[Name: Carlo]
[Species: Giganotosaurus carolinii]
[Available Points: 144] (Greyed out)
[Health: 45,318.0 / 80,960]
[Stamina: 750 / 750]
[Oxygen: 510 / 510]
[Food: 10,000 / 10,600]
[Weight: 0 / 898]
[Melee Damage: 180%]
[Torpidity: 0 / 143,800.5]
Sure enough... babysitting is hazardous to your health.
Carlo's food drain was usually quite slow. Normally, one meal a day was plenty to keep him going, but now he had been reduced to scrounging for two.
Still, he hadn't come here just to fill his own belly this time.
"Aunng—"
In front of him, a herd of Triceratops had formed a defensive circle, horns pointed outward to ward off the intruder.
In the past, they might have held their ground with grim courage against standard large predators. But today, every Triceratops wore a look of unmistakable terror. Against a monster nearly 6 meters tall and over 20 meters long, the fact that they maintained a formation at all was a miracle.
Carlo scanned the herd and picked out an elderly Triceratops, slowly closing the distance.
(Note: Some reptiles grow stronger as they age, only weakening when they are on the literal brink of death. Crocodiles, for example. This story applies that logic to all dinosaurs.)
Old timer, let me send you into the next life. Leave the growth opportunities to the younger generation!
Carlo leaned down, lunged, and clamped his jaws directly onto one of the massive horns, lifting the nine-ton beast clean off the ground.
The process was so practiced and smooth that Carlo didn't even register how absurdly strong he had become. While a Triceratops's frill and horns are formidable weapons against a Tyrannosaurus rex, their upward reach is limited. Against a titan like Carlo, that ornate crest was little more than a mating decoration, entirely useless for defense.
Seeing the strongest of their herd hoisted like a ragdoll, the remaining Triceratops abandoned their formation and bolted.
"Aunng—"
It's a master! Everyone, fall back!
Seeing them scatter, Carlo relaxed his grip, dropping the Triceratops to the ground before pinning its side with a massive foot and precisely tearing its throat.
In an instant, the thrashing stopped. The Triceratops was dead. Carlo gripped the frill in his teeth, hoisted the carcass, and began the trek toward Main Street.
…
"Thanks, Brooklynn."
Yasmina took the bundle of medicine from Brooklynn, carefully reading the labels and instructions.
During their initial flight for survival, the relationship between the three girls had dropped to absolute zero. It was only just beginning to thaw; perhaps this gesture could help bring the temperature back up.
"Where is everyone else?" Brooklynn asked.
Yaz looked up from the meds. "Sammy went back to that dinosaur field lab you found to scavenge for food. Kenji... he's probably off somewhere slacking. And Darius is..."
"I'm up here."
Darius's voice drifted down from the canopy. Brooklynn looked up and noticed he had already constructed a small wooden platform high in the branches.
"I think we need to saw off some of these limbs, otherwise we can't extend the platform any further," Darius said, wiping sweat from his brow. He looked down and spotted the shock baton in Brooklynn's hand.
"Good timing. I think I found a way to solve our supply problems. I'll tell you all about it when everyone gets back," Brooklynn said.
Darius climbed down. "That sounds great."
…
In the woods near Main Street, Carlo ran into an old acquaintance.
It was Carnotaurus Two.
She had fled the Primeval Ecological Zone after the death of Carnotaurus One. Originally, the two of them, along with the Giganotosaurus and Ceratosaurus, had formed a sort of "Triple Threat" balance of power. With Carnotaurus One gone, she had become vulnerable. For the sake of survival, she had chosen to leave her old territory behind.
It seemed the scent of Triceratops blood had drawn her in.
Carlo dropped the carcass, curious to see what she would do. To his surprise, Carnotaurus Two immediately lowered her head, avoided eye contact, and began to back away slowly.
Carlo was taken aback. Is this the same Carnotaurus that used to try and steal my kills?
He stepped on the Triceratops, tore off a hind leg, bone and all, and tossed it toward her.
Carnotaurus Two froze, staring at the bloody hunk of meat, then looked up at Carlo as he picked up the rest of the carcass to leave.
Consider it tuition, or perhaps a thank-you. Carlo had learned a few "dirty tricks" from their previous skirmishes, which had served him well against the Indominus rex. He remembered every dinosaur in the Primeval Zone he'd crossed paths with; if the opportunity arose, he was happy to lend a hand.
Reaching Main Street, Carlo set the Triceratops down. He looked toward the Lagoon and considered his options. He decided a five-day feeding schedule for the Mosasaurus was best, but this Triceratops was better suited as an apology to the local "Boss."
Though he'd fought the Indominus rex several times, the veteran Queen of the island had been the one to finish it. It felt a bit rude to just feed the Indominus to the Mosasaurus without paying respects.
Because of the Toddlers, he was a bit late with the tribute.
After Carlo left, Rexy returned to Main Street, a sub-adult Edmontosaurus clutched in her jaws.
She stopped dead in her tracks, staring at the spot where the Indominus carcass had vanished, only to find a fresh Triceratops lying there in its place. The Edmontosaurus slipped from her mouth and hit the pavement.
What the hell is going on?!
…
"Seriously?! Two trucks full of supplies?!"
Sammy cheered. She was the most optimistic of the group, and Brooklynn's news was the best thing she'd heard all day.
"I have the same shock baton. Actually, mine is custom-made. Much better," Kenji bragged, though the way he gripped the baton Brooklynn had brought back suggested he was secretly thrilled.
"Brooklynn, are you sure you didn't see a... very large dinosaur? Black back-plates, white underbelly?" Darius asked, his worry contrasting with the others' joy. While the Giga didn't always attack on sight, being hunted by one was a death sentence.
"Emmm... if you mean Brachiosaurus... then yes, I saw three."
Brachiosaurus don't have black back-plates... Darius noted internally. After a moment, he said, "It's a risk worth taking to get those supplies. But it's nearly dusk, which is when the Ceratosaurus are most active. We should head out tomorrow morning and aim to arrive at noon."
As the resident dinosaur expert, Darius set the schedule based on predator activity cycles.
"Agreed. Also, I found this," Brooklynn said, pulling out the recorder. "The battery is dead. If we can find a replacement, we might be able to see what's on it."
Sammy pulled out a map and pointed to a location. "I remember... there should be spare batteries at the genetics lab. We can check there on the way."
She wore a slightly apologetic look; she had previously lied about her identity as a corporate spy for Mantah Corp, but now, survival and teamwork were the only things that mattered.
"Let's do it," Brooklynn said, happy to bury the hatchet.
…
Bzzzt... static...
Inside one of the overturned ACU vehicles, a monitor suddenly flickered to life. This was the result of an automated sync process triggered when a nearby recorder attempted to transmit data.
"Ahh! ...Get... away! Get—"
A blurry image appeared on the screen accompanied by distorted audio, before the power failed completely and the screen plunged back into darkness.
———————
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