𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟮: 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗼

-PROOFREAD-

The sunlight peeked through the windows, letting in warmth from outside. As everyone awoke, they all began to prepare for the day. Roxie informed them the day before that today they would all be going to Dr.Wu's genetics lab. Well not all.

Due to last night's escapades, Darius and Kenji found themselves assigned to what the counselors euphemistically called "poop duty".

"Enjoy cleaning this up, boys." Roxie said with a grin, tossing them each a shovel. "We're going to the genetics lab." Brooklynn slyly snapped a picture, capturing the boys shocked faces.

"Cologne. That'll help with the smell." Dave said, tossing a bottle to Darius. "And the ladies. What-What?" He whooped, earning a disapproving look from Roxie. Dave cleared his throat, backpedaling quickly. "Mostly the smell. The stench of dinosaur poo can really linger." Before Darius could muster a protest, the truck peeled off heading to the lab.

As they drove, Ben began rummaging through his bag. He pulled out the bottle and started to apply a liquid, humming a tune to himself, earning a perplexed look from Yasmina.

"Sanitizer." he announced, holding it up like a prized possession. "Who knows what kind of creepy dino goo is at that lab?"

Vera raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in her voice. "You take that bottle with you everywhere huh?"

"Gotta be ready for anything. The world is a grab-bag gross, and we're all just along for the moist, sticky roller coaster ride called life." Ben replied, his tone deadly serious as he squirted a generous glob onto his palms. He began vigorously rubbing the gel up and down his legs.

His earnest explanation caught Yasmina's attention. She eyed the bottle skeptically for a moment before reaching out, following Ben's lead.

Vera couldn't help but shake her head, a small smile playing at her lips, before rubbing a small amount on her hands. Perhaps Ben's paranoia was contagious after all.

The car rolled to a stop in front of the lab, and Brooklynn immediately sprang into action, her camera whirring as she captured footage of the imposing building.

"What's good, Brooklanders!" She began. "Today, I'm coming to you from one of Jurassic World's coolest remote genetics labs!" She chirped, her voice brimming with excitement.

The campers gasped in awe, admiring the high-tech lab. Their eyes darting from one incredible sight to another. The air buzzed with the promise of groundbreaking dinosaur research.

"This is a rare window to the park's inner workings. Not just anyone can come here, you know." Roxie explained, her tone tinged with pride.

"Yep, this is where the magic happens." Dave agreed enthusiastically. "Doc Wu!" He whooped, fist pumping the air.

"Guess who's ready to have the blastocyst from the pastocyst? The mitosis with the mosisis! We're ready for some chromosomes, my bro-mosome. Wu, there it is" Dave quipped, throwing out cheesy dad puns and nicknames for the Doctor. "I can do more!" He shouted as Dr. Wu began to walk away.

"Please don't." Roxie cringed, embarrassed by her colleagues jokes. "We're here for the tour, Dr. Wu. Camp Cretaceous?" She asked, addressing Doctor Wu in a professional manner. "Ms. Dearing should have mentioned." She added, trying to jog his memory.

"Im sorry, but Mr. Masrani has accelerated the time table for our newest exhibit yet again."Dr. Wu's exasperation was evident as he snatched an amber rock from Sammy's curious hands. "I simply don't have time to spend the afternoon babysitting children." Roxie's disapproving look went unnoticed as Wu turned his attention to Brooklynn.

"Young lady, no recording in the lab." he admonished, his tone clipped.

"That's kind of my whole deal" Brooklynn explained. "You see, I have my own web channel—"

"And that's germane because...?" Dr. Wu cut her off, remarking rhetorically, before returning to his work.

Sensing an opportunity, Brooklynn switched tactics. "Im sorry Doctor. I just wanted my followers to meet the genius who brought dinosaurs back to life." she added, her voice honeyed with flattery. "I mean, without you, there is no Jurassic World. But, hey, if you wanna toil in the shadows while Masrani and John Hammond get all the credit, I respect that. It's about the work."

Dr. Wu turned around, now intrigued by the girl's camera. "How many people watch this web show of yours?" Brooklynn's eyes lit up.

"Okay, Dr. Wu, you're on" Brooklynn said, cueing towards the Doctor.

He cleared his throat, "Hello. I'm Dr. Henry Wu, PhD. Welcome to one of our satellite Jurassic World genetics labs." He then began to walk around the lab. "I like to say that creating a dinosaur takes TIME— T,technology; I, ingenuity; and M-E, me."

Sammy's excitable voice cut through the lab."Whoa! Eyeball! Ooh!"She darted from station to station, peppering the scientist with questions"Dr. Wu, what's that?" She asked, gesturing towards a large screen.

"Tree frog DNA"m he answered, his patience wearing thin. "Unfortunately I-"

"What's that?" She interrupted, pointing at a passing cart.

"Siberian mammoth remains extracted for—" His attempt to explain becoming futile  as Sammy bounced to a window.

"What's down that hallway?" She asks, her face pressed against the glass.

"My private office. It's restricted." his voice turning stern. The comment seemed to pull Brooklynn's attention, which Vera oddly noticed.

Her observation was cut short before Dave announced, "You guys, look! Oh, I think two of these eggs is about to hatch."

"That's not possible," Wu muttered,rushing to a computer.

The campers were already crowding around the incubator, watching the eggs slowly crack and shake.

A tail began to peek out of one egg and a horn out of the other. A small glob of egg fluid splashes on Ben, his  panicked voice rose above the excited chatter. "Ew, ew, ew! Get it off me!"

Vera's chuckle and Brooklynn's camera click punctuated the moment as the baby dinosaurs emerged.

The eggs then hatch to reveal two baby Ankylosauruses. Ben picks up one as it rolls off the table and Vera slowly approaches the other dinosaur. Ben and Vera found themselves cooing over the tiny creatures, their faces lit with wonder.

"Sweet!" Brooklynn exclaimed, her keen eye noting details. "One of its head bumps is bigger than the other."

Yasmina chimed in, "The other one's like that too."

Dr. Wu's alarmed voice cut through their observations. "Asymmetry? In my lab?"

Ben's soft voice contrasted with Wu's concern. "She's so... tiny," he murmured, gently petting the dinosaur's head.

Roxie's practical question brought them back to reality. "But she won't stay tiny for long, right?" she asked, turning to Dr. Wu for answers.

"That's the idea." Dr. Wu affirms. "All the dinosaurs go through an accelerated growth cycle. They're supposed to incubate for 13 weeks with no noticeable defects, but apparently these two slipped through."His disapproval was evident as he studied the creatures, then strode off to another part of the lab.

Vera's eyes sparkled as she cradled the tiny dinosaur."These things are so cute." Vera gushed. Realizing she'd received no response, she glanced over to find Ben completely entranced by the ankylosaurus. A soft laugh escaped her lips as she returned her attention to her own scaly charge.

Roxie approached, a teasing lilt in her voice. "Well, that's it, Ben. Looks like you live here now."

The moment was shattered as Dr. Wu stormed back in, Brooklynn in tow. "Time for you all to leave," he declared, hustling the vlogger along. "Clearly this group has no respect for my lab."

Vera and Ben exchanged worried glances. "But what about Bumpy and Rocky?" Ben asked, his voice small as he clutched the ankylosaurus protectively.

Dave's booming voice cut through the tension. "Aw, you two named them. That's precious!" He squeezed the children in a bear hug, one under each arm.

Dr. Wu's patience had clearly run out. "The assets will soon be released into their respective herds," he stated flatly, plucking the dinosaurs from the children's hands. "Then they'll be their problem. Just like you all cease to be my problem when you leave."

Vera opened her mouth to protest, but Dave cut her off. "All right, bup-bup-bup-bup-bup! Hit the road. We are not wanted here." His tone was light, but his eyes conveyed a silent command.

With heavy hearts and lingering glances at their newfound friends, Ben and Vera reluctantly followed the others out of the lab.
-

The sun was setting as Ben and Vera sat in silence during the bumpy ride back to camp. The truck's engine rumbled as it slowed to a stop, the brakes squeaking slightly as they arrived at the campsite where Darius and Kenji stood waiting.

"Hey guys!" Darius called out, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. Sweat glistened on his forehead, and his clothes were disheveled and dirty.

Roxie's eyes narrowed as she observed the boys' disheveled state. "Why are you two so out of breath?" she queried, her tone laced with suspicion.

"Just doing what we were told to. How was the field trip?" Darius replied quickly, his words tumbling out as he attempted to divert attention away from their appearance.

"Oh, well, um, you know, Ben and Vera fell in love with dinosaurs, and Super Star here got us booted from the lab." Yasmina's voice dripped with sarcasm as she jerked her thumb towards Brooklynn.

Brooklynn's eyes widened in indignation as she began to protest. "That is not what happene—"

Before she could finish, Sammy interjected, her curiosity piqued by the boys' state. "How did poop patrol go?"

"Awesome!" Kenji answered, a mischievous glint in his eye. "You should have seen how I owned—"

"This valuable experience!" Darius oddly cut in, shoving Kenji with enough force to make him stumble. "Um, learned a lot about ourselves and, uh...yep!" His voice cracked slightly as he fumbled for words.

Roxie's nose wrinkled involuntarily as a pungent odor wafted towards her. "Oh! Well, then, hit the showers. And maybe stay in there for a while?" She suggested, her voice muffled as she covered her nose with her hand. She quickly turned and headed towards the camp, eager to escape the smell.

"Use soap! Lots of soap!" Ben shouted after them, his fingers pinching his nostrils closed as he watched Darius and Kenji trudge towards the shower facilities, leaving a trail of dirt and an unmistakable odor in their wake.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The evening air was cool and crisp as Vera approached the balcony. Ben stood there, his silhouette illuminated by the soft glow of the camp lights. His shoulders were slumped, and his gaze was fixed on the distant treeline. Vera could sense the weight of his thoughts.

"Hey, you okay?" She said, her voice laced with concern. She leaned against the railing next to him, studying his troubled expression.

Ben turned to her, his eyes reflecting a mix of sadness and disbelief. "Dr. Wu called them defected, can you believe it?" He shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "It's like he doesn't even see them as living creatures."

Vera sighed deeply, her own disappointment evident. "I know. Dr. Wu seemed to have no regard for their well-being. It's... unsettling." She paused, trying to find a silver lining. "But I'm sure they'll still be put with the other dinosaurs. They can't just... discard them, right?"

"I hope so," Ben replied, his voice barely above a whisper. He turned back to the jungle, his brow furrowed. "But what if they don't? What if those dinosaurs are suffering right now?"

Vera placed a comforting hand on Ben's shoulder. "We can't control what the adults do, but we can keep an eye out. If something seems wrong, we'll find a way to help."

Ben nodded slowly, a small smile forming on his lips. "Yeah, you're right." He straightened up, seeming to shake off some of his melancholy. "Thanks, Vera."

"Anytime," Vera replied, returning his smile. "That's what friends are for."

As they stood there, the sounds of the nighttime jungle began to fill the air – chirping insects, distant calls of nocturnal animals, and the occasional rustle of leaves. It was a reminder of the vibrant life all around them, both familiar and prehistoric.

"We should probably head back," Ben said after a moment. "It's getting late."

Vera nodded in agreement. "Another day of dinosaur adventures awaits. Let's just hope it involves less morally questionable scientists and more amazing creatures."

With a shared chuckle, they turned away from the balcony and headed back to their quarters, both feeling a little lighter but acutely aware of the responsibility they now felt towards the island's prehistoric inhabitants.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘳𝘪'𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴！
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Sorry this chapter is so short. I might post another one on Friday. Also you guys I don't know if I particularly like Vera's dino's name so please comment some cute names for it!
I love you all and thank you for reading!

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©-CRETACEOUS , 2024