The Lost World: Jurassic Kratts

Life and Death

  After the heart pounding encounter with the Carnotaurus, the Wild Kratts team and the InGen mercenaries continued their journey, this time under the protection of the migrating Apatosaurus herd. As the Apatosaurs traveled at a slow and steady pace, the minuscule humans had very little difficulty in keeping up. The only real trouble was avoiding being accidentally tread upon by their gigantic hosts. Not far behind, the flock of Dryosaurus were tagging along, also seeking refuge among these giant fortresses of flesh which were too large to attack, even by the largest carnivores.
Eventually, after two hours of arduous trekking over the open plains, the herd and their traveling companions arrived at the edge of a vast lake. The lake itself was continually filled by a mighty waterfall cascading from the slopes of the nearby mountains. Several large rock formations and boulders dotted the lakeside and towering ginkgo trees and palms grew in abundance while the ground was blanketed by ferns, shrubs and tender green grasses. But the lakeside was far from empty as its banks lined with a menagerie of dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes, all drawn to the serene shores to drink and to forage the lush vegetation that grew in abundance; hadrosaurs like Parasaurolophus, Corythosaurus, and Olorotitan were found in abundance, docile animals in comparison with the more short tempered, horned Styracosaurus with which they drank side by side; bands of ostrichlike Gallimimus who used their speed and agility to race and scamper between the legs of the larger herbivores, including a small herd of Diplodocus, adults measuring over 90 feet from nose to tail, lazily sweeping their long necks from side to side as they grazed for ferns and shrubs; a pair of plated Stegosaurus rested underneath the inviting shade of an old ginkgo tree; above them, a trio of towering Brachiosaurs browsed on the highest branches well out of reach of other dinosaurs.
To the humans, the research team especially, it was a beautiful sight indeed, like a lost Eden.
"Wow."said the wide eyed Kratt Brothers simultaneously. If not for the current situation they were in, this would be the perfect place for creature adventuring.
"Am I really seeing this or am I dreaming?"asked Kelly, captivated by the scenery and the animals.
"This is magical."added Laura.
While the Apatosaurs stopped for a much needed drink, the human traveling convoy stopped by a nearby stand of boulders bordering the lakeside to rest aching feet and stretch fatigued muscles.
"Ajay do a headcount. I want to know how many injured, and how severe."ordered Roland, addressing his longtime friend and partner. Ajay nodded and immediately set out to his duties.
"Injured? Three of us are dead!" Dieter snapped.
"And I think I know who to thank for that..."grumbled Gourmand, casting an accusatory glance at the creature adventurers who had just helped their teammates dismount their gigantic mode of transportation.
"Thanks for the ride!"they said to the sauropod, who lumbered off to rejoin her herd. Returning to the group, the brothers were in for a nasty surprise. The pair jolted in pain as sparks of electricity danced over their bodies before collapsing to the ground.
"You." Dieter snarled, electronic prod in hand. "You did this!"
Soon the creature adventurers found themselves swarmed from all sides by angry mercenaries who hurled insults, threats, and accusations. For all the men knew, the blood, the death, the loss and the carnage were on the brothers' hands. Ian and Eddie stayed at the margins of the group, not wanting anything to do with the escalating conflict. But Sarah and Laura on the other hand were none too pleased as they made their way towards the angry hunters. Nick could only listen as he and the physicians tended to an injured Eddie, but he liked none of what he was hearing.
"Hey! It's not their fault."the bone digger snapped.
"We just happened to be directly upwind of the Carnotaurs,"added the blonde ranger, coming to her friends' defense.
"Keep out of this, sweet cheeks."said Dieter. "This doesn't concern you–ACK!" The man gave a strangled yelp as the ranger bent his pointed index finger at a rather painful angle.
"It does if you try to threaten my friends in any sort of way."she growled, pulling out her sword, causing some of the men to quickly back away; they knew just what she was capable of.
"It's okay, Laura."said Martin.
"If you have something to say, go ahead and say it."said Chris calmly, though inside he wanted to explode. At his side, Martin placed a hand on his brother's shoulder in support or restraint should he lose his cool.
"We're all in danger because of you!"the South African spat. "For all we know, you led those monsters right to us!"
"You pesky Wild Kratt croutons are always showin' up where you ain't wanted."grumbled Gourmand. "An' take a good look where it's got us now!"
"Things were just fine up until you all showed up!"countered Chris, his temper flaring up as Martin tried to pull him away. Around them, several other mercenaries joined in.
"You bastards are nothing but trouble!"
"You think you're protecting us? Or this godforsaken island? You couldn't even keep your own friends safe."
"You're a danger to us all!"
Eddie could no longer keep silent while these hoodlums hurled accusations against his rescuers. "Oh that's rich, coming from you guys!"he shouted. "Sure, I can't walk, but those two have saved my life more than once whereas you left me for dead–OOF!" That was the final straw for Nick. In his anger, the photographer forgot the injured technician in his charge, and consequently Eddie collapsed to the ground, muttering curses. "Listen here, asshat,"he snarled, tapping a finger on the man's chest, "if it wasn't for them, none of you would even be standing here right now,"
The redhead added, "They're the bravest people we know, and they've done nothing but help people and save lives!"
"Well if they hadn't sabotaged our camp, none of us would be in this goddamn situation! And for what? A bunch of motherf–"
BANG!
The revelry was shattered by the crack of a firearm. Around the lakeside, many of the dinosaurs halted their activities upon hearing the unfamiliar sound. All eyes turned to Roland who held a handgun in the air. "That's enough!"thundered the big game hunter, his patience wearing dangerously thin. There would be no disorder on his watch. "We can be enemies later. But until then, we must stop this arguing like damn children and continue to the operations building."
The hunters immediately fell into silence; all who were aware of the Great White Hunter's reputation did well to avoid arousing his ire.
"Uhh, Thank you, Roland."said Malcolm in gratitude.
"I'm not doing this for you."the hunter replied dismissively. "This bickering is pointless. 'A house divided against itself cannot stand'. If we are constantly at each other's throats, then none of us will leave this island alive." The mathematician nodded in agreement. At least somebody had a shred of common sense.
As the heat and tension died down, Kelly looked around. "Guys? Guys? Where'd they go?"
"I saw them go that way," said the technician, pointing in the direction of the lake. Leaving Eddie in the care of the medics, Nick, Ian, Sarah and Laura took off in the direction taken by the Kratt Brothers. Kelly was racing not too far behind.
A hundred yards away, Martin and Chris sat on the sandy shore facing the lake. Apart from the occasional sigh, not a sound was heard. Neither spoke a word, nor gaze in each other's direction, but their silence spoke volumes. They had let their team down. They had let those men down. Both man and beast had been killed on their account. Worst of all, they let Amber down.
Was the future of this island really worth the lives of several men?
"Martin! Chris!"
"Hey guys!"
Several footsteps alerted the pair to the arrival of their teammates. Ian was the first to attempt to break the ice. "So.... ummm. What's eating you two?" This only earned him an elbow to the ribs from Nick who gave a look of disapproval.
"Ian!/Dad!" Sarah and Kelly scolded simultaneously.
  "Don't listen to them, guys."said the paleontologist.
"What they were saying was way out of line,"added Laura contemptuously, casting a glare in the direction the men were.
"No, they're right. If only we were there in time, maybe we could have averted disaster."said Chris dejectedly. "And those men would still be alive."
And so would Amber, thought Martin sadly. But instead of voicing those thoughts aloud, he added, "What happened back there, that's on us."
Malcolm sighed as he took a seat on a nearby rock, looking off to the lake. "Chaos at work, my friends. Nobody could've predicted that the... uhh– that the Carnotaurs would attack us." Except me...
"Yeah, but still–" Laura held a hand patiently to cut Martin off. "Kinachofanywa kinafanywa." In English, she translated, "What's done is done. There's no use in beating yourselves up over something beyond your control." She had a distant look in her blue eyes as she continued, "And if my time as a ranger had taught me anything, it's that you can't save everyone. Animals and people alike. Believe me, I know."
"That's another thing: a few Carnotaurus died for our mistake!" Chris berated himself. "And it's our job to protect the island and its inhabitants! There are now casualties on both sides!"
"Hey hey hey!" Nick interjected, waving his hand side to side. "Who cares what they say? Those jackasses chose to come here. They can blame ya all they want, I certainly don't, it's not gonna change what's already happened."
"He's right."said Ian, and soon all eyes turned to the mathematician. "And we could never know what would've happened, and hell, I'd rather not waste my time wondering about it. To those men that were lost–" he breathed a sigh, "they have our condolences. At least their troubles are over.
"Take a look at this lake. Take a look at the surface. What do you see? Little waves moving all throughout it. Dinosaurs drinking along the banks. Waterfalls. And maybe many fish swimming under the water. All these things influence the lake as a whole. Now, if I were to throw a stone–" Taking a stone in hand, Malcolm cast it with all his might, causing it to skip along the water's surface before disappearing into the depths. A startled Parasaurolophus gave a loud honk at the sudden disturbance. The end result was a series of ripples dancing along the once smooth surface.
"See that! Everything has now changed. It will never be the same. Yeah, the waterfalls are still flowing, but the water itself will never behave in exactly the same way it was going to before I disturbed it. These movements will ever so slightly change the movements of the fish. And in time, that'll change the behavior of the creatures who eat the fish, and the creatures who eat those creatures, and so on.
"If you spend all your time moping around, regretting, you– you start to lose yourself in thinking about what could have been. You tell yourself, 'If I can change this one thing that I did or didn't do, then the present will be exactly how I want it.' Not possible. That's a lie built on this deluded assumption that it's possible to uhhh change a single event without changing everything else. There are far too many factors and variables and they all influence each other. The shorthand is t–the Butterfly Effect. It essentially means one small change can have large effects later. A butterfly can flap its wings in Peking and in Central Park you get rain instead of sunshine. Ya dig?"
"My head hurts."said Nick, a hand on his aching head. Sarah patted his shoulder.
"Not really," the Kratt in blue admitted, scratching his head.
After a moment's thought, Chris answered, "It's a tangled web."
"Exactly."declared the chaotician. "Even if you could, hypothetically speaking here, you can't change a past action and believe that things would be better in the present, because it is impossible to know for certain what the outcome would be. Everything's just too interconnected. Regret is the second-most common emotion people mention in daily life, and it's the worst human emotion. If you took another road, you might have fallen off a cliff."
At his side, Sarah smiled at her boyfriend's words of wisdom, even if they flew over her head every now and again. "Bottom line, this wasn't your fault."she told them. But if anybody can get us out of this situation in one piece, it's definitely you guys."
The two creature adventurers shared knowing glances, this time looks of determination. They then turned to the mathematician.
"Thanks, Ian."said Martin.
"The important thing about all this is where to go from there. And in this case, getting the hell off this isla– Jesus Christ!" The next thing Ian knew, he was face to face with a massive, beaky snout and small piggy eyes. The dinosaur gave a baritone bellow in response to Malcolm's startled outburst. Kelly quickly rushed behind her father.
"Oh shit!" Nick blurted out with a jump.
"Iguanodon!" The Kratt Brothers and company had unknowingly blundered into a herd of bulky herbivores the size of dump trucks. Like the similar looking hadrosaurs, the Iguanodon could shift from lumbering on all fours while grazing, to standing on their hind legs to access foliage that grew higher off the ground. But unlike their crested neighbors, these four-ton plant-eaters were no pushovers; they possessed large thumb spikes on each of their front paws, undoubtedly used as formidable weapons against predators. Standing before the two creature adventurers was an imposing male, rumbling and bellowing his agitation at the tiny interlopers that stumbled in his path.
"Whoah. Easy, buddy."said Chris gently in an attempt to pacify the irate giant. Convinced that the tiny creatures in his midst were more of a nuisance than a threat, the thirty-foot herbivore dropped on all fours before rejoining his herd.
"Hey!"exclaimed Martin. "Why's he mad at us? We didn't do anything."
"That's his job." Chris informed. "To be protective of the herd. That's the way an Iguanodon harem works, a social group where one male protects a group of females and the offspring."
"Offspring? Where?"
"There." Everyone looked to where the younger Kratt pointed, where a dozen or so tiny hatchlings, no bigger than small dogs, scampered among the feet of their gigantic parents.
"They're so cute!"cooed Kelly.
"We've learned that many of the herbivores here time their hatchings to coincide with the rainy season."Sarah lectured with a beaming smile. "That way, there'll be plenty of available food once the newborns arrive."
By her side, Malcolm couldn't help but marvel at how passionate and enthusiastic the paleontologist was whenever she discussed her chosen field. He was brought back to earth by a loud snort that was dangerously close by, causing the chaotician to glance over his shoulder, coming face to face with the massive, beaky snout of a midsized Iguanodon.
"Gesundheit."he said casually. Not that the herbivore could understand what the hell he was saying.
"We should go." Laura cautioned; these herbivores had the same demeanor as the unpredictable and formidable Cape buffalo back in Africa. "I for one don't think we should overstay our welcome."
Having no desire to overstep their boundaries, the team wisely decided to give the Iguanodon herd a wide berth.
"Excuse me. Don't mind us, we're just passing through."said Chris politely, as though the dinosaurs would somehow understand them. Aside from a few curious heads and snorts, the herd mostly ignored the chatty mammals and returned to the business of eating.
  "Watch out for the alpha. Don't annoy him."the blonde ranger cautioned.
Not far away by the shores, Gourmand stopped to fill his canteen with water. That task completed, the illegal chef was about to rejoin the group when a passing Iguanodon blocked his path. Most notably the leader.
"Hey you! Get your bloated carcass outta the way ya pea-brained galoot!" Unfazed by the short and noisy creature's show of bravery or foolhardiness, the giant herbivore sat on his haunches and gave an indignant snort, blowing off his hat.
"Umm, Gourmand?"said Martin nervously.
"You really don't wanna be doing that." Chris advised.
"Can it, Green Grape! I'm putting him in his place."snapped the chef, not taking his eyes off the hulking behemoth in his way. Suddenly, the Iguanodon rose to his full height before storming off with a deep guttural roar.
"That's right! Keep walking!"barked Gourmand, having won this battle of wills against this evolutionary dead end. Or so he thought.
"I don't think it's you that drove him off, Gourmy."stated Martin. "Look!"
All eyes turned to the hill where another Iguanodon bellowed loudly, making his presence known.
"A rival male! He's challenging the alpha for control of the herd,"
The herd leader replied with a rumbling roar, accepting the challenge. By now, the roaring commotion had drawn the attention of the hunters, spectators to what looked to become a gladiatorial showdown.
"And he does not look too happy about it."said the paleontologist. The alpha male wasted no time in rushing forward to confront this new interloper. The females were quick to shepherd the young away from the cantankerous males, who now stood shoulder to shoulder, walking stiffly on all fours as though they were made of wood.
"They're sizing each other up." Chris observed, noting the almost perfect synchronization of their movements, as though reciting a well rehearsed dance. "Maybe one of them will be intimidated and back down."
As if to prove the younger Kratt Brother wrong, the two males broke their ritual formation and were now facing each other, steam billowing from their nostrils, their paws digging into the ground like two angry bulls ready to charge.
"Neither one is backing down!"cried Martin.
But it seemed like showing off wasn't enough as the two Iguanodons now resorted to brute force, charging straight for each other!
"It's about to become a mashindano!"the African ranger exclaimed. Her experience in the bush warned her of what was to come, having witnessed countless intraspecific competitions before. The result was an eight-ton collision course as the two dinosaurs engaged in a shoving match, pushing and slamming into one another like two heavyweight boxers, delivering punishing body blows. With the contenders so evenly matched in strength and determination, it was difficult to tell which one would emerge victorious.
"Look out!"warned Martin. "They're bringing out the thumb spikes!"
The fight seemed to be spinning out of control as the two bulls continued in their shoving match, only this time inflicting deep wounds into each other's chests with their sharpened thumb spikes. But thanks to their thick hides, neither combatant suffered serious damage. Yet.
"Those thumb spikes are like massive daggers jabbing at each other!" Chris noted as the two titans continued to brawl, grappling and stabbing one another. "It's like two sumo wrestlers in a sword fight! Oooh! And the challenger takes a critical hit!" True to Chris' word, the invading male suddenly takes a serious hit to the base of his throat from the leader's right dagger. The challenger staggered back, wounded and bleeding profusely. But the wounded contender refused to withdraw as he rose to his full height, roaring in defiance.
"He's down, but he's definitely not out,"said the Kratt in blue. But this enraged the herd leader who charged his enemy head on. "Uh-oh! Full steam ahead!"
With the force of a runaway pickup truck, the dominant male slammed his full bulk against his ailing rival. The crash was enough to shatter ribs and knock the younger Iguanodon off his feet with a resounding THUD!
The young contender slumped to the ground, exhausted and bleeding, his breathes coming in ragged snorts. He was defeated. Damaged. Broken.
   Around the lakeside, every creature was now on edge as herds began to regroup, younglings scampering to the safety of their kin. Smaller dinosaurs sought refuge among the shadows of larger contemporaries. Even the mighty sauropods anxiously scanned the horizon like living watchtowers on the lookout for danger. Just then, a lone Brachiosaurus sounded a blaring trumpet call. Roland quickly read the signs and reached for his Nitro Express, wasting no time in ushering his men away from the Iguanodon herd. "We need to leave this place before–" but the big game hunter wasn't able to finish his sentence when a nearby mercenary pointed, "What's that over there?"
Drawn by the smell of blood, a pair of large carnivorous dinosaurs arrived on the scene, patrolling the water hole for those who were weak and lost. Then men were quick to regroup, going on the defensive as they raised their firearms, the Carnotaur attack still fresh on everyone's minds. This time they weren't taking any chances.
A quick glance told Sarah the exact identity of the beasts. "Allosaurus!"
"The lion of the Jurassic!"added the Kratt Brothers.
"Here's what concerns me about the Allosaurus."said Malcolm nervously, his eyes never leaving the thirty-foot, two-ton predators.
"That it's an apex predator?"asked Martin.
"No."came the reply.
"That it could bring down animals twice its size?"suggested Chris.
"Also no. Nope. Instead, my problem with the Allosaurus is that, unlike the T-rex, or even the Velociraptors, the Allosaurus seems... optimized. It's chaos locking in on a solution. Creating efficiencies. And that makes me nervous."
"No idea what you just said, but I'm definitely feeling nervous."the cameraman remarked.
The Allosaurs, however, paid the spectating humans little heed as they slowly approached the Iguanodon herd. For the victorious alpha, triumph is fleeting as he wasted no time in moving his herd away from the oncoming threat. But this left his wounded competitor to his fate as the theropods advanced in his direction. Having singled out their target, the predators closed in with open jaws. The downed Iguanodon struggled to his feet, but by then it was too late. His cries were cut short as one carnivore clamped its blade-like teeth deep into his throat.
The duel, meant solely as a test of strength, ended in a primeval bloodbath as the Allosaurus wasted no time in finishing off the defeated Iguanodon, ripping and tearing their prey's flesh with their teeth and claws.
  With the predators preoccupied with feeding, the travelers slowly began to sneak away while they still could.
Just then, one of the Allosaurs poked its head above the Iguanodon carcass, eying the retreating humans. The carnivore's gaze had not gone unnoticed by several nervous mercenaries who were quick to draw their weapons should the beast make its move. It never did, only watching them curiously with intense, glassy eyes, jaws stained with crimson. The Kratt Brothers and their companions were about to rejoin the caravan when Laura stole a quick glance at the Allosaurus, its seemingly unblinking eyes locked firmly in her general direction. Its gaze never left.
"Don't shoot, don't shoot."she said, motioning for the men to lower their guns. Staff in hand, the African ranger then did the unexpected: she slowly began to approach the Allosaurs as close as she dared.
While the female growled a warning at the approaching interloper, the male rose to his full height to gain a better look, all the while sniffing the air. Upon closer inspection, Laura recognized this individual Allosaurus as the one she had met imprisoned in the hunter's camp the night before. The Allosaurus for his part didn't so much as bare a tooth as the ranger came closer. The carnivore did likewise, leaving his mate to guard the kill.
"Laura?" Martin questioned before seeing the object of the ranger's attention. The Kratt in blue soon followed, slowly and cautiously; the last thing he wanted was to startle the carnosaur, endangering Laura in the process.
"Martin! Laura! What are you two doing?" Chris whispered between his teeth; there was hardly anything more foolhardy than to approach a predator at a kill. "Come back!"
"What the hell are they doing?"whispered Nick. The Kratt in green said nothing, powerless to do anything but watch.
The African ranger was now standing before the fearsome predator, with Martin not far behind. Slowly and tentatively, she stretched out her right hand while lowering her staff in the other. "Hello, my friend." Laura said calmly, her hand on the carnosaur's nose. She was greeted by a warm gust of air that nearly blew her hat off.
The Allosaurus crooned in answer, gently nudging his huge head against the human's chest as she continued stroking and whispering softly. The Kratt in blue eventually arrived on the scene where he instantly recognized the Jurassic theropod. Nothing better to do, he approached the pair to make his acquaintance, raising a hand in a gesture of friendship.
"I don't think we were properly introduced."said Martin. "I'll call you.... Big Al."
The newly named Big Al rumbled softly in response, as though enjoying his new title. Gagging and coughing, the older Kratt smiled, despite the carnivore's foul breath, and patted his snout. His free hand touched the activation button on his Creature Power vest. In a brilliant blue flash, Martin took on the form of the Jurassic dinosaur, who leaped back in mild surprise, cocking his head curiously.
"It's nice to see you again, Big Al. Take care and hope to see you on the creature trail!" He then lowered himself on the ground before addressing Laura, "Hop on!"
With the ranger secure on his back, Martin sprinted back to the astonished crowd with his Allosaurus Power suit, a sure fire way of deterring would-be predators. They found the group gathered at the edge of the treeline bordered by high slopes and boulders.
"Excuse us! Pardon me, coming through! Hey guys! What's the hold up?" The InGen mercenaries hardly paid the creature adventurers any mind, save for a few rueful glares and muttered curses.
"What's going on?"asked the African ranger, jumping off Martin's back.
"Yeah. Aren't we gonna follow the longnecks?" Kelly asked, pointing to the Apatosaurus herd, once again in traveling formation, ready to resume their migration. "The herd is leaving!"
"So what's the situation?"asked the blue Allosaurus.
"Ludlow's thinks he's found a shortcut." Sarah answered. She then pointed to a forested area to the south, nestled between two towering peaks. "Right through the mountains."
"Yeah, because nothing says safe passage more than a forbidden mountain pass."said Ian skeptically.
"I'll go take a look."said Chris as he held a certain feather. In a flash, he took to the skies in his Peregrine Falcon suit, climbing higher and higher with each stroke of his wings. From his vantage point, the green avian got a bird's eye view of the terrain ahead of them, a valley rested between two mighty mountain peaks and steep cliffs, with dense redwood forest growing as far as the eye could see.
Down below, the caravan waited expectantly.
"How's it look from up there, bro?"shouted Martin, his voice amplified even louder thanks to his dinosaur form.
  "The forest is too dense for the Apatosaurus to traverse, and the trails too steep. "Chris replied, circling overhead. "They can't move through the trees, but we can. And I think I see some structures on the other side of the pass, about ten miles off."
"Then what are we waiting for?"asked Nick eagerly.
"This way it is then!"declared the head of InGen, barely able to contain his triumphant grin. Malcolm rolled his eyes, but decided to let the businessman have his moment nonetheless.
"Move out!" Roland announced, taking the lead once again.
Once more, the caravan resumed their trek, leaving the lake behind, where beauty and cruelty so often seemed to exist side by side, and life and death operated in balance, if not harmony, with the natural world.
***** Meanwhile...*****
   With a sharp intake of air, a pair of golden eyes flew wide open in the darkness. The first thing she felt was a soreness on her flanks and sides. She glanced over to her sides to see ugly markings riddled along her hide, but strangely, they were covered up with what appeared to be a hardened yellow ooze. Sniffing her wounds, she noted that the substance had a distinct scent, not unlike a tree.
A small but sudden sound alerted her to the presence of others. She saw several figures entering the cave she was in, all of them of similar build, and all very familiar to her. They noticed her too, and with excited chittering, they rushed to greet her, rubbing their snouts against hers, tails wagging, all of them relieved to see that she was okay.
She chuffed a friendly greeting, wondering why her female companions were all fussing over her. One of them, her blue-eyed, spotted friend offered her a slab of red meat. Her hunger awakened by the smell of food, she wolfed down the flesh in mere minutes. More food was offered. She devoured those too. Taking the edge off her hunger, she tried standing on her own two feet. Malaika growled, sternly telling her to stay and rest. She had been badly hurt.
She chittered, insisting that she was fine, that they were all treating her like a hatchling, but the gray spotted female was adamant. One did not simply survive a monster attack, let alone walk away from it like it was a bee sting.
Suddenly it all came back to her: the storm, the trailers, those thundering monsters, Vermintech, her caretakers–
Her eyes widened. Her caretakers! Martin and Chris! She had to find her caretakers! They were probably worried sick about her.
Standing up on wobbly feet, deaf to the protests of the pack, Amber struggled to stand, grunting and snorting at the effort. Limping towards the exit, she had almost crossed the threshold when a striped figure stood firmly in her path, making sharp up and down gestures with his head. A low, rumbling could be heard from his throat, his green eyes leaving no room for argument.
Amber growled, outraged that he would deny her passage to leave. They needed her!
In a more gentle tone, Tiger Claw beckoned her once again to get some rest. She needed to recover her strength. They will be alright.
In the end, she conceded, curling up into a comfortable position before surrendering her recovering body to the beckoning allure of sleep. He laid next to her, keeping a constant visual on her while she slept until he too gave in and dozed off.
**** I'm back! Sorry for the really long wait, it's very hard coming up with original chapters without the script to help. Not to mention other stories and countless ideas buzzing in my head. :P Fortunately I won't have that kind of problem with the next chapter as it falls back into what is seen in the film.
Naturally, after the Carnotaur attack, people would naturally look for someone to blame for their problems. I don't take credit for Malcolm's analogy. I'm no chaotician; It's a very confusing theory. I was inspired by several articles and this wonderful story called Folly of Regret by Saetta, which perfectly illustrates Chaos Theory and regret without going through full textbook detail. I highly recommend it if you're a ATLA fan. On another note, it kinda bums me out that we never really got to see Malcolm talking more about Chaos Theory in the film.
The Allosaurus encounter was inspired by a couple videos I saw of lions greeting human companions, shark encounters, but also of this wild leopard seal approaching a diver out of curiosity, and even offering its prey. It shows that there's more to predators than most people think, and they certainly don't think of killing all the time. That and aside from the T-rex, the Allosaurus is one of my favorite carnivorous dinosaurs.
Now hold on to your butts, I've got a surprise in store...
See y'all on the Creature Trail!