Chapter 11: The First Signs of Suspicion

Drip... drop...

Rain fell in a steady pitter-patter as the storm encroached upon the island teeming with dinosaurs.

"Paddock 9, T. rex status stable. Over."

"Ceratosaurus One and Two have linked up. Currently stable. Over."

"Giganotosaurus exhibit, no abnormalities. Over."

"Carnotaurus One showing significant agitation... Oh, sh—!"

A thunderous crash echoed through the comms.

"Carnotaurus One just rammed the electric fence. God, that had to hurt. Sedative administered. Over."

The Asset Containment Unit (ACU) under the Jurassic World banner was methodically monitoring every move the dinosaurs made.

Click... thud.

With the sound of a door opening and closing, Dr. Sattler and Dr. Grant returned to the hotel.

"Hey there. Hello? Is that Mr. Dinosaur?"

"No? Excellent. It appears I won’t be part of a veggie platter today."

Dr. Ian Malcolm was lying on a sofa in the hotel lobby, or rather, a lounge area, asking the question with his back to the pair.

Since this was a bespoke hotel, the lobby had been converted into a massive club, complete with pool tables, a reading room, mahjong tables, and even a small vegetable garden.

"Ian? Why are you lying there?" Ellie asked.

"Actually, I've found something interesting. Yes, very interesting." Ian didn't turn around; he kept his eyes fixed on the ceiling.

As the two approached, they realized he had a small projector beside him, casting an image onto the ceiling.

"Look."

Ian held a VHS tape between two fingers, lifting it slightly to show them. These things were relics.

"Jurassic Park... Outtake Footage?!" Grant exclaimed.

"Indeed... I didn't expect them to keep these here." Ian shifted his crossed legs on the sofa, intently watching the projection.

The three fell silent for a moment, clearly lost in memory, especially on a rainy day like this.

"I'm going to my room," Ellie said, breaking the silence before turning to leave.

"Me too…"

"Oh, right. Alan, I sent you some files. You might find them interesting." Ian stopped Grant before he could follow.

Grant was curious about what Ian would send him, but he didn't press for details. "Got it. I'll take a look."

Heading upstairs, Grant returned to his room and pulled out his laptop. Though Ian often seemed unreliable, his focus usually hit the mark.

"Velociraptor Training Program? Interesting..."

[Velociraptor Training Program]

[Lead Researcher: Owen Grady]

[Velociraptors: A dinosaur species possessing high intelligence. During the Jurassic Park incident, it was discovered they could even open doors. This experiment aims to investigate whether Velociraptors can understand human commands.]

The project brief was short, containing only a few photos of young raptors.

"Hmm?"

The second item was a forwarded post.

[Giganotosaurus Exhibit Official: Baby Giga’s first successful White-tailed Deer hunt! A 23-minute high-speed pursuit! The perfect fusion of stamina and power! (Videos x2)]

"A juvenile Giganotosaurus? 23 minutes?!"

Grant didn't hesitate; he immediately opened the 22-minute full-length video. Because it was filmed from multiple camera angles, Grant’s eyes darted back and forth, tracking the figure in the footage.

In the first shot, the white-tailed deer bolted in terror, and Carlo burst from the grass at high speed.

Grant’s brow furrowed. That young dragon had been lying in ambush for a long time. Something felt off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

In the second shot, the deer streaked across the frame, but Carlo was nowhere to be seen for a long stretch. It took nearly 20 seconds for him to enter the frame.

"Something's wrong... that's too much ground to cover..."

Grant paused the video, leaning his head on one hand, his fingers tapping the desk as he calculated rapidly.

The top speed of a white-tailed deer is about 60 km/h... in 15 seconds... it could cover nearly 250 meters... and yet this juvenile can still track it directly... or rather, lock onto it. How?

In the seventh shot, the deer made a sharp turn under the cover of dense forest and high grass, but the camera didn't catch Carlo passing through that point.

Suddenly, the camera zoomed in! It caught Carlo further ahead—he had taken a shortcut to intercept! But there was no way he could have seen the deer!

The eighth shot, the ninth, the tenth...

Grant’s expression grew increasingly shocked. His entire understanding of Carcharodontosaurids was being shattered. He quickly grabbed a pen and paper to start taking notes.

“Previously... we believed Giganotosaurus possessed excellent vision because cranial reconstructions show binocular capabilities... but now, it seems their sense of smell might be unimaginably sensitive!”

Grant’s pen hesitated.

“Not only that... its speed is an enigma. The scientific consensus is that a Giganotosaurus’s top speed should be around 32 km/h, yet this sub-adult can exceed 55 km/h. This isn't scientific.”

“Stamina, however, matches. As pack-hunting large carnivores, they would need significant endurance to hunt Titanosaur-class herbivores.”

Looking at his notes, Grant let out a long breath. "This trip might be worth it after all..."

…

The rain stopped.

Carlo crawled out from under his mother, lifting his head and letting out a low growl to call for his father.

He felt his sense of smell growing even sharper. Now, his olfactory range covered the entire enclosure, acting like a biological radar. Unless someone went to extreme lengths to mask their scent, no living thing could escape his detection.

A moment later, Debby emerged from the woods, grunted a response, and promptly lay down to rest.

But Carlo wasn't done with him. He growled again, asking for a status report. Debby didn't even open his eyes; he let out a listless huff that "everything was fine" before turning his head away and ignoring his son.

Carlo scowled (or would have, if his anatomy allowed it). The rain had washed away many scents; the smell of butterflies, the fragrance of flowers... it felt like the air held nothing but the freshness of damp earth.

But Carlo still detected it... the scent of a human.

What kind of person would break into a Giganotosaurus paddock during a tropical storm?

Carlo felt it was necessary to investigate.

Though the scents in the air were scattered, it was a piece of cake for Carlo, whose smell blanketed the enclosure. He just had to head toward the area where the scent was most concentrated.

Letting out a loud roar toward his mother, Carlo turned and left.

Remember: always check in with your parents before heading out. Good habits start young.

Caroline lifted her head, only to find Carlo already gone. She sighed and settled back down to rest.