Rushing water.
The crystal-clear stream cascaded over the rocks, plunging down a stone cliff about five meters high to merge with the deep, bottomless river below.
"Roar…"
Katyusha took a quick sip to rehydrate, then let out a soft rumble to let her family know the water was safe.
Receiving the signal, Giga Dad, Kafka, and Karl stood shoulder-to-shoulder by the stream, bending their massive heads down to drink. Katyusha took up the watch, acting as their sentry.
No other predators had left their scent marks in this area. Even so, the Giga pack chose not to set up camp here permanently; they wanted to push forward and see if they could cross paths with their leader.
Katyusha stared into the distance, following the course of the river. Dark green mountains covered in sub-alpine coniferous forests rolled out in a seemingly endless chain. But she knew that mere terrain obstacles could never hide Carlo's colossal frame, unless he was actively trying to conceal himself.
Sniffing.
The jungle was thick with the scents of various animals, some familiar and others entirely foreign. More importantly, there was a faint, lingering trace of danger in the air.
Whatever left it hadn't claimed this specific territory, but there was a strong chance it would pass through here again.
"Roar…"
Having finished drinking, Giga Dad gave a low rumble, asking Katyusha what their next move should be.
In Carlo's absence, leadership naturally devolved to her, but at this moment, she was somewhat conflicted.
This meadow by the stream was an absolutely perfect habitat. Crucially, it lacked the biting frost of other areas, making it highly suitable for Giganotosauruses. However, staying here meant they might run into rival predators. Furthermore, if they remained stationary, the chances of tracking Carlo, or being found by him, would drop drastically.
"Roar…"
We keep moving.
Katyusha made her decision. Before departing, she snapped a branch off a nearby tree and rubbed her scent glands against it, ensuring they could retrace their steps if necessary.
Re-forming their column, the Giga pack headed down the slope, tracking the riverbank as they continued their exploration of the uncharted forest.
…
"Dr. Wu, the Tyrannosaurus rex has arrived at the valley. It's the one from the old park... well, the original park, technically."
An assistant entered the laboratory carrying the experimental apparatus Dr. Wu had requested, casually mentioning a piece of news he figured the geneticist would find interesting.
"That Rex? It is rare for one to live so long... The two Tyrannosaurs from the original testing area passed away from old age over a decade ago. I believe their offspring are currently housed here as well."
Dr. Wu had just finished a locust genetic simulation on his computer. According to Dodgson, BioSyn wanted to engineer a variant that would leave cash crops untouched and strictly target pests. So far... it actually seemed to be quite a success.
"What is the status of the Giganotosauruses?" Dr. Wu asked, adjusting his equipment.
"Um... they didn't settle in the sector we anticipated. They're heading downriver... and there is a high probability they will encounter our other two 'Giganotosauruses'."
The assistant knew exactly which Giganotosauruses Dr. Wu was referring to, and Dr. Wu knew precisely which ones the assistant meant by 'Giganotosauruses.' The scientist merely offered a curt nod.
"I see. Maintain observation. Try to prevent an escalation between—"
Beep— Beep— Beep—
Dr. Wu was cut off by a sudden, blaring alarm. Red strobe lights flashed through the facility, signaling a biohazard containment breach.
The two exchanged a quick look and rushed toward the source of the alarm. A thick cloud of white decontamination fog enveloped the corridor, and just as suddenly, the alarm cut out.
When the white smoke cleared, it was as if nothing had happened. Only a few technicians were left sweeping the floor in front of the containment unit holding the "experimental specimens."
"What happened?"
"A locust escaped. That's all."
"Escaped?! How did it escape?!" The assistant demanded clarification, but the technician merely shrugged and went back to work.
Dr. Wu observed the scene silently, his expression tightening. Still, none of the current locust variants have shown any appetite for crops, so... it should be fine. Right?
…
Rexy stepped out of the gray transport cage, her heavy footfalls crunching against the fallen leaves.
In a way, she had been inside more cages than some dinosaurs saw in a lifetime, making the current situation oddly familiar.
So... where am I this time?
She scanned her surroundings. This place was a far cry from her previous enclosure. Her immediate reaction was that it was considerably colder, though her resilient physiology adapted to the drop in temperature almost instantly.
Crunch, crunch.
The leaf litter crunched loudly under her weight. Rexy raised her head and took two deep sniffs, detecting no immediate threats or territorial warnings from an apex resident.
Good. Safe.
Rexy strode forward, following a natural game trail through the trees toward lower ground. Experience told her that heading downhill significantly increased her chances of finding a water source.
As a newcomer to the area, her top priority was finding a place to drink.
Sound of rushing water.
Thudding footsteps.
Because the river was too deep, the Giga pack didn't walk directly along the shoreline, keeping a safe distance instead. After all, while they were capable swimmers, they were no match for true aquatic specialists.
Towering, dense trees clustered together, draining the forest floor of color and casting everything in cool, muted tones. The ground vegetation grew in sporadic patches, entirely dependent on how much sunlight pierced the canopy.
Katyusha periodically raised her head to sniff the air, ensuring they weren't inadvertently blundering into the territory of some rival carnivore. Karl kept his eyes glued to the ground, analyzing tracks and physical sign to gauge the activity of any local mega-predators.
Kafka was in a much better state than he had been initially, capable of staying active for long stretches during the day. However, his nocturnal instincts seemed to be catching up with him, leaving him looking somewhat sluggish.
The three younger ones were understandably tense; under Carlo's absolute protection, they had rarely ever engaged in territorial combat with other large theropods. Fortunately... they still had Giga Dad, didn't they?
According to the law of the wild, where age correlated with lethal experience, the quiet, unassuming Giga Dad was undoubtedly the most formidable combatant among the four of them.
"Roar?"
Suddenly, Katyusha caught a whiff of... a familiar scent? No, she didn't recognize the specific individual, but this scent distinctly stood out from the surrounding environmental odors.
One of... our own?
Weaving through the trees, they arrived at a depositional bank formed by a bend in the river. The main river and its tributary intersected here, forming a junction that looked remarkably like the "Crossroad Rivers" back in the Primeval Ecological Zone.
Katyusha looked across the riverbank. She could sense a deliberate territorial challenge radiating from the opposite side, and she answered with a resounding bellow.
"ROAR—"
Birds scattering.
The silence of the ancient forest shattered as a flock of birds took flight in panic.
"ROAR—"
The response came almost instantly, though the vocalization sounded incredibly bizarre. It was a dialect she couldn't comprehend.
Thud, thud, thud.
Massive theropod feet crushed the undergrowth. Amidst the rustling of the trees, two InGen Giganotosauruses emerged from the tree line one after the other, stepping up to the water's edge.
The one in the lead was visibly bulkier, yet it looked fundamentally like a half-finished prototype. As for the one behind it, it looked even more like an incomplete genetic draft.
The New World met the Old. All six dinosaurs froze, staring across the water at one another.
Are these... actually the same species?
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