Work Text:
Feral Familiarity
"You're crazy, you sure you wanna be doing this? You're acting like you got some sort of death wish or something."
That very well may have been true from a certain point of view. Maybe you really did magically lose an astonishing amount of neurons over the past twenty something years and that severely hampered your cognitive capabilities. Perhaps you had lost your sanity but it never occurred to you until the technician called you out at that exact moment.
You merely shrugged at the accusation. He was right. Many did consider you insane for considering taking up this deadly task but it was something you absolutely needed to do. It had been so long and you had to see what had become of your former charge. There was no way that you could pass this up.
"I just may come back out of my retirement if I manage to survive this," you said rather casually. "Mr. Masrani reached out to me so I decided to hear him out. He was looking through the original park's old employment records and that's how he singled me out. Words were exchanged and here I am. I didn't come to this island for a tropical vacation getaway. I came here to see her again."
The technician wrinkled his nose at you, trying to read you and make an attempt at decoding your rationale. You didn't expect him to understand and neither did you really care. It had been far too long and for that long, you worried and wondered. No one was going to turn you away now. You were going to do this even if it killed you.
"You, uh, you really did work at the original park?" he asked as his hand hovered over the control panel. His hand was shaking subtly and he cleared his throat.
"I did," you confirmed. "I was working there as a hatchery aide."
"Interesting. How'd you end up with the job as the primary caretaker for this dinosaur? How'd you manage that?"
"I was simply in the right place at the right time." You smiled fondly at the memory. "She imprinted on me and it was decided that I'd be her caretaker. It was only for a few months but it was definitely worth it." Some of that blissful nostalgia faded from your face as you all too vividly recalled how that memory was indeed bittersweet. Regardless of that, it was still worth it in your eyes. "I'm just hoping she's in the mood for a reunion."
"Well, all the others who voted to be her caretaker walked away. A few of them got cold feet and two others had close calls with her."
"Heh, I guess it's destiny then, right? She never did like strangers. She's not very trusting. So who knows if she’ll even be happy to see me."
"Do you think she'll really remember you though? It's been an awful long time. Plus, they can't be that smart to remember from so long ago. She was a squirt back then and now she's a behemoth."
God, you hoped so.
"Dinosaurs, particularly some of the theropods, are a lot smarter than people deem them to be," you retorted. "Look at Mr. Grady. He's working with those raptors. It’s incredible and it offers some stunning insight into the potential cognitive abilities of some of these animals. They didn't survive on this Earth for millions of years operating just on instinct. They had to have an ounce of brains as well to adapt, evolve and better themselves. The troodontids and dromeasaurs were amongst some of the brainiest dinosaurs and the tyrannosaurs were right up there with them. Sure, some dinosaurs were pretty dumb according to our standards but underestimating one will get you killed as well. She is no different. You can look into those eyes and you can see that she's thinking. The cogs in that thick skull of hers are turning. They're observing and learning constantly. I'm not saying one of your creatures will start writing poetry overnight or find a cure for cancer next month soon but still… There is an intelligence of sorts in there. It must be noted and never underestimated." You took a deep sigh. "You can open up the door, I'm going in."
He was reluctant to comply. There was hesitation for a few moments but his hand at last fell upon the button.
The door began to open up, granting you entrance into the wooded and large paddock. Your eyes peered into the foliage, trying to scope it out and see if you could possibly get a glimpse of her. One would think it'd be impossible to lose track of such a large predator but so far you saw neither hide nor hair of the creature you once raised.
"I'll leave the door open in case if things go south," the man reminded you. "If you suspect something is wrong, don't be afraid to get out. You can make it through here but she can't."
"Thanks," you simply said.
You couldn't think of what else to say to him. You were a little touched by his concern and his attempts to reason with you but it was a lost cause. This was your choice and you weren't going to back out of it.
You couldn't lie to yourself; there was definitely some concern and fear in you. You were totally unsure of what the outcome would be like. There was a chance she wouldn't remember you. She was an old dinosaur and it was possible her brain wasn't advanced enough to recall someone from her infancy who served as her surrogate mother. All you had was a few decades worth of theories and speculations to work with. It was very likely you'd just be a snack for her. You were taking a massive risk and you didn't realize how dire it was until you were staring into the tree line.
"Oh, Jesus, take the wheel," you muttered to yourself and walked out into the open.
Your eyes were peeled and you were on high alert. At any moment, you expected the trees to practically explode and bear witness to seven tons of teeth and muscle barreling after you. Yet you heard and saw nothing. The paddock was quiet, almost too quiet and it was starting to make you uneasy.
You took a few more steps towards the trees. Your heart was beginning to race in your chest and you started to become concerned. There was no activity and that made you wonder if she was just out of sight, waiting and watching. Age was steadily creeping up on you as well but you were certain you could make a break for it if it called for it. It was either that or face a horrible death.
You decided to take a chance. This was going to be a shot in the dark.
"Rexy!"
As soon as you said her name, you almost regretted doing that. The silence that followed was even more uncomfortable and stifling. You looked over your shoulder, seeing that the door was still opened. The technician was still at his post and he was staring right back at you.
"Uh, maybe she's asleep," he said. "It is night."
Yeah, no shit.
Then that was when you felt the tremors.
Your heart sunk to your feet and your foremost instinct was to haul ass and shut the door. Any sane person would've done that and wouldn't risk it. But of course, you had to be crazy and you just wanted to see that delightful, reptilian creature once more.
The tremors were getting more powerful. You could hear branches snapping somewhere amongst the trees. She was definitely coming. She either heard you or smelled you and she was homing in on you. Your eyes focused on the tree line, waiting to see that massive head poking out from the darkness at any moment. You were terrified but you wouldn't back down. You only hoped to God you would be able to read her body language properly and in enough time before she'd snap you up like last Wednesday's leftovers.
A few moments later, you could see a gargantuan shape closing in. It paused at the tree line, halting there. You still held your ground. You didn't want to run, knowing it would trigger her hunting instincts.
"Rexy!" you called again. "It's been a long time, girly."
The old Tyrannosaurus bellowed and gurgled. She still lingered at the edge. You could hear her sniffing, taking in your scent from afar and investigating you. You figured that she perceived you as a stranger and was sniffing you out, trying to see if she could identify you before deciding how to proceed. Some part of your being was happy and relieved she wasn't charging after you, roaring and gnashing her teeth but you anxiously anticipated whatever would happen next.
Still, you held your ground. She remained out of reach of the floodlight you stood under. You could make out her silhouette but you still couldn't see all of her features.
After a few more moments, the huge theropod came forward. She growled and rumbled as she did so and you could hear that she was still inhaling deeply. You resisted the urge to take a few steps back as she drew closer to you.
And as she finally stepped within the light, you saw her. Your jaw dropped as you saw just how large she was. Her thick and scaly hide was also covered with scars and other imperfections from altercations over the years. You always suspected that she would grow into a daunting predator but you never realized just how large she'd get until you saw her with your own eyes. The last time you saw her, she was so young and although she was growing rapidly due to her altered genetic sequence, she still had a ways to go. It was sobering to say the least. She had grown so much and she was so drastically different from the juvenile you once doted over.
"Oh my God…" you whispered. "You're amazing."
Rexy halted once again, this time much closer to you. She lowered her colossal, killer head, sniffing you as you stood below her.
You kept as calm as you possibly could. You didn't want your anxiety compromising this reunion and have it end in disaster. It was a Herculanean effort for sure but you willed yourself to keep calm. She didn't appear overly aggressive and she was still curious and examining you. Again, you prayed that your theory about tyrannosaur intelligence was correct and she'd possibly remember her foster mother.
"Rexy," you repeated her name. "You're way too big to cuddle now, aren't you?"
You remembered those precious and sweet days when she was under your care. Sometimes she would whine and cry for hours in her pen, driving the other researchers and caretakers insane when you left for too long. There were times when she wouldn't eat or sleep unless if you were with her. There were even some nights when her clinginess was so bad that you found yourself sleeping in her pen with her. When she was so small, she would curl up beside you or rest her skull across your lap. Oftentimes, you ended up dozing off with her, idly petting along her head and her back, urging her to calm down and sleep.
The few months that you spent with her were unlike anything you experienced before or since then. Your bond with her was cut short when it was decided she was to be moved to a larger, outdoor paddock. You were deemed to be too detrimental to her growth and it was assumed that young tyrannosaurs weren't as reliant on their parental figures. You argued against it and tried to reason with your superiors but they would hear none of it. It broke your heart and you knew it broke hers too.
Even after she was moved to her new home, she still called for you nonstop. She kept doing it until she became hoarse and a muzzle needed to be put on her to get her to stop. You believed the actions were damaging her and you appealed again but you were denied.
It got to be too much and you quit. You couldn't bear to hear those horrid cries anymore or listen to anyone complaining about them. It was just too much for you. But you never forgot her and the bond you established with her.
"I've missed you, girly," you said quietly. You still tried to sound as calm and level as possible. "And I'm so sorry that I couldn't do anything to stop it."
Still, she was sniffing you all over. The fact that she was taking this long to evaluate you made you start to think that maybe she was trying to remember. You really hoped she was capable of such a thing. At this point, your life was in her claws and you knew it all too clearly.
You gazed upwards, finding her piercing gaze trained on you. Your eyes locked with hers and it sent an involuntary shudder down your spine. It was beyond surreal and you were filled with as much wonder as you were during the first moment she cracked free from her egg, caught sight of you and imprinted on you.
Long ago, you had given up hope on seeing her again. You heard about the ruin of the original park and you assumed she was dead and gone. But when Mr. Masrani contacted you, your assumptions were proven incorrect. You knew he was most likely desperate if he was reaching out to you. He even revealed to you that no one else would step up to the task as she scared off all of her previous keepers. No one else was qualified or they were too intimidated by the task. He said he called on you because of your past history with the Tyrannosaurus from decades earlier. No one else seemed particularly appropriate for the position. Masrani promised you a handsome wage and benefits if you accepted the job as her primary caretaker but that was the least of your concerns. When you found out she was still alive, you knew your choice was made.
After you angrily left Jurassic Park concluding your separation from your charge, you decided to study paleontology more thoroughly. You worked long and hard and you found yourself devoted to the subject of the larger theropods, particularly the tyrannosaur family. She had left that much of an impression on you. If you could no longer raise her and study her by her side, then you would do the next best thing; observe and investigate the fossils left behind by her kin. You worked in this field for many years before retiring eventually. You worked as a consultant of sorts at times following your retirement but nothing illustrious aside from that.
As you devoted yourself to your research and studies, you learned more things about her kind. A few times, it broke your heart. You and your various colleagues had discovered that tyrannosaurs were actually quite sophisticated and their brains were more akin to an avian setup and model rather than a reptilian one. They were more intelligent than previously assumed and it was likely that the people at this facility still undervalued her. They were also more social than believed as well and might've likely formed packs or family units of some sort. That particular discovery haunted you for years…
Suddenly, her pupils dilated. You bristled at this observation and you didn't know whether to flee and hope for the best or hold your ground and remain as collected as possible.
"Easy, easy…" you said in a level tone.
Very slowly, you raised your hand. Gently and steadily, you raised it higher and higher, making sure that she was seeing you doing this. You didn't want to alarm her or surprise her to catastrophic effect. Her eyes were pinned on you and she hardly even blinked. You raised your hand up to her jaws, wanting her to sniff it and see if she could remember this gesture.
"Good," you said. You recalled back on the months you spent with her and tried to train her. Ultimately, it was incomplete but you had managed some success with her. "Good job."
The fact that you were still alive was encouraging enough. Whatever you were doing had to have been correct and saving your skin so far. You kept your hand raised, allowing her to watch it and show that you meant no harm to her.
"Rexy, my girl," you said. You found yourself surprised as you could feel a stray tear dripping from your eye. "Wonderful job. Good girl."
You could hear and feel her breathe. Her snout inched closer to your hand and soon enough, you could feel her warm hide against your soft flesh. The old tyrannosaur continued to sniff you persistently and you were convinced she somehow must've been remembering your scent. Her posture didn't seem aggressive and her eyes had mellowed, making you believe she was more curious than anything else. You were also rather happy she was well fed and it made this encounter all the more positive.
You kept your hand still, a bit reluctant to let yourself pet her snout. You would let her investigate you on her terms. There was no desire to shatter whatever trust this magnificent beast might've possibly held onto even after all this time. You really hoped this dinosaur wasn't capable of holding a grudge.
"Remember when you were starting to teeth and you were gnawing through everything I gave you?" you snickered softly. "I was giving you buffalo bones and you snapped them as if they were twigs. You were even biting through those big blocks of ice filled with turkeys. You were a handful but I loved every minute of it. And remember how I used to play some of Bach's compositions on the boom box for you? It worked like a charm when it was time for you to go to bed. Lord, I hope you remember, Rexy…"
Your heart skipped a few beats when she pressed her snout into your palm further. A low rumble came from the massive animal and she blinked slowly. You took a chance and slowly caressed the tip of her nose, deciding to test the waters.
It looked like she still loved having her snout rubbed over twenty-something years later. And you were more than happy to indulge her in that.
"I'm glad you forgive me, Rexy," you said in a hushed tone. "I'm back and I'm not getting chased away from you again. We old hags gotta stick together."
You felt like soaring. Somehow, you were still alive and this was happening. But you weren't complaining and you'd enjoy this nice, little reunion. It was something you had once thought was impossible. You'd enjoy this for as long as you could.
Then her pupils pinned. Her whole form seemed to go completely rigid and unmoving. Rexy no longer seemed to be so trusting and docile.
The sudden tension was instantly noticeable and you swiftly picked up on this rapid change. The look in her eyes revealed everything to you. She no longer seemed to be focusing on you. Rather, she was fixated on something directly behind you.
You dared to glance over your shoulder and when you did, you saw the technician. He had ventured over to the door, obviously intrigued with your reunion with the old tyrannosaur. A look of dread and fear spread over his face as he stared back at you.
She didn't appreciate the intruder.
"Get back," you said in a low but commanding tone. "Calmly and slowly!"
You could hear her inhale deeply. Moments later, she released a thunderous, bellowing roar. You physically cringed from the intensity of her vocalization. It slammed against your eardrums and it rattled the bones in your body.
"Easy!" You raised your voice and redirected your attention to Rexy. "Easy there, calm down! It's okay."
She was not placated.
"Get out of there!" he yelled to you.
As much as you hated to admit it, you knew he was right. Things were going swimmingly until he had drawn too close. Now she was too dangerous to confront since she was angered.
But before you could make a step forward, she roared again and charged towards the gate. The most high pitched scream you ever heard coming from any human's throat then erupted from his mouth. He turned tail and ran as fast as he could, leaving you to fend for yourself in Rexy's enclosure.
Not too long afterwards, her thick and heavy skull slammed against the concrete doorway where he had once peeked out from. The Tyrannosaurus roared and growled as she attempted to gnaw and claw at the space where the man stood moments before. Somehow, you had to make it past her and shut the door.
"You may need this when you go in to see her."
"…why?"
"Trust me, this may come in handy. She seems…entranced by it."
You felt around in your pocket, feeling the thin, cylindrical object that lay within it. At first, you thought Masrani was crazy for giving this to you and you forgot about it entirely until this instant. Now you realized he was a genius.
Hastily, you fished the flare out of your pocket. You promptly activated it and you braced your lungs.
"HEY!" you screamed at her.
Your voice must've been louder than the raucous she was creating because she abruptly stopped her outburst. Her head whipped around and she roared at you.
The second that her eyes saw that luminosity, she was instantly ensnared. She exhaled haggardly and made her way over to you, drawn by the light of the flare. Slowly, you waved it back and forth, wanting to keep her interested.
"Go get it!" you commanded.
With all of your might, you threw the flare towards the depths of her paddock. As soon as she turned to give chase to the flare, you took your chance. With her distracted, you could take your leave.
It only took you a mere few seconds to make it through the doorway. You were sure you never ran so fast before in your entire life. Your palm slapped down on the control panel, shutting the door and securing yourself.
You slid to the floor, your heart racing a mile a minute from that episode. Your back rested against the control console and you took a few moments to take a breather and calm yourself. Things could've been a lot worse if you didn't have that flare…
"Are you alright?"
Lazily, your head turned to the direction where the voice came from. You could see the technician and Mr. Masrani hustling over to your side. More than anything else, you wanted to punch that cowardly worker right in his mouth.
"I-I'm fine," you said, trying to brush it off. "It could've been better but could've been worse." You shot the technician a rather peeved glare. "She doesn't like people."
The man had an apologetic look on his face and mouthed "sorry".
"I'm sorry it turned out like this," Masrani said sincerely. "I'm sure this was less than ideal for you."
"She didn't want to kill me, she wanted to kill the eavesdropper," you tersely answered. "She's clearly territorial."
"If you don't accept the position, I fully understand."
"Oh, no, I'm taking the job."
He wasn't expecting to hear your reply. He fell silent, blinking a few times and wondering if he heard you correctly. The solemn, serious facial expression only reinforced it.
"You are?" he reiterated, wanting to make sure.
"Yes," you nodded, standing back up onto your feet. "She was my responsibility once, she will be mine once again. She did appear to remember me and she wasn't overly aggressive. She only turned hostile when someone got too close and she spotted them. But yes, I'm not going anywhere."
Masrani appeared to be delighted by your answer. He smiled brightly and a small chuckle came from him.
"I'm very pleased to hear it," he said. "Is there anything else I can do to make this more conducive to you?"
"The wage is good, my living quarters are comfortable…" You shrugged. "My only demand is that no one gets too close to her without my permission." Then a thought occurred to you and your eyes turned to the technician. "And I want to personally train all staff assigned to her paddock to avoid further incidents."
”Fair enough. I believe that condition is necessary anyway given the circumstances and delicacy of this position. I’ll be more than happy to accommodate you. Do we have a deal?”
Masrani held his hand out to you. You smiled and grasped on it. You gave him a hearty shake, officially sealing the deal and beginning your employment.
“Welcome aboard!” he smiled brightly. “I hope this time, your job will be far better for you.”