(This blog is not for profit. All copyrighted images belong to their respective owners and are used for review. New to the blog? Start on the introduction.)
(Hey guys, for those of you who are really enjoying this story, don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten about it nor have I lost interest in it. I’ll continue to write this story adjacent to my new novel Masai Mara and my normal WDRTM stuff. Sorry I’ve been somewhat slow recently, but I hope to make it up for you guys with some new content. Anyway, enjoy! Here’s a link to the last chapter if you need your memory refreshed.)
July 24, 2004, 11:14 AM
Despite being a rain forest, water seems to be pretty bloody hard to find in this jungle. Yes, the leaves and dirt are drenched in liquid, but I’m not about to lick the side of a tree for hydration just yet. Then again, I do see myself doing just that in a week if I can’t find anything. The clearing certainly has a water source, but it is always surrounded by the dinosaurs. It would be suicide. I’m sure their must be streams and tributaries running through the forests somewhere, but I haven’t found them yet.
Walking through this jungle just seems to suck the energy right out of you. The humidity, the tightness of the trees, the uneven terrain; nothing about it is pleasant. But the scariest thing is the constant rustling I hear in the foliage. I’m constantly looking behind my back, afraid some creature is going to attack me at any moment. I also hear the distant cries of dinosaurs in the ambiance; some of them interesting and quite beautiful, others terrifying and blood curdling.
I’m going to die here, aren’t I?
July 24, 2004, 1:20 PM
This is incredible. While stumbling my way aimlessly through the jungle, I found myself at a small valley. And at the bottom of that valley, was a human facility. It was obviously torn down by nature, and the odds of anyone actually being there were next to none, but if there was anything that might help me on this island it would be here. I went down the valley and walked towards it.
As I walked through the building, I was better able to comprehend the level of disarray this facility was in. Vines and foliage seemed to overtake any crevice they could find, and the smell of moss and mildew permeated the air. Nature had definitely taken control of this place. It almost felt like the building would collapse on itself if I picked and prodded through it for too long, but I knew this would be the place for supplies.
I walked through the hallways looking for anything I can make use of, but most of the things there didn’t look immediately useful. There was a lot of computers set up everywhere, as well as equipment that looked well out of my field of study. I have never seen technology quite like this before. Yet, the tech still looked like it was over 20 years old. How could something look so outdated yet so futuristic at the same time?
This must have been where they made the dinosaurs.
It’s amazing to think that back in the 80’s these scientists discovered the secret of bringing back prehistoric life. It really wasn’t that long ago in the grand scheme of things, but in technological age it might as well have been a lifetime ago. I don’t think I could ever possibly comprehend the process that was at work here those many years ago.
I walked into a room filled with drawers and cabinets, and I decided to search through them in hopes of finding something I could use. The cabinets were mostly full of moldy file papers covered in computer code. Most of the papers were wet from the jungle humidity, but I did find a few dry papers sheltered from the rains. I decided to take them for tinder. I then began looking through the drawers, and found a pair of scissors. They were a bit dull, but I wasn’t about to leave behind a sharp, pointy object.
In the same drawer, I found something intriguing. Several white cards lied inside, mostly in good condition. They all had the Ingen logo on them, and underneath were illustrations of dinosaurs. Each card had the scientific name of the creature, as well as some information about them. But the info on them was much more comprehensive than the book knowledge you would see in any paleontology textbook. These cards talked about how these animals behaved in as much detail as a profile of a modern creature would. This wasn’t just basic information about dinosaurs. This information was attained through observation. These cards were made by Ingen as a reference guide about the very creatures they created.
The info, although condensed to fit on a small page, was incredibly useful. Not only that, but I now have a complete guide to all the dinosaurs on the island. I couldn’t believe how many viable specimens Ingen was able to create. I’m not completely sure if all these creatures are still present on the island, but if I come across something I can’t quite identify at least I now have something to refer too.
As I looked through these cards I found something interesting. I finally found a profile of those large dromaeosaurian dinosaurs I saw the other day that I couldn’t quite identify. My best guess was Utahraptor or perhaps Deinonychus. These cards identify them as Velociraptor.
That is completely ridiculous.
True Velociraptors were the size of a small dog, nowhere near the horse sized creatures I saw out there. I have no idea how such a mix up could have happened here. You would think a bunch of incredibly smart people bringing dinosaurs back to life would at least know a thing or two about dinosaurs. I know there has to be some sort of explanation for this mix up, but as of now I can’t figure it out.
July 24, 2004, 3:55 PM
Every time I feel I have this island figured out, it decides to throw me an unexpected curve ball. Every damn time. I thought these dinosaur profile cards would be incredibly useful for my survival here, and i’m sure they still will be. But I can’t deny any unforeseen surprises that may come my way.
After a couple hours of searching through the compound without much else I decided to leave the area before it got too dark. The facility was pretty deep in the jungle and I knew I still needed time to set up camp and find a good water source. But before I left, I could tell something was different.
The trees surrounding me began to tremble, and the ground started to shake. I could hear heavy footsteps coming steadily closer, and the low moan of an animal rumbled through the canopy. I knew something was coming this way. Something big.
I ran back into the facility and hid under a desk just big enough to fit my body. Even inside the building I could sense the creature getting closer and closer. The sound of giant footsteps got louder, an I could tell the creature was just outside the building, in the very place I was a few moments ago. The footsteps stopped, but I could still hear a low hissing. The creature was still there, merely standing still in one spot. I’m no expert on the sounds dinosaurs make, but the growls sounded distinctly carnivorous.
The rumble of the footsteps began once more, and I could tell the creature was moving on. I exhaled a sigh of relief, thankful that the creature was leaving. But then a more powerful urge hit me, that scientific side of me that was both intuitive and idiotic at the same time. The field journalist side of my brain spoke to me: I must see this dinosaur. Despite my trepidation and the rational side of me yelling to stay put, I slowly crawled out of my hiding space and poked my head slightly into the outside world. And I saw the creature.
It had a rusty brown coloration, with a long tail facing towards me. But the most significant feature was a tall, bony fin running along the backbone. The dinosaur was facing away from me, so I didn’t get a good look of the head at first, but I had a good idea of what kind of dinosaur I was looking at. But it was when the creature tuned it’s head slightly towards the right when my suspicions were confirmed. The skull was long and crocodile-like, distinctive from any theropod I have observed up to this point. Sadly, I only got a glimpse of the head, as I then quickly returned to my hiding place, hoping I wasn’t discovered. Thankfully, it didn’t decide to investigate the compound and the dinosaur finally left the area.
It was obvious the kind of dinosaur I just saw was: Spinosaurus aegypticus. The creature was way too distinctive to be mistaken for anything else. The only thing is, none of the dinosaur profile cards I found even mentioned this kind of dinosaur. I looked through each card once again, hoping to find some information on this species. But I found nothing. The closest genus I could find was Baryonyx, a close relative of the Spinosaurus. I wondered for a moment if they classified this creature as a Baryonyx since the crocodile-like skull was a very recent discovery; and when Ingen was cloning these dinosaurs in the 80’s they wouldn’t have known of that feature and simply labeled the dinosaur after the known genus it most resembled. But the Baryonyx profile was too distinct; it was described as yellowish gold in color with blue blotches, not the rusty brown I just witnessed. No mention of a sail was present either. These were two different animals.
Do I still not have a full list of the potential dangers that are found on the island. Am I simply missing a few profiles? Or was this creature created off the books? That doesn’t really matter. What matters is that this island still holds a few surprises. As much as I would like to know everything that may come my way, I don’t think that’s going to be an option. Who knows what else is lurking through those trees.
whendinosaursruledthemind 
Clever, describing the Baryonyx as it’s pictured on the Jurassic World homepage. Very clever indeed. 🙂
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Aww yeah! I was wondering when we’d get the next chapter! You did an awesome job with this. I really wonder if this guy has any chance of making it out alive.
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I say his chances are slim.
But there’s still a chance….
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