THE NEW WORLD ↠ TERRA NOVA [O.H]

8| THREE LITTLE EGGS

Malcolm brought them over to one of the cornered off rooms, pulling back a curtained wall to show the three tables that each of the eggs were placed on. Each was in a small bedded tray while heat lamps dangled over them, a surrogate heat source to replace their deceased mother. Tanya cooed when she saw one of them shake slightly, dragging Emmy over to the table with their linked arms still together. Malcolm placed his hand on Tanya's back as he leaned down to watch as well. Emmy smirked to herself and bit back a comment to Malcolm. She looked down at the egg before another movement up at the furthest table caught her eye.

Emmy unlinked her arm and slowly made her way over to the other egg. It vibrated like the other egg and swayed from side to side. She could hear a small sound come from the egg by Malcolm and Tanya, followed by an echoed sound inside the egg she was standing at. Slowly, Emmy placed her hand on the side of the egg, feeling the dinosaur inside kick the area where her hand was. A smile rose to her face as he watched the egg shake more, a few cracks splintered from the top. Behind her, she heard Tanya cheer as the first egg hatched. But Emmy didn't look away from the egg she was standing by.

She noticed that the dinosaur was struggling to kick the shell open, letting out a small distressed sound. Emmy carefully picked at the egg, hoping to help the dinosaur, placing the broken piece of shell on the table beside it. She glanced back and saw Tanya grinning at the baby Triceratops, she looked back at her egg and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion when a different type of dinosaur poked its head out. Emmy stepped back and continued to stare. She had never seen a dinosaur like it before, it had a small tail with small sharp blades, it jumped in its egg, cracking it open more.

"Malcolm," Emmy called out.

"Yeah?" Malcolm looked up from the Triceratops and froze. "Emmy, get back."

"Why? What is it?"

"That's an Acceraptor. They are extremely dangerous."

"Well, what do we do with it?"

"I don't know."

Hands pulled Emmy backward, she looked behind her and saw a scared look on Tanya's face, obviously never being close to one of them before. Malcolm wheeled over a heavy-duty crate, putting thick gloves on, and carefully picked up the tray with the Acceraptor sitting in its egg, trying to keep his body as far away as possible. He placed the lid over it, small holes were poked in the top as he clipped down the sides and turned back to face Emmy and Tanya. He blew out a deep breath and wheeled the box out of the room. Emmy stepped forwards and turned around to look at her sister.

"Where is he taking it?" She asked.

"Somewhere it can't hurt the colonists," Tanya replied.

"What do you mean?"

Tanya offered her a gentle smile, knowing that Emmy didn't know any better. "They're called Slashers. That one was a male, judging by the yellow crest and the tail blades that were starting to grow. Males are more vicious than the female Acceraptor."

"Why would it have been with the Triceratops eggs then?"

Tanya glanced at the small Triceratops baby, it was eating some leaves she laid out for it, and then glanced to the other egg sitting on the middle table. She walked over to it and stared at the egg before turning around and picking part of the Triceratops' egg. She rubbed the bridge of her nose before sighing, quickly moving to the last table to pick up a piece if the egg that Emmy picked off. She placed them on the middle table, examining them closely. Emmy stepped closer and watched what she was doing.

"All three eggs are from different mothers," Tanya told her after a minute of silence.

"I don't understand." Emmy shook her head.