Chapter 14

Truth be told

Josiah's POV-

I followed Tholestes through the dense jungle and back toward where I'd parked my jeep. While we walked I was thinking about the tyrannosaur. Why was she not surprised that I could understand her? I knew that Zaba, the Parasaurolophus, wasn't at the least surprised that I could understand her at all. Why didn't she and the tyrannosaur react? It was just so confusing.

As we walked to the edge of the trees I spotted the other members of Tholeste's pack, and held back for a moment.

I knew Tholestes but did not know the rest of his pack. I did not want to take any chances with them. Maybe I was being unreasonably paranoid, but I'd almost lost my life too many times over the past three weeks to feel like taking even the slimmest risk with my life with these dinosaurs.

"Are you sure that your friends there won't hurt me?" I cautiously asked from behind Tholestes.

"Don't worry, human," He told me with a sand-papery sigh of annoyance. "My pack won't lay a claw on you. My alpha female, Kara, told them and myself that no raptor in our pack is to harm you."

I guess I could take his word for it.

A few minutes later, though, we weren't heading in the direction of my jeep, but in a different direction into the jungle from the open field. Tholestes led the way, followed by me and the rest of the pack.

I wanted to return to my jeep and drive back to the worker village, but Tholestes told me that he was taking me to see his alpha female.

I didn't feel safe without my rifle or hand gun. Without them, I couldn't guarantee that the raptors would turn around and attack me.

But I had to trust Tholeste's word on this.

We travelled down a path that looked like a game trail. After another minute, we crossed into a wide-open area surrounded by several mounds. I was guessing that these were the nests. There were some hacthlings and young raptors scurrying around the nesting area, but no eggs. I was surprised, because dinosaur nests usually conveyed an unmistakable sense of disorder. These younger raptors must have been this year's clutch that had just hatched some time ago.

As we entered the nesting area, I could feel some of the other raptors watching me. Some were with curiosity, like the young ones, while others, like the older adults, were with cold glares. I felt a bead of sweat drop down my back. I was really uneasy about all this.

Tholestes led me over to a large tree in the middle of the nesting area where two raptors stood. They must be the alphas of the pack here. Before we got any closer to them, Tholestes stopped me in my tracks with his tail to my chest.

"Before you are presented to my alphas, you need to know a few things when you greet them."

I raised an eyebrow. "Like what?" I asked.

"You must get down on your knees when you are in their presence. Speak only when you are addressed by either Kara or Phaganax. Don't back-talk at them or you'll regret it. And most inportant try not to raise your voice at them or Phaganax will see it as a challange."

I nodded in understanding. "Got it,"

After the precautions we both stood in front of the pack leaders. Like Tholestes had told me, I knelt down on my knees and faced both Kara and Phaganax.

Tholestes POV-

Kara approached Josiah and leaned down to inspect him. A raptor behind him sniffed at his hair and neck, then growled at him. Kara hissed at the younger subordinate to back down and to leave Josiah alone. The subordinate growled under his breath and turned away to stand beside the other raptors.

I could feel that Josiah was very nervous but could also see that some of the pack were looking at him with curiosity. Especially my sister and brother. Phaganax was the only one who wasn't looking at him with curiosity. It was more of disgust.

After inspecting him, Kara introduced herself.

"My name Kara. Alpha Beta Kara, human."

Josiah then addressed himself. "And I'm Josiah. Was there a reason why you had me brought here by any chance?"

Kara nodded. "I wanted you here at my nest to answer some of the questions that my mate and myself have that regard our past. About how we got here, and why we were enslaved by humans, and how we are connected to this place you humans call...Jurassic Park."

Josiah's POV-

So that's why Tholestes brought me here to this place. Well, there was nothing I could do but to answer the questions the raptor female had to give me. Otherwise I'd end up torn to shreds.

"What is it you want to know first, alpha Kara?" I asked her.

"I want to know about this Jurassic park. My pack and I do not know all the details about what that place was."

Taking a deep breath, I told the female raptor about the island of Jurassic park. I just hope that the journal had given me enough information to help with this scenario.

"Well, alpha Kara, Jurassic Park is an amusement park created by a group of humans called InGen, featuring extinct animals such as dinosaurs like yourselves as attractions for humans. The place was locted on another island called Isla Nubler."

Kara stared at me, puzzlement etched on her face. "And this island that you speak of, Josiah, is that where we came from?"

I shook my head no. "Actually, Kara, you and your kind came from this island."

"But how?"

Oh, boy. I was hoping she would save that question for later. But it couldn't be helped now.

"You see, Isla Nublar was just a showroom, Kara, something for the human tourists to entertain, Site B, this island, was the factory floor. The keepers built a lab here, eight-some miles from Nublar."

Phaganax stared at me and I could see that his anger was slowly building.

"So we were nothing more then entertainment for you filthy humans? Creatures to be put on display for your own pleasure and amusement?"

"Not to be rude or anything, Phaganax, but I'm talking to alpha Kara right now," I said as mildly as I could without being too rude. "So why don't you mind your business until she's done talking with me?"

Phaganax was about to lunge forward to rip me to shreds when Kara came and stood between me and him.

"Don't touch him!" She snarled. "This human is right. You where not given permission from me to speak. It was not your turn, Phaganax. Now stand down!"

Phaganax lowered his head in submission and took a step back so that he was standing away from his mate. But his eyes were still on me.

Kara then turned back to me. "You may continue, Josiah," she lay down in front of me and I in turn sat down in front of her, so that we were at eye level to each other when we spoke.

"Anyway," I continued, clearing my throat. "Instead of observing you guys, the keepers tried to control you. They kept you in cages and behind electrified fences for their own safety as well as yours."

"But, why?" Said Kara, shaking her head again. "Why keep us contained behind fences. I don't understand."

I sighed and and explained. "fencing was used in Jurassic Park in order to keep animals from leaving their respective territories and therefore protect visitors. I mean, you guys wern't exactly the friendliest dinosaurs on the island, you know?"

Kara growled. "We raptors weren't meant to be friendly or to be put in cages."

I held up my hands defensively. "I know that, Kara, but that's how you and your kind were treated back then. But now, you're free. You're no longer in cages or behind electrified fences."

Kara snorted proudly. "And that's how we are going to stay, human. No keepers will ever keep us in cages again."

I nodded. "Is there anything else you wanted to ask of me, alpha Kara?"

"Yes," she said. "You said that this island was a 'factory floor'. Is it true that you humans...created us?"

Taking a deep breath, I told her the truth. "Yes, It's true. For all dinosaurs who are on this island, it's true."

Kara looked down at the ground, her reptilian eyes full of disbelief.

I could tell that doubt about the truth was not easy for her to take. To her, it was like being told that you were created by a mad scientist.

"That can't be true," said Kara, shaking her head. "How was it even possible?"

I decided that maybe it was time to tell her the whole truth about her origins. With the rest of the pack and Tholestes listening, I took another deep breath and told her.

"A hundred million years ago, there were mosquitoes, just like today. And, just like today, they fed on the blood of animals. Even you dinosaurs. Sometimes, after biting a dinosaur, the mosquito would land on a branch of a tree, and get stuck in tree sap. After a long time, the tree sap would get hard and become fossilized, just like a dinosaur bone, preserving the mosquito and the dinosaur DNA inside."

"What's DNA?" Asked Kara.

I wasn't much of a science whizz. So I tried to remember as much as I could about DNA.

"Well, DNA is like the bloodstream that flows through your body, Kara. It's what makes you dinosaurs...well, unique. And that bloodstream was used to clone you."

"Clone?"

I face-palmed myself. Oh, man alive! Now I had to explain cloning to these guys. And I didn't have a lot of time, too. The sun over the jungle was beginning to set. It would be dark soon and I didn't have my flashlight with me to help guide myself back to the worker village.

But the raptor wanted to know what cloning was. Just as well to give it to her straight.

"I might as well tell you, Kara, but it won't be easy for you to hear," I said. "You and your species were copied by using the DNA found inside the fossilized mosquito. The keepers took out the preserved blood from the mosquito and used it to create dinosaurs once again."

Kara was silent for a few seconds. I could tell just from her eyes that she was trying to swallow this whole cloning thing.

"So, we're nothing but copies?" She said in a low voice. "Mere shadows of the true raptors who lived long before use?"

My heart felt a pang of guilt. As much as it was to tell Kara about her kind's past and how they were created by humans, I knew that she felt great sadness about it, too. To be cloned from an original creature that lived so long ago and put into cages for human amusement, was pretty hard to take for a raptor like her. Even Tholestes and some of the pack were having a hard time believing it for themselves.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you," I said apologetically to Kara. "But that's how your kind came into this world."

Kara looked at me and then at the darkening sky above the trees.

"It's getting late, hu...I mean, Josiah," she said with tired sigh. "Tholestes will escort you back to the village. We'll ask you other questions tomorrow. For now, I will discuss to my pack about what you've told me."

She got up off her hindquarters and I in turn stood up, dusting the dirt from my pants. At first I didn't know at the moment if Kara was angry or sad. If raptors could feel sadness, that is.

"Tholestes," Kara chirped. Tholestes stood at attention. "I want you take Josiah back to the human village. Make sure he gets there safely."

Tholestes bowed. "Yes, alpha Kara."

He turned to me and motioned for me to follow him out of the nesting area and into the darkening jungle.

I nodded and followed after him.

(I do not own Jurassic Park titles, logos, merchandise, or any other materials that are related in any shape and/or form. I am only one of many of the biggest fans of Jurassic Park movies and games and love anything about dinosaurs. I do not wish to make any profit(nor expect any anyway)