Giga Mom lay on the ground, her eyes closed, her flanks rising and falling in shallow, labored breaths.
Carlo approached, slowly lowering his massive head to gently nuzzle her cheek. He let out a low, soft rumble.
"Grrr…" It's not safe here.
"Grrr…" Go on without me. I just need to rest for a while.
Sensing something was wrong, Carlo pulled up Giga Mom's status interface.
[Health: 10,467 / 10,800]
The health drop was negligible, but beneath it sat a grim notification:
[Irreversible physical damage sustained. Lifespan significantly shortened.]
"Roar…" We're staying with you for a bit.
Carlo circled her and lowered his body, curling around Giga Mom to shield her in a protective ring, just as she had once done for him when he was small.
Dried blood still clung to Carlo's tail, his own blood. The faint metallic scent caused Giga Mom to open her eyes again. She struggled to lift her head to look at his injury.
"Grrr... cough cough…" You're hurt.
"Grrr…" Yeah.
"Grrr?" When?
"Grrr…" Just now.
The sun began its slow ascent, casting a warm, golden glow over the two massive predators. It was cozy and deceptively peaceful.
Giga Dad stepped forward. Giga Mom looked up, and they shared one final, lingering nuzzle. The three little dinos stood nearby, looking lost and uncertain.
Carlo opened his mouth, wanting to say more, but in the end, only one sentiment came out:
"Grrr…" I love you, Mom.
Giga Mom rested her head against Carlo's flank, her voice barely a whisper.
"Grrr…" I know. Now go, quickly...
"Grrr…" We have plenty of time. We'll stay a little longer.
Giga Dad and the three little ones lay down on Carlo's other side, completing the circle. They surrounded Giga Mom, a fortress of kin protecting her from the world.
In the wild, Giga Mom would have long since been unable to provide for the pack, an individual the laws of nature would have "optimized" out of existence. But here, no one would ever leave her behind.
"Grrr... cough, cough, cough..." Don't let a single one be missing.
"Grrr…" I know.
Giga Mom gave Carlo one last instruction. Hearing his response, she seemed to smile. As the morning sun rose higher, the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest slowly came to a halt.
Katyusha stepped forward to feel the last of Mom's warmth. Karl watched, as if absorbing yet another lesson in the harsh realities of life. Kafka stepped up and nudged the dazed Carlo.
Whirrr—
The distant thrum of a helicopter echoed from the horizon. Carlo stood up, calling to the Giga family to move out.
He couldn't afford to stop.
Giga Dad looked back at Carlo, then at Giga Mom. He let out a soft chirp of farewell to her before following Carlo's lead.
The three little dinos did the same. One massive silhouette and four smaller ones trekked forward, heading straight into the light of the rising sun.
Behind them, Giga Mom sneakily opened one eye. She took a deep, sharp breath of air and watched the receding dark shapes in the sunlight, a distinctly human-like, mischievous smirk crossing her snout.
I had to play dead just to get them to leave.
…
Blue and Echo were supporting a limping Delta, one on each side. The scene felt strangely familiar. Right, last time, it had been Charlie and Echo.
The three Raptors slowly approached Charlie's body. The Indoraptor had vanished for some reason, and though Blue scouted the perimeter with wary eyes, she found nothing.
They crouched beside Charlie, offering a silent, belated goodbye.
Whirrr…
The roar of helicopters filled the sky, the "DPI" (Dinosaur Protection Group) and "Dinosaur Bioethics" markings clearly visible. Noticing the activity above, Blue chirped to her sisters and led them toward Owen's last known location.
…
Dr. Wu's consciousness finally cleared. The toxic mist was dissipating into the morning air. He pulled off his gas mask, greedily inhaling the fresh air. Looking around the now-empty basement, he let out a satisfied laugh.
"Dinosaurs... static... Humans... static..."
Suddenly, a cracked monitor on the floor sputtered to life with the distorted voice of Mr. DNA.
"I know. So what?" Wu replied to the screen, as if talking to himself. "I have always been a selfish man. I was never going to let my dinosaurs die in this place."
Wu reached down and picked up a fallen camera. He brushed off the dust and checked the lens.
Good. Still works.
…
Seeing Owen in his tattered, dirt-caked clothes, Claire sprinted forward and threw her arms around him. The force of the hug made Owen feel like he was back in a wrestling match with the Indoraptor.
Staggering back a few steps, he patted Claire's back, gesturing for her to take it easy.
"You two, if you don't mind, we should probably get out of here. Dealing with the media is never easy," Zia reminded them, having waited politely for the hug to end.
"Yeah. Let's go."
Claire released Owen, and the four of them finally stood together as a team.
"Do you want to come with us, Maisie?"
"Of course."
Maisie followed closely, taking Claire's hand. "Where are we going?"
"How about coming with me to build a cabin?" Owen suggested. He was interrupted by a sharp cry from the returning Blue.
"Aok!"
"Hey! It's okay."
It was hard to tell if Owen was reassuring the group or Blue, but everyone's nerves settled. Except for Franklin, whose reaction was even more dramatic than the child's.
"Aok."
Delta limped forward, leaning on Echo. Again, that strange sense of déjà vu.
She stayed by Owen's side, while Echo and Blue turned to leave. They chirped several times at the group and at Delta before turning to run, following the muddy tire tracks of the departing trucks.
They had unfinished business.
"What are they doing?"
"I don't know. But they aren't abandoning Delta, that's for sure. Right, girl?"
"Aok!" Delta replied, standing on one leg. Owen watched the others go, then turned to Claire.
"Claire, we're going to need a truck that isn't too conspicuous... You drive."
Owen had finally agreed to let Claire take the wheel.
…
Need to find a place with a lake...
Stegosaurus bro emerged from the forest and spotted the massive footprints on the ground, many of them filled with rainwater.
He leaned down to take a few gulps, then looked at the trail of prints stretching into the distance.
Maybe I should go find that silly kid?
A dark shadow flickered through the underbrush. The Stegosaurus turned, looking back, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.
Suddenly, a black shape burst from the bushes behind him. The Indoraptor had returned. It was a cunning creature, one driven by a thirst for vengeance. In its twisted mind, this unknown herbivore would be the first victim on its road to retribution.
CRUNCH.
Tail spikes sank into flesh. They wedged perfectly into the Indoraptor's neck. They didn't pierce all the way through, but it was more than enough to crush its windpipe.
Who attacks from the most dangerous angle, you silly kid?
The Stegosaurus looked back with a flat, unimpressed gaze at the Indoraptor. The monster made a series of wet, meaningless gurgles, its life fading.
SHLUCK...
The Stegosaurus turned and yanked his tail free. The Indoraptor slumped to the ground, its blood slowly spreading and dripping into the pool of water inside the Giganotosaurus's footprint.
The Stegosaurus took another unbothered sip of water, then followed the footprints, embarking on an unknown path of his own.
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