Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, scattering across the earth. The desert days were scorching and the nights freezing, but the temperature within the oasis woods was just right.
Sensing the light, Carlo slowly blinked his eyes open. He looked at Stego bro, who was still resting beside him, and gave him a gentle nudge.
But this time, the old dinosaur didn't stand up.
Exhale...
The expression on Carlo's face shifted subtly, revealing what seemed like a trace of... a bitter smile? Stego bro's end was not unexpected; if anything, dying of old age was the highest honor a wild animal could achieve.
Carlo rose, walked to the lake, and leaned down to drink. He wanted to soothe his parched throat, but his thoughts kept drifting back to a certain afternoon from his childhood.
Stego bro's lifespan was roughly twenty years. For a dinosaur in Jurassic World, that was neither particularly long nor short. Perhaps his lifespan had been locked in place from the moment he ate that indigestible food as a juvenile.
He once had a home, but he had no family. The closest anchor of his childhood was nothing more than a small puddle. When was the first time he had truly felt safe? It was probably when he reached this massive lake.
No longer having to worry about water sources, and no longer needing to raise his blades against his own kind, Stego bro had guarded his sanctuary. In doing so, he had also guarded Carlo's sanctuary.
Perhaps to Carlo, what the old dinosaur had done was trivial, but for a Stegosaurus, he had done his absolute best.
And so...
"Roar…"
Goodnight, and good morning, Stego bro.
Drip... drip...
Carlo slowly raised his head. A few droplets of lake water cascaded down his lower jaw, creating ripple after ripple across the water's edge.
Looking back down, Carlo noticed that his reflection in the lake seemed much smaller. Was it because he was standing up?
"Aunnng…" Remember to drink plenty of water, silly boy.
Stego bro's reflection materialized in the water. He was drinking by the lake just like he always did, causing Carlo to freeze in a daze.
When Carlo turned his head to look beside him, the grass was completely empty. With one final drip, Stego bro's reflection dissolved.
Exhale...
As if remembering that deeply embarrassing afternoon from their past, Carlo let out a soft huff of amusement and sat down on his haunches. Giving one last glance at the settled, calm surface of the lake, he lay his body down and closed his eyes.
The oasis blocked out the raging storms, allowing only a gentle breeze to pass through and brush against Carlo's body. The sunlight poured down, wrapping his heart in warmth.
The herbivores remained gathered by the lake, painting a picture of quiet years, peace, and leisure.
But... was something off?
Carlo's eyes snapped open again. His yellow pupils mirrored the undisturbed surface of the lake. Pushing himself up with his forelimbs, he sat upright on the ground and scanned his surroundings.
Nothing unusual.
He tilted his head slightly, sniffing the air with intent. Then, he broke out of his seated posture and stood tall by the lakeside, stretching his neck higher to draw in a deeper scent.
Inhale...
The blistering air filled Carlo's massive lungs. A certain suspicion began to form in his mind...
"Grrnnng…"
He let out a low rumble, calling out to his family. The sheer majesty of the sound forced every creature along the shoreline to halt in their tracks. Their bodies trembled abruptly as a collective wave of primal dread washed over their minds.
The entire oasis remained under this suffocating pressure for ten full seconds. Amidst this profound silence, the terror of the surrounding animals ratcheted up another notch.
There was no answer.
"ROOOAR—"
Carlo roared out his call once more. This time, he intentionally dragged out the sound, ensuring it would carry far, far away.
He was calm, rational, at least, that was how Carlo appeared on the outside. As the barrier of silence was shattered, the nearby dinosaurs relaxed slightly, only to have their hearts instantly gripped again by this sky-rending, elongated shriek.
Just make some kind of sound, please, anything at all...
The oppressive atmosphere forced all the dinosaurs into a silent consensus. Even though they couldn't see the apex predator's inner fury, their hearts thudded wildly. They desperately prayed for any sound to echo back and shatter this dead silence.
But there was still no reply.
Carlo slowly turned around, facing the nesting grounds where Giga Dad and the others usually stayed. Right now, it was entirely empty.
Is everything okay now?
Seeing Carlo move, the dinosaurs along the shore tried to guess what the Lord of the Desert was thinking.
But in the very next instant! Carlo, whose face normally betrayed no emotion, suddenly planted both feet wide apart. His tail slammed against the ground. He lowered his head, drew in a massive breath, and snapped his head upward!
"ROOOOOOOARRR—————"
For a moment, it felt as though a physical shockwave erupted outward! The dinosaurs along the shoreline could no longer endure this heart-wrenching torture; they shrieked in panic and fled in all directions!
Even the white mist in the sky seemed to recede before it. The blazing sun ducked behind the clouds, not daring to show its face.
Further away, the adult Dreadnoughtus within the Dreadnoughtus Oasis bellowed as they formed a defensive perimeter, preparing to repel a predator's intrusion.
Further still, a technician inspecting the fencing for the Oasis was literally scared out of his wits by the heart-piercing roar, tumbling to the ground and frantically scrambling to pick up his dropped instruments.
And even further beyond, four massive transport helicopters cut through the heavens. Suspended beneath each of them was a colossal cargo container, slicing through the horizon.
"Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"A roar? I think?"
Inside one of the transport helicopters, the crew chatted casually. The man who had caught the sound, possessing sharper hearing than the rest, looked toward the horizon with lingering fear.
"It's probably just them waking up."
"I hope it's just that."
The man who had been spoken to pointed downward. The first speaker knew his buddy was referring to the dinosaurs they were transporting, but... that kind of roar didn't sound like it came from the cargo below.
The man's thoughts began to drift, creeping closer to a certain truth.
Why had Dodgson ordered them to capture these "ordinary Gigas"? Why had the captain delayed the operation for over twenty days before taking action? Why did they have to act like common thieves? Was it really just to evade the lightly armed forces of the Primeval Organization?
Perhaps not.
They were terrified of a single animal.
It was quite laughable when you thought about it. Humans, the undisputed rulers of Earth, actually had to resort to sneaking around like rats just to avoid a single beast. To achieve this, they hadn't hesitated to wait out an entire 20-day window, hunting for the exact moment the zone's defenses were at their weakest.
The man's mind began to piece together an elaborate drama. For instance, what if this terrifying animal was actually a biological weapon dropped by extraterrestrials? What if its value far exceeded human comprehension, and Dodgson and his crew had discovered this, which was why they were covertly targeting its close relatives?
"…"
"What am I even thinking... a biological weapon is the kind of thing only the military could handle, right?"
How could a biological weapon be running wild all over the world? I'm definitely overthinking it. Seriously, when am I ever going to outgrow this chuunibyou phase...
"Aerial Deterrence System activated. Please watch out for turbulence."
The helicopter's automated broadcast chimed. The four transport helicopters carried their cargo containers over frozen lakes and dense forests.
Nestled between the mountain ranges, a massive, disc-shaped structure with a radius exceeding a kilometer came into view.
Its name was "BioSyn."
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