Tap...
An impeccably crafted glass tumbler was set down upon the desk, and Dr. Wu slowly pushed it toward Maisie as a gesture of hospitality.
"I'm sorry for having to bring you here this way."
"Mhm... Kidnappers always say that."
Although an atmosphere of silence hung between the two, it was almost entirely devoid of hostility, resembling more an inquisitive seeker and an explainer, or survivors stepping into the Overseer's room for the very first time.
"Claire shouldn't have hidden you away. The significance of your existence is far too critical, Maisie."
Dr. Wu didn't look rushed in the slightest. Since Maisie had already arrived here, all it took to solve the problem was a single tube of blood samples.
Maisie, on the other hand, looked utterly speechless, both at her own identity and at Dr. Wu's description of her being "critical," prompting her to rebelliously flip him off.
"Aok?"
Beta was confined inside an iron cage nearby, looking remarkably well-behaved and only occasionally letting out soft whimpering chirps, which nevertheless caught Maisie's attention.
"You brought her along too?"
"Yes... We need her to better understand you."
Dr. Wu remained exceptionally patient. Perhaps because Beta's DNA was still being decoded, working backward from the answer to deduce the process was no simple task, though for Dr. Wu, it posed no problem at all.
"Hey... Beta."
Her freedom unconstrained, Maisie stood up, walked over to Beta's iron cage, and greeted the creature gently, which instantly piqued Dr. Wu's interest.
The word "Beta" derived from the Greek alphabet, a symbol often denoting the number two, or alternatively, a clone, which serendipitously mirrored the existence of the Velociraptor Beta.
"Beta? Is that her name?"
"I gave it to her."
Maisie tilted her head with polite restraint to toss a reply over her shoulder before immersing her attention entirely back in Beta.
Watching two mirrored existences connect through some miraculous reunion and forge a bond, Dr. Wu couldn't help breaking into a smile.
"Beta is quite special, too."
"Hm?"
Seizing the opportunity, Dr. Wu seemed intent on resolving the enigma that had plagued Maisie for years, the truth she should have known all along. Using Beta as a breakthrough point, he successfully captured her full attention.
"When we engineered Blue, we used monitor lizard DNA to fill the genetic gaps in her genome, which indirectly caused her to reproduce parthenogenetically without mating... So, Beta's DNA is identical to Blue's. It's just like you and..."
"Charlotte."
Maisie uttered the correct answer a beat ahead of Dr. Wu, causing the scientist to arch an eyebrow in mild surprise and ask with genuine curiosity:
"How much do you know about Charlotte?"
Realizing this was the optimal moment to clear up all her lingering confusion, Maisie shifted her focus away from Beta, stood up straight, and faced Dr. Wu head-on.
"She died... Grandpa was heartbroken, so he created me."
"No, Maisie. He didn't."
Dr. Wu cut off Maisie before she could continue.
"Charlotte created you."
…
Sub-level 6, Restricted Zone.
An automated broadcast chimed mechanically as two figures clad in white protective suits cautiously poked their heads out from the elevator, peering outside.
If Carlo were here, he would instantly recognize the man whose expression screamed deep existential despair as Dr. Grant.
"Thanks for coming with me."
After confirming the surrounding area was clear, Dr. Ellie Sattler stepped out of the elevator first.
Dr. Grant tilted his head, wearing a deadpan poker face behind his surgical mask with only a subtle shift of his eyes glancing toward Ellie's retreating back.
Did you seriously have to wait until I boarded the pirate ship to thank me? That feels suspiciously like tempting fate.
And speaking of the restricted zone... are Velociraptors going to jump out and hide in here?
If they got caught red-handed by security right now, would they end up rooming with the dinosaurs?
Looking somewhat resigned, he followed Ellie down the corridor. Perhaps another reason for his gloominess was this: he had been separated from his fedora.
"Which laboratory did Malcolm mention?"
"L4."
To avoid drawing attention earlier, Ellie and Malcolm had only managed to exchange a few hasty words in passing, leaving Dr. Grant with no choice but to follow her lead.
Wait... if that's the case, why on earth did I even come here?
The moment Dr. Grant took the access card wristband from her and unlocked the heavy door to the secret laboratory, a glaring blind spot hit him.
He genuinely seemed to have just tagged along in Ellie's footsteps without doing a single thing. What on earth did she bring him here for? Surely not as dinosaur repellent?
Beep-beep—
The two walked straight into the culture room at the center of the laboratory. Dozens of racks were arranged vertically inside, each holding different crop cultivation trays, some grew wheat, others corn... and was that even rice?
Sound of a disinfectant spray hiss.
The culture room utilized a double-layered airlock system, effectively sterilizing personnel passing through while preventing any locusts from escaping.
"Go in, collect the sample, and come right back out. Move slowly, if they get spooked, they'll swarm into a collective frenzy."
Dr. Ellie offered her final warning. Moments later, the inner door slid open, and the two stepped into the culture room one after the other, beginning their search along the racks.
"Two weeks old... This one, this one's an adult."
Locating their target, the pair joined forces to haul a massive wheat cultivation crate out from the shelf. Nestled inside was a single locust, though obscured by upright wheat stalks and plump grains of wheat, revealing only glimpses of its carapace and limbs.
"Alright... Do it!"
Ellie whispered urgently, pulling out a vial-like instrument roughly a third the size of a standard test tube for easier portability.
Dr. Grant stared at Ellie with a gaze full of utter disbelief. Do... it? Are you out of your mind?
"How?"
"Pull it out."
Now he finally understood why she brought him along.
Dr. Grant took a deep breath and thrust both hands deep into the dense thicket of wheat.
…
The Ecological Zone.
Thud!
A colossal beast's sole stamped against the ground, causing the earth to tremble with a single casual step.
Katyusha appeared utterly thrilled, escorting Carlo around her territory just like she used to when she would sneak over to Carlo's domain and hop around in front of him as a juvenile.
Carlo, meanwhile, followed her unhurriedly with his usual retirement-mode demeanor, though this time his expression seemed to carry a hint of something different.
Creeping stealthily behind the pair using his stealth technique, Dad followed along. Whether intentional or not, he made zero effort to conceal himself, mirroring Carlo's very first hunt for wild goats.
Karl actually wanted to join in on the fun with Carlo, but to prevent Kafka from being left alone, Dad had ordered him to stand guard beside her.
"Roar?"
Where did they go?
Katyusha led Carlo to the spot where they had previously hunted the Magyarosaurus, intending to introduce her foreign friend, but why had the creature suddenly vanished?
Usually, they would be milling about this exact area around this time, she had run into them several times, and Katyusha had even shared prey with them often. So why were they missing today?
Carlo's gigantic silhouette blotted out the sun, dwarfing the surrounding trees that normally provided shelter for smaller predators, making them look tiny and fragile by comparison, though the big guy himself remained entirely oblivious: I wouldn't know anything about that.
Taking advantage of the moment while Katyusha searched around, Carlo lifted his head to gaze at the magnificent human structures in the distance, falling into brief contemplation.
Why did the humans suddenly go so quiet? There's an inexplicable vibe of resignation about them.
"Roar…"
Katyusha called out to Carlo, eager to drag him off to the next sightseeing spot. The latter slowly stepped forward to keep pace while maintaining his vigilance over the surrounding perimeter.
Rustle...
Dad sprawled out flat on the grass, brazenly trailing right behind the two dinosaurs in broad daylight.
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