Love Finds A Way

Uneasy

After this little visit to the lab, Alan insisted on seeing the Raptors. We made our way to the cages and heard screeching sounds. "Dr. Grant! As I was saying, we laid on lunch for you before you go into the park!" John said, But Alan wasn't listening. We all glanced up at a crane a cow was attached to.

"What are they doing?" Alan asked suddenly. "Feeding them." John said casually and I glanced at Ellie in alarm. I was no vegetarian but this didn't seem right. The cow bellowed. "Alejandro's prepared a delightful menu for us. Chilean sea bass I believe. Shall we?" John asked, but the group of us walked forward.

We rushed up the steps as the cow was lowered into the cage. It only took a second before the load roars began. The leafs were shaking and I turned my head in disgust. I hit something hard when I turned, which happened to be Ian's chest. He looked down at me, looking just as disturbed. I moved from Ian's chest, trying to hold in the bile I felt rising.

"They should all be destroyed." A man with an Australian accent said as he walked up the stairs. I turned to face him, as did the rest of us. "Robert Muldoon. My game warden from Kenya. Bit of an alarmist, but knows more about Raptors than anyone." John told us as Alan went to shake Muldoon's hand.

"What's their growth rate?" Alan asked him. "They're lethal at eight months. And I do mean lethal. I've hunted most things that can hunt you, but the way these move..." Robert Muldoon trailed off. I was afraid of what would happen if they ever escaped. "Fast for a biped?" Alan asked him. "Cheetah speed. Fifty, sixty miles per hour if they ever got out into the open. And they're astonishing jumpers." Robert told us.

"Yes! That's why we're taking extreme precautions." John said and turned to Ellie. I kept my attention on Muldoon.

"Do they show intelligence? Was their brain cavity.." Alan trailed off. "They show extreme intelligence. Even problem solving intelligence. Especially the big one. We bred eight originally. But when she came in she took over the pride and killed all but two of the others." Robert told us. I was alarmed at this.

"That one, when she looks at you, you can see she's working things out. Thats why we have to feed them like this. She had them attacking the fences when the feeders came." He told us. "The fences are electrified, right?" Ellie asked him.

"That's right, but they never attack the same place twice. They were testing the fence for weaknesses, systematically. They remember." Robert told us and I glanced at Alan. I could tell he didn't approve of this park and how it operated. And I knew I didn't either.

The crane rumbled and began to lift and we all glanced up. The thing had been nearly ripped to shreds and I felt sick. "Yes. Well, who's hungry?" John asked us and I thought the man had to be crazy to think we'd be hungry after that.

We were lead to a room with a table. I sat down by Ian automatically. The chef placed us a dish of chicken, or something like that, sprinkled in cheese. Ellie and I both looked down at it in distaste. "None of these attractions are ready yet. But the Park will open with the basic tour you are about to take, and then the other rides will come online six or twelve months after that." John informed us.

I felt the park shouldn't be opened at all. It seemed like a disaster waiting to happen. "Absolutely spectacular designs. Spared no expense." John told us happily. "And we can charge anything we want. 2,000 a day, 10,000 a day, and people will pay it." Genarro said from beside me. Of course he was money hungry.

"And then there's the merchandise.." he trailed off. "Donald, this Park was not built to cater only to the super rich. Everyone in the world has the right to enjoy these animals." John told him. "Sure they will. We'll have a coupon day or something." Genaroo said and John laughed. I felt utterly disgusted.