Chương 12: Indominus Rex (12)

No matter how spacious a cage was, it began to feel cramped once one had explored it long enough. Asset had been confined to the old enclosure for a year. During that time, she had explored every corner, become familiar with every plant and tree, and even sampled them on a whim. She knew that leaves and grass tasted bitter, while fruit became sweet only after ripening.

She knew that vegetation was also part of a proper diet: after eating meat, she needed to consume some grass to help pass the prey's fur and hide through her system. She knew that the birds and rodents in her territory were her dependents. The birds cleaned her skin, while the rodents disposed of the remains of her meals. She knew that fish entered through the stream feeding the pool, and she caught them for an extra meal almost every midnight.

She also knew that several toads had appeared beside the pool, that seabird droppings contained seeds, that running water polished stones smooth, and that the electrical current was equally strong throughout the entire fence. More than anything, she knew that without Susan, this isolated existence would eventually damage her mind. Being treated like an exile would distort her understanding of herself. For an intelligent creature, loneliness might not kill the body, but it could make the mind wish for death.

As Susan often told her, "You're intelligent, so I need to spend more time with you."

"You aren't like the velociraptors. They hatch as a clutch, with at least three or four siblings who share their blood. From birth until death, they're never alone."

"And you aren't like the Tyrannosaurus rex, either. It may be enormous, but its brain is small. As long as it has enough food, it doesn't seem to need anything else. Sometimes I wonder whether it even understands loneliness. How else could it live in the same enclosure for so long?"

"Oh, there is another possibility. Perhaps it's already an 'old grandmother,' just like me. Once we reach this age, we don't have many ambitions or desires left. We're happy simply staying in our little homes and living out our days." Susan's gaze drifted through the forest. She clearly still had no idea where the dinosaur was hiding.

"But you're different, good girl. Every intelligent creature needs companionship while it's young. Without it, the creature may grow into a 'devil.' Do you know something? I've already seen the beginnings of that devil in the other one of your kind." The scientists' arrogance had turned the other dinosaur into a monster. It lived in the finest habitat, received the highest-quality meat, and enjoyed comprehensive care and constant "attention" from the humans. But the high walls would eventually drive it insane.

The scientists were unknowingly turning it into the island's greatest hidden danger. When that happened, Isla Nublar would drown in blood, and the devastation would be even worse than it had been ten years ago. Susan remarked calmly, "I don't know whether I'd rather die before that happens or afterward. If I end up buried in a dinosaur's stomach, the soil of my grave will be mixed with its droppings. Oh God, how disgusting! Would heaven refuse to admit me if I arrived smelling like dinosaur?"

Whenever Susan began speaking faster, Asset knew that the woman's thoughts had wandered off again. Asset lay on the ground and released a low hum. Susan came back to herself and smiled before beginning that day's story. It was a legend about dragons—great winged beasts capable of flight, fire-breathing, and magic.

"They were powerful, long-lived, and beautiful. They were gods in the age of gods and devils in the mouths of devils."

"But to humans, they represented both treasure and evil. People prayed to dragons for power and wealth, rather like… well, rather like Jurassic Park today. Everyone hopes dinosaurs will bring them success." Susan set down the storybook.

"Speaking of which… good girl, do you ever touch the electric fence?"

"I've heard that the voltage in the old enclosure is unstable. Animals run into the fence every day, yet no bodies are ever found nearby. Did you… eat them?" Asset did not answer. But after Susan left, Asset strolled leisurely through the enclosure. Whether intentionally or by accident, she swept her tail through the surveillance camera and shattered it. Now that she had reached a certain stage of development, she no longer enjoyed living under constant observation.

But she also understood that, for the time being, she could not escape this life. Sure enough, the humans did not immediately notice that the camera in the old sector had broken. By the time they discovered it, a full week had passed, and they were in no hurry to repair it. After all, it was only a camera, not the electric fence. As long as the dinosaur remained inside, there was no need to rush. The second Asset was neither their primary concern nor part of the genetics company's planned attractions.

She had been created only as a backup for the first. Unless the first Asset died, most forms of "special treatment" would never be extended to the second. And that was exactly what happened. It was not until her medical examination two months later that a team of researchers arrived at this "place of exile," carrying their equipment. They planned to weigh the second Asset, measure her length, administer an antiparasitic treatment, and replace the broken camera while they were there.

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Everything went smoothly. The tranquilizer struck its target precisely. The target could not withstand the power of modern chemistry and fell unconscious within moments. The researchers immediately entered the enclosure. Working against the clock, they drew blood from the "Asset," conducted a physical examination, and took her measurements. They even tested the water quality and replaced the surveillance camera.

As far as they were concerned, they had covered every possible detail. At least, that was what the humans believed. They had no idea that they were still alive only because Asset had allowed them to live. She had sensed their approach the moment the unfamiliar scents reached her on the wind.

Her extensive hunting experience allowed her to determine how many people were coming from the mixture of their scents, estimate how much meat each carried from the weight of their footsteps, and judge which of them were healthiest from the pitch and strength of their voices. She watched them the entire time. Only after seeing them load the tranquilizer gun and search everywhere for her did she slowly let her camouflage fade and emerge from the forest at exactly the right moment.

When the tranquilizer dart came flying toward her, she could have dodged it. But she restrained herself. The electric fence stimulated her body every day, but opportunities to develop resistance to tranquilizers were rare. She needed to make the most of this one. So she allowed the dart to strike. She closed her eyes, lost consciousness, and sank into a complete mental void. But she had also caught the humans in a trap of her own.

Long-term exposure to high-voltage electricity had strengthened her body by more than a single degree. The dosage used to sedate another member of her species was not enough for her. Asset would awaken much sooner than the first. And awaken she did, while the humans were still inside the enclosure. She had no intention of attacking them. She merely wanted to hear how far they believed she had developed.

"Body length: 5. 91 feet. Weight: 132. 28 pounds. It still qualifies as a 'lightweight' dinosaur. It doesn't seem to have gained much mass, but its body feels more solid than the other one's."

"It's been a year, and it's still nowhere near the other one's size. Are wild animals simply worse at growing than captive ones?"

"Obviously. Suppose I locked you in a room and supplied all your food and water, then compared that with abandoning you on a deserted island to fend for yourself. Under which conditions do you think you'd grow larger?"

"Enough talking. We have the blood and fecal samples. It's time to leave." Before departing, they gave her an injection of antiparasitic medication. Then they packed up their equipment and left, never realizing that she had been awake the entire time. The new camera rotated overhead. Asset did not rise immediately. Instead, she continued her nap and did not "wake up" until Susan arrived. Less than five minutes later, another sweep of her tail shattered the new camera.

She could almost imagine the humans cursing furiously on the other side of the feed. It did not matter. They would not return anytime soon. At one year and three months old, Asset's diet changed once again. That day, Susan was not the one who delivered her food. Instead, three men in protective equipment arrived, pushing an enormous crate. With considerable effort, they attached it to the feeding crane and began moving it into the enclosure.

As the crate rose, its poorly balanced weight made it sway from side to side. Whatever was trapped inside seemed agitated and released a series of increasingly furious roars. Hmm? Furious rather than frightened. Was there another carnivore inside? Asset's interest stirred. She raised her head from beneath the broad leaves and watched as the sealed crate touched the ground and one of its doors slowly opened. A fully grown brown bear emerged. It appeared to hold some kind of grudge against the humans.

Instead of running into the forest or inspecting its surroundings, it circled the crate repeatedly, searching for any sign of them. When it failed to find them, it flew into a rage and struck the crate, leaving claw marks in the metal with its tremendous strength. Then the crate began to rise. At the same moment, Asset emerged from the forest. Only then did the brown bear realize that it was standing in someone else's territory. Instinctively, it assumed a defensive posture.

But when it turned and discovered that its opponent was smaller, its confidence returned at once. It roared with renewed energy and charged at her.

"That male brown bear just woke from hibernation. It must be starving. Do you think the Asset can defeat it?"

"An adult brown bear is larger than she is, and it has impressive speed and bite strength. A fight to the death with an animal like that won't be easy for her." That much was true. The wild bear possessed extensive hunting experience. Its attacks and defenses were both fluid and assured, making it a formidable opponent. When it reared onto its hind legs, it stood nearly ten feet tall, creating an overwhelming sense of pressure. Its disadvantage, however, was that its claws were shorter than Asset's.

Its first strike missed, and Asset slashed it in return. Flesh split open. Blood sprayed through the air. The bear lunged, wrapped both forelegs around Asset, and bit down on her neck. But Asset's hide was extraordinarily tough. Its fangs had barely broken the surface when she twisted her head around and sank her own teeth into the back of its neck. Long fur flew everywhere. The bear's foul odor filled Asset's mouth and nostrils.

With overwhelming force, she slammed it to the ground, raised one hind leg, and stamped down viciously on its skull. She had learned that move from the other dinosaur. Asset remembered every blow she had ever suffered. The impact left the bear dazed and disoriented. Asset struck while it was vulnerable. Her claws plunged into its abdominal cavity, and without the slightest hesitation, she ripped its belly open.

The moment its abdomen split apart, she thrust her head inside, tore through its organs, and crushed its heart between her jaws.

"ROAR!" The bear released a final agonized cry. With the last of its strength, it raked a long bloody line across Asset's face. Asset did not care about such a minor wound. She began eating with relish, feasting upon its body and drinking its blood. In the end, the bear became food for another predator. For three days, they continued sending her bear meat. On the seventh day, they replaced it with a leopard. On the nineteenth, they sent in a male lion.

Asset could no longer remember how many of the animals humans called "rare" she had eaten. She knew only that carnivores did not taste particularly good. Herbivores had much better meat. To her surprise, the humans eventually gave her exactly what she wanted. Beginning on the sixth day, her prey changed to wildebeest and yaks. Both animals were so large that killing them was difficult, but once she succeeded, each provided enough meat to feed her for several days.

With more food available, Susan no longer needed to visit as often. She appeared to have been assigned to feed animals in another sector. The daily journey took considerable time, leaving her only an hour or two to spend with Asset.

"Good girl, I won't be able to visit as often anymore."

"The company intends to stop operating at a loss by opening part of the park and generating revenue. My new assignment is to care for the Triceratops."

"The laboratory has decided to raise a new group of velociraptors. Apparently, they plan to have a former soldier train them as 'hunting dogs.' I think they've completely lost their minds."

"Goodbye, good girl. I hope your new supervisor treats you well." Susan left the old sector. For a long time afterward, Asset saw her only twice a week. Another six months passed before parts of Isla Nublar opened to the public. Large crowds of visitors flooded onto the island. The scent of humans saturated the air, irritating Asset while she slept and continuing to irritate her after she awakened. She had known that humans were noisy. She had never imagined they could be this noisy.

When Asset turned two, Susan arrived during one of her infrequent visits with a new story.

"One week ago, the laboratory's velociraptors hatched. There are four of them."

"They've been placed together in a large enclosure, and apparently they were assigned a keeper from the moment they hatched."

"The keeper is a former serviceman named Owen. It seems the dinosaurs' fate is still tangled up with the military. I only hope they don't send you to the front lines one day with explosives strapped to your bodies…" Susan paused.

"Then again, that sounds exactly like something they would do." Yes. There was nothing humans were incapable of doing. So Asset thought.