"I was starting to think I hired the wrong guys, but damn, you got them eating out of your palm." The man said, first looking at Owen, then smirking at Caithlyn.
"You came on a good day. It isn't always a happy ending." Owen said smiling as they shook hands.
"Is that why you're not sending in your reports?" The man asked.
"We've been busy." Barry said defending.
"Not too busy to cash your paychecks." The man said hitting Barry playfully on the arm.æ, before reaching his hand out to Caithlyn.
"Hi. I'm Vic Hoskins." He said giving her a flirtatious smile.
"Caithlyn." She said coldly, shaking his hand briefly.
"What do you need, buddy?" Owen asked Hoskins.
"A field test." Hoskins answered.
Owen quickly placed his hand on Caithlyn's back, turned around and walked away, leading her with him, followed by Barry.
"Hey. I've just seen they can respond to commands. We need to take the research and get it on its feet." Hoskins said as he followed them.
"These are wild animals, Hoskins. Trust me, you don't want them in the field." Owen added.
"I just saw a bond. A real bond. Between man and beast." Hoskins tried to convince Owen, as he stopped right in front of them.
"You're in our way." Owen said, clearly annoyed.
"Come on. We're the same. We're dogs of War. We know that the military needs to reduce casualties. Some people think that robots are the future." Hoskins added before Owen pushed passed him.
"Look, nature gave us the most effective killing machines 75 million years ago. And now we know they can take orders." Hoskins continued.
"We finally make progress and that's the first thing he says? Make a weapon?" Barry said as he walked in from the side.
"Come on, gents. It's grown-up time. Drones can't search tunnels and caves. And they're hackable.
The minute a real war breaks out, all that fancy tech is gonna go dark." Hoskins said as they continued to walk down the catwalk..
"But that tech's not gonna eat them if they forget to feed it." Owen said sarcastically.
"Look at these creatures." Hoskins said turning around, to look into the enclosure.
"They've got millions of years of instinct in their cells, instinct that we can program.
Their loyalty cannot be bought.
These guys are gonna run straight into the enemy's teeth and eat them... belt buckle and all." Hoskins said, like he was really believing it. Owen and Barry looked annoyed and Caithlyn was starting to get pissed off herself.
"What if they decide they wanna be in control?" Barry asked.
"Then we remind them who is. We terminate the rogues. Promote only loyal bloodlines." Hoskins answered, making them all laugh. Barry walked away laughing loudly.
"What? What's so funny?" Hoskins asked.
Caithlyn couldn't listen to more, so she walked away and down to the cage and started to pack up for the day.
"How long has iNGen been practicing this pitch?" She heard Owen say as he walked down the stairs.
"Since the day we hired you out of the Navy." Hoskins answered.
"You knew the end game.
These animals can replace thousands of boots on the ground. How many lives would that save?" Hoskins continued, as Owen walked into the cage and closed the door behind him.
"War is part of nature. Look around, Owen.
Every living thing in this jungle is trying to murder the other.
Mother Nature's way of testing her creations. Refining the pecking order.
War is a struggle.
Struggle breeds greatness.
Without that we end up with places like this, charge seven bucks a soda." Hoskins continued, as Owen helped Caithlyn finish up, before Owen slowly walked back to Hoskins.
"Do you hear yourself when you talk?" Owen said in a mocking tone. Caithlyn had to stop herself from laughing out loudly.
Hoskins smirked.
"This is gonna happen. With or without you boys. Progress always wins, man." He said, making her heart sink.
"Maybe progress should lose for once." Owen said, just as Caithlyn walked out of the cage, making her smirk at his comment.
"Pig loose!" Someone yelled, making them all turn towards the enclosure.
One of the new interns ran down the catwalk and tried catching the pig with his stick.
He did, but he was too slow and one of the raptors grabbed the pig, pulling the intern into the pen.
He screamed and hit the ground with a loud thud.
Owen was quick to react and ran towards the gate and pushed the button to open it.