Dun-dun-dun-dun~ (News Intro Sound Effect)
"This just in: Dudley Cabrera, Director of the Department of Prehistoric Wildlife, has been officially confirmed dead."
Owen had managed to scrounge up a new radio. He just hoped Delta wouldn't swiped this one too.
"Prior to this, multiple individuals had accused him of being privately involved in dinosaur smuggling operations. The police are currently conducting a deeper investigation."
Maisie was busy splitting firewood, a chore she had firmly taken ownership of lately. The weather was getting progressively colder; the snow was already deep enough to bury her ankles. Fortunately, Owen regularly cleared the perimeter of the cabin, or else simply stepping outside would have been pure torture.
CRACK!
The axe caught right in the middle of a thick, stubborn log. A flicker of disbelief crossed Maisie's face. Someone tasked with protecting dinosaurs was actually selling them under the table? This...
Honestly, looking at how humans operated, it wasn't even that surprising.
"As of this hour, authorities have seized no fewer than one hundred dinosaurs at Dudley Cabrera's private port. They are currently being transferred into the Mojave Preserve."
The Mojave Preserve? Wasn't the Giganotosaurus over there too?
Maisie lost all motivation to keep chopping wood. She plopped down on a fallen log to listen to the broadcast, swiping a handful of sunflower seeds from the snack box Owen had bought.
Before the collapse of Jurassic World, she used to love watching the raw, wild ecological livestreams, especially following that apex drifter, Carlo.
But Old Lockwood, her grandfather, had managed to leave her with a far deeper, more profound emotional attachment to dinosaurs. Or perhaps, specifically to the Giganotosaurus?
Maybe it was just a female intuition, but she always felt that the answer to humans and dinosaurs peacefully coexisting was hidden somewhere within those few "unremarkable" dinosaurs.
If they really could achieve a perfect, peaceful ending... would a clone like her finally be accepted by human society too?
"Management of the Mojave Preserve has been officially handed over to the grassroots dinosaur protection organization, Primeval."
"US law enforcement has also issued a stern statement reaffirming that the trafficking of prehistoric fauna is strictly prohibited, pledging a heavy crackdown on all lawbreakers."
Handing management over to the Primeval Organization made sense; after all, they always seemed to be chasing right after Carlo's tail anyway. But when she heard the second half of the announcement, Maisie flat-out snorted.
Huh? Why does that smile look a bit disdainful? Does anyone have a clue? Wait... you guys didn't laugh too, did you?
"Next, we bring you live footage of a once-in-a-millennium dinosaur migration. Experts speculate this is a phenomenon unseen for hundreds of millions of..."
What?! There's footage?!
Maisie couldn't sit still for another second. She bolted upright and charged into the cabin, desperately hunting for the TV remote that the couch had undoubtedly swallowed.
Rustle...
Not far off, the leaves on the trees trembled.
Delta (Poking her head out)
...
Whee-wooo-whee-wooo!
Blaring sirens echoed down the rural highway. Vehicles driving normally pulled over one after another to clear the lane after receiving the signal.
"What's going on?"
"With that setup and those sirens, it's probably the D.P.W. transporting dinosaurs again... Honestly, where are they even finding so many dinosaurs? Do they really have to shuttle them around all day and night?"
The lead scout vehicle, the one responsible for warning the public, sped down the highway. Aside from the normal hum of the engine... there seemed to be the sound of human laughter blasting through a megaphone.
"Holy shit, this is so damn coo— Wait, is the broadcast mic on?! Cough, cough. Attention all residents, please pull over and yield to the dinosaurs. Do not attempt to feed them, do not use camera flashes, or engage in any behavior that might provoke them."
The voice switched effortlessly from a goofy, casual banter to a deadpan, professional tone. One look was enough to tell they were nothing like those lifeless, overworked corporate drones from the D.P.W.
THUD. THUD.
The earth began to tremble slightly. Even sitting inside a car, the vibrations were unmistakable. Bottled water resting in cup holders rippled from the center outward, sending rings splashing against the plastic walls.
"Is that an earthquake?"
THUD!
As the footsteps drew closer, a massive boom reverberated right through the car windows, making everyone's chests vibrate in sync.
The next moment, a colossal dark shadow blotted out the sun. The vehicles trapped in the shade could only catch a fleeting glimpse of a pale, white underbelly.
Carlo glanced down at the cars lined up along the shoulder, then tilted his head back to check the dinosaur herd behind him, doing a quick spatial calculation.
Hmm... shouldn't step on them.
The Triceratops and Nasuceratops didn't particularly care for each other, yet right now, they were marching side by side.
To avoid being squished into pancakes, the Struthiomimus herd was forced to weave through the massive crowd, trying their best to stick to the outer fringes.
The One-Eyed Allosaurus, having no idea what was actually happening the entire time, had been accidentally lumped in with the docile herbivore group. It ran along with the rest of the herd, looking thoroughly dazed and confused.
As for the Baryonyx... it simply couldn't beat any of the dinosaurs here, so it kept its head down, which ironically earned it the privilege of making the migration completely conscious.
Carlo spearheaded the march, guiding the massive herd forward. His family, however, wasn't right next to him. They had split up, positioning themselves in the middle and the rear of the column to ensure no dinosaur fell behind.
"Old Three! Let's get a picture!"
A Primeval vehicle drifted in front of Giga Dad with lightning speed, clacking a quick selfie with him in the frame.
"You idiot! That's Old Two!"
"Huh? Isn't that the big boss's dad?"
The crew in the car sped off, arguing loudly, leaving Giga Dad staring after them in absolute bewilderment.
Thud, thud...
Carlo's pace gradually slowed. They had officially crossed into the borders of the Mojave Preserve, but a look of surprise crossed Carlo's face.
The fences were gone?
Granted, he had torn down a section of it before, but surely they hadn't torn down the whole thing?
"Aunnng—"
The familiar, resonant call of a Dreadnoughtus echoed through the air, interrupting Carlo's train of thought.
It sounded like everything was just fine.
...
Deep within the snow-covered forest, inside a school bus covered by a massive tarp, Blue lowered her body. Her eyes were locked onto a round, slightly wobbling eggshell in front of her.
Crack... crack...
Faint fractures began to spiderweb across the surface. Blue's expression shifted slightly, but she didn't disturb the little one's grand entrance.
"Aok!"
Where the hell did Delta run off to?!
Echo called out anxiously from outside. This was the arrival of a brand-new family member! How could Delta not be here to witness it?!
Ugh... whatever. That girl probably ran off to play again. I'll just witness it in her place.
SNAP—
"Eeng—"
The little hatchling popped through the shell, a large fragment of egg stuck right on top of its head. It slowly blinked its eyes open, looking up at its mother and... mother?
Life, once again, had broken free of its genetic shackles.
...
The Sinoceratops herd settled down by the lakeside, interspersed with a few severely injured Triceratops. A Triceratops calf hopped around, staring at the unfamiliar horned dinosaurs with absolute curiosity.
The white Dreadnoughtus, Little White, blended into a group of juveniles of its own kind, marching back toward its old herd, though the White King was nowhere to be seen.
The One-Eyed Allosaurus located a dried-up watering hole next to a pitch-black cave. Inside, there seemed to be quite a few bizarre skeletal remains.
The Concavenator and Metriacanthosaurus were newcomers to this territory. They separately took up residence in caves on opposite sides of a canyon river.
Carlo lay down by the lake, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings. It was beautiful, peaceful, and quiet, just like it used to be.
"Roar—"
Let's make this place... our new home.
"Roar?"
New home? What's a new home?
"Roar..."
New territory...
Katyusha wanted to ask why the place they had already lived in for over a month was suddenly turning into a "new territory," but seeing Carlo lost in thought, she didn't press him further.
"Aunnng-roar—"
The Baryonyx let out a long, piercing shriek, drawing the eyes of every dinosaur in the area. It was currently driving away a herd of herbivores near a choice lakeside spot. It possessed a fiercely territorial attitude toward water sources and demanded a domain entirely to itself.
"Aunng—"
Hello there, little buddy.
Who dares disturb—whimper-whimper-screech-roar-aok!
Water splashed everywhere as the Baryonyx scrambled on all fours, desperately tumbling into the river. Stego bro strolled right into the spot it had just vacated, occupying the prime piece of real estate.
Hilarious.
"ROAR—"
From the horizon, a distant, booming roar echoed once more.
Before Carlo could finish enjoying Stego bro's little comedy routine, he turned his head, watching a departing silhouette fading into the desert.
It was the Tyrannotitan.
Well, it made sense. Not every dinosaur was cut out to accept a place like this.
In that case, safe travels.
"ROAR—"
Carlo let out a booming roar in response, even if the gesture of goodwill might not fully register with the departing predator.
Carlo turned back toward the great lake, slowly lowering his massive frame onto the ground and closing his eyes.
Finally, he could get some rest.
VOLUME 3 END
[SECOND WORLD & CHAOS THEORY]