as she woke with a start. For the briefest of moments she was totally confused; she had no idea where she was or what was happening but then the familiar grey fittings of the RV grounded her thoughts. Save for the sounds of the others sleeping and the hammering rain it was quiet, and it was dark. To that end she was unsure quite what had woken her – exhaustion had very much taken hold last night and even with the adrenaline rush that came with the dinosaurs she felt relatively safe whilst in the company of the others and in the RV.

She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes and as she looked around at her gloomy surroundings her head began to whirr and spin. Deep within her there was a longing desperation; a feeling so small and so distant that she could barely register it but for some reason it was growing in presence and intensity. Fluttershy surmised it was this that had dragged her from her slumber. Controlling her breathing she remained still, doing what she could to fend off any potential anxiety attack. But this felt different from anxiety and worry. This felt primitive.

To accompany her growing instinct was a dull headache and a powerful nausea, coming in waves. She clamped her eyes shut – even the dull light from the RV’s computer systems was too much as her sickening migraine made itself present – and breathed. But with her eyes closed, her senses seemed to heighten and the instinctive desperation she felt was amplified even more. It seemed to her that whatever she was experiencing was here to stay, and there was no way out other than through.

No, she thought to herself. I am in control. With a determined, long breath she found her center and felt in some relative ease. Gently hopping from the bunk to fix a water, Fluttershy wondered whether her own conscious monologue was simply a placebo, and the strange feeling she was experiencing – still present, but somewhat subdued – was in fact taking hold of her mind. She paused again as her glass filled, having to fight off a particularly powerful wave of sickness, her vision blurring this time. With gritted teeth she held herself against the counter and closed her eyes.

She missed the water ripple in her glass.

Fluttershy was no fool. As she slumped into a vacant seat near the rear of the RV, she had already thought of a number of causes for her current situation. But she found a strange correlation in the way she felt when compared to Twilight’s recounting of her teleportation spell. Twilight had said that using magic on Earth had been incredibly hard. She had pushed herself to her mental limit to conjure the required power; she had given herself an intense headache and was very sick. Fluttershy couldn’t help but feel that her volatile state was thanks to a similar situation. But as to the exact cause she was unsure. She couldn’t actively manipulate magic and even if she could she was nowhere near the spellcaster that Twilight was; she’d likely never be able to locate Earth’s magical field, let alone exploit it. But she was a Pegasus with an innate ability to empathise, to be kind. So she thought that somepony close to her must be feeling lonely and desperate...

Another wave of nausea hit her, and Fluttershy grimaced. A few steadying breaths later she once again opened her eyes, focussing on the relaxing pitter-patter of the rain. Gingerly she took a small drink, vacantly staring out into the murky blackness outside.

It must be Twilight, she thought. I’m not close enough to anypony else here, and I know Twilight is feeling delicate.

She had barely enough time to think before the next sharp pain in her head struck; this time she wretched as she steadied herself. In amidst the mental chaos she thought she could feel the ground moving but she couldn’t be sure. This attack was the most intense and powerful of the night and Fluttershy felt like she wanted to bellow in a desperate rage whilst also ripping her thumping brain out of her own head. The thudding of her skull was powerful, rhythmic, building the nausea and the emotional torment into a crescendo until suddenly and without any warning whatsoever it totally disappeared.

In the silence Fluttershy realised that the thudding was also coming from directly outside the RV, and she felt her stomach drop.

A massive black shape appeared from the rainy gloom, positioning itself alongside the trucks. As it came into view produced a thunderous guttural rumble, loudly sniffing the air nearby. Fluttershy went to move, to jump back or crawl out of sight but she found herself paralysed by fear. She could feel herself blanching as the shape took another step forward, its head finally lowering into view through the windows. She felt her skin crawl and her chest tighten as a beady yellow eye peered inside, enormous jaws working once and a mighty moan coming from the beast. Instinct told her to scream but terror gripped her too tightly as her worst fears were confirmed: Fluttershy was all-too aware that she had entered into a staring competition with a Tyrannosaurus Rex. The skull structure, the body shape, the rows of massive, bone-crushing teeth – there was never any doubt as to what species it was. Its presence was enough to make her feel dizzy. Her heart pounded – never once did she anticipate actually seeing an adult Rex, let alone being this frighteningly close to one.

“Do not move,” came Malcolm’s voice, giving away more than a hint of panic. Fluttershy could sense he and the others had also now woken up, the loud shuffling and moaning from the beast outside removing any sense of peace.

The massive head of the Rex cocked slightly before turning a full ninety degrees on the trailer; it was now staring inside with binocular vision. Again the animal moaned, pressing its snout against the window and sniffing heavily. Fluttershy could only simply watch. Moving now would be the end of her, for sure.

When another thunderous rumble came from behind her she jolted and then, ever so slowly, glanced over her shoulder. She was presented with a sight worse than an adult Rex: another adult Rex, equally as massive and terrifying, its own horrid gaze staring right back at her through the trailer’s rear window.

“Dragons,” Fluttershy uttered, glassy eyes unable to tear away from the enormous monster that had appeared so quietly around the rear of the RV trailer. She wanted to crouch or hide or run so very badly but she couldn’t, as with a horrible dawning realisation she knew that she was stood between both adult Tyrannosaurs. If for any reason one didn’t spot her movement, then surely the other one would. And so she remained stock-still, watching the first massive creature and sensing the movement of the other. She was petrified and woefully tense. The memories of seeing the dragon-like skeletons in the countless museums she had visited all those years ago came rushing back; so too did the acute fear. And as she stared wide-eyed at the first Rex, itself grunting and sniffling loudly at the RV’s doorway, she felt that painful, sickly desperation from before. The feeling amplified to an almost gut-wrenching level as the first Tyrannosaur drew a loud breath and expelled an almighty, prehistoric bellow, causing her and the others to flinch and wince. The call was greeted by a grunt from the other adult Rex, the sound echoing loudly from behind her. They were talking.

It was in that moment that Fluttershy realised the instinctive desperation that had awoken her was a feeling that the Tyrannosaurs were exhibiting. That brief fleeting moment in which it all came together for her felt like a lifetime but she knew it was really only a few seconds. She had somehow connected to the massive Rexes. Her innate ability with animals – itself intrinsically part of her passive magical manipulation and her affinity for kindness and empathy – had been jumpstarted by the pain these massive predators were feeling. She could suddenly feel it all too clearly. She felt their horrible loss and their hot rage directed at the territory invaders who hadn’t set foot in their lands for at least four years or so—

“They’re searching for their baby,” Fluttershy said at a whisper. “They’re smelling us for their baby.”

The stillness in the RV was palpable, the rain ever-louder before finally somebody broke the tension. “Lewis...It was a baby Rex you had.” It was Harding, posing less of a question and more of a confirmation. “You stole a baby from the Tyrannosaurus nest.”

Dodgson said nothing. His heavy, steadying breaths filled the RV. Despite the darkness he too had obviously blanched, frozen with fear himself. It was apparent to all others that he was finally realising the grave error of his actions earlier that day.

Silence befell the trailers once more; the heavy downpour creating an eerie backdrop of sound as the two adult Rexes paced slowly outside. Their breathing was heavy, drawling; their sniffing great and frantic. Nobody dared move or speak as the beasts continued their determined circling of the trailers – they had clearly picked up on a scent and it was evident to all aboard that they weren’t going to leave anytime soon.

Finally Dodgson spoke up, breaking the near-unbearable tension. “So.” He began slowly, his voice betraying more than a hint of panic. “What are we supposed to do in a situation like this?”

“Firstly, you can shut up,” Thorne hissed. “Secondly, what can we do? We’re way outgunned here. You see those jaws? No match for anything we’ve got.”

“Do not even think about trying anything smart,” Malcolm added curtly, his laboured speech betraying his panic. “You can’t win against a Tyrannosaur. Nobody wins against the greatest alpha predator. Oh, Lord no...”

“Ian...”

“Sarah, don’t. Let’s not sugar-coat this. Remember I’ve seen this before—”

“Ian!” Thorne hissed angrily. “Cut it out for just one minute—”

“You don’t understand what’s going on here, so just stay quiet—”

But it was too late: without any prior warning, the first Rex shunted the rearward trailer powerfully, causing it to slide sideways. The force was incredible and the team – themselves situated in the forward truck – quickly grabbed onto anything they could.

“Hold on!” Levine called out loudly. “This could get messy—”

Levine had barely finished speaking when an incredible impact slammed into the RV: in a great cacophony the vehicle’s side crumpled and caved in, shattering the windows and spilling countless tools and instruments. As the windows exploded the sounds of the outside world came pouring in, the hissing of the determined rainfall and distressed, impossibly loud trumpets from the two Tyrannosaurs outside masking the team’s own screams and cries. Fluttershy was thrown from her position in the trailer, cracking her back painfully on a work surface, barely hauling herself to her hooves when she was thrown again as the second Rex followed the first in crushing the vehicles. With a scream she leapt forward, out of the trailer, just in time: the massive animal had used its own head as a battering ram, smashing into the roof and causing the entire structure to decompress frighteningly quickly. As she landed unceremoniously on the floor in front of Twilight she turned to look back at the chaos, horrified to see that the Tyrannosaur had now gripped the crushed roof with its enormous jaws, angrily howling and piercing the RV. And under the workbench at the back, still bound as a captive, lay the terrified form of Lewis Dodgson.

In that moment Fluttershy glanced at Twilight; their eyes met and she was told all she needed to know. Wordlessly both the ponies sprung into action, blindly pushing fear to one side and charging into the quickly disintegrating trailer. The sound was horrid; screeching metal and the ancient roars from the massive beasts swirled all around, blocking out the cries from the humans in the main RV. Finally they reached Dodgson, himself entirely immobilised by fear and incredibly difficult to move but they succeeded, hauling him away from the immediate danger. As they dragged him through the trailer’s accordion connector Harding moved forward to help pull the terrified man in, narrowly avoiding the Rex’s enormous bite force as the Tyrannosaurs completely tore the roof of the trailer away, exposing the laboratory to the wild elements outside.

“You should have left him!” Thorne yelled, backing away quickly from Dodgson and the wrecked trailer, jumping into the cab. Only one feeling consumed him – the need to run. “Come on,” he yelled as he attempted to fire up the RV’s engine but the damage was done. The motor did not turn over; there was to be no escape.

Then came the loudest, most horrifying roar thusfar as both massive animals bellowed together. With flinches and screams in return Fluttershy, Twilight and the others instinctively tried to flee and hide despite knowing full-well that there was nowhere to hide. They had been seen, but more than that, they – and the Rex baby – had been smelt. Fluttershy cowered with Twilight, unable to really do anything except wait for the total destruction of the RV and the pair – hiding together, feeling so removed from the others – watched, simply dumbstruck, as the animals ripped the trailer apart, enormous heads swinging slowly, determinedly, towards the now exposed rear of the main truck.

Time seemed to move impossibly slowly as the furious attack briefly let up; Fluttershy watched hollowly as the giant creatures took steady paces towards the rear of the RV, beady yellow eyes searching wildly and large nostrils flaring, quickly picking up on smells and scents. It was in that timeless moment that she once again felt the desperation from before, only this time it was amplified a thousand-fold, and now it was seasoned with furious rage and bullish territorialism. She went to cry out and warn the others but she could hardly summon the strength to speak, and at that moment the Tyrannosaurs once again launched their merciless attack: the first Rex to have arrived forced its enormous snout inside the RV, slowly forcing its jaws open, the incredible muscular forces misshaping the metalwork and rollbars. With an entirely too menacing rumble and moan it lolled its tongue inside the trucks – an attempt to taste for its young, Fluttershy quickly surmised – and it slapped around terrifyingly. Before she was able to really process what had happened she could sense one of the team reaching past her and she glanced to her left: before her Carr was swinging wildly at the animal’s tongue with a large ratchet, bellowing something nondescript. His fear-driven rage seemed to have come from nowhere in the moment of madness and Fluttershy watched stunned as he struck the massive tongue once, twice. For but a moment it seemed to have worked as the Tyrannosaur faltered, flinching its head back somewhat, withdrawing its tongue.

When the second Rex unexpectedly swung its head against the side of the RV he slipped, and with a scream he fell towards the first animal’s intrusive maw. Again time seemed to slow to a crawl; Fluttershy watched as with wide eyes Carr outstretched an arm towards them and all others went to grab him. But as Carr screamed – again drowned out by the chaotic miasma of howls and thunders and screeching around them – he slid backwards and away from the team, suddenly disappearing upwards out of view. Finally his screams could be heard and the sound chilled Fluttershy to the core as she fell into a dumbfounded gaze, skin crawling horribly and head spinning maddeningly as she saw Carr fall to the ground outside with a sickening crack. Immediately she heard Thorne bellow Carr’s name, his own voice breaking but there was nothing anyone could do; it was too late for him. The Tyrannosaur had clamped its monstrous jaws around his legs and as he continued to screech and cry, he was flung into the air like a ragdoll as the beast again grabbed him and with a final, fatal crunch it bit down, reared its head, and swallowed him whole.

The frenetic, terrifying atmosphere suddenly came to a seriously abrupt halt. The team had stopped crying out and screeching; the Tyrannosaurs did not scream and trumpet; Fluttershy’s head no longer span with deafening thoughts. No, for the moment there was only the sound of the hammering rain and heavy breathing from the great Rexes as they took stock of the smells around them once more.

All stared, painfully emptily, as the two enormous heads again came into view, those horrible eyes boring into each and every one of them. Fluttershy found herself completely unable to form any cognitive thought – the adrenaline pumped far too strongly and shock had began to set in – but again she felt a primeval, ancient instinct: the Tyrannosaurs were not done. They had once again picked up on their chick’s scent and weren’t going to stop until they found its source.

Thorne had clearly deduced this himself. “We need to give them what they want,” he uttered, a cracking, hollow voice betraying his broken soul. Suddenly he spun, quickly, powerfully, summoning an overwhelming strength. Before anyone could react he had grabbed Dodgson, lifting him by one arm. “You.”

Malcolm finally found his voice. “Jack – now wait –”

But it was too late. Thorne roared as he threw Dodgson towards the Tyrannosaurs. With a sickening crack he landed in a heap at the Rexes’ feet, scrabbling furiously in an effort to free his bound wrists and ankles.

Fluttershy felt the pit of her stomach drop and her head spin. Her eyes stung as she tried to look away but a genuine horror held her gaze at the awful, awful scene before her. She watched wide-eyed as the larger Rex slowly pressed its snout against Dodgson and he screamed as the massive animal picked up on a scent: it was that of its young, and Fluttershy felt it too.

The enormous head pulled away from Dodgson and he lay motionless, babbling incoherently, terrified eyes staring back up at the team, themselves frozen with abject horror. Even Twilight, usually able to summon leadership and action, was frozen with fear, feeling far beyond her depth.

The second Rex moved in to inspect Dodgson, and Fluttershy watched as it licked him hauntingly slowly. She could taste what it tasted; she picked up on its instinct: this is not the Tyrannosaur chick. Celestia did she feel it, and she braced for what she knew was coming next. Once again she tried to move, to look away, to do anything but it was to no avail. And so she watched, stock-still, as this second Rex scooped the yammering, screeching form of Dodgson into its maw, picked him up from the ground and – as with Carr – silenced his cries as it swallowed him whole.

A strange feeling overcame Fluttershy as she watched the massive Tyrannosaurs both look up, drawing great breaths, before both of them trained their heads off to the north. The instinctive desperation had returned, stronger than ever, only this time it was confused amongst the throb of adrenaline, the horror of the very Tyrannosaurs themselves, and the terrible, terrible deaths of Carr and Dodgson.

As a sharp, sickening pain exploded in her head she collapsed, and as her vision failed her she could just make out both the Tyrannosaurs moving on from the wrecked RV and deeper into the jungle.

Author's Note

Hi all. Thanks for the patience - this chapter was a long time coming and rather difficult to put together. Half of it had been written for some time but the second half took some going, and it needed a lot of polishing, but I've reached a point where it feels ready to go. We're now approaching the later stages of the story, so thanks as ever for sticking with this and the next installment will be up in the future.

Enjoy!

15 - The Elements of Chaos

Howard King had not stopped running since making his escape from Tembo and Ludlow. He was amazed that nobody had seen him leave. He surmised that Ludlow was far too wrapped up in impressing the unsightly Griffon beasts, and Tembo was exhausted from the past few days’ events. Nonetheless, King knew he wasn’t always the most subtle of souls and figured he’d easily be noticed – and likely stopped – from running away.

He panted hard as the rain-soaked jungle lashed and whipped his face, his jacket offering no protection from the elements. King knew that escaping into the wilds of Isla Sorna was, in many ways, a foolish move; fleeing from the relative safety of the InGen team left him extremely exposed and vulnerable to the dangers of the island. But he could stand it no longer. Surrounding himself with those awful characters only reminded him of the death of Baselton, and – though he had kept very quiet about the whole thing – wandering aimlessly under Dodgson’s alleged leadership and Tembo’s actual leadership had driven him to a breaking point. And so, presented with an opportunity to forge his own path, he ran. With any luck, he might bump into the ponies, and the three of them could formulate an escape plan.

King finally stopped, slowing from a run to a jog to a halt. The jungle was dark and he hadn’t dared stop but his body told him otherwise. His legs burned and he felt sick; to that end he sought shelter in the hollowed base of a particularly large tree. Only then, finding himself able to properly collect his thoughts did he realise just how scared he was. That, and how little time he’d actually had to be able to process the events he’d been through since arriving on the infernal shores of the island. It had been a maddening, adrenaline-fuelled rush, and one that he had come to loathe. He just wanted to go home. To get away from the horror. Why he ever accepted Dodgson’s invitation to try and re-ignite BioSyn’s genetic engineering program, he would never know. King was no fool: he knew that money meant very little in the long run, so why Dodgson’s enticing financial offer had hooked him all those weeks ago would forever remain a mystery to him.

In a moment of weakness he cried out, cursing loudly. The catharsis of screeching helped release some of his inner tension; with that he felt his shoulders relax and his core sag. Placing his head in his arms he did what he could to keep himself from cracking and sobbing uncontrollably. He sat there in silence, the surprisingly loud sounds of the night-time jungle filling his senses. He didn’t look up but he could hear the hammering rain splashing off of the tall canopy and thrumming the ground hard. He heard the shrubbery and ferns brushing and swaying in the wind. He could make out the distant dinosaur hoots and cries.

But King remained motionless; he felt numb to it all. Numb, and so very tired.

...

King awoke with a start, his head jolting upwards and his vision blurred. He had no idea when or for how long he’d been asleep but the very fact that he’d allowed himself to drift off without keeping vigilant made him greatly uneasy. As he came around he coughed deeply, blinking slowly to refocus his tired eyes. The sight that lay before him was altogether much the same; the hollowed-out tree trunk, the sodden underbrush, the driving rain, and the dark, foreboding jungle stretching out ahead of him. He sighed – at least when he was asleep, he wasn’t aware that he was still stuck on Isla Sorna. But now he was awake, and all-too aware.

With a yawn, King stretched, crawling out of the hollow. He rubbed his eyes vigorously as he felt the rain soak through his hair; there was a certain soothing element to it. Slowly he stood, totally unsure as to the best course of action. Stay in the tree or cover ground? King knew that by moving at night he’d be much more vulnerable to the various beasts that could easily hide in amongst the trees and the shrubs, but equally staying in the hollow all night did not appeal at all. What if something happened upon me by chance? What then? The idea of being trapped in that small space with the jaws of a vicious dinosaur blocking his escape made him shudder. And so – possibly against his better judgement, he still wasn’t quite sure – King pressed on, searching, hoping, to find a more suitable hiding spot.

King was slow as he pushed through the damp brush, stopping periodically in a mostly vain attempt to listen for any nearby creatures. He thought the rain had eased up somewhat but it was near impossible to tell exactly – either way, it was still loud, and he was unable to hear any potential threats. To that end, he felt immediately tense and the pressure of his situation led him to move ever quicker and stop less. He was hawkish; his eyes wide, his heart beginning to beat stronger. He felt as if every sound he made carried for miles and every movement betrayed any sense of quiet concealment. He yelped as he heard the bushes adjacent to him sway violently, hoping against hope that there wasn’t a predator darting towards him – and the shock made him begin to trot very intently and very quickly. Immediately he began to panic, a paranoia setting in that something was following him and he began to openly run, eyes scanning the trees nearby for somewhere, anywhere, to lay low and hide. But the jungle just looked all the same. There were no defining features to any of it. So King did the only thing he could blindly think to do: he kept running.

It didn’t take long for his body to dictate he slow down and he did so, but only when he felt more comfortable that he wasn’t being chased. He continued moving but at a walking speed and after some time he was grabbed by a new alluring sound: running water. Fresh, cold, running water. King realised how thirsty he’d become. He’d barely eaten, drank, or slept in far too long, and the idea of fresh water was a pull so strong he could no longer ignore it. Heading in the direction of the sound he emerged onto a small clearing. The stream cut through it, straight ahead, and without thinking he moved speedily towards it.

Suddenly King felt his ankle twist painfully and he fell, hitting the ground hard. It all happened very quickly but he could hear a horrifying crunch and then an immediate wetness under his chest; at the same time he heard a yelp and a loud nasal honk of something next to him. Panic immediately flooded his nerve centres yet again and he desperately scrabbled away from whatever was going on, spinning round to see a creature of sorts quickly leaping to its own feet. He sat no less than five feet from the animal – close enough to be able to make out its features in the dark – and though he was no dinosaur expert he knew that a skull like that belonged to a Pachycephalosaurus. Lamely, terrified, he stared as the dinosaur got to its feet all too quickly and darted to the opposite side of the clearing where it stayed, staring back at him. It was a strange moment – oddly peaceful, almost – but the adrenaline pumped ever harder as he realised he had tripped over the sleeping animal. Somehow he’d not seen it; somehow it hadn’t heard him.

Then he looked down at his chest, and his blood ran cold. He’d tripped over the dome-head, alright, straight onto its clutch of eggs.

King barely had time to register quite what was happening when he felt something slam into his chest with immeasurable force. He went flying, tumbling across the clearing and he let out a scream but the sharp, incredible pain that danced across his midsection soon put an end to that. Before he could collect himself that same horrible, blunt force exploded into him again – his back, this time – and he thought he could hear his bones snapping. Finally his skidding and tumbling came to a halt and he lay on the ground in a dishevelled, broken heap. He wanted to scream, he wanted to cry, he wanted to wring that fuckwit Dodgson by his neck; but most of all he wanted to go home. He didn’t want any of this. He just wanted to be at home.

He croaked labouredly as he watched the mother Pachycephalosaurus make her final charge at him.

* * * *

“What is it, Angel dear?” Fluttershy trotted determinedly towards her ever-demanding charge; Angel Bunny had hopped into the room with her and stood impatiently by the door, tapping his foot. “Is somepony hungry?”

Angel wordlessly gestured to the clock on the wall. Fluttershy thought it strange that it was ticking backwards, and seemed to repeat the number five multiple times, but instinctively she knew that whatever time it was, Angel was due a good meal.

“Come along now, sweetie,” she cooed, trotting into the kitchen. “We’ll get you some food.” But as she trotted into her kitchen it began to rain – inside – which she thought rather odd. Glancing out of the window Fluttershy could see that it was a bright sunny day, which made the sudden and rather heavy downpour all the more stranger. Bizarrely, her kitchen remained bone-dry but her own coat and mane were soaked through. “Hmm... Well, I’ll look at the roofing later.” Braving the odd elements Fluttershy continued to prepare Angel’s food when suddenly she was blindsided by a splitting headache and a deep, powerful nausea; she was just quick enough to grab the work surface lest she keel over and collapse on the floor.

“Come on Fluttershy,” came Twilight’s voice from the other room.

“I’ll – I’ll be with you s-shortly,” she breathed back, fighting the pain. It swirled around in her very core, coming and going, but she could feel herself fighting it off. For now, anyway. Fluttershy did find it odd that this strange headache she was suffering with brought with it a primitive, maternal sense of dread...

“Fluttershy!” Twilight was shouting now. Why she was so impatient, Fluttershy didn’t know. Couldn’t Twilight wait for her to sort Angel’s food first?

“Flutters, for God’s sake wake up please.” Harding cried. She sounded almost – desperate...

“Will you wait, please?!” Fluttershy had to go and see to her friends. She trotted into the other room – having found her hooves once more – only to find Lewis Dodgson stood in the centre of the room, staring blankly at her. She jumped when she saw him, yelping and taking a step back.

“How did you get in my home—”

She was cut off as Dodgson screamed so very loudly. But it wasn’t a scream. He opened his mouth, and Fluttershy was deafened by a Tyrannosaurus roar—

Fluttershy came round gasping violently for air. It was dark and she couldn’t properly see – partly due to the closeness of the night, partly owing to a residual throb left over from her previous headaches – but she knew she was awake. She didn’t rightly know where she was but she could hear the determined thrum of rainfall and some distant, agitated voices. She felt her head being supported by somepony, and she was aware she was lying down, but where—

“Oh Celestia,” Twilight said, immediately pulling Fluttershy into a gentle hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay.” Fluttershy was still a little distant but she thought she could feel Twilight crying.

“Welcome back,” Harding said. She was holding a jacket above the ponies. “We were worried about you.” She ran her hand through Fluttershy’s mane as Twilight let go of her.

“I—” Fluttershy went to speak but was stopped in her tracks by another powerful wave of nausea; this time it finally spilled over. Acting quickly she leant over and was violently sick. She could faintly feel Twilight’s supporting hoof on her back.

When the nausea had passed, Fluttershy turned back. “We...” She croaked, feeling physically drained. “We’re still on the island, aren’t we?”

“I’m afraid so.” Harding spoke gravely. “’Shy, do you... Do you remember what happened before you passed out?”

“I... Don’t remember too much at the moment.”

Harding looked to Twilight. “She’s really spent.”

“Yeah. I’ve never seen anypony – let alone Fluttershy – like this before.” Twilight looked back at Fluttershy, noting just how drained she looked. This was beyond simple physical exhaustion, for sure: she was exhibiting some pretty strong signs of magical exhaustion. Twilight knew it from academic study and she understood just how dangerous it could be. She also understood that it affected different ponies in different ways. She knew she’d experienced it teleporting the pair of them out of harm’s way two days ago – she was weak then, for sure, but Twilight had been able to pick herself back up reasonably quickly. Fluttershy, however, seemed absolutely knocked out from her experience. “She’ll be okay, though.” Twilight gently stroked her forehead, wondering whether her words were more for Harding’s benefit or her own.

“Oh, my....” Suddenly it all came rushing back. Of course Fluttershy could recall the botched mission to Isla Sorna and the days that had elapsed but recalling quite why she’d passed out was a struggle. But there it was. The Tyrannosaur attack. Her mind’s eye had recreated the scene for her; she replayed it back to front, inside-out. The massive predators, the destruction of the mobile lab, the magical link with the beasts...

The deaths of Eddie Carr and Lewis Dodgson...

Fluttershy did what she could to hold back the tears, but it was of little use. Wordlessly, she summoned what energy she could and pulled Twilight and Harding into a hug as she let out the chaotic emotions inside. Not for the first time since unceremoniously arriving on the shores of Isla Sorna Fluttershy found herself broken yet again, at a real, critical low-point; she wept. But despite this, despite everything, deep inside there remained a faint glimmer of hope – so long as she had her friends by her side.

And that she did.

Harding was the first to untangle herself. “Girls,” she said. “Flutters. So glad you’re alright. And you, Twilight.” She sighed heavily. “This is pretty messed up right now but let’s just try and look after each other. Here, I’m gonna tie my jacket to these trees... It’s not much but it’s more shelter than we currently have right now.” She stood, fully focussing on the task at hand.

Twilight moved to assist Harding, noting her deflated and downtrodden nature. This was unlike Harding; the woman had been nothing but headstrong and determined since Twilight had met her and yet here, finally, she seemed to be quietly breaking down in front of everypony’s eyes. As they worked, Twilight found a moment where she placed a hoof on Harding’s shoulders, seeming to catch her off-guard. “We’ll be okay, I know we will. So long as we have each other.” Twilight was speaking in little more than a whisper, but her words seemed to have stuck – Harding finally looked up at her and away from Fluttershy and the small shelter. Only then did Twilight finally see how exhausted she was. Her eyes were heavy-set, bloodshot, betraying more than just a little concern.

“Thank you,” Harding replied in kind, her own hand squeezing Twilight’s shoulder. “I really appreciate you guys being here.”

Their tender moment was somewhat interrupted as distant voices erupted into yelling – Thorne, Malcolm and Levine appeared to have also snapped, barking aggressively at one another. Twilight twitched; it did not go unnoticed by Harding. “Sorry,” she offered as coolly as possible. “But arguing like that now is about as far from helpful as anypony could possibly be.”

“All too aware, Twilight.” Harding sighed deeply. “But you and I know that there’s little we can say to any of those apes right now. I’ll talk with Ian later about it, but really they need to just get it out—”

With some urgency the nearby foliage crashed, startling the trio; they relaxed upon seeing Malcolm pull himself through the bushes. He stared emptily at Twilight and Harding – themselves staring back – and then he turned his attention to Fluttershy, before clenching his fists and running a hand through his sodden hair. “I – I can’t,” he stammered aloud to nobody in particular. “I cannot do this and I cannot stand either of those – those – those complete lunatics back there. Argh!” Malcolm set himself down heavily on a fallen tree near the group.

“Speak of the devil,” Harding offered wryly as she and Twilight continued to create the small shelter.

“Is – ah – Miss Fluttershy going to be okay?”

“She’ll be alright, Doctor Malcolm.” Twilight finished tightening the jacket on a nearby tree trunk; Fluttershy was now out of the rain. With that, Twilight moved towards Malcolm, noting that Harding was checking her over. “She’s just experienced a very powerful bout of magic.”

“Magic?” He furrowed his brow. “On Earth?”

Twilight nodded.

“Uh... How, exactly, did Fluttershy exploit magic? I didn’t think that was possible for your kind here, not least the non-Unicorns—”

“All ponies use magic. We Unicorns do it actively but Earth Ponies and Pegasi do it passively. And my friends and I have a particularly strong bond with magic.” Twilight paused, marvelling at how quickly she’d been able to shrug everything off and fall back into theory and academia. Once a student, always a student, she mused, raising her eyebrows. She glanced over to see Harding cock her head – evidently her own interest had been piqued by Twilight’s words. “I suppose that’s why we’re the Elements of Harmony. We can use our own magic very powerfully sometimes.” Malcolm was clearly hooked on her every word, any semblance of his previous frustrations having ebbed away. She could see how tired he looked, sure, but his eyes and his features were hawkish, wide. He was drinking in the science of Equestrian magic, and Twilight found her stride in the discussion. “Fluttershy’s the Element of Kindness—”

“Yes, yes, I’ve heard about your particular elemental representation—”

“Me too.” Harding, satisfied that Fluttershy was stable and warm, had worked her way into the conversation.

“Right. So she’s exceptionally talented at instilling kindness and warmth in those around her. I’m the Element of Magic, so I try and use magic in ways not usually done – like, for friendship. We’re the Elements of Harmony, after all...” She let out a chuckle, taking an introspective moment to reflect on her friends and her home.

Of more peaceful times...

Twilight quickly drew a short breath, finding her inner focus and avoiding a mental collapse. Now is not the time to be consumed by these things, not yet. “So – as I was saying. We’re all elements of something. But we’ve also got our own little talents and quirks. You both already know Fluttershy is an animal carer? Well—”

Once again did the shouting match of Thorne and Levine echo out; but as quickly as they began to hurl slurs at one another it died off. With a snort, Twilight continued.

“...Well, her natural ability to understand the needs and wants of animals crosses over with her Element. Quite a lot, actually. She’s empathetic to the point of being able to magically connect with her animal friends. And of course she’s the sweetest, kindest pony I’ve ever met so she’ll always resolve any problems she can.”

“Right, right...” Malcolm was nodding slowly, his eyes widening and narrowing. “So she – uh – she controls magic to make the connections, or...?”

“Not really. It’s part of that passive magical control. She’s able to just tap into the surrounding magic – in part thanks to her Element, of course – and magically connect to her animal charges. I’m able to tap into the magic of friendship in a passive way – thanks to my Element – but Unicorns are active spellcasters. So we can actively manipulate magic to, oh I dunno, pick up a broom and sweep up, or reorganise messy shelves.”

Harding was amazed. “That’s incredible. We’ll come visit you when we get home, and you need to show us your magic. Ian and I would love to see it.”

“Absolutely we would,” Malcolm agreed. “That’s nothing short of miraculous. But it – uh....” He paused again, trying to make sense of his thoughts. “So that’s how your magic works. But from what I understand of Equestrians, you can’t use magic here on Earth.”

“I thought so, too... until we did use it.”

“We?”

“Yeah...” Twilight sighed again, looking up at Fluttershy resting. “We’ve both used magic on the island here. I didn’t want to tell you because we’ve all had so much more to worry about, and Fluttershy and I weren’t hurt when it happened...” She drew a heavy breath.

Malcolm implored. “You must tell us what happened.”

Twilight took a moment before going to speak. “I teleported us away from a large, angry carnivore – that’s how we escaped from – Dodgson...” She trailed off as his name hung heavily in the air.

“And Flutters innately connected with the Rexes.” Harding wasn’t asking a question so much as making a statement.

“I think so,” Twilight replied. “I... think so.”

The implication of that hung even heavier than the mention of Dodgson.

Nopony spoke for a little while, the sounds of the jungle ringing out in the night. It had since stopped raining and despite being soaked through, the party remained sat down next to Fluttershy. Nearby, Thorne and Levine could be heard chatting about something – likely something to do with the wrecked RV, Twilight thought – but thankfully they seemed to have stopped arguing.

Malcolm was the first to break the silence. “Twilight...” He began slowly, deeply massaging his temple. “I don’t – I don’t know if I can stomach the Rexes again.”

“But we have to, Ian.” Twilight spoke with absolute conviction and Malcolm immediately picked up on that; their eyes met and he saw a real, pure, genuine concern in her features. “We need to resolve the Tyrannosaur’s issues, for Fluttershy. She needs this.”

“Yes – I know, but it’s more than that. This goes against every fiber of my being. Academic or otherwise. May I explain?”

“Well—”

“We’ve already run into a family of Rexes once, and survived.” Malcolm had evidently let his mind run away with him; he spoke quickly, pointedly. “We were lucky, absolutely. Any more exposure to the Rexes will only tip the scales in favour of chaos. We humans are a species that a Tyrannosaurus was never supposed to see – indeed, this is true of ponykind I’m sure. Here, in the wild, the more we come into contact with it, the more chance we run of creating imbalance. These – these genetic monsters must already see us as prey items. The raptors, the Carnotaurs, the Rexes. Why else would they hunt us so doggedly? Any more time and we’ll only reinforce that feeling. And there’s clearly something going on here, with InGen’s involvement. Do we want to be the reason that these animals learn that humanity and ponykind are suitable, easy prey? Especially if InGen are planning to use these dinosaurs for something, elsewhere?”

“I’m...not sure I’m quite following you—”

“—And also, I’ve – uh – seen this before.” Malcolm was getting short of breath. His speech was quicker and his eyes wider. He turned to face Twilight. “On Isla Nublar.” Distantly he could feel Harding’s hand squeeze his leg in gentle support. “You know what happened there, of course. We all know how that ended. I can’t go through that again. I have no shame in saying that I am petrified of Tyrannosaurs. I just – I can’t do it again.”

After a moment of silence, Twilight spoke again.

“We’ll rescue that Tyrannosaur chick, Ian. I believe in you, I know you can do it.” She smiled warmly; at first he seemed stone-cold to the idea but Harding echoed her sentiments and slowly she saw him begin to come round. She could, once again, feel the magic of friendship beginning to work. “Together, we can do this. And we’ll find out exactly what’s going on with InGen. Of course it’ll be tough, and the enormous dinosaurs are terrifying... But we can do this, together.”

Malcolm looked down at his hand; subconsciously he’d gripped Harding’s hand tight. Then he looked towards Twilight, keeping a tight hold of Harding. “Perhaps you’re right. Perhaps we can—”

“No.” The group turned; Levine and Thorne had come into the clearing. Levine was sheepish and small, keeping out of the way. Thorne, however, stood tall, staring wildly at the ponies and scientists before him. “We are sure-as-hell not rescuing any dinosaur from anyone.”

There was a tense stalemate, only broken as Harding slowly rose to her feet. “Jack—”

“Don’t ‘Jack’ me, Sarah. You or anyone.” He spoke hotly, sharply. “I am about to tell you all how it is, and you’re all going to listen.” He snorted. “Before, this was a dangerous expedition. Then we allowed Dodgson to be introduced to our sphere, and now, because of that, two people are dead. Two people are dead, and our only defence from prehistoric monsters has been destroyed. ‘But Jack, what about the SUV?’” I hear you ask.” He shot daggers at Levine before continuing his tirade. “The SUV will offer fuck-all protection from a dinosaur. You saw those Rexes. Nothing’s stopping those. Raptors could easily jump in and kill us. And Christ-knows whatever else. So—”

“I think we’ve heard enough,” Malcolm said forcefully, finding his own feet. “I think—”

“You may think to sit down before I make you,” Thorne boomed, stunning everyone. His eyes flared. “So, as I was saying. We are so far up shit creek without so much as a paddle. And you all want to make this a thousand times worse by following two of the biggest, most infamous hunters planet Earth has ever seen and rescue their baby?! Do you not hear how ridiculous those words sound? It’s – it’s—” he gesticulated wildly – “complete and utter lunacy—”

“How dare you?!” came a voice from behind, and all parties turned to see Fluttershy standing – clearly fatigued and uneasy on her hooves, but standing upright nonetheless. As she spoke she glowered, moving menacingly towards Thorne with wide, cutting eyes. “How dare you have the gall to swear and shout at your friends? To try and tear us apart because you don’t agree with the right thing to do?” Without thinking her brow lowered as she reached the man. “I understand that we are all scared but this is not the way to deal with that issue. At. All.” With a flap of her wings she pulled herself to Thorne’s height, her forehooves resting upon his shoulders, eyes inches from eyes. She was staring most intensely at him. “We need to reunite the dinosaur family because we need to look after all creatures, clones or not. They still feel as you do. So we will help them. But don’t you ever, ever try and make anypony feel terrible about a choice because you’re scared of it, and don’t you ever shy away from helping your friends. Do you understand me?”

The group watched in sheer dumbstruck silence as Thorne remained frozen in position, clearly unable to find any words or any response to the unexpected confrontation.

“That’s what I thought.” With a heave and a snort Fluttershy gracelessly fell back to all-fours before collapsing back under the makeshift shelter; immediately Twilight and Harding had come to her aid again.

After an uneasily lengthy passage of time Malcolm sat down, cracking a wry smile. “Doc, you’ve just felt the full force of the Element of Kindness using magic against you.” He chuckled. “And what a show, too. Maybe – ah – maybe take a seat.” He patted the log next to him, and wordlessly Thorne sat, Levine in tow. “Gentlemen. I made a very strong argument not to follow these creatures.” The wise-cracking Malcolm had gone; he pressed on with grave concern. “But Fluttershy and Twilight are right. Clones, monsters, whatever. They are still alive, and they require help from us. Left alone, who knows what InGen will do with their chick. And – and – as much as I am against interfering with nature’s pre-existing plan, I am even more against cruelty to animalia – and so too should you be.” Malcolm looked up into the murky jungle as he allowed a pause. “Perhaps we should consider bringing the SUV over and gathering ourselves soon. Fluttershy’s weak but will be fine, and I’m sick of sitting here on this log."

* * * *

The rain had been hammering away since sundown; the jungle sodden and the air thick and hot. The usual distant calls that echoed across the treetops were silenced – instead, the persistent and loud drumming and splashing from the skies created its own soundscape. That, and the determined honking from the little Tyrannosaur chick below them in the clearing. A tense atmosphere was brewing with the distressing sounds and persistent rainfall, something that did not go unnoticed by Ludlow, Tembo, and their royal Griffon entourage.

The four conscious souls had been laying in wait for quite some time now and the Tsar grew ever restless, much to the concern of Ludlow. Chatter had been hushed and minimal, Ludlow’s attempts to defuse the tension being met with rebuffal from both Tsar Gavrel and Grigorii. Characteristically, Tembo remained silent and vigil, staring intently into the marshy opening that spread before them.

It was Tsar Gavrel who broke Tembo from his spell. “Please, Hunter,” he offered quietly. “I am interested to know your take on this somewhat stale situation. We have been waiting now for hours, and have yet to see anything even closely resembling a super-predator.”

“You have my word that you will get what you came for,” Ludlow began with a start, before Tembo interrupted him in knowing fashion.

“My take is fairly straightforward, Your Highness.” His focus returned to the clearing. “Firstly, I know that Mr Ludlow here is correct, and you will get what you came here for. But we must all understand that you will get a sighting of this mysterious ‘super-predator’ on its own terms. If I’m honest, I imagine said creature has been in close proximity to us this whole time. Likely it is eyeing us up as we speak.” Tembo smirked to himself as he saw both the Griffons intensely scanning the dark foliage. “I digress. You might be wondering why the animal has yet to appear and attack the baby Tyrannosaur?”

“The smell,” Grigorii uttered before the Tsar could reply. “The baby smells like its parents.”

“Correct. And Tyrannosaurs are social animals. Where there is baby, there is mother. She is absolutely tracking her young, and likely has crossed the sizeable island relatively quickly for an eight ton monster herself. With respect, Your Highness, we must be patient.” Tembo paused. “With that said, I feel we won’t have much longer to wait.”

Tsar Gavrel had listened closely to Tembo, attentively drinking in his wizened nature. “Excellent,” he replied contentedly. “Then we shall wait.”

Author's Note

Firstly, thank you all so much for your patience. It's not been the easiest six months for me (there's a blog post on my profile should you wish to know more) but I'm glad to finally have another chapter of The Lost Ponies up. Enjoy reading as many characters lose their minds. Til next time! Thank you all.

16 - Tipping The Scales

The rain had finally let up as Thorne found himself hovering aimlessly alongside the SUV. He was some distance from the others and in this solitude – with only the sounds of distant creatures and nearby buzzing insects audible – he was able to do a great deal of thinking. Or, at least, he was able to try and think. His head was far from clear and his patience had been tested to its breaking point; this alongside the ever-present threat of something springing a predatory ambush made short work of his mental capacity. Indeed, Thorne knew he was in a bad way and the horrible, horrible evening felt like a watershed moment for his time on Isla Sorna but for all the wrong reasons. He could deny it no longer: he had broken down and had nothing more to give. His resolve, his trademark thick skin and rough edges, had been worn away to the point that he could hardly think straight. In any other circumstance he’d power through and look for the positives but he simply couldn’t do it, not now. There were no positives. He was stuck on the infernal hellhole with a team that seemed to make up its purpose as it went along. He had barely any technology, hardly any defences, and now, no trusted colleagues. Truly these were hard times, and Thorne felt its weight in full. He was so very exhausted and his brain was mired in replaying the events of the night in his head, a vicious, self-sustaining cycle which did him no good whatsoever. Over and over again he watched the team bringing Dodgson back to the trailer – something which he’d made very clear would spell disaster – and over and over again he watched as the Tyrannosaurs followed Dodgson and ripped the trailer apart. He was proven right in that instance but so wished he hadn’t have been. He’d told Malcolm this in no uncertain terms; hell, he had been critical of most of Levine’s crackpot ideas too. And the ponies...

Thorne sighed heavily.

He couldn’t work them out; less so could he work out everyone’s apparent blind faith in their abilities and judgment calls. Thorne was no fool - he knew exactly how prestigious and important they were, not simply to their own kind but to all humanity. But these were hardly regular circumstances. So far as he could tell, they were just as equal as himself or anyone else marooned on Isla Sorna. No amount of prestige or magical whatnot counted for anything anymore. This island made sure of that. The situation had become one of survival and only sensible, thought-out steps would allow them to achieve this. Not compassion, nor the ‘magic of friendship’, or anything of the sort. It only clouded clear judgment and Thorne couldn’t allow that to happen. And yet, he was still following the team in their dangerous, frankly unnecessary, endeavours.

But now, thanks to going along with the popular vote, Thorne had watched two people die.

Fuck, he cursed. Eddie, I’m sorry...

Thorne blinked once, twice, actively fighting his own mind. He could feel it beginning to unravel, getting foggy and directionless – certainly the last thing he needed in this situation. But as mentally weak as he had become Thorne automatically found himself fighting the complete shut-down. He was broken but he was intuitive and inherently forceful. He would not succumb to this; he was a man of action, always moving forward and working. That would get him through, he thought. And he certainly was not about to lose his head over all this. The situation he found himself in did not – could not – allow for overwhelming grief or emotional collapse; that time would surely come when he was safe at home. Only then could he truly begin the process of grieving. And so, fending off a total mental breakdown, Thorne leant heavily against the truck and focussed on his breathing. He did not cry, nor scream or curse. Instead, he remained very still, thinking of Eddie and thinking of home.

Slowly Thorne found himself grounded once again; with this he pushed aside any thoughts of Eddie and sprung to work, readying the jeep. Everything looked in order and the vehicle’s limited systems seemed to be sound and working. At least something is still functioning. He scoffed. Unlike ourselves. For all his worth, Thorne was unable to fathom why everyone agreed that their next move would be to pursue the giant Tyrannosaurs. They all knew how dangerous and downright terrifying two pissed-off, territorial Rexes could be. And yet, still, everyone opted to interfere with the whole mess. It seemed nothing short of preposterous to Thorne, especially as the team comprised of Ian Malcolm, the sensible realist who knew the dangers of overexposure to these creatures better than anyone, and Levine, himself insistent that nobody break the barrier between observation and interference. It left him truly baffled and indeed, the only conclusion he was able to draw was a simple one: The Equestrians are brainwashing us. He knew the others would call him mad for thinking such a thing, but he could see no other reason why everyone would choose such a dangerous path of action given the circumstances. Thorne wasn’t entirely sure if Fluttershy and Twilight had planned to manipulate everyone else’s minds, or whether it was just a by-product of their magical prowess, but the more he thought about it the more he found himself believing that they had done something to everyone here.

Thorne found himself replaying Fluttershy’s outburst in his head. She had been a quiet, generally quite reserved type since he’d met her - sure, she was evidently very intelligent and knew a whole lot about animals. But of all those present she had been the most insistent they all go on a suicide march towards the Rexes - to the point of having a temper tantrum over it. It was infantile, really; Thorne really couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t listen to actual reason. Thorne understood that he had made his point quite aggressively but he was tired and emotionally spent beyond all belief, and in light of this he thought everyone else would understand his frustration. But hindsight was truly very clear; he could perhaps have persuaded everyone not to pursue the Rexes in a much less apoplectic manner, but despite this he knew his core point rung loud and true and why Fluttershy wouldn’t even entertain the notion made little sense to him.

What made even less sense to him was the fact that her outburst seemed to have worked. Immediately after she shouted him down, Thorne felt nothing inside: no fire towards the absurdity of the plan unravelling before him, no anger at everyone, nothing. No, Fluttershy had roared at him with wide, unblinking eyes, and it seemed to have affected his own fierce resolve. Whether she had sucked all of the negative energy out of him – or brainwashed me – or something else, he wasn’t sure - he mused that he’d likely never know for certain. But he didn’t much care right now because it really wasn’t important. He could think about any potential mind-games later. All Thorne knew for certain was that he could not change the events of the past and his immediate future belonged to the team and not himself.

Not that I’m happy about that, at all –

“You say something?”

Thorne jolted; it wasn’t often he allowed himself to be caught off-guard but Harding had crept up on him without a word, and worryingly quietly. If he couldn’t hear her approaching, who knows what else he couldn’t hear coming...

“Uh, sorry. Been a little distracted.”

“I can see that.” Harding moved alongside him, sitting down and leaning against the SUV. “I get that you’re struggling, Jack.”

“You’re goddamn right I am.” He slumped down alongside Harding. “None of this makes any sense to me anymore and I don’t know what we’re doing here.”

Harding nodded slowly. “We’re surviving, and the only way we can do that is together—”

“So everyone keeps saying,” Thorne spat, immediately wincing at the tone of his own voice. “Ach, I’m sorry Sarah. I shouldn’t be taking this out on you. Or the Equestrians, really.” He massaged his temples once, twice. “Yeah. We are surviving, but just. And following the most dangerous residents of this shithole seems like we’re signing our own death warrant. Look at the night we’ve had...” He trailed off, feeling Harding’s hand distantly on his shoulder.

“Stay with us, Jack. You got this. We got this.”

“You don’t need to win me over... I’ve already accepted my fate. We’re following those Tyrannosaurs and I can’t change that. Clearly it’s fucking with Fluttershy’s head and Twilight is gonna defend her best friend ‘til the end. As she should. But all we’d have to do is just – just – leave the place, and it’d be all right.”

“Would it? Surely we know too much. This is gonna chase us for the rest of our days if we leave now. And we’re part of a select group of very, very few people who are in a position to bring stability back to this ecosystem.”

Thorne snorted. “You’ve been dating Ian for far too long, you’re starting to sound like him. I’ve heard that self-righteous morality before.”

“Good one. Glad to see your sense of humour is intact.” Harding smirked. “But you know I’m right.”

“I don’t think you are, actually. I could leave right now and leave this behind me, no problem. That’d be fine by me. Return back to my old life in Montana, sounds great.” He looked up at Harding, holding her eyes. “I don’t need this in my life, Sarah, and things would be immeasurably better if I left now.” He sighed. “But I can’t exactly just leave right now, so I do need you guys. Shit, after seeing what went down with Eddie... We don’t survive these jungles on our own. So I’m part of this crazy mission even if I don’t want to be.” Thorne paused, taking a long swig from his hipflask. “Listen,” he began again, wiping his mouth and slipping the flask away. “I do not agree with what we’re about to do and I certainly do not agree with the motives. For the record, I’m not sure I particularly agree with the ponies being here at all, and I don’t think I like them much either. I dunno. I’m just not sold on ‘em. But right now that doesn’t matter, because I can’t change the fact that we’re all stuck here whether we like it or not. So I will deal with it all. For now.”

“I can’t convince you to come round on the girls at all,” Harding offered more as a statement than a question. “But all I can offer is support, Jack. We’ve all got your back, and we will get off this island. Together.”

Thorne stood uneasily, taking another swig from the hipflask. “I hope you’re right,” he said, with one final look-around. Finally he stepped aboard the SUV. “I’m done talking though, Sarah. I just wanna get things moving. The more action we take, the closer we become to finding a way out of here. So shall we get this circus on the road, or what?”

“Sounds good to me.” Harding smiled. “I’ll round up the others; hold tight for a sec.”

With that, Harding made the short journey to the clearing where the team were waiting. She moved determinedly through the dense undergrowth more on autopilot than anything; her own thoughts were very much elsewhere. She thought of Ian, himself struggling to come to terms with the impending expedition. She thought of Fluttershy and Twilight, barely propping one another up in this horrific, frightening alien landscape. How the past week’s events must have sullied their opinion of Earth, and how this whole mess would affect them in the long-term. Harding thought of Thorne; truly a broken man at this point. His closest friend lost to the Rexes, his infallible resolve shattered by that of the ponies and the island. She thought briefly of herself – so very frightened but even more exhausted. Keeping up a strong front for the others – specifically Ian and Fluttershy – was a real test of her mettle, but inherently Harding felt that it was the right thing to do. Her immediate focus was very much on the others, to ensure everyone and everypony kept their head above the water.

Harding stopped just behind a large tree as she felt her head spin briefly. Even she had to admit to herself that all of this was a bit too much. As she steadied herself she cast aside thoughts of panic and unease; they had made it this far and she steadfastly believed in the strength of the team. She knew that they would pull through. But Christ if it wasn’t exhausting...

]Summoning her wits Harding pressed on, shortly finding the others. She was met with a reasonably idyllic sight; Fluttershy seemed to have regained her strength and was laying chatting fairly animatedly to Levine, occasionally stopping to collect herself. She’s clearly still struggling with the Rexes. Twilight and Malcolm were quietly discussing something academic, but the important thing is that they seemed a lot brighter than before. Quickly she caught Malcolm’s eye and he faltered mid-rhythm with Twilight, excusing himself and standing gently.

“Sarah...” He pulled her into a hug. “Is Jack okay?”

“No,” she replied quietly. “He’s not. But he will be alright. Just be patient with him and give him space, mkay?”

“Sure.” They untangled from one another. “So, uhh, is he coming here, or...?”

“He’s ready to go, actually, we should go find him soon.” Harding looked over to Fluttershy, who had herself – along with Levine – turned attention to the hushed discussion. “Hey, ‘Shy. How you feeling?” Harding moved over, kneeling by her head.

“Oh, um... Better. Thank you.” Fluttershy was meek, one eye covered by her mane. “Is Mister Thorne alright? I really shouted at him...”

“You certainly did!” Levine blurted with a smirk.

“Richard, please.” Harding sighed. “Sorry, Flutters. Well... yeah, you unloaded on him for sure. But he needed to be told.” She paused, glancing back at Malcolm. “Jack’s in a bad way and needs his space right now. But he’s agreed to help us and look for the Tyrannosaurus chick, which is good. So long as we’re together – that’s what’s important right now. He’ll drive the SUV where we need it, but we’d better be fairly gentle with him.”

“Of course.” Fluttershy looked up, locking eyes with Harding after a pause. “I feel like he resents Twilight and I, and I’m not sure I like that.”

Harding was taken aback slightly; Fluttershy had been far more forward than she was anticipating. On top of that she was, to some degree, right – Thorne was beginning to begrudge having her and Twilight around. But now was hardly the time to bring that up as far as she could see; rather, diplomacy would need to win out. “He resents being here more than anything.” Without thinking she placed a hand on Fluttershy’s shoulder, speaking softly. “We’ll figure the rest out later, but right now we need to focus. Is that okay with you?”

Fluttershy nodded quietly. “I think so. Yes, um, maybe we should just press on for now.” Instinct told her to press for more information about what Thorne had said – she knew there was something Harding wasn’t telling her – but she could see that the situation called for the team to keep moving. Personal issues could be ironed out later, and she made a mental note to catch Thorne at a more peaceful time. Attempting to summon her inner focus, Fluttershy offered a half-grin; her warmth was genuine but she was still mentally very hazy indeed. “It was me that demanded we go and help the parents, after all. I can still feel some sort of connection to them too, so we should probably make use of that...”

“Good to see you smiling,” Malcolm offered from behind them. Uneasily he lowered himself to his haunches, now level with the two ponies and Harding. “And yeah, you’re – you’re right, you did push for us to do something about the kidnapping of the baby. As I think about it, we’ve all acted on a kidnapping before so there’s no reason why we shouldn’t again.” He smirked as he glanced at Levine. “So, ah, as much as I can’t believe I’m about to say this, shall we follow two enormous carnivores into the wild and see what we can do about their chick?”

Surprisingly it was Levine who was the first to take action. He stood – wincing slightly as he put pressure on his leg – but moved with intent, announcing to the others that he too was ready. As he gathered up his things everyone else moved to collect themselves – everypony apart from Fluttershy, herself not quite as mentally sharp and present as the others. She held position on the ground, laying fairly steadily but staring off into the dark treeline before her, thoughts dancing idly between the rift between Thorne and herself, and the abject horror of the night they had just experienced.

Fluttershy went to sigh as she sensed the others moving around but no audible noise escaped her; she had little energy left to offer. It had been so, so long since her ability and constitution had been tested to these extremes – images of Tirek appeared in her mind, and she winced – but she’d pulled through that, and she knew she could pull through this too, with the support of her friends. It was this Twilight-inspired train of thought that brought her back to reality. She smiled to herself as she felt somepony looking at her; with a turn of her head she could see Twilight trotting over. She chuckled lightly as Twilight wordlessly winked at her, gesturing with her head to move. With that Fluttershy stood, musing that her dear friend’s magic was stronger than anypony here could ever quite imagine, and she joined her best friend in the short trot to the SUV.

“I thought you could use a moment to think,” Twilight said finally, breaking the peaceful quiet.

“Thank you.” Fluttershy smiled. “I was just thinking about how hard this all is, but how we’re going to be alright.”

“I think so, too.” Twilight paused for a moment, trailing off into silence once more. The gentle brushing of foliage and distant calls of dinosaurs was soothing and she allowed herself to forget just what everypony was about to undergo. This snapshot in time was a world away from the serious low points of their experience so far; she thought it strange how one relatively small island could offer such beauty and such terror at the same time. A quick cold chill ran down her spine and Twilight opted to focus on the beauty of Isla Sorna as much as she could.

“So, Fluttershy...” Levine’s voice came from ahead of the two ponies – louder than either of them would have liked – and they both pricked up as he addressed them. “What exactly can you feel from the Rexes? I understand you might still feel delicate but I figure we ought to know what to expect.”

“No, you are right...It’s only faint, but it is there. Richard, I don’t know what we can expect but all I do know right now is that they’re both very desperate to see their chick, and that they’re both very determined to make it happen.” Fluttershy was quick to respond.

“Right.” Levine nodded slowly as the group approached the SUV. Fluttershy hadn’t exactly told him anything he didn’t already suspect and placing the team’s entire expectations upon her shoulders seemed a little risky; despite this he pressed on with characteristic faith. “If and when you feel anything more please do keep us informed and we’ll do all that we can to help you. Now, you know I’d rather not get involved with these animals but Ludlow and Dodgson have crossed so many lines with everything here that we really don’t have a choice. Moreover, I’m not about to see any of these creatures abused at their hands and so you have my full support.” He smiled warmly at Fluttershy, glancing back between her and Twilight. “Both of you.”

“Thank you, that’s very kind.” It was about all Fluttershy could manage – Levine was making her inherently uneasy in light of the circumstances, but she noticed he seemed to be satisfied with her response. As the others boarded the SUV and made light chatter she paused, turning to Twilight quickly. “I have a feeling that this is going to be particularly challenging and hardly anything like looking after Angel Bunny. Twilight, I’m going to need your support here. More than anypony right now.”

“You’ve got this, Fluttershy.” Twilight pulled her into a quick embrace. “Of course it’s gonna be hard, but you’re exactly the pony for the job. And we’ve got each other, and the support of our friends here.” Briefly she held Fluttershy’s gaze; in that moment the pair communicated both a steely resolve and a deep underlying fear. “We’ll be okay.”

“You’re right... Thank you.”

“Ladies, I – ah – hate to interrupt, but could we perhaps make tracks? I’m anxious to get underway.”

“Of course, Doctor Malcolm.” Twilight hopped in, offering a helping hoof as Fluttershy joined her in the back. The SUV was overcrowded and it was tight with so many bodies inside, but Twilight was able to zone out for a moment; she briefly made out Levine and Thorne discussing heading back to the wrecked RV to work out where to go from there, but their voices were so distant. As she felt the SUV pull away, she glanced over at Fluttershy – herself wide-eyed and vacant, clearly trying to focus on the magical connection she’d made – and satisfied that she all seemed alright, Twilight closed her eyes.

She was too exhausted to mull over the growing divide between Thorne and the group; she could give no energy to thinking about the absolute danger in which she was headed. No, in that moment, all she could do was close her eyes, and rest.

* * * *

Twilight awoke with a start as the SUV lurched aggressively forward. She had no idea quite how long she’d been out but that realisation in itself – on top of the shock of waking so suddenly – added to the adrenaline that had begun to pump around her system. Instinctively she looked around wide-eyed, ensuring that everypony was there and safe. Thankfully all seemed in order and she felt her shoulders loosen. Okay. We’re all here...

“Twilight...” Fluttershy’s voice emanated so very quietly from beside her; she turned to look and through the dark night she could see the strain on Fluttershy’s features. “You’re awake.”

“Yeah – are you okay? What’s happening?”

“I – the Rexes –” Fluttershy paused and Twilight could only watch on as she clamped her eyes shut, hissing as she gripped the seat in front of her. “Something’s going on and I can feel it all, and it’s so horrible.” Slowly Fluttershy was able to steady herself enough to speak.

“Is there anything I can do, or...?”

Wordlessly Fluttershy shook her head, glassy eyes betraying more than a hint of pain.

“I’m here if you need me.”

“Yeah.” With a deep breath Fluttershy found what little strength she could and called forward. “They’re further to the north. Head north.”

“Gotcha,” came Levine’s voice from the front. “You heard her, Jack.”

“Mmhmm.” With little more than an acknowledging grunt Thorne followed the instruction; the SUV turned down into a narrow track. The shrubbery was particularly dense and the going became quite slow indeed.

Fluttershy, more than anypony onboard, keenly felt the struggle that the team were undergoing as progress was halted. She stared emptily into the dark night as the sodden ferns lashed against the windows. It’s almost as if the forest itself wants us to stay away from the dinosaurs. But as soon as this Malcolm-like thought occurred to her, the incessant nausea and splitting headache struck again immediately and sharply, soon removing any doubt that had begun to take hold. But this attack was different. As her vision blurred and colours danced across her field of view, Fluttershy expected panic but it did not come. Instead a deep-set primal rage had established itself within her – a vicious rage and desperation to fight replaced any prior sense of fear. Indeed, she didn’t know what was happening, but she knew that something was happening with both the Rex adults.

The SUV suddenly skidded; Thorne wrestled the wheel and found purchase in grip. With a lurch the jeep moved forward and Fluttershy winced as the ever-present headache was made immeasurably worse by the motion.

“Tough goin’,” came Thorne’s flat comment from the front.

“No kidding.” Levine huffed, betraying his frustrations as he turned back to everyone. “Hang in there, all. Fluttershy, are we closing in, or...?” Immediately it was apparent that Fluttershy was in no fit state to talk and he excused himself as Twilight nodded on her behalf.

Silence befell the group as Thorne wrestled the SUV along the narrow track. Not a soul said a word; there was little need for communication at this point. All present knew that they had to simply keep following the track, head on due course, unless Fluttershy made it clear they needed to change heading. But that never came – a long silence hung over them all as the jeep forced its way along the track.]

What seemed like a lifetime passed until finally the vehicle burst out onto a wider track and immediately Fluttershy recognised the area. She could barely see in the dim moonlight – the cloud cover, though thick, would intermittently break – but there was something about this track that was familiar. She gazed idly at the treeline and then it hit her: this was the Triceratops track from a few days ago. The destroyed shrubbery, the stripped-bark trees...

A thought occurred to her in that moment; one which she did not share with the group but feared might be a reality. The desperation she felt the Rexes exhibiting, the primal rage, the something else occurring...

“Follow the track left, and fast,” she uttered. She winced again as a magical spike hit her but Fluttershy could feel the SUV turning and a new feeling: that of Twilight’s wide eyes staring at her own. She looked up and sensed Twilight’s concern. “Something’s happened with the Triceratops,” she said oh so quietly as she watched Twilight’s features sharpen. “I don’t know what, though.”

It did not take long for the group to discover the truth as the SUV slid quickly to a halt. “Shit,” came Levine’s voice from the front of the vehicle as he stared agape into the gloom and all eyes followed suit: there, lying in the middle of the track and illuminated by the jeep’s headlights was the body of one of the Rexes and all the hallmarks of a most intense struggle.

For a moment there was no movement or speech as all parties sat, utterly dumbfounded by what lay before them. One of two alpha predators, its territory surely the most sizeable of all creatures on the island, brought down by something. It was certainly a great deal for all to process and eventually it was Harding who made the first move as she slipped wordlessly outside, followed immediately by Levine and Fluttershy herself. Malcolm offered a meek resistance to leaving the jeep but shortly followed suit.

“This is fresh,” Harding said emptily as she moved closer to the Rex. “This guy’s been killed very recently.”

“Yeah.” Levine pointed to its neck. “See that? Massive puncture wound. Gotta be—”

“Triceratops,” Fluttershy blurted. She was stood some ways back from the others and they turned as she approached slowly, her eyes not once leaving the body of the Rex. “Twilight and I were here a few days ago and we met the Triceratops herd. There were some big ones but the matriarch would have been the only one big enough to do – this...” She trailed off, fighting her chaotic senses inside as she felt Twilight approach. “But I don’t know why she’d feel the need to actually kill the Rex. They shouldn’t even have crossed paths.” Wordlessly Fluttershy placed a hoof on the hide of the animal and a powerful sensation ran through her – for a moment it was almost too much to bear but it left as quickly as it came. In that following moment of odd serenity she could feel two certainties: firstly that the mother Rex was a little hurt but still alive and determined, if not more desperate than before. Secondly she could feel the presence of the baby Rex, now stronger than before – she surmised this must be due to the mother Rex having pushed through the boundary of the Triceratops herd.

Immediately after these two certainties were revealed to her the emotional weight of seeing the dead bull Rex hit her in full, and she sat so quietly alongside the body of the animal. She wanted to howl to the heavens and curse this awful island for creating an ecosystem that was evidently slowly killing itself, but she was too tired of crying, and too empty to scream. Instead she sat with wide, hollow eyes casting their sorrow across the massive form.

Twilight finally broke the silence. “Fluttershy—”

“They should never have even seen one another,” came her curt response as she quickly locked eyes with Twilight. “Their territories were on opposite ends of the island. This should never have happened.”

Slowly Malcolm crouched alongside, his own gaze focussed on the Tyrannosaur. He could see the Equestrians acknowledge his arrival. “You’re right,” he said quietly. “These two families should never have come across one another.” He sighed. “What you’re seeing here, before you right now, is absolute proof of chaos theory. The scales in this ecosystem – delicately balanced at the edge of chaos – have been tipped by the introduction of humans and Equestrians. And, thanks to that, this creature has been killed.” Malcolm sighed again, hands gesturing widely and betraying more than a hint of frustration. “Needlessly killed.” He trailed off, a heavy pause weighing on the group.

Fluttershy was acutely aware of the others behind her, slowly moving towards the downed animal and examining the clearing before them. She too could feel the empathy emanating powerfully from Twilight and the concern from Malcolm but above all else came a new sensory signature: that of the Triceratops youngster and the matriarch. For all of a moment they flared up inside her, coursing above the instinctual rage of the Tyrannosaur mother and her own growing despondency to shine clearly and brightly. She could sense the young herbivore, alive – frightened, but alive – and the matriarch herself, now worse for wear but also still alive. This fleeting magical connection went some way to settling her mind but as quickly as it was there it was gone – the silence of reality almost deafening as Fluttershy came round. For a moment she stared dumbfounded at the massive corpse before quickly getting to her hooves once more. She went to head back to the SUV but held herself before committing, attracting Twilight’s attention. “They’re okay, y’know.”

“Who?”

“The Triceratops herd. I was scared that the baby would have been hurt but he’s okay. And his mother, too. I felt it.”

“Well that’s something.” Twilight smiled, but even she could feel how small it must have looked. “We’d better continue,” she continued, eyes locked with Fluttershy as she received a wordless nod. “Ian, Sarah, Richard... we’d like to press on.”

“A wise move,” Levine said simply. “Much though I’d love to learn about the familial nature of a Triceratops herd following the loss of one of their own... I feel that we have rather more pressing issues at hand.” Levine slung his sack back into the SUV, helping the others in.

With one last glance back at the enormous Tyrannosaur corpse as the jeep pulled away, Levine sat quietly, a growing unease building within him.

Who knows what we’re about to find.

Author's Note

Hello again! Here's the obligatory "thanks for your patience" message - it's been a good few months since the previous update, but life has been very hectic this summer. However, I've finally found the time to get this squared away and it feels good.

Do enjoy - gonna work on the next chapter as soon as. Thanks again, all. :)

17 - Tyrannosaurus Rex

The stillness and inky blackness of the night had seemingly drawn on forever, but when suddenly the baby Tyrannosaur began to fidget and honk Ludlow’s heart began to beat faster and harder. Finally, after being cramped away in the uncomfortable, cold, wet high-hide for far too long, he was able to appropriately showcase the work of InGen to people – nay, investors – who appreciated what they were seeing. And, quite frankly, it was about time too. He had grown weary of the hammering rain, Tembo’s outright awkward aura, and the Griffon’s overly intense presence. But none of that mattered as soon as the Tyrannosaur chick sprung into action.

Excitedly Ludlow drew his gaze away from the clearing below, just for a moment, to gauge the reaction of his company. It was much as he’d anticipated; both Griffons were glued to the baby Rex beneath them and Tembo was giving nothing away whatsoever. But Ludlow was a businessman, a man of intuition – he could feel the charged atmosphere in the high-hide.

From the gloom there then came an eerie moan, echoing across the treeline so very loudly. Ludlow knew she was close but there was something in the animal’s call that put him at a much higher level of anticipation. Never mind the fact that he’d seen this very creature before, never mind the fact that his own family’s business created the damned thing; an approaching adult Tyrannosaurs was still an adult Tyrannosaurus. Her call was distant, but it was clear, clear enough to electrify the surroundings and send the already agitated juvenile into a fit of honking and crying. Ludlow watched as the chick began excitedly jerking and thrashing what little mass it had against its restraints.

“Mother is on her way,” Tembo whispered, readying his rifle.

Such a statement was obvious to all those present and yet Tembo still felt he’d made an impact by voicing it. Uneasy tension weighed heavily upon him – he was lucky to have sedated the mother Tyrannosaurus when ushering Dodgson and his crew about but he knew that lady luck seldom offered second chances. Should anything not go to plan he and the entourage would be in great danger indeed. And who knew what the introduction of this secret new predator would bring – for a moment the works of Ian Malcolm and Chaos Theory crossed his mind. But he guffawed, regaining his focus. A wandering mind in the wilds is how hunters get killed.

Conversation was now non-existent, all four conscious figures analysing each sound and movement. The clouds hung low and the night felt close but through it the occasional moan and rumble would echo and ring out. It also seemed to those present that the distant treeline would bristle here and there but the wind had all but died – likely this movement betrayed something else moving through the brush.

Suddenly – and after an uneasily long period of inactivity – a loud trumpet was heard very close by, the sound of creaking trees and brushing foliage echoing across the night. It was very apparent to everyone that the mother Rex had arrived.

“There,” Tembo mouthed as he gestured with his head. All eyes followed, and sure enough, some twenty five feet below were falling palms and heavy footsteps. And then, tentatively, she pushed her way out of the treeline: the Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Ludlow found himself unable to think quite straight for a moment, all professional and conscious thought escaping him. Beneath him stood the most famed alpha predator to have ever existed – nothing short of a breathtaking sight. Something primitive in his brain took over, disabling cognitive thought, but just for a moment. And when he found himself able to snap out of this bizarre trance he assumed control once again, turning to see the Griffon’s reactions. He was more than pleasantly surprised to see Tsar Gavrel’s wide eyes, unblinking, hawkishly focussed onto the massive carnivore. Clearly the Tyrannosaurus had the same effect on Griffonkind as she did on humankind. He smiled to himself as he noticed Gavrel’s beak hanging ever so slightly open.

With a low rumble – one that shook the entire clearing and the high-hide – the mother Rex gingerly took a single step forward, tearing its own sight away from her young and quickly looking around at the jungle. It was evident that she had picked up on something else nearby – something which made the massive animal quite nervous.

Grigorii was transfixed by the proximity to the enormous predator. The night was dark, that much was true, but they were so close that he could discern her thick scaly hide, he could see the rows of teeth in the powerful, massive jaws; he could see her yellow eyes, darting to and fro, but always coming to focus on her own offspring. Truly, she was a magnificent creature. Her presence was nothing short of commanding and the more he stared the more he lost himself in her. It was like he was back on Ludlow’s yacht, observing her through the binoculars. Only this time, there were no binoculars; she was so close he could almost have touched her. “She is beautiful,” Grigorii whispered as he and the others watched the adult slowly strain her neck forward, sniffing the surroundings. Then – suddenly, and entirely unexpectedly – she took another single step forward, swung her enormous head upward, and bellowed.

Even the Tsar had to place his foreclaws over his ears.

As the deafening roar subsided the four souls in the high-hide came to their senses once more, observing silently as the adult Rex now purposefully strode towards her offspring. The chick had been whipped into a frenzy and the mother seemed to be following suit; with concerned cries and moans she shuffled around the trees to which her baby had been strapped. Her massive head swung close to her chick, scrabbling delicately at the straps around the baby’s form, but it was to no avail - her head was too big and not precise enough to be of any use. She could only whimper and cry herself, the desperate sounds spooking the four onlookers.

This uncomfortable dance seemed to go on for an eternity and Tembo felt a faraway pang of pity. This was no way for a mighty creature like a Tyrannosaur to behave. He was sure he wasn’t the only one feeling why this awful show needed to go on for quite so long, but he understood why nobody voiced concern of any sort – no doubt they were as absorbed as he was.

Without warning and after an indeterminate length of time the jungle erupted from the northwest; a huge black shape exploded forward with an almighty howl. Uncharacteristically Tembo was greatly startled but very quickly took control of himself; he noted the other three were equally as unprepared for this new creature. By the time he had regained his senses – unconsciously still gripping his rifle tighter than before – he noted the mother Rex had turned to face this new threat almost as quickly as it had appeared. He squinted struggling to focus in the aftermath of this massive commotion, but as the Tyrannosaurus roared so very loudly she quickly lowered her head and forced her mass forward, connecting with the other enormous creature. In another frenzied moment it became difficult to work out quite what was going on as trees crashed and massive animals grunted, the high-hide itself shaking and vibrating, but finally came a moment of respite as the black shape stumbled awkwardly into the centre of the clearing. At that point Tembo could see it as it hissed deeply, gnashing its toothy snout and flexing its oversized foreclaws.

“Vo eemya Gospoda,” Gavrel said breathlessly, breaking the silence of the party. “Spinosaurus.”

“Yes,” Ludlow replied simply. Neither could say anything more.

Another moment passed in which Tembo felt like time had dilated: it seemed that the Spinosaur stood menacingly in the clearing for almost too long. But his hunter’s instinct told him the moment had been all but fleeting. His heart – already pounding with some fervour – tripped up on itself somewhat as a primordial scream erupted from the Spinosaurus; he quickly caught his breath as the Tyrannosaurus howled in defiance. And with that, with hardly any time for anyone to quite process the scale of what was about to occur, the two apex predators smashed violently into one another.

* * * *

The ride was rough and frustratingly slow for Fluttershy in the battered SUV, but progress was being made nonetheless. She could sense the mother Rex’s presence pulsing within her, ebbing and flowing, wrenching at her very core as she tried to weather the storm of the magical spikes. Despite this Fluttershy could tell they were closing in. Occasionally the Tyrannosaur’s distressed calls echoed out, though honing in on the sounds required enormous effort. Indeed, simply focussing on anything else other than the petulant barking from the front of the jeep was difficult enough. With a snort Fluttershy clamped her eyes shut in a desperate attempt to drown out Thorne, Levine and Malcolm, engaged in a heated debate. Distantly she picked up on some inane squawking about chaos theory and the odd curse here and there but she focussed hard, forcing the real-world madness out of her mind and trying to tune in on the Rex’s magical signature. On top of that her thumping headache, powerful nausea and the straining SUV engine whipped up an overwhelming cacophony. But she powered through; despite the mammoth – and physically distressing – task of manipulating Earth’s magical field, Fluttershy found herself driven by instinct to locate the distraught parent.

A sudden spike of pain made her wince; she steadied herself and took a breath. As she doubled down the world melted away – she could just about feel Harding’s hand gently rubbing her back – but her magical eye sharpened and found what it was looking for.

“We’re close now,” she all but whispered. “Go left more.”

With a reassuring hoof Twilight acknowledged the instruction. She gave Fluttershy a smile and then smacked Levine’s shoulder, eliciting a yelp – but, more importantly – his undivided attention. The squawking of the academics ceased and Twilight cleared her throat.

“You might have heard Fluttershy ask us to head left a little more,” she hummed. “Perhaps we ought to listen to her.” With that, she turned her attention away from the now much more subdued academics, and back to Fluttershy and Harding. “They’re really beginning to frustrate me,” she mouthed at the others as she huffed, her eyes closing.

She finally allowed herself to gaze out of the window at the lashing rain, doing what she could to hold her nerve. Sometimes, she was able to forget that they were powering headlong through the night on an island hundreds of miles from anywhere, in pursuit of an eight ton ancient apex predator and any number of industrial criminals. Now, however, was not one of those times.

She took a deep, steadying breath as the SUV pushed onwards.

* * * *

The once-silent clearing had erupted into a frenzied chaos, a sight which left the Tsar near-drooling at the beak. His gaze, firmly locked on the savagery below, did not flinch nor move for any outside input, especially that of Ludlow. He drank in the death struggle that saw the two giants snarling and thrashing against one another. He watched transfixed as the physically more massive Spinosaurus swung its elongated arms wildly, making contact with the broad throat of the Tyrannosaurus. He saw how, in return, the Rex did not falter in its astonishingly aggressive counter, heaving its own dense mass forward and using its neck as a springboard for its wide, crushing jaws. He flinched as he heard bone splinter and crack when the mother Rex snapped her gape shut, clamping down just behind the Spinosaurus’ head and he bristled as she swung her bulk violently, forcing the larger predator to the ground with a mighty thud. As the Tyrannosaurus held the Spinosaur down with a powerful hind leg, she let out a blood-curdling thunder and Tsar Gavrel found his features warping into a smile.

This was the blood sport of blood sports, and he loved it.

He then noticed Grigorii had leaned in towards him. “Whichever beast survives, we take it,” he whispered, to which the Tsar agreed with him. Wordlessly Grigorii unfurled his foreclaw, revealing to the Tsar three tanquiliser darts – these were the remainder of Tembo’s clip that he had taken whilst waiting in the high-hide. Gavrel nodded in acknowledgment of Grigorii’s actions and intentions as he directed their focus back to the beasts.

It seemed that the Spinosaurus was not going to win out. The massive clamp of the mother’s jaws on its neck had mortally weakened it, and although it had forced itself free from beneath the Rex’s foot it was struggling to rise to full height.

“You see that?” came Tembo’s voice as the two predators took respite, sizing one another up. “That, Your Highness, is the effect of eight thousand pounds of bite force. No amount of flesh or bone can possibly withstand it.”

“I see, I see,” Tsar Gavrel hummed in response. “But the larger creature fights with absolute conviction.”

“And the Tyrannosaurus Rex fights with desperation. She’s defending her young. Either way—”

The short back-and-forth was interrupted by the two carnivores, having collected themselves, screaming at the same time, a horrible cacophony echoing for miles around. Once again, and almost as if their struggle had just begun, the two beasts connected, arms scrabbling at jaws and teeth scratching and slicing at flesh. This bout seemed more ferocious and vicious than the last, huge hind legs straining to push tens of tons of muscular bulk to and fro. The gloom had lifted somewhat and in the occasional moments of respite when the moon would break through the low cloud, the observers could easily make out the carnivores’ eyes pulled wide open, hot rage splayed across their enormous features. When the moon slipped back behind the clouds vision was limited once more, but the sounds of the fight were so intensely loud. The shrieking and bellowing from both animals told a story all of itself, and the noises of some twenty tons of mass shunting and crashing around below was enough to keep all four occupants of the high-hide speechless.

* * * *

“Stop here,” Malcolm said forcefully. “Doc, we’re on foot the rest of the way. If Ludlow is just up ahead, I don’t want them to know we’re here. And – and two very powerful headlights might be a giveaway.”

The SUV came to an abrupt stop much to the dismay of the others inside. Bodies and equipment were jostled about and a chorus of groans came from the passengers. “Fine,” Thorne grumbled, switching the vehicle off and grabbing a flashlight hastily. He then turned to the others. “Gear up, and get out. We stick together, we look after each other, and we stay safe.” He paused, mumbling something mindlessly under his breath. “Okay. Fluttershy, which way to Mommy and Baby?”

Wordlessly Fluttershy raised a hoof, her eyes – still very much clamped shut – not meeting Thorne’s. In an instant she had burst through the SUV’s back door, Twilight in immediate pursuit; the sound of Fluttershy vomiting could just be heard over the jungle’s ambience.

“Jesus,” Thorne uttered. “She’s done well to get us here... Still. We ain’t done yet.” He exited the jeep.

Levine hummed in agreement as he approached the two ponies, kneeling down to their level. “Are you sure you want to do this, Fluttershy?” He appeared genuinely concerned for once, a powerful compassion drowning out his petulant, impish qualities. “If you need time to regain your strength we understand.”

“N-no,” came her response, somewhat unsteady but curt. “I need to do this.” She sighed and looked up at Levine, stunning him with a fierce determination. “I’ve felt their connection, those T-Rexes, and I need to help them to ease their pain.” She drew a breath, gathering herself.

“Truly commendable,” Levine replied with a half-smile. “You’re a powerful Equestrian, Fluttershy.”

She smiled. “Thank you—”

Abruptly her smile fell; Levine and Twilight immediately noticed this. Before either could voice concern, Fluttershy spoke. “Something’s going on,” she uttered quietly. Her eyes drew wide. “The mother is – fighting –”

It was then that an unusually loud roar echoed across the treetops; the group fell silent.

“No,” Malcolm breathed.

Breaking the stunned silence Twilight had helped Flutterhsy to her hooves and began to trot into the dense shrubs. “We need to go, now,” she announced to the others. “Celestia knows what we’re about to find, but we need to do something!” Satisfied that the humans were ready to move, she pressed on, a supporting hoof over Fluttershy’s withers.

Malcolm remained next to the jeep, stock-still. Beads of sweat began to form on his brow; his knuckles turned white as he gripped his flashlight much too hard. He saw the others forge ahead but Harding had turned and now she was approaching him. He observed her returning, her features concerned and doting, but he wasn’t really seeing anything. His vision blurred at the edges; his heart began to work in overtime.

“Ian...”

“I – They –” He faltered and stumbled over his own words, before drawing a haggard breath through his nose. “This is totally different to earlier.”

From the clearing ahead came a number of barks and roars.

Harding placed a hand on his arm, her touch going some distance to ease the panic she saw before her. Slowly she slid her hand down to his; her fingers worked his own, loosening his grip on the flashlight. “I know,” she offered slowly. “But you’ve made it this far. You can do this.”

“I – I wasn’t – we were in the RV. Here... we’re at ground zero.” He paused, Harding’s hand comfortingly squeezing his own. His flashlight had dropped to the ground at some point. “I’ve been face-to-face with a territorial Tyrannosaurus before. They – they haven’t. They don’t know. They don’t know...”

Malcolm was brought warmly back to reality with a kiss from Harding, who – having picked up the fallen flashlight – squeezed his hand once more and began to lead him into the undergrowth. “As long as we’re together, you’ll be okay,” she offered softly. “Remember, you can do this. I mean that.”

“Stay with me,” he croaked. “I’m going to need you.”

“Of course.”

The pair remained in silence, hand-in-hand, as they pushed through the jungle in pursuit of the others. The eerie barks of the mother Rex and the blood-curdling shrieks of something continued to echo all around – neither Harding nor Malcolm were at ease, but the comfort of having one another went some way to instil confidence to carry on. The moans and rumbles grew louder; their grip on each other grew tighter. They focussed solely on one another, doing what little they could to dull the terror of marching headfirst into frighteningly close proximity of a furious Tyrannosaurus—

“There you are,” came Thorne’s agitated voice, bringing the pair back to reality. “I thought we’d lost you for a moment.” He paused. “So... There’s a development in this whole thing.”

“I don’t think I like what that will mean,” Malcolm hissed. “What exactly are you—”

“Just come on,” Thorne hissed in return, near-dragging the pair. It didn’t take them long before reuniting with the main group; all were crouched behind a fallen tree under cover of some dense ferns.

Hearing their arrival Levine turned, holding a finger up to his closed mouth before gesturing with his head. Malcolm and Harding followed his gaze – now focussed past the treeline and into what appeared to be a wide, open marshy space – and froze.

The rain had stopped and the skies had cleared just enough to allow the moon to break through, illuminating the dark jungle in a chilling silver glow. It was just enough light to silhouette the enormous mother Tyrannosaurus Rex against the trees as she paced slowly, meaningfully, in a circle around something piled up on the ground. If Malcolm and the others weren’t currently able to see her they’d certainly have heard her; regularly she lowered her head and sniffed loudly at whatever it was that lay crumpled. Intermittently she would rumble and groan, occasionally she would bark but the most common sound she let out was a mournful cry – coupling this lament with quick glances out to the far side of the clearing. Malcolm strained in the darkness but he was able to follow the mother’s gaze and pick out the baby Tyrannosaur, strapped down against a tree. Strange, he thought briefly before a particularly loud snarl from the Rex tore him from his thoughts and blinded him with fear.

The sight of the Tyrannosaurus being so close terrified him, and yet Malcolm found himself unable to look away. Slowly and deliberately he moved from behind the group to the very front, crouching alongside Fluttershy and Twilight immediately behind the fallen tree. He had done so without thinking about it and his new proximity to the beast sent only more chills down his spine. “They are horrifying, terrifying monsters,” he whispered near-silently. “They are manufactured; simply clones, and not real animals. And yet...” he trailed off, taking a steadying breath. “This T-Rex is displaying all the tell-tale signs of a creature with heart; an animal so concerned for its family that she marched halfway across this infernal island just to protect her chick. Wouldn’t you agree, Fluttershy?”

“I would,” she whispered.

“Good. Well – ah – with that in mind...” He trailed off once more, gesturing at the heaped pile in the centre of the clearing – “what is that? It’s another dinosaur, correct? Have you, uhh, felt whatever that is? Does the Rex know, can you see it?”

“I – Doctor Malcolm – I don’t know.” Fluttershy sighed. “I can’t see what they see, but I can feel what they feel. To a point, I mean...”

“You said the Rex was fighting, no?”

“She was...” Fluttershy stared into the clearing, the Tyrannosaurus taking a moment next to the mysterious heap. It was only then that she noticed just how bruised the enormous creature was: a large open wound existed just behind her skull, numerous smaller scratches and puncture wounds dotted across the front of her snout and along her torso. “My word, she was.... But she’s very hurt, and very tired, the poor thing.” She turned to look searchingly at Malcolm. “I don’t know what she was fighting, but she’s defeated it at great cost to herself. And I know she’s put herself on the line for the baby and I can feel that she’s ready to do it again.”

Levine interrupted; he’d been listening intently from behind. “You said ‘ready to do it again’...” He trailed off, motioning with his hand.

Silently Fluttershy nodded, pursing her lips. There’s something else going on here. Immediately she closed her eyes and stiffened; the others knew she was once again trying to feel the Rex’s instinct. There was a moment’s silence before she yelped once, quietly – and with that, her eyes drew wide open.

“Another dinosaur is nearby,” she blurted quickly; hushed. “That’s why she’s still not trying to free the baby. Something else is here, and it’s frightening enough to panic the mother and put her in a state of anger.” Her tense stare moved from Malcolm to Twilight to Levine and the others, eyes darting to and fro. “She isn’t safe, the baby isn’t safe, and we – oh, my – we’re not safe.”

There was a silence that felt as if it lasted forever before Twilight finally spoke. “We need to wait and see what it is,” she said quietly, voicing the resignation that everypony else felt. “There’s nothing we can do until this other dinosaur shows up...”

“We could distract the mother and set the baby free—”

“You’d be killed instantly,” Fluttershy blurted out, feeling her mane bristle at the thought. “I’m sorry Doctor Thorne, but there’s no way she’d let you get close to her chick. Any distraction from us wouldn’t be enough to combat her natural instinct.”

Malcolm heaved a heavy sigh. Slowly, the dawning realisation that Hammond’s genetically engineered monsters were much more in-line with nature than he’d first thought was sinking in. To display monsters in a zoo was one thing; to observe them left to their own accord in the wild was another thing entirely. Instinct was a powerful force; for Fluttershy to feel it so strongly told him that the InGen team had done a frighteningly good job. What should have been bioengineered monsters were quickly – very quickly – evolving into animals with the ability to adapt and survive. Life finds a way, indeed—

A sudden and very loud cry from the mother Rex ripped Malcolm from his thoughts; in an instant he found himself sheltering behind a sturdy nearby tree-trunk. He hurriedly scanned the immediate area and was relieved to see everyone else safe and equally hidden. He watched as Fluttershy slowly raised her head above the log behind which she had covered, looking back to the clearing with a panicked but curious gaze. Instinct drove Malcolm to do the same – clutching the tree tightly he leaned round slowly, being met with the image of the mother Rex snarling viciously at the treeline nearby. He saw that she had moved away from her mysterious previous kill, displaying no signs of interest in it whatsoever. No, now he could see all too clearly that whatever else lurked nearby was about to make an appearance, and everyone – everything, to that end – knew it.

“It’s coming,” Fluttershy mouthed, panic written across her features.

In the near distance, trees could be heard felling; the jungle was being disturbed. “Stay hidden,” came Harding’s voice just as the mother Rex emitted a ferocious bark, rising to an impressive and intimidating height. The sounds grew ever more intense; as the trees cracked and foliage brushed in increasing proximity the Tyrannosaurus hissed and snapped her jaws. Her intimidating display grew in ferocity; she stamped powerfully at the ground and loudly barked. The group remained in cover, but the sounds alone carried enough presence to instill a powerful fear.

And then – despite the incredibly ferocious display from the Rex – it appeared, much too close for comfort. Fluttershy was the first to spot it and she physically repressed gasping as it came into view. From the marshy jungle nearby, and moving far too quietly for something of its size a colossal Spinosaurus emerged. She watched in horror as it came to a stop just before the clearing, its own gaze straight ahead – the two massive carnivores were definitely sizing one another up. Paralyzed by fear she stared numbly at it, stunned by the sheer mass it exhibited. Its sail was tall and flush with colour; its haunches were muscular; its jaws gnarled and terrifying. All in all, this beast struck some deep, irrational chord within her: of all the dinosaurs this was the one that she thought mostly resembled a dragon. Had magical drive to help the Rex parent not been so strong, instinct to screech and flee would have easily taken over.

The mother is going to need our help, for sure...

Dealing with fear the only way he really knew how, Levine was muttering under his breath to himself. “Elongated hind limbs... Incorrect body posture... Seemingly aggressive nature... Not the Spinosaurus modern palaeontology knows... Christ...” He let himself trail off before his mumblings became a fully-fledged panic. Very quickly he too came to the same conclusion as Fluttershy: this monster was too massive and appeared much too powerful for even a fully-grown, territorial parent Tyrannosaurus to effectively kill. If they were to save the Rex chick they would also need to save the mother; they would need to breach protocol and again interfere in the ecosystem once more.

Breaking the incredibly tense stare-down the Spinosaurus screamed. The group shielded their ears and stayed very much out of sight. The sound of the mother Rex bellowing in kind could just be heard over the brushing of ferns and the thud of heavy steps: in an instant, the two alpha predators collided and their struggle began.

* * * *

“Good God,” Tembo uttered. “There are two of them.”

“This one is huge,” Gavrel offered in kind. “How old is it?”

“I cannot tell you exactly,” Ludlow said quickly. “She’s only existed for about six months but we’ve been able to expedite growth rates – we wanted to push these creatures quickly into the fray. I think the relative age is some twenty years old. What surprises me, though” – he was cut off as the Rex clamped its jaws around one of the Spinosaurus’ legs and swung its head violently – “...what surprises me is that this one has appeared at all.”

“In what respect?” The Tsar took an interest in Ludlow’s words this time. His head was turned slightly, gaze flickering intently between the two beasts and the man who had overseen their creation.

“Our Spinosaurs are very solitary animals,” he began, his own gaze trained straight at the predators. “Very solitary and incredibly territorial. Both of our specimens had kept their distance from one another for the longest time, and the only instances where they had come together before now was to – well – to attack each other.” He nodded slowly. “This new, six-month old specimen was a replacement for a previous example; she was killed by the Spinosaur that succumbed to the Rex.”

“I would not have imagined the fierce Tyrannosaurus could have downed your most aggressive creatures.”

“Nor me, but this ecosystem is not an entirely natural one. Left to their own devices Rexes and Spinosaurs wouldn’t have crossed paths. The island is big enough for segregation. But we have interfered, and all the better for it: the three specimens you have seen tonight are three of the most ferocious creatures we have. Just as we had planned.” Ludlow trailed off, the fighting below entering a bizarre deadlock: the Rex had her jaws firmly secured around a forearm of the Spinosaur but it had locked its own maw on the small of the Tyrannosaur’s back, the two masses shuffling slowly to and fro, the only sounds reduced to snarling and grunting. The previous thunders from each animal had subsided.

“These do not resemble any Spinosaur reconstructions I’ve ever seen,” Tembo implored after a prolonged silence, focus very much on the giants beneath him. “Peter, what was your goal with these animals?”

“To create star attractions,” he uttered.

Neither Tembo nor Ludlow noticed Gavrel’s wry smile forming. Star attractions, indeed.

* * * *

“Over there,” Thorne pointed from the treeline’s edge. “You guys see that? Like a... shack, or something...” He ushered focus away from the carnivores as best he could.

“I can’t see it,” Levine replied indignantly. “Where are you looking?!”

“There.” Harding guided Levine’s gaze. “Jack’s right, there’s a treehouse — Oh, my... Ian, is that – Peter Ludlow?”

Malcolm quickly observed the high-hide. “Oh, ah – sure – sure is. That’s him alright. Looks like Tembo’s there, too.”

Levine cracked. “Why is he here?! What is it with this place?”

“Like I’ve been saying. Chaos Theory—”

“I dunno,” Thorne interrupted curtly, “but I’m going to get him.” Immediately Thorne had risen, clutching one of the spare flare guns from the SUV. “You guys go and rescue that chick. I’ll get this guy and maybe we’ll give him what he deserves for dino-baiting.”

“Be safe, Mister Thorne,” Fluttershy offered quickly. She noticed that nopony else made a move to insist he stick with the group. “Fire the flare if you get into trouble.”

“Same to you. Sarah, you have that flare gun?”

“Sure do.”

“Good. Then we move,” and with that Thorne slipped into the trees, heading for the high-hide.

A moment of inactivity came to pass but was broken by Levine: indecisively he opted to shadow Thorne. Mumbling something about ‘safety in numbers’, he offered a parting look to the team before slipping away into the jungle, following the direction Thorne had taken.

“So – that’s – that’s it?! We just go and get the baby?” Malcolm was flustered and edgy; Harding did her best to keep him on the level. But before he could comment further, his eyes locked with Fluttershy’s – just for a fleeting moment – and in that moment Malcolm could see the desperation written into her features. Big empathetic eyes implored him to do what was right, and silently he resigned himself to what was about to happen. He was going to do it, too. With that he nodded once, watching as Fluttershy and Twilight skirted around the side of the clearing. Here goes, Malcolm thought to himself and went to take a stride forward but he was spun, his gaze now met with that of Harding’s.

“You’ve got this, Ian.”

He smiled meekly before closing his eyes and drawing a great breath through his nose. Clutching Harding’s hand, he turned, and he ran from the trees.

* * * *

“Your Highness,” Grigorii said with an air of urgency, dragging the blood-drunk Tsar from the struggling giants below him. “Look there. Ponies.”

Gavrel followed Grigorii’s foreclaw and immediately he saw them; there was Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy of the Elements of Harmony. His demeanour changed in an instant. “How are they here?!” With a snarl the Tsar turned to the humans, any prior interest in the dinosaurs having all but vanished. “Gentlemen, there are ponies here, I assume you see them. This is very bad news. We cannot be seen here by them. We leave, and we leave now. I have seen enough of the predators – and am very impressed – but we will do business at a later date.”

Ludlow started. “Of course, Your Highness – but – the dinosaurs beneath us–”

“There is no time like the present, sir,” Grigorii countered. “You do not understand the implications of ponies seeing us dealing with you,least of all these ponies.”

“The Elements of Harmony,” Tembo said as he clocked the two ponies scurrying across the clearing.

“Yes, exactly. Celestia’s elites. I know we have spoken before of the power wielded by Celestia and the Equestrians. If we are spotted here, working alongside you, the international fallout will be unthinkable.”

“Of course,” Ludlow replied. “Then we shall leave. If you’d follow me I shall take you to the geothermal power station... There’s an old prototype Matter Transporter there – we used it in the early days to quickly travel between the mainland and the islands. It should still function. I can get you there, and get you home. Nobody will know of your presence.”

“Good. Then less talk and more travel.” Gavrel looked to Tembo, nearest to the ladder and watched as he wordlessly descended to the ground. Satisfied, the Tsar took one final, long look at the giants and he bristled with ecstasy as the Spinosaurus slammed the Rex onto the jungle floor with a sickening crack.

We will do well from this business venture.

Meeting the others at the foot of the ladder Ludlow directed them away from the massive carnivores and down a very, very narrow track. He gestured for Tembo to lead and so they pressed on, sounds of the great struggle echoing from behind but getting ever more distant. Tembo’s focus was forward, Grigorii’s was backward; he was hiding in the treeline, ready to pounce should trouble arise.

After only a short distance the group stopped as Tembo had an arm raised. Sensing the others behind him he took a step forward, rifle trained into the brush. “I see you there, come out of the trees,” he called. Very slowly a burly, bearded man emerged from the jungle, a pistol of his own aimed back at them.

“Got two questions and I want them answered.” Thorne was resolute. “Firstly, what are you—” he nodded to Ludlow – “doing here, and secondly, what the fuck is that thing?”

“You do not speak to me so poorly,” Gavrel hissed, visibly startling Thorne. “I am the Emperor of All Griffons and you will address me as such.” He rustled his wings, knowing the intimidation factor was on his side.

“I see you can talk,” Thorne said, gathering his composure. He smirked. “Your Highness.”

“Revolting.”

“Now, gentlemen.” Tembo took another step forward, noting Thorne priming the pistol. It was time to defuse this odd situation. “We don’t want any sudden decisions to be made here. It would surely be suicidal to attempt anything rash now, Mister...?”

“None of your god damned business who I am,” Thorne spat. “I’m here for Ludlow.”

“That won’t be happening, mysterious interloper.”

“I don’t take orders from an InGen lapdog.” He snorted. “I do what I want and I’m taking Ludlow to beat seven shades of shit into him. Yeah, I’m talking to you, big guy. You see that Rex back there?” Thorne gestured towards the clearing. “That Rex ate my best friend and ruined my best work. I’m done with this shithole, and I’m taking Ludlow with me. You hear?”

Without warning Thorne was knocked to the ground, struck by a hefty weight travelling at some speed. As composure returned to him he went to stand but found all of his limbs pinned down by something much stronger than him; he looked up to see the face of a much stockier Griffon staring right back at him. Gnarled features and an intensely grim stare met his own and in any other circumstance he might have been frightened, but Thorne had seen and experienced too much to be perturbed. “You don’t scare me.”

A flash of hot rage danced across the Griffon’s features, and silently it threw its head forward, connecting with Thorne’s skull and knocking him out cold. Satisfied his work was done, Grigorii picked up the unconscious Thorne and slung him over his shoulder. “We press on,” he said simply, and the group continued into the night.

****

A flare gun rang out, and Malcolm watched the flare arc away from him and towards the monsters. He glanced over in shock to Harding – noting her hand had once again quickly grabbed his and was clinging on a little too tight – and back to the dinosaurs, watching in horror as the flare struck the underbelly of the Spinosaur. It was enough for the massive predator to falter and screech, its grip loosening on the Rex.

Malcolm glanced back at Harding. “Sarah?!”

“What else could we have done?”

“I – I – I don’t know, but that?”

“Ian!”

Jumping backward Harding and Malcolm were lucky to avoid a trunk-like hind leg crash down before them, three toes splayed wide and digging into the Earth. The pair kept crawling and fumbling backward, away from the danger and towards the treeline but their gaze never once deviated from the horror before them: the mother Rex had taken advantage of this distraction and clamped her jaws tightly around the under-throat of the Spinosaur. Finally the pair reached the trees but were not free from danger yet. They watched with dumbstruck terror as the Rex pressed the advantage, forcing the massive Spinosaurus back towards them and away from the clearing. Scrabbling furiously away Harding and Malcolm rolled over a downed log, narrowly avoiding the bulk of both creatures as they smashed through the ferns. They lay low against the log and gripped one another tightly, praying that the struggle would end soon, and with a gurgled roar so deafeningly loud and so frighteningly close they felt both animals moving away and into the clearing.

“I’m scared, Sarah.”

“Me too.”

****

Fluttershy raced out into the clearing sensing that Twilight was with her, but she had no idea quite how they would handle things when they got to the chick. A wild spike of magical intensity erupted inside her and she yelped, stumbling only slightly, but she fought through it and pushed on. Glancing to her left she saw the two enormous dinosaurs struggling and shuffling, locked on to one another, and in a brief moment Fluttershy thought she saw the Rex eyeball her. But she didn’t stop to find out. Galloping across the marshy forest floor she and Twilight finally reached the squirming, panicked chick and with immediacy the duo began to heave and yank at the straps holding it down.

“Here,” Twilight said as she grabbed a loose stone and began to chisel away at the straps. “Calm the baby, I’ll set it free.”

Fluttershy nodded, her attention turning to the chick. “There there, sweetie, it’ll be alright.” With each word that she spoke her head throbbed and her body felt increasingly stressed. This was the most she’d interacted with the baby Tyrannosaur and evidently doing so was a massive drain on her physical, mental, and magical abilities. “Come on now, we’ve got you.” Determinedly she pushed through; Fluttershy stroked the back of the small chick’s head and it hooted. “There there...”

“Got it!” Twilight cast the first strap aside, digging away at the second with renewed vigour.

Fluttershy smiled, feeling an odd serenity as she looked into the tiny eyes of the delicate creature. In an instant the chaos of the outside world dropped away and it was just her, the Tyrannosaur chick, and an eternal void. The chick had let her in. The magical connection between them was strong, so strong – Fluttershy surmised that it outdid anything she’d felt since arriving on Isla Sorna if not planet Earth. The wildlife in Africa, the Triceratops herd, the parent Rexes; all of these magical connections paled in intensity and clarity to this one. With a renewed vigour and confidence, she spoke out. “Mother’s fighting for you and so are we, little one. So stay strong for us, and we’ll get you home. I promise.”

The baby purred and Fluttershy felt a great warmth spreading within her. Her chest felt fit to burst as the inky blackness surrounding her began to distort and swirl, small magical trails seeming to reach out from her and towards the chick. But the whole experience was extremely heady and magically charged that it was difficult to focus. Back home, connecting with her charges and wildlife was second nature – it came so easily and organically; using magic to communicate and empathise was no more difficult than going for a walk or having a conversation. Here on Earth, the great levels of focus and effort required were amplified that much more. But she’d done it, and she could feel it: she’d gotten through to the baby Rex.

“...uttershy...”

“...Fluttershy...?!”

Twilight’s nervous call and a ten-ton thud brought her screaming back to reality. Face-to-face with the chick she recalled her situation, panic taking hold again and she span around just in time to see the mother Rex pinning the Spinosaur to the ground. A massive foot pressed down on top of bulk and enormous jaws crushed the throat. Fluttershy was speechless; there was nothing to say as the Rex finished the job with one last bone-crushing bite. And then, where before a cacophony of barks and grunts and howls and crunches had been, there was but silence.

With dumbstruck awe she watched the Tyrannosaur release her grip and take an uneasy step back, surveying the Spinosaur corpses before her. Fluttershy felt the desperate, prehistoric magical energy all but leave her, releasing its grip on the deep recesses of her head and her spirit, and for the first time since making the connection with the Tyrannosaurus she felt much, much better. No longer did anger and fear chip away at her brain; no longer did powerful nausea and blinding headaches threaten her wellbeing. Finally Fluttershy could feel free – and to know that the mother Rex before her felt this too was more than a relief. Had she found herself in less frightening circumstances she might have cried, but to let her guard down now would be the death of her and Fluttershy knew this. It was incredibly rewarding to see the mother Rex in danger no longer but the job was not done: She had yet to reunite the mother and child. And Fluttershy was keenly aware that she and Twilight currently stood between them both.

The mother Rex had also noticed this. Though she didn’t move immediately her massive head swung towards the ponies, tiny yellow eyes looking back at them. Fluttershy watched on helplessly as this strange stare seemed to go on for too long, and in that moment she felt as if some sort of communication was passing between them. But the magical connection had all but faded. Intuition told her the mother Rex recognised their efforts but survival instinct told her she was being perceived as nothing more than a threat to her young.

The chick began to hoot excitedly, spurring eight tons of maternal dinosaur to march towards Fluttershy and she and Twilight were frozen, locked in place. Despite sensing the fatigue of the mother Rex she was still alarmed at how quickly the massive animal covered ground, closing in on them frighteningly fast, until finally she was upon them. She daren’t look away, she could hardly breathe: her chest was tight and her heart beating ever so quickly.

Distantly Fluttershy felt Twilight grab her by the hoof.

The mother Tyrannosaur was so close that she could smell and feel its breath. From twelve feet above her those beady yellow eyes remained glued to her, and as the enormous head moved slowly towards them she realised just how dry her own mouth was. Terror held her in position and instinct prepared her for the worst but something older and more arcane suddenly spurred from within, and she was compelled to speak.

“We mean no harm,” Fluttershy offered so delicately. “We come as friends.”

In that heady moment the mother Rex seemed to have paused, but then with a twitch of her own features and a primordial rumble she appeared to feed back. Fluttershy was unable to comprehend the message she was receiving but the magic within her suggested they were not yet at risk.

The chick honked again, eliciting a deafening moan from the great animal before them. The volume and physical force behind the call of the Rex was so powerful that it could only serve to frighten; Fluttershy clammed up immediately and where once stood a maternal dinosaur stood – a dragon –

FWOOSH

...

In a purple flash Twilight and Fluttershy reappeared in the treeline near Malcolm and Harding, visibly startled by the sudden arrival of the ponies. Fluttershy hit the ground hard and her head was spinning but she could hear the two humans running to their aid. Distantly, the sounds of Twilight spilling her guts completed the picture but from where she was laying none of that mattered: through the jungle she could just see the mother and baby Rexes finally reunited, muzzle on muzzle. Truly she was free of the desperate magic of the Rexes, and as stars danced across her vision she smiled weakly.

“You’re okay Fluttershy,” Malcolm said, his panting voice detached and far away. “I’ve got you.”

“We did it Doctor Malcolm.” She was weak.

“Stay still and don’t speak, conserve your energy. You’re – you’re safe now.”

Fluttershy lay her head down again, gently succumbing to the exhaustion and the stars. As her vision faded she watched the mother delicately scooping the chick into her mouth – the baby honking and hooting all the way – and, with one final tentative glance around, push her way back into the jungle and away from the godforsaken clearing.

With all but a weak smile Fluttershy let the darkness take her, and she passed out.

Author's Note

Good heavens! I've finally published this!

So I started writing this chapter months ago - knowing that it was a pivotal moment of the tale - and I'm thrilled to have finally completed it. I knew it was going to be long but 8000 words is a new record.

Apologies and thanks to those of you who continue to follow The Lost Ponies - apologies this has taken so long but I'll only publish when it feels right. I want to avoid rushing this so updates are going to be few and far between - but thanks for sticking around and wanting more, I appreciate it.

Please stay safe everyone. These are strange times but we'll pull through.

Until the next one.

Prologue - Dear Princess Celestia

Author's Note

A/N added 24th May 2020

Greetings all. Firstly thank you for taking an interest in this story!

What you're about to read is, primarily, an adventure with dinosaurs. But it's so strongly rooted in morality, good, bad, and seeing all the shades of different people and ponies alike. This prologue comes across as entirely misanthropic - and I know it has put a lot of potential readers off - and I do understand that. However, this tale, whilst during the journey doesn't paint humanity in a particularly favourable light, should conclude in a way that I hope is more philanthropic than not.

I've had a few discussions with readers regarding 'the ponies' view of humanity' and I felt compelled to add this note prior to the story; hopefully some context will soften the blow of 'this author clearly thinks ponies hate humans'. There's more to come on that note, and the argument is a little more nuanced than that, but as the duration continues the pony characters in this tale do see some truly horrid things.

That said! As I write this note I'm in the latter stages of the tale and things are coming to a close - there are a few key events that have yet to happen that change negative perspectives somewhat. So, in light of that, I do hope you stick around and stay with this, but if the misanthropy and negativity is too much throughout, I don't blame you. But this was never intended to be a story where everypony is the best of friends, let's say that much.

Enjoy! And thanks for reading.
- CompactDisc

Prologue - Dear Princess Celestia

Dear Princess Celestia,

First and foremost, I’m sure you’ll be glad to know that I am alive and for the most part well. Both Fluttershy and I are doing okay aside a few minor injuries, but it’s nothing we can’t handle.

You were right to worry about me. I went headlong into a situation I thought I’d have no problem handling, but I was wrong. And as the situation unfolded, I learned the truth about humanity. To put it simply, as a global species they are horrid, and will go to any lengths – any lengths – to achieve whatever goals they may have.

This is not to tar them all with the same brush: I was fortunate enough to meet some truly selfless and brilliant people. If you ever choose to visit Earth again Fluttershy and I will have to introduce you to Doctor Sarah Harding. I can honestly say that without her we might not have made it back safely.

I have no doubt that millions of others are like her but clearly there are millions more unlike her. Our time spent on Isla Sorna revealed a lot of ugly truths that I don’t think I was ready for. Repeated and unbelievable short-sightedness, complicated and exasperating networks of lies, brutal ruthlessness towards fellow human beings and a complete disregard for their natural world, each other, and morality in general were but some of the realities we came to understand whilst on the island.

We failed, Your Highness. The magic of friendship is something humankind – on a global level – cannot ever seem to understand.

I had no idea that spending such a short time in a microcosm such as Isla Sorna would be so eye-opening but since returning to the mainland I’m seeing these aforementioned realities everywhere and to great extents. It makes me inherently uncomfortable and untrustworthy of human society.

I don’t know. Perhaps I’m being too brash here. Perhaps writing this letter to you now (I’ve not long since returned to America from that terrible island) was too soon and I need to calm down. Maybe humanity isn’t all bad. But I can’t argue with the facts. I can’t go against what I saw and experienced on Isla Sorna.

Though I could have told you this over satellite video uplink I think you’d appreciate a letter more – it’s much more in keeping with the letters I used to send you. Of course, I have so much more to say, but I’ll save it for when I return to Equestria.

I’ll be contacting Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Rarity immediately. If all goes to plan, we’ll be back home tomorrow. I hope we can speak then.

Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle

3 - Secrets and Business

There was a hazy smog over Santa Fe as a station wagon slowly pulled up outside of a block of flats. The engine remained running as two figures left the car, the driver staying put. The smaller of the two figures swung a rucksack over his shoulder as he pointed up towards the flats.

“In here. It’s Flat 27a we’re after, Howard. Now come on, we can’t waste time.”

The two men made their way up to the block entrance, the smaller man pulling a keycard from the rucksack. “Here she is,” he said as he showed the device to his companion. “I’m told this will get us access into any part of this complex we want.”

“You sure this’ll work, Lewis? This sorta thing has caught us out in the past.”

“The guys who made it seemed to think so... Only one way to find out.”

He slipped the keycard into the receiver; a green light flashed and the door swung open.

“We’re in,” the smaller man said. “Good thing, too. I paid good money for this.” With that the pair stepped inside, heading towards 27a. Again, the same keycard was used to open the flat door, and the two men entered.

They surveyed the apartment and the first thing they noticed was how unnaturally neat the flat was. Everything was pristine. Surfaces were polished and placemats set square on coffee tables. Clearly, the owner of this apartment was a man who took order to the extreme; someone who was very much set in his ways.

“Jesus,” Lewis Dodgson uttered. “Levine is one hell of a clean freak.” He grimaced. “Okay. Let’s not stay any longer than we have to. Hide those microphones in every corner of this place – I’ll go see if I can find anything.” Dodgson handed the rucksack to the other man.

“Right,” Howard King responded in kind, producing the recording equipment from the bag. “These should do the trick. They’re some of the best mics you can get for the price we paid.”

“So you said when you first got them,” Dodgson replied. “Still, glad to hear it as ever; it’s not like we can afford any more cut corners. Let’s hope the little fellas do their job and we get what we need.”

“They will, they will,” King said as he placed the small devices discreetly around the flat. As he did so, Dodgson took a quick look around the main living area. There was clearly nothing of interest: everything was too neat and clean. There were no journals, no papers, nothing of that sort. He continued his search and promptly found a study. He peered inside and the sight that met him was promising: a computer sat against the far wall, beneath a world map with numerous pins and scribbles on it. Stacked around the computer and in boxes along the study walls were thousands of academic journals, each labelled and arranged in some semblance of order. But what really caught his eye, as he ventured further into the small room, were two folders on the computer desk. One was labelled InGen, the words And Site B?! scrawled beneath this title. Dodgson smiled. Surely the information he needed would be in here. He glanced over at the other folder, his smile fading into a warped look of curiosity. The second folder was simply labelled as BioSyn.

“BioSyn?... What’s he got on us?” Dodgson spoke to himself as he picked up the BioSyn folder, flicking through it. The first few documents were not important to him, and were nothing new; simply general information of the company itself. What followed was a document of prominent figures relating to BioSyn – including himself, King, and George Baselton, who was waiting in the car. He couldn’t help but read through these files.

“Lewis Dodgson. Director of Research at BioSyn Genetics. Likely to be the mastermind behind BioSyn’s well-known industrial espionage... Suggested hiring Baselton to fix company’s image... Is claimed to have been involved with the death of Dennis Nedry in 1993 [no further information]...” He sighed. “That fat bastard.” Dodgson continued looking through the file and was horrified to see private BioSyn files, in full display, in this folder. He cursed loudly, prompting King to enter the study.

“Everything okay?”

“Fucking Nedry!” he spat, thrusting the folder towards King. “You see this, Howard? These are BioSyn’s expenditure reports between August 1990 and August 1993. This should not be something that Levine was able to get a hold of.” He drew a deep breath, closing his eyes. “I knew Nedry was no good. Honestly. First, he fails us as IT-security-tech-whatever, and then he goes and fucking dies on that island.”

King said nothing. He raised an eyebrow, turning back to his work.

“Get some photos of these pages,” Dodgson called to him as he turned back to review the contents of the second folder. InGen. Surely, he thought, surely there would be something of use in here. Levine must know something. He began to leaf through, seeing very similar files and printouts to that of the previous folder. Expenditure reports. Detailed files on workers, important figures, purchase and sales figures. He couldn’t help but smile – what Levine had been doing was very illegal and with this knowledge Dodgson could easily have him locked up.

Of course, that would be if he himself hadn’t broken the law by fashioning a false keycard, forcing entry onto somebody else’s property and planting microphones all over their flat, let alone the years of ‘redeveloping’ other genetic companies’ designs and ideas, as he liked to call it. He was in no position to bring Levine’s misdeeds to the attention of the authorities lest he jeopardise himself.

“Hey, Howard, how you getting on—“

Dodgson cut himself off. He’d absent-mindedly been flicking through the folder and had now reached a map, showing the western coast of Costa Rica and little more, aside from a chain of five islands that had been circled in a red marker. They were about two hundred miles off of the Costa Rica coast and although completely unnamed on the map, the red marker pen gave this away: The Five Deaths. Beneath this scrawl came another; SITE B???

“Looks like we hit gold,” King said, peering over Dodgson’s shoulder.

“Yeah...” Dodgson nodded, his eyes never leaving the map. He turned the page and was presented with satellite images of each island. The images were heavily annotated, Levine’s musings and theories scrawled across the picture. “Certainly dedicated,” he said aloud, peering ever closer at the images. “I think these are the islands Rod said Levine was on about last night.”

“...Rod?”

“Christ, Howard. Rodriguez. The guy who flew Levine about in Costa Rica. The guy who was present when they destroyed the dino-corpse. The guy who demanded a lot of my money when I asked him to spy for us.”

“Look here,” King said, pointing to an annotation and changing the subject, keen to avoid another of Dodgson’s endless rants. “Says ‘refer to InGen Site B Legend: InGen PC.’ Looks like he’s got hold of an old InGen computer. A lot of these notes don’t make any sense, but with the reference material – the InGen PC files – we’d be able to work this out. Lewis, if we’re gonna do this, we’ll need that computer.”

“No,” Dodgson replied. “We’ll wait. He’s gonna come back here with that pony he’s been talking to... They’ll talk. Rod said Levine made plans. He’ll show her the PC – it’s all part of his theories – and unknowingly, he’ll reveal everything to us.” He turned to King. “You done planting the ‘phones?”

“All sorted. Only put a few down over the place – they’ll pick up everything in this flat. Walls are paper-thin and those mics are good.” King pointed to a portrait on the wall. “See anything out of place by that picture?”

“No.”

“Good. There’s a microphone just behind the frame. You’d never see them unless you went looking for them. They’re tiny, but powerful.”

Dodgson nodded. “Did you get photos of some pages from the BioSyn folder?”

“Yeah, I’ll get some photos of these maps too.”

Dodgson smiled, picking up his rucksack. “Let’s get out of here.” Once King had finished taking photos, the duo made their way out of the flat, being careful not to disturb anything lest Levine become suspicious later on. They locked up and made their way downstairs towards the car.

“All good?” Baselton asked as the pair got in.

“Oh yes,” Dodgson replied. “We got some pretty good evidence – he’d narrowed it down to one of five islands and a little later we’ll find out which one we’re headed for.”

“You mean you didn’t actually find out?”

“Not right now we didn’t but soon, George. He’ll spill his can of beans. I told Howard this earlier: from what Rod told me, he’d planned to speak to that pony about it today. Rod said that he heard Levine saying she was some super-genius, or something. They’ll work it out, and we’ll be listening.” Dodgson got a cigar from his pocket. “Why I hired you to un-fuck BioSyn, I have no idea. With thinking and contacts like this, I could have done it. You lawyers, all the same.”

“Probably because you were too busy stealing other people’s shit,” Baselton cursed under his breath. “So, where are the files?”

“All on that,” Dodgson answered. He gestured towards King’s camera.

“So... you still don’t know for sure which island it is, and you don’t have any physical copies of the notes—”

“No, of course we don’t. Do you have half a brain? If we just marched into his flat and stole two files and a computer, he might just notice, do you not think? We can’t afford to raise any alarm bells. Not one. If all goes to plan, we’ll listen in on Levine’s conversation tonight and find out where we’re headed. Then we go there, get some dinosaur eggs, and get off the island before he’s even thought about going. Once we have our eggs I couldn’t give two shits what he gets up to because finally, for once, we’ll be a step ahead of anyone else. And that, my good men, will be worth all of this effort.” Dodgson smiled. “Right, let’s go. I’ll call Rod later and thank him for playing his part. Anyway, I want a drink, and then we should get back here for five o’ clock sharp.”

The car coughed into life and pulled away as the sun began to paint a red hue in the sky.

* * * *

Malcolm was pacing anxiously up and down his office. It was a large room, the walls adorned with beautiful oak panelling and shelves of books. Hidden amongst the thousands of works on chaos theory – many of which he’d written himself – were books about palaeontology, about dinosaurs. These were few and far between indeed but did not go unnoticed by one Doctor Sarah Harding, herself curled up on an armchair in the office’s far corner.

Harding had not long since returned from an expedition to Africa, where she led a small team and shadowed a pride of lions. She was a gifted animal behaviourist and her job demanded that she extensively travel the world – as such, she didn’t often find herself at home. In this instance she had returned for two weeks, allowing for some much-needed respite.

Spending time at home allowed Harding to see those close to her heart and that included the man pacing impatiently before her. The two had met in the late 1980s and had instantly connected but it was only until late 1993 that they found themselves more than friends. Malcolm had returned from a ‘business venture’ as he put it in a critical condition and Harding was by his side near every day, acting as his carer. With her aid, he had recovered well and was back to near full-health within three months.

Harding knew that Malcolm was a difficult character to be around at the best of times, or so most others thought. She found him easy to connect to and one of life’s more interesting characters. But despite this, even she noticed a difference in his character following his accident in ’93. He became shorter-tempered and much more work-obsessed, to the point of straining their relationship – needless to say, Harding had struggled to keep her head above the water. But numerous arguments and discussions later, and the pair were ironing out the creases and seeing their bond through.

One thing, however, remained the same: Malcolm’s sudden interest in dinosaurs. Once out of the infirmary and back in the States he had immediately set to studying the prehistoric creatures, amassing as many encyclopaedias and works as he could. When he could walk, he would spend time in museums, staring idly at the great skeletons. For the most part his obsession was something of a non-issue to his academic peers but Harding picked up on the subtleties of it; she suspected something more than a sudden interest. She had asked him numerous times about what happened in ’93 but each time he would brush it aside. He would say that it ‘wasn’t important’ or ‘did not require discussion’.

What Malcolm did not know was what he had said to her during his time in the infirmary. In his stay he suffered numerous panic attacks – bordering on genuine hallucinations – wailing about them ‘coming to get him’ and ‘hunt him down’. On two occasions, and only two, he had yelled ‘raptors’ before mindlessly rambling. Clearly he was unaware of what he’d screamed during these phases, and Harding had kept quiet about it; rather than put him on the spotlight she figured he’d come clean in his own time.

Nearly three years later and Malcolm still hadn’t opened up about 1993. Harding felt, however, that perhaps he might finally reveal the truth sooner than he imagined doing: they were waiting on a sample sent to him by Richard Levine who himself had claimed to have found a ‘dinosaur corpse’. Levine had insisted Malcolm send the sample to a laboratory for testing and despite thinking the idea ridiculous, he sent it on nonetheless.

And now the couple were waiting for the sample to return. Harding was taking it in her stride whilst Malcolm had not stopped pacing, running his hands together at random intervals. Harding was quickly finding him to be distracting and annoying.

“Ian, sit down...”

“I’ll pace if I want to,” he bit back in an attempted playful manner although it came out a lot sharper than intended. “Anyway, it’d do my leg good to keep it moving.”

“You walk plenty enough. Just sit down for a bit! It’ll be here any time now.”

Malcolm paused mid-stride, ready to retaliate. He quickly decided against doing so, unable to find the words, and continued to pace. “There’s a lot riding on this sample,” he said simply. “Levine has made some quite, well... interesting claims...”

“So you said before,” Harding mumbled as she left Malcolm to impatiently hover. Doing her best to ignore his annoying habit she turned to the other soul in the room, who had herself kept very quiet. “Sure is different back here than out in Kenya, huh?”

From the adjacent corner of the office a soft voice emanated as Fluttershy looked up. “Oh yes,” she hummed. “It’s, umm, definitely safer here.”

“I’m not sure about safer,” Harding began with a giggle. She nodded towards Malcolm. “Remember there’s an ape loose in the office set to explode at any time—”

“What – I – I am no ape!” Malcolm barked in reply as both Harding and Fluttershy shared a laugh. “It’s not my fault if this godforsaken sample is taking its time getting here.” He shook his head, cracking a slight smile. “Ape. Really?...”

“Love you really, Ian,” Harding sang as she leaned over, pulling a book from the shelves. She nodded to herself as she opened the dinosaur encyclopaedia, glancing quickly at Fluttershy who seemed more than happy to flick through a photo scrapbook she’d made on their African expedition.

For a while the only sounds that could be heard was the clock on the desk ticking away and Malcolm continuing to pace. To the two females it was a relaxed, peaceful silence but to Malcolm it was deafening. He needed the test results, and he needed them now.

He continued to wait impatiently.

After an indeterminable passage of time the office phone rang and Malcolm was at it within an instant. “Hello? It’s here? Yes, yes, send it in,” and with that he set the phone down. The door to the office swung open, all heads in the room turning, and a young lab assistant walked in; she had a small cooler-box in her right hand and a dossier of notes under her left arm.

“Good evening Doctor Malcolm,” she said allowing herself in. “Hello,” she smiled to Harding and Fluttershy. “I’m Doctor Elizabeth Gelman and I’m based at the New Mexico State University. I assume you know why I’m here,” she continued setting the cooler-box on the desk. Opening the dossier, she handed it directly to Malcolm. “Well, this sample... Quite simply put, it’s not like anything we’ve really seen before.”

“I see,” Malcolm replied slowly. He looked towards the file, taking a long look at the various graphs and tables presented on the first page as Harding and Fluttershy joined him behind the desk, themselves looking at the pages before them.

“I shan’t bore you with all the biological details Doctor Malcolm, but in short the sample tells us this: firstly, the superficial epidermis layers are very much akin to that of a lizard. Here, if you look at this image,” she said reaching across to the dossier, flicking through it and presenting the trio with a photograph of cells, “you can see a structure that heavily suggests this animal was some sort of lacerta, perhaps.” Gelman allowed the three to take in the information as they studied the image. “However, we were able to extract a miniscule blood sample from this piece of flesh and that does not suggest that this animal was a lizard or reptile. Let us move on” – more pages turned until Gelman came across another image and circled a region of it with her finger– “here you see the blood vessels. They are surrounded with smoother fibres. This is typical of a warm-blooded animal.”

“But there are warm-blooded reptiles out there, are there not?” Harding was quick to add.

“Very, very few, yes. But by going even deeper again we can definitely count out any of these species.” Gelman turned the page, showing a microscopic image of blood cells. “The entire image you see before you does not suggest this was a lizard of any form. Look here. The red blood cells are nucleated, something characteristic of birds. The haemoglobin is atypical in nature – a lizard’s base pair differs entirely from this.”

There was silence as the information was processed, the four in the office all staring at the dossier. Finally Malcolm spoke, holding up the cooler-box. “So, uh, it’s safe to assume that none of your team know what this sample belonged to, then.”

“No, the sample doesn’t match anything we’ve ever studied before. Clearly it shares similarities with plenty of other animal groups. As I said it has characteristics of reptiles, and that of birds. Much of the cell structure suggests this was an avian form, but of course no bird has skin like this.”

“Indeed.” Malcolm was curt and offered a nod as he opened the cooler-box, taking a closer look at the sample. When it had first arrived on his desk it came with an attached note, clearly from an excited Levine. His note had made it very clear that this sample was from a dinosaur and that it should be sent to a laboratory if there was any doubt. As much as Malcolm had wanted to throw the sample out of the window or destroy it as soon as he possibly could he did not, instead following the note’s instruction and sending it to the State University – that way, at least it was anywhere else but on his office desk.

He had taken it from its casing when it had arrived and took a brief look at it. As he pulled the plastic bag from the cooler-box Levine had sent it in he was met with a mottled grey / green cut of animal flesh; initially searching intensely for evidence that it belonged to anything but a dinosaur Malcolm had slowly come to realise that Levine had no reason to lie to him. No, Levine - despite his loathsome qualities - would never lie, and he also somehow knew exactly who was witness to the events on Isla Nublar. With this knowledge, it was impossible for this sample to belong to any other creature.

Malcolm had felt his face drain. He thought all of this was behind him after the extended hospital stay. He’d made it quite clear to Levine that he wanted nothing to do with any of this and yet three weeks after his lecture interruption, the events of mid 1993 were making a big comeback in his life--

“Doctor Malcolm, do you know what this is?” Gelman drew him from his inner thoughts as she looked intently at him, her eyes narrowed.

For the briefest moment Malcolm panicked, getting caught up in the moment before quickly assuming his stoic character. He had no reason to doubt himself; numerous times since the Incident he’d had to cover up what had happened and today would be no different. With a confident smile, he spoke. “I have no idea.”

Silence.

“...Right,” Gelman finally said as a way of filling the uncomfortable pause. “Well, I – do you think you could get another sample? Could you head to Site B soon?”

“Site – Site B?”

“Yes,” she replied slowly, cocking her head. “There was a tag on the sample, embossed with the lettering ‘Site B’ on its side. You won’t be able to see it just by looking; it’s so small and very well-embedded in the epidermis. It was a small tag. Was the animal that this specimen came from an adult?”

“So I am told.”

“Okay. Well, the size of the tag implies it had been there since this animal was very young. Very young. The tag itself is incredibly weathered and its age goes some way to explaining that but it doesn’t explain all of its wear. What I’m saying is that something else is to blame. We’ve seen it before on other samples: animals living in more hostile environments might have a much more weathered tag than that of animals in captivity. Like, for example, a volcanic atmosphere – the acidic concentration surrounding a volcanic site will weather the tags more than normal atmospheric conditions.”

Malcolm nodded.

“Something else of interest surrounding the tag: it’s filled with near-microscopic radio transceivers, which of course means that this animal was being tracked. Otherwise it wouldn’t have been tagged, that simply wouldn’t add up. Now, coupled with the fact that the animal has almost certainly had it since a young age it seems logical to deduce that somebody, somewhere, was raising this animal – and presumably others like it.” Gelman paused, once again sending a determined look towards Malcolm. “I will ask again. Do you know what animal this is?”

“No.” Malcolm made nothing more of it; there was a pause. Fluttershy and Harding were also now looking his way, almost expecting something more from him.

“Err... Well, that’s all we have from the sample,” Gelman finished awkwardly. Gesturing towards the notes, she pressed on. “I’ll leave the dossier and the sample with you. Remember, if you can, get us another sample and we should be able to find out more. In the meantime, if you have any questions or any information at all, you know where we are. Don’t hesitate to get in touch. Goodnight everyone,” and with that, Elizabeth Gelman took her leave.

Malcolm waited, stock-still, until he could no longer hear her footsteps along the corridor outside before collapsing heavily into his chair, visibly blanching. He took deep breaths as Harding quickly began massaging his shoulders, Fluttershy giving the pair some room.

“I, uhh...” Malcolm took more deep breaths. He was distressed; he felt dizzy. Levine’s sample had brought with it an unexpected feeling of dread and acute terror – the memories of the Incident were once again becoming a reality.

Sensing the academic’s growing discomfort, Fluttershy looked up, speaking softly. “Do you, umm, want me to go?”

“No, you’re okay Flutters,” Harding replied equally as softly. “In fact, I think you might want to stay for this...” She turned her attention back to her beau. “Ian... I’m about to ask you something and I don’t want you to panic. Okay?”

“Fine,” he uttered. His voice was strained.

“This sample has something to do with your injury in ’93, doesn’t it?”

The room fell painfully silent. Malcolm had stopped taking deep breaths, Harding awaited a response, and Fluttershy just stared awkwardly at the couple before her.

“Y-yes,” he croaked in response. Closing his eyes, Malcolm drew another deep breath through his nose, visibly calming himself. “Okay. I guess it’s time I finally came clean on what happened.” He turned up to look at his partner, a great nervousness drawn across his features. “I’ll tell you everything I know. I hope you can forgive me for not having said anything before.”

It wasn’t often that Harding saw Ian open up like this. She was one of very few people to see this side of the stoic, obtuse Ian Malcolm that most others perceived him to be. He was, underneath his steely front, an emotional man who needed support and love, just like anyone else.

Harding planted a gentle kiss on his forehead. “Take your time, we’ll be listening,” she said with a smile. He looked as if his panic had passed. Harding moved round to the front of desk and occupied one of the seats, patting the other. “Come on Flutters, looks like Ian’s gonna tell us a story.”

“You’re sure you don’t mind me being here? I can let you two have some privacy if you want—”

“Nonsense,” Malcolm interrupted. “You’ve probably heard too much by now anyway.” He drew a breath. “Not to mention if I asked you to leave, Sarah would tell you not to listen to me and stay anyway.”

Fluttershy looked over to Harding who was nodding with a grin on her face. She smiled in return and turned her attention back to Malcolm who cleared his throat, and began.

“Levine was right about there being a Lost World.”

“I knew it,” Harding uttered as she nodded slowly. Fluttershy, on the other hand, remained clueless and stared blankly at the couple.

“Erm, excuse me Doctor Malcolm... A what?”

“A Lost World,” Harding explained. “Ian’s been studying things like this recently... It’s a theoretical concept about extinct animals still surviving on some isolated spot. Like, an island, populated with—”

“Dinosaurs,” Malcolm finished. At that, Fluttershy’s eyes widened.

“D-dinosaurs?”

Fluttershy squeaked, and promptly hid her face from view behind her mane – she knew all too well what dinosaurs were despite her short time on Earth. Her main focus during her research missions was that of the natural world and its wildlife, both alive and extinct. For the most part, she spent her time at various zoos around the planet, learning about breeding programs and the numerous species that populated the globe. She’d seen lemurs hopping about being fed by their keepers, bears wandering about in the shade, crocodiles lazing in the afternoon sun. On her most recent visit to Earth she’d been lucky enough to accompany Harding on a mission to the Maasai Mara game reserve in Kenya, studying lions, elephants, hippos, and other exotic species. It was an opportunity Fluttershy hadn’t expected but she certainly wasn’t about to decline a chance for field research. She’d accepted the offer happily and had an excellent time alongside Harding. Her natural ability to work with animals had come into play numerous times and she was able to steer the team out of trouble, a skill of which Harding admired greatly.

In the downtime between her bigger adventures, Fluttershy would meet with the other Elements wherever and whenever they could, spending a week or so together. The six of them would do as many different things as they could and this included visiting museums, something which Twilight took a particular interest in.

Fluttershy remembered the first time the six of them trotted into a dinosaur exhibit. They had been visiting the American Museum of Natural History and were winding their way through the displays, taking everything in. They had moved slowly and purposefully through the museum, Twilight in particular absorbing what information she could. For all six of them, it had been a truly insightful day.

Then they reached the fourth floor of the building. They moved through some more displays until finally, presented before them in great numbers, were skeletons. All six of the Elements had gasped as they slowly entered the hall filled with the remains, displayed in different poses. The first thing that hit them all was the sheer size of the skeletons. The skulls, the thigh-bones... The teeth...

Immediately the six friends immersed themselves in these creatures – the dinosaurs – and spent hours in the two skeleton halls, learning what they could.

It was in those two halls that they were introduced to the great graceful sauropods which would herd together and graze, much like enormous cows. They learned about the Triceratops which would challenge each other for mating rights and dominance with their impressive horns and frills.

They learned about the vicious killers. The Velociraptors, which would hunt in packs and use their speed to their advantage. The Tyrannosaurus Rex, which loomed above most other predators and likely could crush anything with its bite.

Truly, these animals were astounding. The six of them each enjoyed studying these skeletons that day, but only Fluttershy and Twilight would return to the natural history museums, spending hours talking about what these creatures might have looked like and how they might have behaved.

One thing they both agreed on, however, is that they were each thankful animals like this did not exist in the modern day, either on Earth or in Equestria. True, their home realm had equally exotic, massive, dangerous creatures that roamed there but none quite like these ancient beasts, and certainly not as numerous as the dinosaurs. Froggy Bottom Bogg played host to a single hydra; a manticore or two could be found in the Everfree Forest, and hordes of thirty or so dragons could be found dotted across the wider Equestrian supercontinent. In contrast, dinosaurs were said to be found across the entire planet in huge numbers at the peak of their existence.

The larger skeletons were truly quite imposing, particularly those of the bigger carnivores. This, coupled with the fact that huge numbers of these animals existed was an intimidating prospect – both Twilight and Fluttershy were in a respectful awe of them.

Fluttershy would sometimes still find the skeletons scary in their own right – not so much for what they were, but what they had been: living, breathing, massive beasts. Beasts that happened to look a lot like Equestrian dragons...

And to be fronted with the knowledge that there were dinosaurs still living on Earth filled her with a newfound terror.

Malcolm continued, drawing Fluttershy from her thoughts. “In 1993 I went with an attorney from law firm ‘Cowan, Swain and Ross’ to partake in an inspection of a proposed tourist attraction. Me, the lawyer, Doctor Alan Grant and his then-partner, Doctor Ellie Sattler. Now Sarah, I believe you’ll know the name Isla Nublar. Small island some 120 miles off of the Costa Rican coast.”

“Yeah...” She tripped over her own thoughts. “I – the one that Levine was saying you went to – oh my God, he really was right...”

“And so are a lot of other people.” Malcolm grimaced. “The ‘rumours’ are true. There was a biological park constructed at Isla Nublar by InGen, a biogenetics organisation – it was to be called ‘Jurassic Park’. The intention was for it to become a dinosaur zoo, to display dinosaurs...”

Both Sarah and Fluttershy watched Malcolm, his eyes glazing over as he recalled the events that took place. “I told Hammond – InGen CEO – that the place would fail. And it – and it did. The mainframe was jeopardised. The power went off... The dinosaurs broke free. We were attacked.” He blinked, pausing. “My leg was injured by the resident Tyrannosaurus.”

Immediately images of the Tyrannosaurus skeleton filled Fluttershy’s mind. She couldn’t imagine seeing the thing alive...

“I don’t recall much past that. For the remainder of the stay I was locked in the visitor centre, drugged up on morphine. I do remember lying there, looking up at the ceiling of my little room. There was a window on top, and electrified bars atop the glass. I remember looking up as three Velociraptors scrabbled furiously at the window, trying to break in. Trying to kill us. But they didn’t. The power came on and we were safe until the helicopter arrived.”

Silence.

“Apparently quite a lot of people were killed, including Hammond. It – it all started with the death of a dock hand, some young man who we only ever knew as ‘Jophery’...We were sent to inspect this park at InGen’s investors wish, following his death, and... And after that day, InGen was doomed.”

Harding was amazed. She knew Malcolm had been through something horrible and she was beginning to think it had something to do with animals of sorts. But here he was, four years on, still alive and kicking after an incident so life-threatening and dangerous. Not to mention that mental and emotional weight that must have carried over; he had been witness to a scientific breakthrough, the likes of which humankind had never seen before.

“That explains a lot about your time in the infirmary in Costa Rica,” she blurted out.

“Ah, yes,” he mumbled. “The raptor visions...”

“So you do remember, then,” she confirmed. “There were nights where I’d need to stay with you all night and calm you down. You went mad, screaming and cowering from... something. They said you were delirious, that you were just suffering a mental trauma, but it all seemed too real to me. Like you’d actually been through that. And now... I know you have,” Harding finished, reaching out and grabbing his hand. “To come through something like that takes real strength, Ian.”

Malcolm smiled, nodding once. And with that, the office was once again immersed in silence.

“...Doctor Malcolm?”

Fluttershy drew the couple out of their moment, both looking her way. She was looking up at them wide-eyed and a little shaken, but pressing.

“What are they like? The dinosaurs...?”

Malcolm shifted in his seat. “Uhh...” He struggled to find the right words. “They’re – they’re, well... big. Even the smaller ones... I didn’t really see much of them. When we arrived, Hammond took us to see a mixed group of herbivores as an introduction. I can tell you that seeing them for the first time in that way was really quite something. Quite magical, for sure.” He allowed a pause. “I only really got up close and personal to bigger animals that wanted to – to kill me, sadly.” His demeanour had darkened. “Raptors are far more cunning than you could ever picture, or so I am told. Seeing them trying to break in and kill us in the visitor centre... They are impish; evil. And the Tyrannosaurus... Nothing on this world, or indeed, any other –” he nodded towards Fluttershy – “can prepare anyone for seeing an adult, pissed-off Tyrannosaurus. Nothing.”

For a moment, nobody knew quite what to say and the office revelled again in silence until finally, Harding looked up. “Ian... Why didn’t you go public about all this? Why not tell the world? I understand InGen wouldn’t want people to know, especially after the incident, but – there’s a chance for people to learn from this. Not to mention that InGen is no more, so...”

“I had to,” he replied simply. “Much though I wanted to reveal everything to the world, we couldn’t. We had to sign legal documents binding us to secrecy – not between us and InGen, but between us and the United Nations. Between the world. This is an international secret. To be honest I’ve broken a lot of laws just telling you two about it now.” He sighed tiredly. “Thank you for looking after me, Sarah.”

“I had to,” she replied, imitating the man before her. She smiled.

Malcolm grinned in response as he slowly stood. “So, there you have it; that’s what happened in ’93. That’s why I was hospitalised... But now, we have a more pressing issue on our hands. The sample of Levine’s is almost definitely a dinosaur sample. I didn’t want to believe it when he first got in touch but after seeing it, and those lab results... No doubt in my mind. But – but it does beg the question, where are these new dinosaur carcasses coming from? It can’t be Isla Nublar, that island was levelled by the air force just as we left. They bombed it to the ground. And we all now know that somewhere, there is a ‘Site B’. I suppose InGen must have had another island where they nurtured most of the dinosaurs, then had them shipped over to Jurassic Park. These ‘aberrant forms’ must be washing up on the Costa Rican beaches from this other island.” Malcolm paused, picking up the sample cooler-box. He inspected it closely as he spoke. “I have a feeling that Levine is onto something with that. I don’t know exactly what he knows or how he knows it but I imagine I’ll be getting a lot of calls from him soon...

“Nonetheless, I can tell you both this, now, straight away: if he does follow through with his crackpot idea of going to find this ‘Site B’, I will not be joining him. Absolutely no way.”

****

The sea was gentle and the sun warm as Duke Grigorii nursed his fifth whiskey of the afternoon. The morning had been far too intense for his liking since arriving on Earth – almost immediately after arriving he was escorted into a limousine and driven for two hours to a harbour, all the while being asked endless questions by his escort.

Grigorii did not like too many questions. He much preferred to ask them, if he had to talk at all, but Tsar Gavrel had insisted Grigorii make the deal on his behalf. Quite why, Grigorii was unable to work it out. He chalked it up to the King of All Griffons’ sheer laziness – loyal though he was to his Tsar, Gavrel had a reputation for getting others to carry out his tasks for him.

As Grigorii put away his sixth whiskey, he pondered for a moment. The very fact that Gavrel had selected him to go to Earth and talk business proved some level of trust between the King and his prince – something which Grigorii grew ever prouder of. Irritating though he found the humans, and much though he began to strongly dislike their realm, he held his head high and powered through – za tsarya.

Still. It wasn’t all too bad. The humans had laid on endless whiskeys and this yacht was extremely nice. Perhaps Grigorii would volunteer for more business meetings in the future...

He slammed the empty whiskey glass down on the table as a human approached him. Grigorii took the meek man’s features in as he approached; he was well-dressed but annoyingly mild-mannered, seeming to hover towards the table in awkward silence. He was bald and the Griffon emissary watched as the man corrected his glasses.

“Grigorii Glebovich—”

“Duke Grigorii to you,” he cut in.

“Oh, of course. My apologies, sir.” Grigorii watched apathetically as the man sat down opposite him, setting his briefcase down and extending an arm. “My name is Peter Ludlow, CEO of International Genetics Technologies.”

Grigorii nodded once.

Ludlow coughed awkwardly before springing into action. “I shan’t bore you with unnecessary details,” he began, “so I shall jump to the issue at cause: we wish to finally convince you and your Tsardom that construction of a new attraction in your kingdom would be the economic boost you desire...”

Grigorii had heard those words before – this had been a proposition long in the making. Before leaving the Griffon Kingdom, the Tsar had met with him many times to discuss InGen’s offer. Word spoke of their desire to construct some sort of awe-inspiring zoo in the Griffon Kingdom, not only establishing ‘friendly working relations’ between the two species but also, as Ludlow had just put it, ‘hope to provide the Griffon Kingdom with an economic boost’. Grigorii and the Tsar had spoken at great depth about the offer and what it meant. It was true that the Griffon Empire was near-crippled economically; times had been hard for a very long time and this possible business venture did seem like a way out. On the other side, it presented a few issues: why choose Griffons? The Tsar had been quick to highlight that ponies and humans had already established relations, so surely it would have made sense to construct this new zoo in Equestria. Aside that, there were issues of costing and payment, transport of animals and, above all, what these animals actually were.

In his final meeting before heading to Earth, the Tsar had revealed that the animals of InGen’s biological parks were said to be resurrected creatures...

“...So, what are your thoughts?” Grigorii was drawn from his thoughts and he looked up at the man. Ludlow had clearly spoken for quite some time and was now anticipating some sort of answer.

The Griffon prince adjusted his wings. “I think that before any sort of deal can be made, you need to tell me everything there is to know.” Grigorii set his talons on the table surface, clicking them slowly. “What makes these animals so ‘special’? I am sure you know of the magical creatures from our realm.”

“I was hoping you’d ask such a question,” Ludlow replied with a smirk. He opened the briefcase, producing a document. “Take a look at this.”

Grigorii carefully picked up the document, casting his eye over it. He wasn’t much of a reader but the document was brief and immediately striking, the words ‘Jurassic Park’ jumping out from the top of the page. He looked up at Ludlow, an eyebrow cocked.

“I hope all is to your liking, Duke.”

Grigorii said nothing as he scanned the document. Despite his stoic appearance, he became ever more intrigued as he took in the information before him.

‘List of species currently inhabiting Jurassic Park

Tyrannosaurus Rex – 2

Velociraptor – 10

Triceratops – 5...’

Grigorii’s beak warped into an acute smile.

“Dinosaurs,” he said simply. It was true that he knew little about humanity, but since first contact was established with Earth he had learnt the basics. He, alongside the ruling elite of the Griffon Tsardom, also paid close attention to the ponies and their findings – the Equestrians had learnt much, and were more than keen to share their findings. Amongst their detailed reports were those of deadly creatures – a particular interest of the Tsar’s – which had included dinosaurs.

“Yes,” he continued aloud. “Most pleasing.”

With a wry smile and a nod, Ludlow continued. “Excellent, I’m glad. I had imagined this would be to your liking. Now, perhaps – if you could” – he gestured, off the yacht’s port side – “cast your eyes here, please. I think you’ll like what you see.”

Grigorii followed Ludlow’s gesture, looking toward the beachhead near where the yacht had docked. It was perhaps one and a half kilometres away, so features were visible but a strain on the eyes. “Here,” came Ludlow’s voice as Grigorii received a pair of binoculars. Putting them to his eyes, he looked.

His beak fell open.

There, on the beach, staring cautiously but intently at their position was a beast unlike any he’d ever seen. The creature was stood tall upon its hind legs, three toes splayed out wide. Even from this distance Grigorii could tell the animal was huge. Certainly not on the scale of the largest Equestrian beasts, but for Earth, this thing was big. And its presence... Grigorii had seen some monsters in his time, but whatever was staring coldly back at him sent a chill to his wingtips.

“The big ones tend not to venture out to the beaches,” Ludlow’s voice came. “We lured him out with the promise of a meal in anticipation of your visit. Do you see that, in his jaws? Watch closely.”

Grigorii took another look. “Yes,” he said. There, hanging from the monster’s jaws; a smaller creature, clearly freshly slain. The larger animal’s face was bloodied, the ooze dripping from the hanging corpse. He watched with great curiosity as the larger animal lazily moved its head back, holding its prey up high – and then, with a flick and a snap of its mighty jaws, it swallowed its meal whole.

“Fascinating,” Grigorii uttered, his gaze never leaving the large beast. After standing for a short while, he saw the creature turn around slowly, taking in its impressive bulk, muscular tail and surprisingly short arms.

With that, the animal pushed its way back into the undergrowth, and was gone.

Grigorii felt a hand on his shoulder. Lowering the binoculars, he focussed his gaze on Ludlow. “Perhaps,” he began slowly, “we can now enter negotiations. The Tsar will be most pleased with this.”

“Excellent”, Ludlow replied with a wry smile. “Come, please follow me below deck. We’ll begin work now, if that suits...”

Author's Note

Well well well! Turns out I've not forgotten about this ;) Taken a verrrrrry big break from FimFiction but decided to come back to this. This chapter has been written for ever - aside for the section regarding Ludlow meeting the Griffons, which I intend to use a major plot point later in the tale. Hopefully get a few updates in fairly quickly now, as I've got a lot more already written that needs a little editing here and there. Onwards and upwards! Dinosaurs aplenty! And so forth!

Hope you enjoy, guys.
-- CompactDisc

18 - Addressing The Ugly Truths

Hurriedly Levine darted back through the trees, heading in the direction he thought he’d come from. What should have been something so straightforward had, once again, gone to absolute shit and if he’d acted that split-second faster, Thorne’s disappearance might not have come to pass.

Levine cursed loudly to himself. He’d been too slow to save Thorne, too slow to apprehend Ludlow; too slow to see where they’d even gone. After everything he’d experienced on this woeful island, having the team together and in reasonable spirits was a nugget of optimism for him. But watching it dissolve in front of him was sending his head spinning. He thought of Thorne; he thought of Eddie Carr, the poor bastard. He even went so far as to offer a passing thought to Lewis Dodgson.

Death. The Lost World brings death.

He daren’t admit it out loud but Malcolm’s theories might actually have been right. There was no way Dinosauria could have ever survived from antiquity; they were too complex in their own right and they brought about a complexity all of their own. Chaos theory was complicated but articulate, chaos theory the pessimistic naysayer of those who dared to dream. And Ian Malcolm was its smarmy, arrogant mouthpiece—

Levine cursed again, shaking his head. I’m not doing this now, he told himself. Jesus. We need to go get the Doc. With that he continued on as quickly as he could, pushing through the undergrowth. Distantly Levine’s leg throbbed from the raptor wound but the adrenaline coursing through him drove him onward. Clutching Thorne’s flare gun he’d found on the small jungle trail, he followed the sounds of the Tyrannosaur mother and headed into the ferns.

Suddenly the nearby jungle was filled with a brilliant purple light; Levine yelped. Panic soon gave way to confusion as his heart rate slowed and he collected himself. Then it hit him: Twilight Sparkle’s magic. She was casting spells. With a renewed sense of urgency Levine headed for the source of the light, praying to all that was holy that the ponies were okay.

The very fact that Twilight Sparkle was casting spells on Earth left him inherently uneasy. She shouldn’t need to – let alone be able to – and yet Levine was watching her fight nature itself in order to survive. On top of that, at least two people had been killed by dinosaurs in as many days, Dodgson and his sad, failed company knew about this place when they absolutely shouldn’t have, and InGen were up to something incredibly strange by still operating out of Isla Sorna. Nothing was natural about this place; nothing made any sense. It was not as simple as the natural order should have dictated.

Christ. Maybe Malcolm was right.

* * * *

“Fluttershy’s out cold,” Malcolm called. “Sarah, how’s Twilight?”

“Not well,” came a tired response. “She’ll be okay – won’t you, Twi?”

“Mm-hmm.” Twilight was clearly faded, but she had finally stopped vomiting and looked up at Harding with determined eyes. “Yeah, I’ll be fine... but I need some water, please.”

“Of course. Stay here, I’ll be right back.” Harding made the short journey to the SUV, producing a water canteen from the satchel Twilight had been wearing. For the briefest moment she paused, the adrenaline pumping hard through her body beginning to fade. She was dizzy, tired, and at this point, pissed off. These last few days had been hellishly difficult for Harding; she had wildly underestimated the strain her body and mind would be put under. Isla Sorna was nothing like Kenya – not that she had expected it to be, but she’d at least thought some of her skills might be useful. But nothing was useful here.

Harding grimaced as an unnatural, negative feeling came creeping over her. The darkness and downright horror that exuded from Isla Sorna was really quite something, and it was getting to her in a big, big way. Sighing she readied herself, summoning a strength from somewhere inside and she headed back, carefully letting the weakened mare take on water. “Here,” Harding said, producing some chocolate from her pocket. “This might help too; get some sugar back in you.”

From the trees there came a rustle and immediately everyone stiffened; Malcolm and Harding particularly tense. But all fears were immediately assuaged as Levine hauled himself from the jungle. He appeared frazzled, wide eyes darting to and fro. The man was in full force. “Guys, I—woah, what happened here?! Are the Equestrians okay? Twilight, what happened? Ian, Sarah? Where are the Rexes? And the Spinosaurus? Why is nobody answering me—”

“Richard that’s enough,” Harding snapped. “Everyone and everypony is okay, but the mares are weak. You know Fluttershy’s just been through a horrible magical ordeal. And Twilight just teleported them both to safety. She’s alright but weak, too, so quit your squawking.” Harding was short.

“Okay, okay. Well – good. I’m glad you’re safe,” he said, making a point of directing his warmth at Twilight. He saw her smile weakly in return. “And you two?”

“Yes, we’re fine,” Malcolm hissed from a short distance away, still crouched next to Fluttershy. “So where – where exactly did you go, Richard?”

“I went to support Jack. I figured one man against two – or more – was foolish, particularly here.”

“That much is wise. The rest, well...” Malcolm shot him an uncomfortably long glare. “So... where is he, where is Jack?”

Wordlessly Levine produced the flare gun from his jacket. “I found this lying on a small trail leading west,” he said cautiously. “They got him.”

“Fantastic,” Malcolm blurted, his eyes flashing wide. “This is all we need. The curse of Isla Sorna hath struck again.” He sighed dramatically, pinching his nose. “And – and how many of them were there, in Ludlow’s party? Did you see where they were headed?”

“I – uh...” Levine faltered. “I didn’t get there in time.” His shoulders slumped; he was defeated.

“God damn it, man—”

“We have to find him.” Harding cut through the bickering; she was steeled. “I doubt Ludlow would murder a man in cold blood. He’s either still alive or they’ll... leave him like they did Dodgson...”

A croaky voice came from the forest floor. “We’re not leaving Doctor Thorne here.” It was Twilight; she had unsteadily risen to her hooves, Harding quick to support her. “We can’t leave anypony here. We leave together.”

Levine flapped. “I – I wasn’t suggesting we leave him—”

“And me either,” spat Malcolm, his frustration clear. “But I wasn’t suggesting we put ourselves in a position where we needed to rescue anyone else at that.” He huffed loudly, marching toward Levine, a forceful finger poking him squarely in the chest. Malcolm was uncharacteristically brutish. “If you had went with Thorne this may have played out differently but you failed to commit.”

“I’m aware of that Ian.”

“Failure to commit in the wild gets you killed. Isn’t that right, Sarah?”

“Cool it Ian, please—”

“Come on man don’t pull Sarah into this—”

“And a lack of commitment is the hallmark of a bad academic at that, too—”

“Enough!” Levine roared. In an equally uncharacteristic display of fury the self-absorbed man spoke. “I have heard enough from you, Doctor Malcolm, the oh-so-mighty and wise and always right soothsayer that you claim to be. Can it. We can all see through you. I see you’re just as scared as the rest of us. Well you know what? You didn’t have to come here. You could have chosen to stay at home and postulate how each of us would be killed at that hands of chaos theory.” Levine was wide and animated, eyes flaring up and his temper boiling over.

“Doctor Levine, stop this, now.” Twilight spoke up but it was to no avail, Levine had cracked.

“You impress nobody,” he continued, verbally pinning Malcolm to the wall. “This whole time you’ve impressed nobody, dragging this expedition down. You’re a metaphorical ball-and-chain, and any time we’ve encountered difficulty you’ve been reactive rather than be proactive. People like you get killed in the wild as per the laws of nature—”

“Do not speak to Ian like that,” Harding said coldly, following Levine’s bitter vitriol with her own. “He is flawed in many ways but he’s much stronger than you’ll ever know—”

“Sarah I can look after myself, especially with Richard—”

“—Remember he’s already seen these dinosaurs? He knows these animals Richard. Unlike you. Without him you’d be dead for sure. We’d all be dead. Dead and useless and shit.” Harding had finally unwound, giving in to her frazzled temper.

“So – you’re – both – as bad as each other? Come on, Sarah, I know you’re not really like this—”

“Please?!” came Twilight’s forceful reply, finally halting the impish argument unfolding before her. “Are we really going to drag each other down now? Of all moments? Look at yourselves!” She huffed. “I thought you were all above petty shots at one another when the going got tough. Come on. Every time we disagree we descend into chaos – and I’m sorry Doctor Malcolm but chaos is the most negative of all magical forces – and the only way we’re going to get out of this place is together—”

“So you keep saying—”

“For a reason, Doctor Levine. Because it’s true.” With that, Twilight trotted with purpose towards the now-stirring Fluttershy, sighing deeply. She knelt next to her, turning back to the others. “The map that Fluttershy and I picked up a few days ago says there’s a geo-thermal power plant a little to the west of here. We should probably head there – if it’s not where Mr Ludlow was heading then we’ll at least be somewhere that’ll hopefully offer more clues.”

“Yeah. Very sensible, Twilight.” Harding was curt, outwardly stressed. “We can take the SUV.”

“Uh, no we can’t. Thorne had the keys.” Levine, too, was short.

“Great! Then we’ll walk.” Harding headed back to the SUV, grabbing Twilight’s satchel and slinging it over her shoulder. She smiled meekly at the two mares – now upright, if not a little worse for wear – and impudently brushed past Levine, heading along a westerly track.

Malcolm followed suit. “I will work with you until we get off this hellhole, Richard. But do not think for a second this means I like you. At all.” With that he caught up to Harding.

Glancing back at the ponies – Twilight offering something between a reassuring nod and a directive to press on – Levine drew a haggard breath, following Malcolm and Harding. He was some distance behind them but close enough to keep them in view; Fluttershy and Twilight were just a little ways back. The atmosphere in the group was poisonous and unpleasant – a collapse of unity seemed to be rooting its way in. Egos and tensions that had threatened peace before finally seemed to be taking hold. After everything they’d been through. And Levine did not like it, not at all.

He felt lonelier than ever as he followed the narrow track into the jungle.

Lord let this nightmare end.

* * * *

Twilight wasn’t entirely sure how long everypony had been walking for but the night was endless and very, very dark. But instinct told her that they were making reasonable progress. The group had been pressing on in near-silence; occasionally Fluttershy would reassure Twilight, and she would reply in kind. Very sparingly Malcolm and Harding would check in with one another, most of the interaction short and to-the-point. Levine had said nothing for the duration.

In all honesty Twilight had shocked herself with how little she had spoken to anypony. Whilst she was far from Pinkie Pie, she certainly wasn’t about to turn down conversation with a world-renowned mathematician, animal behaviourist and palaeontologist. And yet, she was so mentally spent and magically drained that she had little desire to do so. Despite being relieved to see that everypony seemed reasonably well given the circumstances, the feeling in amongst them all was tense and cold. Before, Twilight had seen promise that the magic of friendship might have some effect. Now she was beginning to feel that there was no hope for anypony here at all. Levine, whilst gifted, was too obtuse and arrogant to effectively reach out and work with others. Malcolm was far too condescending and self-righteous to take others seriously despite a real concern for the well-being of other folk, and Harding – the one Twilight had respected the most of them all for her empathy – was a little too tribal and quick to deal with issues by shouting the loudest. And there was just something about the island that seemed to bring out the worst in everypony. Twilight sighed; she was disappointed. These were good people. These were people who had worked so very hard in their own fields, formed academic networks, friendships – relationships, even. These were surely good people. But for whatever reason, they seemed to wear their negativity on their sleeve. It seemed to be the trait that came out the most under pressure and she could not understand why. This was not the first time Twilight had thought this, and more worryingly so was that a new thought had taken hold quite prominently in her mind.

What if all humanity is like this?

She blinked, taken aback at the weight of such a thought. Shaking her head, she allowed a moment.

Perhaps the foul magic of Isla Sorna is getting to me...

Doing her best to pull herself out of her negative spiral she decided enough was enough – she was going to strike up conversation, and she was going to engage in a topic that she felt hadn’t really been concluded yet.

“Doctor Malcolm?” She was uneasy speaking to him but allowed scientific curiosity – rather than her concerns – to take the lead.

Up ahead Malcolm faltered, turning his head to see Twilight trotting towards him. “How you doing, Twilight? Are you – are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m okay, thank you. I—”

“Twilight, listen,” Harding said, interrupting the flow. “I wanna apologise for earlier. Things got ugly, and none of us needed that.”

“I agree,” Malcolm sighed. “You didn’t need to see that.”

“I appreciate that,” she offered with a smile. “Thank you.” Twilight paused for a moment, happy that an apology had come to pass but not convinced her opinions on anypony had quite changed. “Listen, Doctor Malcolm... I wanted to ask your thoughts on chaos theory now that we’ve been here for a few days.”

Levine mumbled something beneath his breath.

“Sure. Fire away,” Malcolm replied simply. He could sense the group’s fatigue at the sound of the words chaos theory, but he’d been expecting Twilight Sparkle to re-address this at some point.

“You said in your seminar all those months ago that dinosaurs died out because of the sudden and radical change to their surroundings. And as I understood it, they adapted too much or not enough and so they stopped existing.”

“That’s about the length of it, correct...”

“So how have these dinosaurs been able to survive for so long on their own on this island? It seems that they’ve not really been interfered with very much – shouldn’t they have adapted themselves out of existence?”

Without missing a beat Malcolm was in full flow. His venomous tone from before had all but vanished as an academic enthusiasm took hold. “I once told John Hammond that life finds a way. Life – uh – will find a way to adapt in the face of adversity. And that is true. Now in the case of dinosaurs from antiquity, life found a way for them to thrive two hundred million years ago and when they were faced with the edge of chaos they failed to adapt correctly, and so it was that they became extinct. Twilight, these creatures here are not dinosaurs. They are monsters, aberrant creations, designed to emulate dinosaurs.”

“Yeah.”

“Hammond and Ludlow would tell you otherwise but they are not scientists. They fail to see the accuracy and the math and the philosophy of it all. These are as close to dinosaurs as we are likely to get. But they – they are not true dinosaurs. True dinosaurs are the work of nature; these are the work of man. And the reason that they still exist? Because life finds a way. Clearly, whatever these things are have found a niche in nature that fits them, and are adapting effectively. They’re reproducing naturally as we have seen. But remember they are not real dinosaurs – look at those Spinosaurs that showed up. Barely resembled an actual Spinosaurus if I’m correct.”

“I believe you are, yeah.”

“But the – the worrying thing here is that they exist at all, and are so successful at doing so. Much as dinosaurs failed at the edge of chaos when presented with sudden change; humanity is gambling with failure on the edge of chaos it has created for itself by genetically engineering dino-creatures.” He paused. “We could be writing our own death warrant with what we’ve seen here.”

Twilight was silent for some time, processing what she’d heard. “Why didn’t you speak up about the park after 1993? If it concerns you that much?”

“I’m... not too sure,” came a delayed reply. “I think I felt at the time that the issue was self-contained. That was before I knew about this place. That is of course not to mention that I was recovering for some time from my initial visit to Jurassic Park. There was, also, the non-disclosure act we were legally obliged to sign. I figure I didn’t want to rock the boat too much at the time. A self-contained issue that could resolve itself and I could forget about? That – that would have made my recovery so very much easier at the time. Both physically and mentally, you understand.” Malcolm was uneasy.

“Even then, surely gambling with the safety of humanity is worth the risk of going public—”

“Humanity gambles with its own safety on a daily basis,” Malcolm said quickly. “Twilight, there is plenty of beauty in this world. Look around you. See the forest. Smell the damp ferns; hear the distant animal calls; look at the stars and when the sun rises watch the colour of the sky. See the good people doing good work. But there is an ugly underbelly, too. Governments engaging in unscrupulous activity to make money. Abuse of the natural world. Secrets like this.” He gestured widely. “I’m sorry to break this to you but Planet Earth is a flawed place. A beautiful one, but a flawed one.”

In all the time she had known Ian Malcolm, Twilight had not heard him sound so defeated. Not least in his species but in himself. But she had read the history books and she had studied political systems and operations: whilst she did not believe Earth was completely under the spell of this negative magic she could absolutely see where Malcolm was coming from.

“It’s called the human condition,” he added with a sigh. “We are good, and we are bad. A species of grey, if you will.”

“T-thank you, Doctor Malcolm.” Twilight was taken aback. What started as chaos theory had become depressive nihilism. “That just about answers it.” With a somewhat forced smile she trotted back to Fluttershy, who had been half-listening.

“I didn’t follow too much of that,” she offered.

“Oh, you didn’t miss much.” Twilight paused. “You didn’t miss too much, to be honest.”

“I don’t want to be here anymore,” Fluttershy said simply. “It’s horrible.”

“It is. The sooner we can leave the island, the better...”

“I agree.”

At the head of the group Harding looked to Malcolm. “That was particularly grim,” she said.

“I – I know.” Malcolm was quiet. “But it is true. Maybe to a greater or lesser degree but that’s a different debate for a different day.”

“You didn’t paint us in an especially good light. What’s Twilight gonna take back to Equestria with her?”

“A whole lot of negative feelings, I should think.” As he walked Malcolm could feel his shoulders dropping. “God, Sarah, I’m so tired of this place. It’s getting to my head.”

“I think we all are,” she said gravely.

* * * *

“It must be said, Peter,” Tembo began gravely as the group pushed through the undergrowth. “Calling in for a helicopter to get us to the geothermal plant would have been considerably easier. Or, perhaps, just off of the island.”

Ludlow sighed. “You are correct.” Of course Tembo was correct. It would have taken the team less than five minutes to arrive there by air as opposed to the thirty or so minutes they’d been walking. “But, alas. We’d have needed to wait for the aircraft – in which time we may well have been compromised yet further by the Equestrians. And I’ve no doubt that everyone here knows we could not afford that.” He looked back at the Griffons; a small nod from the Tsar acknowledging he’d been heard. “When we arrive at the facility I will call for an aircraft to pick you and I up, but we will need to see our dear friends away safely from the island and not the continent. The only Matter Transporters available to us on the mainland would be those now connected to the International Switchboard, Roland – and you may recall the political red tape surrounding our machine?”

“Yes, I remember.” And remember he did, all too well. Ludlow had previously been squawking for so long some time ago, insisting on receiving Tsar Gavrel and Grigorii prior to the International Switchboard getting their ‘invasive hands’ on InGen’s Matter Transporter. Indeed, Tembo surmised it’d be difficult for any InGen employees to forget Ludlow’s comments regarding the global Matter Transporter monitoring network. For months it was all he would speak of. But for good reason – InGen’s Transporter hadn’t been officially sanctioned and neither had it been legally declared upon successful inter-realm travel. To this day Tembo had no idea how Ludlow was able to avoid having the device confiscated, let alone avoiding imprisonment. Aloof and bloody-minded, perhaps; but Ludlow was one hell of a politician and businessman. And so, Tembo did have to concede to the man somewhat. Making use of the Matter Transporter on Isla Sorna did make a lot of sense. An off-grid device should allow for the Griffon royalty to return home undetected – and certainly it’d make any business they were to do with InGen a lot easier.

Not that Tembo cared much for that. He had long since made up his mind that upon returning to the mainland and receiving the remainder of his generous pay packet, he would wave goodbye to Ludlow and InGen and the whole sorry affair. Tracking wild animals was one thing, dealing with dinosaurs another. But doing dinosaur-related business with alien Griffons? He drew the line there, for sure. Griffons and ponies and dinosaurs and politics. Hardly an easy existence.

“Here we are,” Ludlow announced proudly, pulling Tembo from his thoughts. Finally the ragtag group had made it to the facility – a small industrial frontage built into the foot of the great mountain. “It may not look much from outside, but within the earth lies the engine-room of Isla Sorna: the geothermal power plant.” Ludlow spoke with a dramatic flair – something that did not go unnoticed – as he gestured widely at the mountain. “Your Highness, Duke, Roland: if you’d follow me inside we can promptly head to the Matter Transporter Station.”

“Most excellent,” Gavrel said quietly. “Thank you.” With that, the Tsar and his Duke followed Ludlow inside.

Tembo took a moment on the concrete steps, looking back out across the small and now-overgrown courtyard. He surveyed the treeline – dark and intimidating in the night, surely concealing anything that had tracked them here. He shuddered at the thought. But his natural instinct told him that they were reasonably safe and to that end he finally entered the facility itself.

“All seems okay out there Roland?”

“For now. But let’s keep moving and not play with chance.”

“Good. I’ve just called for our helicopter, it will meet us in thirty minutes – so we should move quickly. Everyone, follow me please,” Ludlow said aloud, starting down a stone corridor. “Do take care under footing – as you can see nature has begun the process of reclaiming this site.” And he was not wrong: weeds and shrubs had sprouted through the tiled floor, vines clinging on to the stone walls. The light fittings had been swamped with moss and overgrowth and the once-proud, clean facility appeared... tired. Functional, perhaps. But certainly forgotten in time.

With one final double-take, Tembo followed the group into the bowels of the facility. He was uncharacteristically off-guard, his head less focussed on the immediate threat that could be lurking around each corner and more thinking of getting home. Indeed, he noted a strange mood within the team; evidently he was not the only one feeling that the end was in sight.

There also remained an uneasy tension regarding what to do with the bearded man Grigorii had beaten into submission. Whilst erring on the side of neutrality, Tembo understood why the Griffon had acted in such a manner – indeed, the parallels with how he had handled Lewis Dodgson were never far from his mind. However, eventually somebody would have to call the shots on what to do with him and Tembo felt that he’d left enough people for dead on this godforsaken island. If that’s what the others wished to with him so be it. But he sure as hell would not be the one to decide.

He simply pressed on, following the group in silence.

“So,” said Tsar Gavrel in his cool, collected nature, breaking the awkward atmosphere as they navigated the corridors. “I feel it would be good to at least begin discussing business, now that we are out of harm’s way.”

“Of course.” Ludlow did not look back, focussing on navigating the site. “I’m sure once we’re back home we can finalise things properly, but it’d certainly be good to bounce some ideas back and forth. What did you have in mind, Your Highness?”

“Just a... few points of interest. Firstly. We will move ahead with plans discussed as before,” Gavrel began. He spoke slowly; deliberately. “I see very little reason to amend the construction phase. Send your architects, Mr Ludlow: my comrades will do the heavy lifting. But you remember this must be clandestine, for now.”

“I understand.”

“We will open when the main exhibits are completed, and populated. And we will open with a Tyrannosaurus Rex.”

“A good choice, Sir,” Ludlow hummed. “It may take some time for us to incubate and grow a Tyrannosaur for you—”

“And a Spinosaurus.”

“Oh! Well – certainly she will be a crowd-pleaser, no doubt.” Ludlow had not expected the Tsar to request two apex predators – each came with a substantial price tag – but business was, at the end of the day, still business. “Again, as per the Tyrannosaurus, she will take some time to—”

“I would also very much like to buy the Spinosaurus rights from you, and would like your scientists to teach ours your company’s ways of working.”

Ludlow faltered, but only for a moment. This request had come out of the blue; there had been no indication that the Griffons wanted the science and technology for themselves. Selling Gavrel dinosaurs, sure – Ludlow knew he could do that, and the InGen Board of Directors had green-lit this – but actually handing over company assets and knowledge was a completely different affair. “I shall have to speak to the Board,” Ludlow offered meekly in response. “That’s quite the request, Your Highness, but I’m sure we can come to some sort of agreement.”

“I’m sure we can, Mr Ludlow.” Gavrel fell back slightly, glancing to Grigorii. “We will have their technologies,” he all but whispered in their native tongue.

“Da, moy Korol’.”

“And how is our interloper?” Gavrel asked Grigorii; obviously louder this time, and in plain English.

Grigorii shifted the weight of Thorne around on his shoulders. “Seems to remain out cold. What a pity.” He guffawed, a crooked smiling arcing across his beak.

“Indeed.”

From somewhere deep within the facility – and after a reasonably long silence – came a dull thud, and the group stopped in their tracks.

“I wouldn’t like to say for sure,” Tembo said finally, feeling a slight release of pent-up tension. “But I am not convinced that the creaking of the power station produced that sound.”

“Hmm.” Ludlow nodded once, slowly. “The geothermal station does have a history of clattering and creaking, but it seems prudent not to test that historical record tonight. We should press on,” and with that he abruptly marched along the hallway.

Tembo noted the heightened atmosphere and was quick to follow. Vigilance will guide me home.

* * * *

Grigorii had said very little as he followed the meek Ludlow and His Highness deeper into this odd power station but he was unsettled by a number of things he’d seen. Firstly, why was the facility getting hotter and hotter the further he went? The science of geothermal energy was something very new to him – and he had a very loose understanding of what the words meant, based on the discussions with the Tsar previously – but surely only the energy production side of the facility would be so hot? It was all rather strange. Perhaps it did make sense. Perhaps they were closer to the magma than he had first realised. Either way, whatever the explanation: Grigorii was not at ease, not at all.

Secondly, why had nature been able to so successfully reclaim these halls? For somewhere apparently ‘up-and-running’ it looked in complete ruin. The meek man Ludlow had said that it hadn’t been used in some time but it was hardly a welcome sight, and surely something that would not make a good first impression for his King. Nonetheless, the Hunter Tembo was doing a good job of hacking his way through the thick shrubbery and vines. That was at least something.

Lastly – and perhaps most disturbingly – were the various signs of animal activity throughout. A few vent grates had given way and collapsed inward, claw marks scuffing the walls and floors around them. But it was the blood stains that concerned Grigorii the most. He didn’t know if any of his comrades present had seen any of them – surely the Hunter would have picked up on them – but he couldn’t be certain. That said, he thought there were enough to be unsettled so why did nobody else? Indeed, it hadn’t taken him long to notice the stains along the skirting of the walls, as if something was being dragged down the passageways. And with each patch of ferns and shrubs he’d noticed something more; blood-soaked flooring tiles and splash marks on the walls and ceilings, suggesting a more frenzied movement. As if animals were fighting.

No, it did not set him at ease whatsoever but he opted not to air his worries. They were close now. Just a little more, a little further, and they’d be on their way to safety. Grigorii knew the Tsar was diligent and wise; he would evade dinosaur attack. He didn’t much care what happened to either of the humans in his presence but he assumed at least the Hunter could fight his way out of trouble. As for his captive, Grigorii cared even less about. Truth be told, he’d barely thought of the bearded man: he became so accustomed to carrying his weight that it made very little difference to him. He’d likely leave him for dead. Something would probably have killed him anyway.

A honk from down the hall and beyond the thicket where Tembo was hacking away created a moment of chaos; Grigorii instinctively leapt in front of the Tsar. But all panic was immediately quelled as through the brush came a pair of small, beaked creatures – and as quickly as they had appeared, they disappeared, their honks and scurrying feet taking them further down the halls.

“Leptoceratops,” Tembo said, waist-deep in the dense ferns. “They’ll do us no harm.”

“Hm.” Tsar Gavrel responded curtly. “Let’s hope they are the only creatures here. May we soon reach the Transporter.”

“We will,” Ludlow offered warmly. “Please, my friends, worry not.”

“Thank you.” Gavrel immediately turned to Grigorii, ensuring Ludlow was more occupied with Tembo’s work. “Something else inhabits this place. Do you sense them?”

“I do.” Grigorii knew the wise King would have picked up on the subtleties, too.

“We are nearly home. But we are not there yet.” Gavrel leaned in closer, defaulting to his mother tongue. “I do not like being put at risk, Duke Glebovich. The meek one is stupid but we only need to tolerate him for a short while.”

“Thank the Almighty,” he responded in kind.

“Should we be under immediate threat, use the bearded one. We have no use for him, really. I am quite surprised you’ve carried him this far, after all.”

Grigorii simply shrugged. “As am I.”

“Route’s clear,” came Tembo from beyond the vines. “We can get through now.”

Grigorii looked up; sure enough the Hunter had carved a way through the impasse. With a silent nod to Gavrel he hastened his step. The end was in sight now, finally. It hadn’t been a particularly long day but it had been hard enough – and oh bozhe the humans were insufferable for the most part of it.

* * * *

...

From somewhere quite unsteady and uncomfortably hot a flicker of consciousness stirred; Doc Thorne could feel his head coming to. Goddamn it did he feel sick. He tried to stir but his body felt so very heavy, his arms and legs utterly useless. On top of that his head was pounding something awful. He could distantly feel motion, unsure of quite where he was or what was going on and it was all too apparent that moving was way out the question, for now.

Shit.

He blinked once, twice – and finally opened his eyes, so very slowly. He could hardly see in the dim light and his vision was blurred, but slowly shapes formed, betraying a strange facility and corridors and foliage. Thorne tried to blink again but his bleary eyes did him no favours, and he had no idea where in the hell he was. But then, as his brain began to fire, memories returned to him. Ludlow, the prick. The man with the rifle. And those... things.

That was it. He’d been attacked by Ludlow’s odd companions. It was coming back to him.

Had Thorne possessed the strength to thrash and fight he knew he’d have done so but there was nothing in the tank; he was in a heady, physical stupor. Not to mention he knew there was no way he could overpower the lion-eagles that had abducted him. And then it finally hit him that one of those monsters was carrying him on its back. That was frightening enough and instinct told him to do something, anything, but Thorne found himself powerless. And he was no fool – he wasn’t about to expend energy he didn’t have or couldn’t afford. And so he resigned himself to this odd fate, a prisoner on the back of a strange creature. His eyes rolled about in his head and he struggled to focus and keep them open, slipping in and out of consciousness.

Thorne’s head lolled to the side, startling him from the black and his eyes batted open once more. His vision was compromised, sure, and his brain unreliable and fuzzy but something had caught his attention and it sent a cold, paralyzing chill down his spine. His brain was absolutely filling in the gaps but there was definitely something there. Way back up at the top of the corridor. The chill turned to a blood-flushing horror as three slender forms with long arms and snouts full of flesh-shredding teeth padded round the hallway’s corner. They lurked a long way back, but their snouts seemed hawkishly trained on him. As if he was the one being observed, rather than the way it should have been.

It was honestly quite difficult to see in the dim light, and even in his current state he knew he couldn’t fully trust his own brain.

But those things sure did look like Velociraptors.

Thorne drew a sharp breath, and promptly slipped out of consciousness again.

Author's Note

Hello again, all. Glad to finally have this chapter up! Been in bits for some time, now it's complete. It's not the most positive of reads, and for that I apologise - especially given the current situation! - but thematically it makes sense and will make sense once this story concludes. So thank you for reading, and I hope it hasn't depressed you all too much!

Keep safe, folks. We'll see the other side of this pandemic eventually, no doubt. In the meantime stay safe and read Fimfiction stories!

Also of note - in the process of writing these last couple of chapters I found a fairly recent re-appraisal of Spinosaurus; a new fossil had been discovered with a (mostly) intact tail. They found that its tail would have been broad, much like a paddle, only adding to the bizarre nature of the animal. A properly aquatic dinosaur, perhaps? A crocodile-dinosaur mashup? It's incredibly interesting. Google it if you're interested, there's a lot of buzz around it and it certainly piqued my interest!

Keep well all; next chapter to follow in due course. :)